Basorexia

Chapter Three

"Leave it to us to be in school on a Saturday..."

I remained quiet as the events from the night before lingered in my mind. My father's damaging words and the glass on the floor flashed in my mind as I didn't bring myself to focus on the task at hand-therefore ruining it. Closing my eyes, I turned to retrieve another canvas before finding Grant to be leaning towards me.

"Can I help you?"

"Someone didn't sleep...or just genuinely hates me...."

"Can it not be both?"

"Goodness...Come on..." He tried to tickle me but I pushed him away, eventually splattering paint all up and down myself. With half of face purple and my chin yellow, I glared towards him. Grant attempted to hide his amusement when I rushed to the restroom. Turning on the warm water, I took a handful of soap form the dispenser and rubbed it deeply into my shirt. Tears filled my eyes as I eventually held myself over the sink, unable to take anymore. Falling apart over the sink, I hadn't cared to notice the door come open and Grant standing there.

"Hey...are you alright?"

"Please just go..." I said with a sniffle as he shut the door and locked it. "I'm not in the mood for anymore of your sex jokes or classifying of me...please just leave me alone."

"I know that cry..."

"What are you talking about?"

"The one when you fall apart over something small because something else is bothering you."

I turned to him, brushing the tears away.

"You wouldn't understand..."

"Of course not. But it doesn't hurt to try to talk about it."

I let out a scoff.

"Of course it does!" I snapped. "You have no idea what it's like to go home every day and be told you were a mistake...my mother was the only one who understood-just forget it..."

"No. Look...you're right...I don't know what that's like...I grew up in foster care...never knew my real parents and maybe that's for the better...but you aren't a mistake."

"You wouldn't know."

"Yeah I do."

He moved over by me and removed his jacket before wiping a tear from my eye. "Take off your shirt."

"Are you kidding me?! You really never give up, do you!"

"I'm not saying it for that. The laundry room is in the basement...I'm just gonna run your shirt...but in the meantime, wear my jacket..."

"Are you sure?"

He nodded. I snatched the leather jacket as he turned his back from me and I began to unbutton everything slowly-enough to question how crazy these circumstances were. But all I could think about was how sweet he was being. Placing the shirt over the edge of the sink, I placed his jacket around me as I zipped it up and he turned after I told him I was ready.

"How did you know about the laundry room?"

"I go down there to smoke..."

"By the furnace? Do you have a death wish?"

"Maybe a bit..." He teased. "What can I say? I love living dangerously." He teased as he unlocked the door.

"Hey...thank you." I said as he was half way out. He nodded before disappearing into the hall as I returned to the classroom. About twenty minutes passed before he returned and showed me the clean shirt in the hall and I gave him a large smile. Excusing myself, I went into the bathroom as he waited outside this time so I could return the jacket to him. When I emerged, he smiled and nodded.

"Good as new."

"Better, actually."

We walked down the hall as he placed the jacket over his arm. "I never asked what you thought of the concert last night...I didn't see you pop any relief meds so I'm guessing you didn't loathe it."

"It actually wasn't that bad. I liked the one about the butterfly...feeling trapped in the process of living...just wanting to make it to that final stage-"

"Wow...you really like it?"

I nodded.

"You do continue to surprise me."

"Were you trying to annoy me?"

"No, of course not. Just didn't think you'd like it. I'm glad you did. Maybe we can do it again..."

"I don't think so." I said, remembering the moments with my dad. If he were to see me leave the house on a motorcycle, he would certainly brand me with VIRGIN on my stomach.

"I get it..."

"No...it's not what you think..."

"So it has nothing to do with the fact that you wear pearls and I can't even touch them?"

I stayed silent, realizing I couldn't argue.

"It's not that..."

"Really? I thought we had a moment...but I'm not idiot enough to wait around for some uptown girl who has no time...Just forget it..." He began to walk down the hall.

"Grant!" I called after, but he just ignored me. This went on for days.