Only Once

Chapter Nine: Beautiful Endings

Chapter Nine: Beautiful Endings

“Oh my god! What do you think you’re doing?” Erika shrieked.

It was Tuesday after school and the whole cast and crew of the annual school play was gathered in the school’s cafeteria, hard at work on creating the sets and props. Art supplies and such were littered all over the place and students were crowded around different benches and tables, working on various things.

In the midst of all the art and drama students pleasantly working and socializing, a rather sour and despondent someone was weaving her way through the cafeteria and looking over what everyone was doing.

Being the supervisor since the main supervisor Mr. Gupta, the school guidance counselor and computer science teacher, had bailed, Erika had to take control over everything.

The girl who Erika had shrieked at stopped painting and slowly turned over to look at the supervisor, fear written across her face.

“Do you call this painting?” Erika demanded, placing her hands on her hips.

“Uh…”

“Cause I don’t.” Erika grabbed the paintbrush from the girl’s hand and started to dramatically and animatedly paint the castle a slate colour. “See how I’m slowly moving the brush up and down. This is how you’re supposed to paint. You don’t tickle, you itch. Got that?”

“Yeah,” the girl quietly replied as she quickly took the paintbrush back. In reality, the girl had no idea what Erika had meant by itching the brush but she pretended she knew what she was doing and was eternally gratefully when Erika left.  

Shaking her head in disbelief and agitation, Erika started walking around and examining what other people were doing. Most people were doing what they were supposed to but some people were socializing and simply standing there. To those people, Erika sent them the meanest glare she could muster and smirked when they quickly went back to what they were doing before.

Erika continued circling around the cafeteria and watching people work until something off caught her eye. Raising her eyebrow, Erika started to make her way over to the dark haired boy whose back was to her.

“Excuse me, but what is that in your hand?” she loudly asked her new assistant.

No reply, however, was received.

Letting out a petulant sigh, Erika reached forward and tapped the boy on his shoulder, hard. He immediately responded by shaking the blaring earphones out of his ears and turning to her questioningly.

“Hmm?” he murmured, raising his eyebrows and unconsciously leaning towards her.

“I said, what’s in your hand?” she repeated.

Spencer glanced at the paintbrush he was holding in his right hand. He too was supposed to be painting sets like the previous girl Erika had yelled at.

“A paintbrush?” he tentatively offered as an answer.

“Your other hand,” she snapped. It bothered how she always seemed to be the only sane person around.  

“What does it look like?” Spencer retorted. “It’s a sub.”

Without saying anything, Erika reached forward and smoothly grabbed the sub from Spencer’s hand.

“No eating on the job.” She sternly told him when he made a move to get his sandwich back.

“Hey, I paid for that and I’m hungry!” Spencer angrily said. “I walked all the way to and back from Subway in the rain to get it!”