Stars

06

It felt like I was entering a morgue. Everything was silent, which was new in this class. I could feel everyone's eyes on me, and I felt uncomfortable. I became very aware of how loud my footsteps were on the hard floor, and I tried to walk as quietly as I could to Ms. Smith's desk.

She gave me a sympathetic smile as I approached. No doubt she had already heard the news, and knew how I felt about it.

"You can have a free day today. I don't want you doing anything that could damage your project. Make whatever you want today," she told me.

"Thank you so much," I thanked, and took my seat.

As I took my seat, I noticed a lump of fresh clay already sitting in my spot. Bless the old woman's soul. She had already gotten me clay, and had even turned on some classical music. My favorite genre to calm me down. Paired with the silence, and the rhythmic movements of working with clay, it was the best way to calm my frayed nerves.

I sighed in content, and began to sculpt flowers.

Roses, sunflowers, daisies, you name it, I was making it. Flowers were such delicate works of art, and drawing them was my favorite thing to do. Making them was a lot harder, but I loved the challenge. The delicate slopes and curves of their petals was like polishing a gemstone. It took awhile, but in the end it was worth it to see the finished product. They required a lot of attention as well, so it took your mind off of everything.

It took my mind off of everything a little too well. I hadn't even heard the door open until it slammed shut, and I jumped, dropping my rose. I groaned and picked it up. The petals were all bent out of shape, and the flower was nearly flattened.

I looked up to see the boys take their seats, Cameron winking at me. Grayson had a large bandage on his cheek, and didn't even look at me. I ignored him, and rolled my rose into a ball. I did take a peek at Grayson's wrists, only to see nothing there but the dark swirls of ink.

I mentally rolled my eyes and looked away. I was an idiot for overreacting like I did. Why did I care for him anyway? I didn't care what he did in his spare time.

Because you love people no matter what, that voice in my head said again. I internally groaned. Why did my mind always have to be right?

"So, Genna," Cameron said. I looked up at him, my dark eyes meeting his light ones. A smile grew on his face, and I felt my stomach drop with dread. Please don't.

"Why is she playing this awful music?" Oh thank god he didn't ask for nudes.

"It's a special occasion," I stated.

"Who's birthday is it?" Ethan asked, looking around at our classmates.

I rolled my eyes. "No ones. It's just a special day to listen to classical music."

"Why though?" Cameron asked.

I felt Grayson's eyes on me. He was watching my face, gauging my answer. I shrugged, not trusting my words. I would slip up and end up confessing that she's playing it for me. Ms. Smith knows how much I hate fighting, and how easily stressed I become whenever there is one. I confided in her my love for the music, and how working with clay is therapeutic to me. When she heard about the fight today, she must've known I was going to be a mess when I arrived. Again, bless her soul.

I also wasn't about to let Grayson know the reason behind all of this. He obviously didn't like me after today, and would use anything he could get his grubby hands on to use against me. All of this is also showing that my emotions are erratic right now. It would be a prime time for him to mess with me further if he knew it would get to me faster. He would think I'm weak, and I hate it when people think I'm weak. It's degrading.