It Started With A #Kiss

Chapter 25

Ruby

It's been two weeks since Mr. Tistle passed and everything seems to have gotten bad. My last shift was Saturday so now I'm jobless, I've been asking all the local restaurants and stores but no one is hiring right now. All week I've been staying after school working on my art project just so I don't have to go home. Mason had gotten into trouble because his dad thought he was high and took his jeep away for two weeks. We have only spoken on the phone and texted.

Shuffling through the lunch line I get my usual salad and juice. The cafeteria is noisy but I'm still tuning everyone out. Those that knew I worked in the hardware store have asked why it closed down it hurt to tell them about Mr. Tistle. Sitting in my usual seat I begin the process of eating when Olivia sits down across from me. She's done this a few times now so I'm a bit weary.

"Hey Rubes, how are you holding up?" she asks.

"Fine," I shrug without looking at her.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"No thanks," I sigh. I just want to eat my lunch.

"You know when my grandma died I thought that keeping all those feelings inside would be better but trust me it's not good for you Ruby," she says quietly, almost as if she actually cared.

"I'm fine Olivia, I'm just tired," I look up at her. With a stiff nod she stops talking but stays sitting at my table until I'm done eating. Clearing off my trash I walk through the halls and outside into the frigid afternoon air. Resting against the tree I close my eyes as thoughts of Jade roll around in my head. I still haven't heard from her and it's annoying me. I sent her a text and email about Mr. Tistle but so far there's been no contact. I understand that she's busy and has that big recital coming up but would a simple text be asking too much.

When the bell rings I move back inside walking as slow as I can because right now I'm not really in a caring mood. I get straight A's in all classes even when I don't bother trying. Sliding into my chair I slump down and keep my eyes on the scratched wood of my desk.

"Hey," Daniel calls and taps his pen on my shoulder.

"Hey," I reply but don't turn around.

"You doing okay Ruby?"

"Yep, great," I reply and close my eyes for a moment. I'm not sure why I'm so angry but it's eating me up inside. Daniel's heavy hand lands on my shoulder and he gives me a light squeeze. I don't know what our teacher said for the last forty minutes but I'm gathering my books and moving to art class. I like to hide in the corner away from prying eyes. This is the only class that I don't share with Daniel, Bret, Olivia, or Jade, when she was here. Art is all mine. Setting up my easel, I put the canvas onto it then grab my paints. Today I'm going to finish this piece because Mason has an away game on Saturday and I want to give it to him tomorrow.

Using my phone, I open the picture of us sitting at the cove during sunset. I try to mix the colors as best as I can to replicate the tint of the sky, it's hard to match Mother Nature but I test out a few mixtures until I find what I need. The sweep of my brush on the canvas helps to settle whatever is rolling around inside of me. I used to hate drawing myself but over the years I didn't have any other subject to practice on. I used to think I looked hideous. I remember one time at Jade's when we were younger, we played with her Barbie dolls. I pinched the face of the doll together making her face cave in and her nose stick out. She kind of looked liked a bird with a beak for a nose and her eyes were distorted so they looked huge, like mine. I hated my face.