Midnight rider

Part 3

Author's Note: Paige is not based off me. I suck at drawing. But I know some people who are really good. So. . . yeah.

Despite the boost my friends give me, I still struggle through the day. We're not doing much in our classes, since finals are over. We basically spend the last two weeks getting ready for the promotion ceremony. I was supposed to give a speech, actually. Guess I won't be doing that anymore.

I survive my classes by doodling pictures in the margins of my notebook. Math always bores the heck out of me, so I concentrate on drawing Serpinski's triangle. It's where you draw a big triangle and then fill it with smaller, upside down triangles. I keep drawing triangles until I've practically filled the page. I glance up at the clock. There's still 20 more minutes. Mr. Hoang is droning on still about "respecting math" and preparation for high school. I'll be homeschooling once I get to the ranch, so I guess I don't have to worry about that.

I'm zoning out again when I hear him say, "And when you guys don't respect math by talking over me, it really hurts my feelings." He's a grown man. Can he really say that something hurts his feelings? This is the real world, and I've learned that people never care about your feelings anyway.

I try to tune him out as I turn back to my notebook. This time, I start to draw a picture of New York. What I can see when I look out my window at night. It turns out pretty well, and I'm actually pleased. I may not be good at many things, but art is the one thing I can do. I'm immersed in sketching out the moon when my classmate, Paul, leans over and says, "Dude, that's really good." Paul has called everyone dude for the past two years.

"Oh, thanks," I say shyly. Art may be my one "talent", but I always get a little shy when people compliment my drawings.

"You should become an artist one day," Paul says, then goes back to playing Toy Blast under his desk.  I don't blame him. This class is boring, and it's the last class of the day, so everyone is just dying to get out of school by the time 6th period rolls around. Paul plays on his phone. I draw. Albert, the kid who sits in front of me, draws drag queens. We all find some way of coping.

I go back to my drawing, and finally, eventually, the bell rings. Usually I'm happy when school is over, but this time, I'm not. I know that I have to go home and face my parents, face reality, which is something I just don't feel like doing. Sometimes, my friends and I go to Jeremy's. I gather up my stuff and head over to Jamie's locker, which is where we all meet up.

"Hey Paige," says Jamie as I walk up. She shoots a quick glance at the others, than pull something out of her backpack. "We made this for you."

It's a card. Everyone I know and more has signed it, and on the front, there's a picture of me and my friends that we took at the school dance. It was the one dance I actually enjoyed. "We love you, Paige" is written in big letters at the bottom.

"Thank you guys so, so much," I say, trying not to tear up. This is why I don't want to leave my friends. Because they actually care about me. They could teach my parents a thing or two.

"Anyone want to go to Jeremy's?" I ask.

"I'm really sorry, Paige, but I've got speech and debate," says Jamie.

"We've got band practice," Trevor and Maya say in unison. They both are play clarinet, and they actually won a state-wide competition, so I don't want them to miss that.  I ship them, too, so I don't want to  mess up their time together. 

"It's totally fine, guys," I respond. "Thanks again for being there for me today."

"I'm free," says Noel. "We can go, if you want." Jamie gives me a wink and a thumbs up from behind him.