Don't Go Into The Woods

Chapter 54

My mother left the same day with Rick after the nurse reassured that I was recovered and well enough to return to classes the following day. I was actually glad to know that I would be returning to classes as I needed an escape from the loneliness I felt with Dimitri not being here. Everything felt so different without him. Even art classes didn't feel the same sitting at a large desk all by myself. I longed for him terribly and as the days turned into weeks and weeks turned into months, I wondered if this hole in my heart would ever close up and if Dimitri would ever return to me.

Soon exams were the only thing everyone could talk about and I was grateful to it as the studying helped take my mind off of Dimitri. Along with spring, came all the beautiful flowers I felt guilty for running across during our cross country afternoon practice sessions. With Dimitri gone, his position as captain was vacant and for some reason everyone found it fitting to annuity me as his replacement. Doing the one thing I never thought I would do, I had become the new captain of the team. We even managed to win our very first cup which very quickly shut up Candice who believed that the only thing a girl should be doing in her senior year was being apart of the cheerleading squad. She was still the same old bitchy girl who had spread too many rumours as to why Dimitri had suddenly disappeared and left school. She claimed that I had chased him away. Being known as the heartless bitch who chased Dimitri away from school didn't bother me in the least bit.

Between cross country, exams and even taking up photography and going to the school newspaper for extra credits, I did as much as I could to chase away the lonelinessnees in my heart that Dimitri had left behind when he returned to the woods.

As each day passed, I managed to cope with the pain a little bit better, but it wasn't going away as much and as fast as what I would have liked it to. Well at least I learned something new about myself. I loved photography and I was actually quite good at it. I even won an award for it after Carmen sneakily went and posted a few of my pictures, which I had taken during our numerous trips to town, to a magazine out of town. Ms. Jennings made a formal announcement during our school's assembly right before exams officially kicked off. Standing in front of everyone on the school's stage made me feel proud of myself for having gotten so far. My life had made a complete 360 degree turn around, barely resembling a shred of what it used to be when I had first arrived at this school. Still. As I stood there staring out at the crowd, Carmen's big smile staring back at me, Candice's jealous filled grin eyeing me out, I longed to see his face staring back at me amongst them. Will this feeling ever just go away?

I let out a heavy sigh once the school bell rung, signalling the start of classes for the day and our very first exam. I hurried to catch up after Carmen who was waiting for me outside the hall so we could walk together to our first exam. Just before I had managed to reach the door to exit I felt a hand on my shoulder holding me back. I looked up to see it was Ms. Jennings who had stopped me. Ever since she had officially become the new head mistress of this school we rarely had a chance to talk besides the few brief occasions in art class which she persistently still taught despite all the rumours going around school of the school board wishing she didn't overload herself with too much work. I was selfishly still pleased to see her remain my art teacher. Everything had changed so drastically without Dimitri being here that having someone still familiar around and with a connection to him made me feel like not everything was lost.

"Savannah"

"Ms. Jennings."

"I would just like to personally say congratulations on your acvomplishment."

"Thank you."

"I also wanted to find out how you were coping since Dimitri was ordered to return." Ms. Jennings specially lowered her voice as she said that. "I know it must be very hard for you and I hope that it won't affect your exams. You have a very bright future ahead of you."