Author By Chance

Seventeen; You will never know the value of someone until they are gone

Lincoln's POV:

"I could've handled this myself. You don't need to baby me all the time and now what, I have 3 weeks of detentions because of your stupid father!"

The words continue to ring through my head as I try to focus on my last class of the day. I know, it is my own fault for not telling her that her locker was spray painted on but she is also at fault for that low comment about my father. I mean come on! Rudely remarking on my father in a time when my father has left me and my mother is absolutely disgusting.

I wish that everything was as easy as a fairytale but no, this is life, raw and brutal.

I sigh as I fiddle with my pen as the teacher continues explaining to the class about our next English piece and what exactly it entails. Unfortunately for me this class wasn't one that I shared with Katherine, even if I was slightly mad at her I still want her to keep me company for just an hour, a moment, a minute, anything.

"... You have an option of picking between doing a creative writing piece or doing an essay for your third piece of writing. Depending on your choices you get to choose a theme from the list in the booklet for this film and write about it."

Opening up the booklet of the film that we were studying, The Best Of Me by Nicholas Sparks, a class suggestion might I add, I skim down the page of themes that my English teacher has provided for us. My eyes flick over the word heartbreak, thinking of my dad who left me.

Heartbreak.

"...You may choose to start now or tomorrow but just know the deadline is up on the board and posted in the Google Classroom... Most importantly have fun with this assessment..."

Hungrily picking up my pen I start working on my piece for English. All at once a flood of words spill out of me and onto the paper, just like paint on a blank canvas.

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Katherine's POV:

I continue reading the booklet for the film, Atonement that I was given from my English teacher. I sigh as the sound of the office door slamming shut behind Lincoln sounds off in my head in a loop. Guilt seeps through me and now that I am stuck here thinking of nothing other than the sound of the door slam I don't know what else I can focus on.

"I hate how people hang things up straight and proper. It is better if things were just all over the place."

Grabbing my pen I hurriedly write this quote down that was uttered from one of the teachers that I go to for the subject of Economics. I smile as I look at the image that the lady hung up on the red painted wall, which was slanted, perfect.

Skimming through the pages in the booklet of this film I pause on the quotes page. "If you write a story, all you have to say is the word 'castle' and, you can see the towers and the wood and the village below. But in a play, it's... it all depends on certain people."

A certain person, such as Lincoln Salisbury. The same person that I need to atone with.

The sound of the bell ringing brings me back to reality and the sinking feeling of what was to come tosses and turns in my stomach painfully. Grabbing all my things together I slowly walk out of the room and am immediately blinded by the sun. The very same sun that I always constantly am surrounded by back at my home. Glancing towards the right I catch a glimpse of Lincoln walking, his eyes don't catch mine but he probably hasn't noticed that I was even here.

I avert my eyes away from Lincoln and continue walking towards the gates that led out of school. If I walk fast enough I won't have to face his wrath from my comment about his father. Avoiding things isn't a good thing either though, Katherine I thought as I nearly bump into someone that was walking closely in front of me. A light tap on my shoulder takes me by surprise but as soon as I catch the glimpse of Lincoln's neutral face I immediately feel relief wash over me.