Summer (Original)

Chapter Four ~ No Art

Ethan

I watch Allie Rose stand up with tears in her eyes and run out of the cafeteria. I start to run after her but she runs into the girls toilet. Allie Rose wasn't sad often, but even when she was she managed to forget about it and be happy.

***
I went to Allie Rose's house, she wanted me to come over. She didn't say why just that she was bored. I knocked on her front door and as usual her mother answered and said she was in her room. I walked up and straight into her room, she looked like she wanted to cry.

"Allie Rose?"

"Ethan!"

She turned around so fast, I walked over and hugged her tight. We stood there for a moment before she pulled away and looked at me.

"What's wrong?"

She took a deep breath, not a sigh but a deep breath then smiled.

"Nothing."

"Why'd you want me to come here so fast for then?"

"Uhm well something was wrong but Ethan, I don't want to be sad so we have to do something-fun" She laughed at the 'fun' bit.

"Well what do you class as fun Allie Rose? Because we have different ideas of fun."

"I don't want to go to a party, get drunk and hook up with some random. That is not fun. Lets... Go to the beach!"

So I drove Allie Rose to the beach. She wore a perfectly fitted bikini, black with orange and blue, under her dress. It didn't take long before she dragged me into the ocean, we swam and listened to music on the beach, Allie Rose danced and laughed. I made her happy. She made me happy.

***

I walk away slowly. Back to my locker to get my art stuff.
Each class we take we have twice a week, having three art classes means I do art six times a week. I'm cool with that, art is the only time I don't feel pressured to be something I don't want to be.
I sit in the back of art class and wait, watching the door, waiting for her to walk in. Her hair flowing and moving with the way she walks, her smile getting bigger when she walks in the door, her spinning around on her heals and sitting in her seat. But she doesn't, she doesn't walk in at all.
Rebecca is in this class so not seeing Allie Rose makes me so much more worried. Allie Rose only ever missed one art class last year. She would come in to school just for art sometimes, no matter how sick she was she was always in art.

"Has anyone seem Allison?" Mrs Spencer asks the class.

Everyone says no, except Rebecca she just nods. I try and listen to what she tells Mrs Spencer but the class is too loud.
I sit and draw and paint, the colours blending evenly on the canvas. Forgetting all my problems once again, until the bell goes, snapping me out of my thoughts and school is over for the day. I clean up my stuff and walk to my locker.
I stand there for a while hoping to see the joyful Allie Rose walk to hers, I stand there for a few minuets before Grayson comes up behind me and slams his arms on my shoulders, scaring me half to death.

"Woah, what's got you so jumpy?" He chuckles.

"Nothing let's go!" I slam my locker door closed and walk with Grayson to our car.

I know he senses something is wrong, he doesn't ask anymore because he knows I won't tell him. I don't talk about my problems, I hide my feelings behind a brick wall I built a long time ago.

***
I was walking through the park, alone. Drowning in my thoughts. But I was interrupted when I heard Allie Rose yell from behind me.

"Hey Ethan!"

I turned around slowly, giving her a weak smile. Allie Rose started walking fast to me before she wrapped her arms around me, it felt so good. The way she held me so tight, the way her breath fanned my neck when she nuzzled her head in the crook of it. She soon pulled away and looked at me.

"What's wrong Ethan.?"

"Nothing don't worry."

"Please tell me!" Allie Rose begged.

I watch her face turn to worried, worried but still smiling.
My thoughts wrapped their way around my mind, making it so much harder to control.

"Just forget it Allie, lets talk about something else!" I said a little frustrated.

"Something is seriously wrong with you why don't you want to tell me? Did I do something?"

"Allie! Stop I'm fine, you didn't do anything! Okay!?" I yelled

She stepped back looking down at the ground. When she eventually looked back up she looked scared, like the boy I was at school had just become face to face with her.

"I'm sorry Allie Rose, I didn't mean to yell.." I muttered.

"It's fine, but I-uh should get going. Mum wants me home soon.." Allie Rose whispered.

"Oh.. okay then.."

I watched her walk away. She walked slowly, not the enthusiastic walk Allie Rose usually had. I had just scared Allie Rose. And that scared me.

***
When Gray and I get home I walk straight to my room, without even greeting my mother or sister.

The urge to cry washes over me as soon as I close my door. I'm not meant to cry over silly girls, I am one of the most popular guys in school. We don't have feelings. But knowing that I could be the reason the happy and joyful Allie Rose is sad makes me know I have feelings. If she would just talk to me, tell me everything is going to be okay, then maybe I'll feel better. Her words always had a way of looping my mind.

***
"Ethan.?" Allie Rose whispered.

She was at my house, we were watching The Fault in Our Stars, it was her favorite movie.

"What's up Allie Rose?"

"Do you ever wonder if people would actually miss you if you died?"

"Wow, who's dying?"

"N-no one it was just a question."

"Well I'm sure lots of people would miss me but I don't think about it."

Allie Rose hummed quietly.

Thing is, I spent the next few days thinking about it. Not if people would miss me but why Allie Rose asked me. Sure we were watching one of the saddest movies I'd ever seen but it still didn't make sense. Since when did Allie Rose think about dying?