polaroids

| coffee stains are hard to erase |

Rue didn't know whether to even bother saying anything when she felt the hot coffee splatter against her navy blue shirt. She looked down at the splotch of brown.

It would be a nuisance to get rid of the stain.

She looked up.

She was even less delighted. Before her was the same messy blue haired boy from her photography class; a new student who'd dropped in two weeks after the sessions had already begun.

'Why is it always you?'

'I'm so sorry! I messed up, it's my fault...'

She sighed, seeing the genuine disappointment in his face. He gave her a sheepish smile and a napkin embroidered with the letters A and B.

'Keep it. I'll get you a new shirt if you'd like, or maybe wash this one for you.'

'Don't bother, I'll be fine.'

That's all she said as she walked away with what was left of her coffee and a white embroidered napkin.

I'll be fine.

The best and the worst lie every broken human uses. She was no different. Why should she be? Why should she bother worrying other people about her own problems, when she knew that half the time they wouldn't even care?

The only person who did, at the moment was her emotional support and lifeline; her best friend June Waters.

And although she was grateful that June cared, she never stopped feeling guilty.

Guilty that she wasn't good enough.

For anyone.

That afternoon, when she went to the  photography room to collect some extra polaroid film, she found a paper bag sitting on top of her desk, a blue label attached to it.

To,
the girl whose name I don't know

I hope this fits you.
Don't kill me for ruining you shirt, thanks.

AB.

Rue didn't know what took over her, but she couldn't help but smile at the random curiousity and the sense of strangeness that she could feel around this boy. Peeking inside the bag, she saw a pale yellow blouse dotted with what looked like wildflowers.

She liked it.

So she kept it.

But she didn't wear it until a long time later.

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