Artwork [h.s]

four

I looked at the black and white drawing on my desk. It was a simple one, portraying his face, with no background. It certainly wasn't the best I'd done, but it wasn't the worst either: his beauty played a good part on my side, and I highly doubted that anything that portrayed him could be defined as mediocre.

With a sigh, I put it in my bag and left for school. I arrived around twenty minutes later, and I spotted Ella waiting for me next to the main door.

"How did drawing that beautiful asshole go?" She asked as soon as I neared her.

"Decent enough" I replied, "I can't wait to be done with him."

She laughed. "Now that's a lie. We both know you like him. I don't blame you, he's hot."

"I don't like him" I sighed, "Besides, he scares me. I don't like to spend time with him, he manages to make me feel like a failure without even opening his mouth." And even worse when he, indeed, opened his mouth. But I wasn't going to tell Ella what I'd overheard him tell to his friend.

"You're so dramatic. He's just a boy" she replied, "Now let's go, I don't want to be late for class."

Deciding not to say anything about what had happened the previous week when he had, totally, rejected her, I followed her.

• • •

Needless to say, I was miserable during maths. I kept glancing at him, wondering what would happen after he saw my drawing. Would he like it? Would it make him change his opinion about me? Or would he keep thinking so lowly of me? On one side, I couldn't help to find out, on the other, I was worried, and kept thinking of all the possible outcomes of that day. And so I did during English. By the time art came around, I was terrified at the simple thought of meeting him again.

I entered the room with my heart in my throat, just to realise that... he wasn't there.

Nobody was, if not the teacher and the students that were supposed to be there.

I was safe.

"Now that Sierra decided to join us, we can proceed. I'll call your name, and we'll review your artwork together" the teacher said sending me a glance.

I took a seat as silently as possible, ignoring the hard looks sent my way, and waited for my name to be called.

"The colouring is surely interesting. The proportions are a bit messed up though, see, this eye is bigger than the other. You should've been more careful" the teacher said, before calling the next name.

Knowing that I was towards the end I took my notepad and started sketching eyes on a white page. I loved drawing them, for they were what always caught my attention first when I looked at someone. I had always believed that eyes could tell a lot about a person. Someone could fake emotions, fake a laugh, fake a smile, but somehow, nobody could keep their own eyes from showing what they were truly feeling. It had always fascinated me.

"Why did you draw her teeth like that? They look terrifying" I heard the teacher say, "I like the blue theme you have going on, though."

The girl passed next to me as she went back to her seat.

"Sierra!"

I stood up as she called me and made my way to her desk. I handed her the drawing and stood next to her, silently waiting for the verdict, and hoping that it would be good anyway.

"This..." she said after a while, "This is a drawing, not an artwork."

I felt a cold shiver run down my spine at her words.