Written. (JB//Complete)

Chapter 25.

Scarlett

       Poetry week; my favorite. Creative writing class; also my favorite. And both of those combined are making me happy. Today, Ms. Peterson (my old, fractious, and crabby yet amazingly talented and great creative writing teacher) gave us a quick assignment to write a haiku describing someone important in our lives. Of course, I had a few people on my mind: my mother, Ryan, and Justin. Although, Justin is a very unique option for "someone important". He isn't a choice of mine, but rather more of a forced companion. However, he has made a huge impact on my life. Huge. He should be interesting to write about.

Night

Deep shadows of night

Scent of flowers fill the air

And you fill my soul

Perhaps it seems a bit too deep for the position we're in at the moment... or maybe not. Only the heavens above may know where I stand right now, and if not even them, then I'm cursed. But cursed in one of the most distinctive ways I've ever known. I may be a lucky soul at this point, yet one of the least fortunate all at once.

Ms. Peterson lazily strolls around the room, peeking over a student's shoulder every now and then to check on their work. Once she makes it to my desk, she stops and takes a couple seconds to read it, nodding her head without emotion and walking past me to another. Sometimes I feel like she admires my work ever so much, even if it doesn't seem like it, but I just get this vibe since she takes the time in reading my work, unlike some other students. Or maybe that's just my self-congradulatory mind speaking for me.

Once the bell rings, everyone packs up to head off to the next twelfth grade period, lunch. I swing my bag over my shoulder and walk out of the majorly vacated classroom and walk to the library, my normal visit during lunch. But my cell ringing from inside my bookbag halts my further walking, having me slip it out of the pocket and seeing a text. From Justin. Again.

Meet me at Paradise Bakery. Now.

Why so demanding? I sigh and check the time, seeing that I'll have a few minutes to spare during this period before I should return back to school. I quickly walk out from to my car and head over to the local Paradise Bakery. When I walk inside, I scan the filled yet mainly silent shop and once I find the familiar light quiff and tattoos, I know it's Justin who stares out the building's window in deep thought. When I walk up to the small, metal table and take a seat, he snaps out of his thoughts and diverts his attention to me.

"Hey," I greet.

"Hey." He doesn't look like his normal self, more unorganized than usual, bags under his eyes, and his hair even more carelessly touseled on his head.

"You needed to talk?" I ask more formally as if we weren't even friends, acting like our business with my journal was much official and top secret.

He nods and looks back out the window, focusing on whatever is busily moving on the streets.

"I don't know what I'm doing anymore."

I furrow my eyebrows and sit up straighter in my chair, leaning closer to him with my elbows on the table. "What do you mean?"

He shakes his head. "I don't know. I don't know anything right now."

I reach out for his shoulder to soothingly place my palm on him, but he leans back and dodges my touch, hurting something inside me. "Justin-"

"I don't know, Scarlett. I don't know how I'm going to get that useless, damn journal back," he frustratingly says. And here comes the hair tugging, only one hand cupping the small curls on the nip of his mack though.