Narcissus

Chapter Seventeen

Picture/GIF above is Rachel.

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"I've decided I'm dropping out of school." Rachel announced, striding into the Art classroom. It was the last lesson of the day, a Friday, and the sun had already begun it's descent in the sky. The stained-glass windows of the classroom gave it a wonderful, hazy, red glow, only enhanced by the hints of the sun setting.

"It's only the second year of Sixth Form," James snorted, "How can you be done?"

"I'm done, too. I was done two weeks into my first year at this place." I grumbled and Finn nodded in agreement.

"Lighten up, guys." James laughed and Rachel just stuck her finger up at the dark-skinned boy as she chucked her handbag on the table and kissed Finn briefly on the cheek. She then walked over and dropped a note saying she had been at the doctors on the teacher's desk and returned to sit with us.

"Miss, can you help me?" Finn called out, and I watched Elise stride over. She wore a severe, black suit with a white blouse and Prada heels, looking incredibly imposing. Rachel winked at me and I put two fingers up at her, rolling my eyes.

"See, you need to blend the red..." her voice disappeared into the back of my mind as I watched her interact with Finn. She was closed off, careful with her words, standing a slight distance from the ginger girl. Blonde hair fell over her shoulders in waves, enhancing her eyes, and I found myself smiling gently at the sight. "I notice you haven't done much work this lesson, Ms Slater." the voice was now directed at me, as Elise rounded the table and cocked her head at me.

"Miss, I actually have, swear down." I grinned and flipped the blank page to show a rather badly drawn sketch of a building. It was widely known I wasn't the best artist in the class.

"That's... yes." she said awkwardly, looking down at the page as my friends burst into laughter.

"It's proper shit, ennit?" Rachel snorted, pointing at the drawing.

"Hey! Miss! She just swore!" I pointed out childishly with a huff as I watched Elise not even bother to conceal her smile. I knew it was a bad drawing, but I was highly offended that they didn't at least lie to stop from hurting my feelings. Although in actual fact, I didn't really care.

"Well... I think on this occasion I'll let it slide." Elise smiled properly now, her smile brighter than the sun.

"This is blatant favouritism," I huffed, "Just 'cause you like Rachel more than me."

"It's just the truth, biatch!" Rachel shouted happily.

"Sorry to break it to you like this," Elise laughed at me, "I just really don't like you."

"The truth hurts." James grinned.

After Art, Rachel walked out of school with me, slinging her free arm through the crook of my elbow.

"Wanna listen?" she questioned, holding up an earphone.

"Sure." I responded, taking it from her as I revelled in the peace of the late afternoon.

"ALL YOU LADIES POP YO' PUSSIES LIKE THIS, SHAKE YO' BODY DON'T STOP DON'T-"

"Jesus Christ Rachel!" I ripped the headphone out of my hear, whacking her with my sketchbook as she ducked away from it and cackled.

"What? It's a good song!"

"Actually just shut up. Like just shut up." I said, but I couldn't help the laughter that bubbled up in my stomach as we left school and began to walk to the bus stop. Rachel's car was broken after she crashed it into some shopping trolleys in an Aldi car park last week, so her Mum dropped her off at mine in the mornings, as the school was too far for her to drive. However, instead of me driving us today, I had suggested we walked and got the bus.