Life in the Eyes of an Artist

Chapter 2- Chelsys revenge

My baby blue hood is over my head as I walk down the school hallway to my locker. I hear the sound whispers as I walk past people talking in groups.

I keep my head down and let my dark brown hair conceal my face. I pull the hoodie tighter around me almost like I'm trying to make myself smaller and invisible.

I get to my locker and to my horror I find it open but that's not what horrifies me. Its the fact that everything is completely destroyed.

Textbooks are completely shredded. I can't tell my geometry textbook form my biology textbook. Any personal stuff I had in there was either destroyed or missing. The tiny stuffed rabbit Becca gave me for my birthday is ripped open with stuffing spilling out.

And to top it all off. Its all spray painted with red paint. Profanity covers the walls of my locker. Looking at all the words makes it obvious that this was some of Chelsy's followers who did this.

I keep my face blank, not giving them the satisfaction of seeing me upset. I turn away from my locker and look across the hall to where a crowd of girls are gathered. They glare at me and I roll my eyes at them.

Just when I'm thinking that the day can't get any worse I hear the announcement. "Riley Davis, please come to the front office."

Inwardly I groan and close my destroyed locker. People laugh at me as I make my way through the hoard of students. I even hear someone yell "Your gonna get it now!"

********

I open the door of the office and the secretary looks up from her paperwork and says "He wants to see you" and points to the principals door. Its wide open and I can't help but think he's been waiting for this since yesterday.

"Take a seat Riley" Mr. Winston says as I enter the office. I take a seat in the wood chair,dropping my bag next to me and folding my arms.

"Do you know why you're here Ms. Davis?" Mr.Winston says folding his hands together on his desk.

"I'm guessing its that Chelsy chick?" I reply in a bored tone.

"Ms.Mearwood came this morning to me with a black eye Ms.Davis and she claims you hit her."

"She destroyed my locker and spray painted profanity everywhere on it!"

"Do you have prove of this?"

"Do you have prove of this?!" I snarl back, making a reference to the slapping incident.

Mr.Winston studies me for a second and the says "Thank you for your time Ms.Davis. I will get a janitor to clean up your locker. You're free to go.

"Thank you" I huff and pick up my bag and dash out of his office.

I reach first period just as the tardy bell rings. Luckily I have just sat down and the teacher is about to talk. She gives me a look even though I wasn't even tardy and then starts to talk.

I feel someone tap my shoulder and I turn ever so slightly so I don't draw attention to myself and grab a note from someones hand.

R u ok? The note reads and I turn and make eye contact with Amber, my best friend. She has a look of concern on her face. I shake my head and mouth back, talk later.

The teacher comes and drops a pop quiz on everyones desk. My insides churn as I try to answer each question but it becomes confusing. By the time I turn it in I know I failed.

"Can this day get any worse?" I mumble to myself. It seemed that life took that as a challenge.

I had a project I forgot to complete in biology. Got paired up with a stupid jock for a reading project and had to run sprint's all period in P.E.

By the time I got to lunch, I was exhausted. I had two more periods left of the day and I was thinking of skipping but art was my last period and I didn't want to miss that plus if mom and dad found out I'd be dead and I was in enough trouble as it was.

Amber was sitting to me, twirling her blond hair around her finger and devouring her spaghetti. I ate my sandwich and said nothing as I drew in my sketchbook.

I look up the exact second Chelsy comes waltzing through the double doors to the cafeteria followed by her pack of cheerleaders. I notice that she does have a black eye but its on the exact opposite side that I slapped her.

If you take a closer look you'd notice that it was makeup. Poor makeup in my opinion and it blows my mind that Mr. Winston didn't notice.

"Look at the jerks who just walked in" I whisper to Amber. She looks up from her spaghetti and cast an annoyed look in the direction of the stupid airheads.

Chelsy looks in our direction and glares at me. It made me think of the phrase, if looks could kill. Chelsy looks like shes about to walk away but changes her mind at the last second.

The cafeteria growns quiet as everyone tunes in to watch a showdown between Chelsy Mearwood and Riley Davis.

"You better watch yourself Riley!" She spats "Because this" She angrily points to her fake black eye.

"Just cost you and it won't stop. You thought highschool was difficult before? Well its about to get even worse!" Chelsy spats at me but before I can respond I hear Amber speak up behind me.

"Grow up Chelsy. We all know your just faking this tough girl act. Even that black eye is fake."

Amber jumps up, napkin is hand and lunges for Chelsy. A look of bewilderment is on Chelsys face before she starts screaming. Amber swipes the napkin across her face and smears the makeup. The napkin is partially black now and Amber waves it in triumph.

Chelsy runs out screaming, taking her hoard of girls with her. Silence fills the cafeteria before everyone burst out in laughter. Despite what Chelsy thinks, No one really likes her.

"That was awesome!" I exclaim and give Amber a high five. Amber grins at me. "Totally worth whatever her plastics are doing later to me for her stupid revenge!"

**********

Art class. Finally. The only class that actually makes me want to come to school. Everyone trickles in and sit at the tables, pulling out  sketch pads and sketchbooks as well as pencils and paintbrushes.

Mrs. Kingston,the art teacher, calls for the classes attention "Alright everyone" She says  in her usual excited tone. "We are doing a project for the veterans day parade and I'm gonna be putting you guys in partners" I turn around and lock eyes with Amber who nods in argeement to our silent pact.

"I see the looks around the room and I must clarify that I will be putting you in pairs" Mrs. Kingston says and picks up her notebook off her desk and begins to read down the list of names.

"Amber and Alex" Mrs.Kingston calls and I see Amber glare down at her desk. "And then Riley and Travis." 

I look over to Travis and he smirks back at me. Travis, a jock on the football team and a guy Chelsy is chasing. The only reason he's in art in because he needed a art  credit. Well, surprise, art geeks don't mix with jocks.

"Ok everyone pair up" Chatters Mrs. Kingston and I reluntantly scoot my desk over to Travis. "You need to all paint why Veterans are important to you. Try to express your feelings and thoughts into it! Don't copy another groups idea. This is you and your partner only!"

Mrs.kingston leaves us to brainstorm which means I have to talk to Travis.

"Uh so um What do you want to do?" Travis asks

"I don't know" I reply making it clear I didn't care about this.

"Did I do something to you? I mean, Why don't you like me?"

"I don't like people in general"

Its silent for a few minutes after my comment.

Travis is about to reply when Mrs.Kingston cuts him off. "OK everyone, we will contiune this tomorrow but now you need to work on your private sketches."

I breath a sigh of relief and pull my desk away from Travis and open my sketchbook. Finally, something I actually liked to do.