The Way Things Go

Chapter Three

After the scene I caused at school this morning, the first half of the day was filled with stares from everyone that I had passed in the halls and in the classrooms. I heard everyone asking a bunch of questions. From the girls I heard: Who is she? Why was she with the Adonis? What does he see in her? I even had a few guys call out to me as well. Things like: Nice legs! Yo, girl who you? and Damn she small. I hated being the center of attention. I just wanted the day to be over and not have to deal with anyone until tomorrow when, hopefully, all that happen this morning will be old news. Thankfully it was now lunch and I could go to my only safe place here at school, the old tree behind the building. 

Once I get there with my bag, I begin climbing up the tree like I do every day. Once finally situated on the branch with my back against the tree I pull out my sketchbook and continue on the landscape piece I have been working on in charcoal. After what felt like hours, but really only a few minutes, I set that aside and decide to eat my lunch that I brought with me from home. Slowly munching away on the sandwich, I look around at the scenes in front of me. Boys playing football and soccer, girls gossiping and giggling, and others reading books or playing instruments to pass the time till we all have to go back to our classes. After finishing my food, I adjust my glasses and set out trying to finish my drawing for the last half of the break when I get hit with a paper airplane. Grabbing it I look around to see who threw it up here on accident, only to find no one even close or looking for one. Turning back to the paper airplane I notice a word written on it in the same handwritten as the two notes I have at home in my desk from the day before.

Tesoro.

After seeing that word I smile and look around again harder this time to find out the same as before. No one in sight to have thrown this up here. So. I decided to unfold the airplane. Once again confront with another note to me. This one longer than the others.

"Josephine, everyday you go up this tree and everyday I want to join you, but I don't want to disturb you. Everytime I see you up here I smile because you look so happy and focused on what you are doing. Your art. Never stop doing what you love, it makes you who you are and I love that. You look so free and beautiful. Have a good day my beautiful Tesoro."

After reading the note a second time I still can't stop smiling. Who are these from? I really hope I can figure it out. They sound so sweet and caring. I want to thank them for their words. Hopefully one day soon I will know, but for now I'm okay with the mystery of it all. 

Still smiling, I begrudgingly go to climb out of the tree when I lose my grip and start to fall to the ground. As I start to scream I hear someone yell my name.

"Jo!" someone yells as I fall to the ground. I close my eyes and brace myself for the pain that I am going to be in when I hit the ground, only for it to never come. Instead, I hear heavy breathing and feel strong arms holding me tightly against the mystery person's body. Still too afraid to open my eyes, shaking a little more in the arms of the person who caught me.

"Jo, it's okay. I got you. Please stop crying," the person pleaded. I thought I recognized the voice, but my heart was pounding so loud I couldn't even hear my own voice. I felt him shift us to the ground as he held me in his arms and I felt as he gently pushed the hair out of my face. Slowly I opened my eyes.

"Xander?" He nodded his head answering me silently. Before he took his thumb and wipe the tears from below my eyes that I didn't even realise I had. 

"Jo, you scared the hell out of me when you fell," he stated. His voice was laced with fear and concern for me. Something that I had never heard before from him.

"It scared me too. How did you get here to catch me so fast? I didn't even see you anywhere close by."

"I was walking under the tree when I heard you scream and when I looked up I saw you start to fall and ran as fast as I could to catch you before you hit the ground. I almost didn't make it."

"I'm glad you did. I don't know what would have happened to me if you didn't," I told him shyly with a small smile as I started to fully calm down and breathe normally again. I saw Xander smile quickly too before his face quickly changed back to the normal face I always saw Xander wearing.

"You should go see the nurse. Come on, I'll take you," he said to me as he stood up with me still in his arms and continued to walk still carrying me.

"Um.. Xander?" I questioned him.

"Hmm?"

"You can put me down now. I'm pretty sure I can walk by myself."

"Oh, right. Here," he said as he set me gently on my own two feet. I think I saw a small blush on his cheeks as he turned from me slightly and ran his hand a crossed the back of his neck. 

"Thanks," I say back to him before I start to walk on my own only to trip and almost fall again, and like before Xander was there to catch me. 

"How about I still carry you?" he asked me while holding me in a position that, if you didn't see me fall, appeared to be as if he had dipped me for a kiss. 

Nodding my head slightly, I said, "I think that may be for the best."

As Xander picked me pack up again I blushed a deep pink as I noticed his small genuine smile and look of concern still in his eyes as we once again made our way to the nurses office. 

---

As I was lying on the cot in the nurse's office I heard Xander and the the nurse, Ms. Maize, talking about me in hushed voices as I now had a pounding headache. 

"Ms. Maize, please tell me she's okay, I need to know that she is okay."

"Dear, she is fine just a couple little bumps and bruises. She has a concussion.."

"CONCUSSION? How is that okay?"

"Xander calm down, don't yell. She is perfectly fine, she justs needs to rest for a day or two and keep the noise levels down. She is much better off than she would have been if you hadn't been there to catch her. Everything will be okay. Why don't you go in and sit with her? I'll call the office and get you both excused from the rest of your classes for the day," Ms. Maize said softly before I heard her heels clicking away down the hall and then the knob turn on the door opening up to reveal Xander walking in running his hand through his hair making his once perfect hair style a complete mess. 

"Jo?" Xander called softly, but I pretended to be asleep. I didn't want him to know that I was listen to what he was telling the nurse.

Once he noticed that I was asleep, he pulled up a chair next to me and grabbed my small cold hand in his rather large and warm one and slowly start to rub his thumb gently across the back of my hand. I hear him sigh before he softly starts to cry himself. Slowly I hear Xander start to cry a little harder before I hear him sniff and try to stop himself from crying. Once again I hear him move from the chair and before I know what is happening, I feel him press a kiss against my forehead before I heard his soft gentle voice.

"Jo, I don't know what I would have done if you had been really hurt. Just you having a concussion is bad enough. How are you going to focus long enough to be able to paint for the next few days? It always makes you happy. It's really the only thing that does and I've noticed that Jo I have. Thank god you are sleeping and can't hear what I am saying to you. I know I wouldn't be able to tell you this if you were awake. God I'm so happy that I was there today when you fell. I can't believe you didn't see me sitting underneath that tree. Well why would you notice today? You haven't noticed yet. I've been there everyday since you started school here reading under that tree waiting for you to notice I'm there. I come everyday and sit down after you get settled and leave about five minutes before you start to come down the tree. But today I was going to wait for you and ask you for a ride home because I just wanted to spend more time with you and I'm glad I waited because I got to save you. I saved you Jo. I saved you because when you arrived in my life you saved me you just don't know it. At least not yet, but you will one day. I promise you one day that you will and when you do art won't have to be the only thing that makes you happy anymore."

As Xander finished his speech I couldn't help but feel warm inside. It was a new feeling for me and I liked it. Soon I started to drift off to sleep for real, but not before I felt him slowly crawl on to the small one person cot with me. The last thing I remember before giving in to sleep was him wrapping his large body around my small one and holding me close. It made me feel safe. Something I haven't felt in a longtime. Maybe Xander isn't who I thought he was, maybe he is entirely different. So who is this Xander?