Found Along The Way

Chapter Two

Anya had always had a passion for art, ever since she was 5 and won a drawing contest with a picture of a sailboat. She would spend hours each day running her charcoal pencils over her art paper, and measuring them to perfection. She captured every emotion, story and atmosphere in a mere drawing. After the breakup, the thing that kept her going was her art group; it was a place she could lose all negativity and just channel her soul through each sketch. She didn't know the people in it very well- they kept to themselves and focused on their work, and weren't kind enough to Anya to consider them 'friends', but her art tutor Amanda had become a sort of guardian to her. she'd go to her for advice and listen to her talk about her grandchildren. Anya appreciated Amanda a lot, with her mother living not as close to Anya as she used to, she was glad she could look up to someone like her.

"You're looking unusually chipper today, young lady."

"Eh, I'm just excited about my latest work..."

"I know a smitten smile when I see one Anya, who is she?"

Anya had previously, in the few months before meeting Daniel, thought she was into girls. Mostly through experimenting. She'd never been with a boy and wasn't exactly sure about her sexuality. Most people she told (which happened to be quite few) had said she just hadn't met the right guy yet, but Amanda accepted her indecisive-ness and was incredibly supportive.

"It's actually a boy... He's called Daniel."

"Really?"

"Mhmm."

"Well I'm happy for you child, does he treat you well?"

Anya hadn't been able to stop thinking about the night before. It was one of those nights where the talks last forever. She and Daniel had stayed up until the early A.M, falling more and more in love. It was perfect, he was perfect. Back then...

"Yeah, he really does."

Over the next few weeks Anya would bring Daniel to the art group, not just to meet Amanda, but because he adored the way she looked when she concentrated on the masterpiece at hand. Her soft brown waves tied up into a loose bun, with strands framing her freckled face. He would look over her shoulder and wrap his arms around her as she worked, and it was bliss. Everyone in the art class got sick of their bond relatively quickly but they could see how happy she seemed with him around at the beginning.

"Hey Amanda."

"Hiya love, how's progress with the recent project going?"

"I'm stuck on this one part. I can't seem to choose the eye colour for the girl. I thought I had her all figured out, but blue would be too piercing, and brown too warm, and green too... I don't know, but none of them are, well, her."

"See, the problem is usually further back in your work."

Anya looked at Amanda, and then her work with confusion.

"I don't know what that means."

"Before trying to work out the problem, Work out why the problem exists."

Amanda was full of wisdom like that. Not just now, when she was trying to make progress on her most recent work before Lina's writing group. But ever since Anya met her, she was like a wise old owl.

The visits from Daniel became few and far between, until one day they stopped altogether. Her hair was no longer tied up in that loose bun, her mascara was smudged, and she simply sat in front of the empty canvas. Of course Amanda, with her wisdom, could tell what had gone down the previous night. She left Anya to sit in front of her canvas which remained empty for the next hour. By the time the class was over and all the other students left, Anya still sat looking at it with no progress. Her passion was gone, and it had taken her work with it.

"I don't know what to do Amanda."

She gave Anya a look of compassion.

"I just don't know where things went wrong, how do I go on from here? I've finished the picture I loved painting so much."

Tears began to fill Anya's eyes once again.

"And it's over. How am I supposed to move on?!"

"You're not talking about the art, are you dear?"

Anya sobbed and Amanda placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"You will be able to move on. Your life will come back to being beautiful, with time and with healing.

It doesn't happen overnight my girl, but I promise you it will."

Anya didn't know if her promise would hold up. She was an optimist, but it felt unlikely. She didn't think she'd ever be happy again, never-mind having a 'beautiful' life. Anya barely even knew if her life would be bearable at that point, with so much sadness and pain in each breath she took, it felt hopeless.

"Girl you are looking beau-ti-FUL!"

Anya chuckled. She hadn't felt beautiful in while, and compared to Lina she didn't feel it at all. But she was, and everyone saw that. Her hair was shoulder-length, light brown wisps framing her freckled face, pale, accompanied by green eyes and long dark eyelashes. Her cheeks were full, giving her a youthful look, making people mistake her for seventeen instead of twenty-two. Her shoulders were broad, like a dancer, and she had noticeable curves that made her look like someone out of a feminists catalogue. She wasn't particularly slim, but she wasn't overweight, just a comfortable in-between. Someone you'd like to hug, warm and friendly, and wouldn't break in your grip.

Anya had chosen her pink-jeans and white top combo that Lina loved so much, prompting her compliments.

"Thanks Lina, you always know how to hype me up."

"Now come on Ann, we can't miss the bus."

"Since when do you care about turning up on time? I thought you were all for being 'fashionably late'."

"Sweetie, when it's my girl's chance to impress a hot guy she likes, things have got to be perfect."

"You're so considerate!"

"Exactly!" The girls laughed, but Anya's laugh faded into a look of disdain. "What is it?" Lina asked.

"I'm happy, and excited to be doing something new and it's just... unfamiliar."

"It's good Anya," She reassured her, holding her hands, "You need something new, and it's scary now, but it'll feel like home soon. Come on." They stood up, and walked out the door, into the warm afternoon. Hand in hand, Anya sighing, hoping Lina was right. She seemed to be constantly surrounded by optimists, people who would hold her hand and lead the way to her feeling okay again. Anya only hoped that it wasn't a sign something bad was coming, like when you put a life-jacket on before the boat sinks. It seemed almost like bad luck. And she knew these thoughts were the pessimistic words Daniel left behind, seeping their way through her mind and twisting any joy she had, so she needed to charge forward. She needed something new, she needed Hope.