Sade's Return

IV

    Stretching my arms up and letting out a big yawn, I'm excited for the day. It's Monday and the art class is today. I get up out of bed and take a shower. Today I decide to wear plaid shorts with a black tank top and my graffiti pattern boots. I go into the kitchen and make myself some coffee and toast. I'm definitely not forgetting my meds. I have 4 to take in the morning :Anti-depressants, mood balancer, anti-psychotics and anti-anxiety. Sigh. Not the time to think about that right now.

I go searching for my good pencils and my sketchbook. I find them and I put them in my backpack. I gather myself ,take a look to see if I'm missing anything, not a thing missing. I pray to the elevator god hoping the elevator is fixed before leaving the apartment and locking the door.

Right as a step out the door I step on something or more like someone. It's my drunk neighbor. "Dude! You're apartment is right across from here...uhm but good job getting close."

He mumbles something like "smart ass." I think.

"Eric, you won't happen to know if the elevator is working?"

"Ehm yeah, I'm pretty sure that's how I got up on this floor, fool." He says while rubbing his eyes.

"Oh Eric! I could just kiss you! But I won't because you stink and you're like my grandpa's age."

Dusting off his pants and getting up he arches an eyebrow he comments " Hey that's messed up, mija and you gotta grandpa? How comes I never seen him?"

Shaking my head and then pressing the button for the elevator I stick my tongue out at him. "Yes, I got a Grandpa and he doesn't stink." The elevator door opens and I pop in before he says anything else.

On the first floor I'm still flying off my giddiness. I skip out of the elevator, down the hall past a bunch of grandmas and leave the building. I check my phone and see that I still have time to wait for the bus. Which I don't mind at all.

At the bus stop I'm still in my good mood. The bus shows up I get in with all the other people and take a seat. Now I have goosebumps and sense someone is staring a hole into my skull. I feel someone tug at my hair. "Ouch!"

"You have fleas in your hair." He says.

  "What?" I give him a perplexed look.

  "You have bugs in your hair." He says it like he's telling you spilled some tea on your dress.

I roll my eyes and glance to see if there's anywhere I can sit other than here. I'll even stand.

"You have lice jumping out of your hair." He's at it again and he pulls a strand of my hair out.

"Ouch! Son of a bitch!" I pull the cord and jump out at some random stop. I make sure to see if that person didn't get off the bus with me. Sigh. Thank God. I look at my cell and the time says 8am.

  Shit. Now I have to walk the rest of the way. No more giddiness to ride off of. My mood is sour now. I continue on my way to the Art Factory. After half an hour I'm in front of the Art Factory again. This feels familiar. I'm thinking of taking a Xanax before I walk in. It's my shield.  But I have to try without relying on pills. Ugh. I pinch the area between my eyebrows and I feel a headache coming on. I grab my bottle of water from my backpack and take some Tylenol. I try to convince myself that was Xanax. Maybe I'll calm down.

My therapist is going to definitely earn her paycheck when she sees me soon. Massaging my temples, I stand up straight and walk into the Art Factory.  There's the blonde chick from Friday at the desk. Angela something or whatever. I walk up and sign in. " Hi, Angela I start class today."

  "Hi! yes, just take a seat Jack will be right with you." She says politely.

Hmm she must've had a bad day on Friday. She's friendly today. Maybe she got laid or something. Why did my brain go there? I wonder if she's Jacks girlfriend? I'm not going to start making stories of people's lives right now. Alright not here for stupid stuff. I'm here trying to get my life serious. 

  "Hey, Sade!" Jack walks out and comes over to shake my hand. He's so laid back with his hair loose, black shirt that has The Arctic Monkeys on it, black jeans and black combat boots. He's showing off some tatts on his right arm I didn't notice the last time I saw him. Makes my heart skip a little.

  We walk into his office and he asks me to take a seat while he leans against the edge of his desk. "Well Sade show me what you're working with." He says. "Huh? Oh yes." I reply. I pull my sketchbook out and hand it to him. He sits on his chair and looks through it carefully and when he's done he smiles at me. Damn it. There goes my heart again. "You're really good. Are you here for practice?"

  "Yes and No. I want to be more involved with the Art community and I figure this is the best way do it."

  He nods. With his hand to his chin he says "Alright. Let's have you sign the contract and give you a tour of the Factory. Shall we?"

  "Sounds good to me." I hand him the 200 dollars and he hands me the contract. I read it over. Simple stuff like don't break shit or you pay, if you drop out they keep the money, you get 100 if stay the whole program etc. Looks good and I sign it.

  I hand him the contract back he calls Angela over so she can make copies one for me, one for him. He dusts his hands off and looks at me. "Okay, ready for the tour?" He asks.

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