Diamond Shards

Chapter 8: The Sensual Artist

            People chattered, carrying lunch trays and wearing forced smiles. Fake smiles. Steam rose from the microwaved rice in front of her, the scent flying into her nose. The taste of the spicy crispy rice could be savored through smell alone. Sharp pain shocked her taste buds like lightning.

"The girl over there? Emo princess for sure," said a girl who wore a visible pink push up bra. Death from overdose.

"Yikes, could never be me!" Dies alone, her children abandoning her years before.

Bryce sat in front of her, his dark brown hair brushed to the left perfectly neat. His handsome face looked scrawnier, perhaps due to the loss of blood. Is that how blood loss works? His nod made her feel at ease. Death through...no! She had made a promise. A promise to avoid peeking into the future. But the tarot called to her, like a man's sensual voice urging her to submit to his will without a complaint.

"Tonya?" he waved, rooting her back to reality.

"What? What were you saying?" her voice became tremulous.

"I was asking you if you're on board with joining me on tracking down that thing."

"Thing?"

He leaned in closer, looking in both directions, and whispered. "You know. The Beast."

She felt as if eyes should've been casted to them both at the mention of the name, but girls too focused on their petty tales and boys focused on their sexual daydreams looked the other way, to each other. A low humming pain sung through her lips which she bit anxiously. The tarot cards that shuffled above Bryce's head called to her, pulling her seductively. Cards invisible to everyone but her, glowing like moonlight in darkness. Her nod brought visible relief to his face, a torch of hope being lit. They spoke of possible leads, but how would they find the Beast if only two people have encountered it? A deadly cobra hidden among tall grass, ready to devour us, the small mice. She heard a girl crying like a wounded banshee, her friends comforting her like an upset baby.

"I swear, I didn't send any boy a nude!"

"Then how was the art piece drawn so good?"

"I don't know!" the girl cried, her head banging against the table, and hands covering her colored neck.

What's the petty scoop now? Tonya tried to shake away the petty drama tale, but something called her towards it. If it had been her bare body exposed for everyone to see, she didn't know how she'd feel. Part of her longed-for admiration, a plead to be seen as a woman. On the contrary, her logical side battled the thought, if not it would be consumed with shame. She noticed Bryce paying close attention to the weeping girl behind her, eyes intently on her, like a lion eying a gazelle.

"Very strange," he muttered, questions glowing in his eyes as he dropped them back on Tonya.

The bell rung, telling everyone that their lunch period was over. She looked at her rice, the plate still full with only one scoop as an attempt to be consumed. With a disappointing sigh, she put the blue plastic lid on it and stood. Bryce rose as well, his visage painted with colors of concern and wrinkles due to the frown to sketch the worry. A wanting for clues. They walked together, like a pact, and went their separate ways, Bryce upstairs and herself to a hallway behind the lunchroom. Vibrations of joy shook her heart. A selfish feeling perhaps, but for once she got something she wanted, and her smile grew like light in a sunrise. She was happy to not be alone for once. Treasure it while he remains.