I've decided to leave this line for comments on the motivational pictures <3
In the blink of an eye, the week comes to an end. In all honesty, it was because every day slowly became the same thing, and even though my life felt like a repeated cycle before, this cycle was just not for me. The only thing that kept me in bed was the peaceful atmosphere.
Lying would be me saying I don't feel better. I know I've gained some weight, I mean it's not visible but I could feel it - if that makes any sense at all.
After Aaron's little confession that I don't think I was meant to hear, I tried opening up to him and my mum but the voices inside just got too loud and I always listened.
Aaron told me my friends were worried and each one had come to ask him what happened. Fortunately for me, he told them I just had the flu. I appreciated it, but it was clear he hated lying to them. According to him, I needed at least one person to talk to and didn't mind it if it wasn't him. Somewhere inside of me, I felt bad for how everything went down.
Brayden had sent all my homework home and It confuses me if he used it as a way to bother me or if he actually just cared about me passing. Of course, it was the first, no one cared about me that way. I was just one extra person to bother as long as I was present.
Obviously, Aaron had sent him away at the door but collected the books.
Right now, I'm going to school not because I'm forced to but because I actually want to. It's as if being at home made me crazy. Thanks to how much things were changing. For one, Aaron has made it his responsibility to drive me to school while my mum took the liberty of making me breakfast. I made sure to eat before everyone else and when they ate I sat in the living room waiting for Aaron to drive me to school.
It wasn't like the meals were a lot. A slice of toast was still making a lump form in my throat. But if it meant stopping Aaron from checking on me at least five times a day then I guess it was worth it.
"Remember, meet me here after school so I can drop you home and come back for practice," he says after he parks his car
"ok"
"I'm serious Annalise, don't make me look for you" his hard tone fills the car
A visible image of him yelling my name across the hallway makes me cringe, to prevent us from going down that route I say "calm down, I said ok" even though what I really want to say is - silly boy, silly doctor, silly brother, silly everything. I guess that's goodbye to my walking home peaceful time.
Fortunately, none of my friends see me so I walk straight to my locker, but that doesn't last long when I spot Brayden leaning against it.
"isn't this my locker?" I ask clearly confused at what he was doing here. It was too early to change lockers. right?
"you're back," his surprised tone adding to my confusion about what he was doing by my locker.
"Annalise fucking Zion, how dear you skip school and not bother to tell me" Lori's voice cuts of my response, and before I can comprehend what is happening, her arms wrap around my body causing me to stagger a bit. Fortunately, I don't end up on the floor. Her angry tone did send chills down my spine but I push it aside.
"and me" Chris yells hugging me as well and so does Jacob. I was getting used to their hugs, it was a waste of time trying to convince them not to.
"ok enough, can't breathe" I mutter causing them to step back
The boys do the handshake thing with Brayden who's still leaning on my locker.
Soon enough, Lori's playful glare turns into a smirk and I can't help but get worried at what's going on inside her head. "lover boy has been in a bad mood all week" she whispers into my ear making me snap up. And of course, he's already staring at me weirdly even though the boys are talking to him. It was this piercing gaze that made me squirm.
"it's not like that," I mutter while opening my locker so he moves to the next
"Just let yourself be happy for once Annalise, I don't know where you've been all week. And don't you dare say flu, we all know how horrible of a liar Aaron is." she pauses and I quickly use the little minute to hate my brother's inability to lie. " What kind of best friend am I when I don't even know anything about you? I barely know what you like for breakfast not even what drink to buy if we ever go out." her eyes tear up
she blinks away her tears making me extremely uncomfortable." I don't even know your favorite color"
"where is this coming from?" I ask wiping the tear that rolled down her cheek away
"it has always been there, and if it takes Brayden to get you to open up then I'm willing to play cupid" and just like that she walks away leaving me no room to deny anything that has to do with Brayden.
Chris and Jacob look at each other then walk away, I guess they discussed me and had agreed to push me into the arms of someone I barely knew.
"what was that about?" Brayden asks confused
I shrug not bothering to tell him.
"so" he starts as we walk to class
"Just spit it out" I grumble already tired of the school day even though it has barely begun.
"I got you something," he says excitedly
"Stop getting me stuff, soon I will feel obligated to get you something" I mutter stopping to look at him also referring to the cup of coffee he bought for me before.
"well, take this as a get well soon present" he reaches into his bag and gives me a little wrapped box.
"you didn't have to" I look away
"shut up" he groans before spinning me against my will, I'm about to curse him out when I hear the zip of my bag open and close. "and don't you dare throw it in the bin, who knew art materials are so fucking expensive," he mutters the last part but I hear it making that weird feeling around my chest happen again.
I send him a glare, although it was meant to be playful I'm sure it didn't come out that way.
"How are you feeling?" he asks as we walk into the class
Rolling my eyes at his excuse for a conversation, I take my time replying so we would get to class before I embarrassed myself "better"
"hey, we are improving. No more I'm fine" he smiles and that's when I realized I am opening up.
I actually said how I felt, I felt better. I feel better.
The class didn't feel like it was dragging, it actually felt shorter and I got excited to finish it and move on to the next, all just so I could end up at lunch on a table with people I actually cared about.
Bell after bell and Brayden is walking me to the cafeteria, my hands itched to open the present he bought for me but I didn't want to give him the satisfaction if I actually like it. So, I decide to wait till school is over.
I definitely need to make a timetable for posting 😅
Anyways please enjoy.
YOU ARE READING
Painting Annalise
Romance(Complete) A high school student struggling with grief, drugs, depression, and love as she comes of age in this rollercoaster yet hopeful story. *****I started writing this during a sad time In my life so please don't steal my work, it means a lot t...
