Wicked and yours

Just a faraway admirer

    Wickie had developed anxiety since entering her senior year.

    It'd gotten worse actually, and she'd decided to take her friend's advice, and take ashwandiga.

    That supplement helped her out more than she cared to admit, had calmed her erratic thoughts, and emotions, and ceased the crushing feeling she got in the pit of her stomach.

     But a part of her brain still worried.

     Why? Because this was going to be the last year that she got to see the true love of her life, Kaede Somins. That's right, Wickie was officially a senior in Mildred High School.

     Over the years, since their first somewhat encounter on that bus, Wickie had fallen more and more for him. He'd been one if not only of the few people who cared to interact with her on the school grounds.

     Kaede was sweet, funny, and he actually asked questions about her. 

     Thankfully, the questions he asked never involved her mother, or more importantly her father. That'd been the main reason that Wickie suffered from rumors, and teasings and bullyings from their peers.

    Wickie pressed the collar of her white button up down, over the maroon-red vest of her high school uniform. Her red and white checkered kilt-skirt rested just over her knees; her shin length white socks pulled up straight. She'd finally been able to afford new black loafers for school, saving up money from tutoring and pet sitting. She tied the red ribbon in her dark black hair, her ponytail resting just above her waist. She smeared some lip gloss on her lips, and grabbed her school stuff, heading out.

    As she bounded downstairs, she snagged a banana from the kitchen counter on the way, ignoring her mother who was in the kitchen nursing a hangover.

    Her mother didn't even look up to say goodbye, and Wickie didn't even bother to say good morning. She wanted to make sure her hair stayed fresh and on point, and more importantly, intact.

    Wickie grabbed her keys and locked the door behind her.

    Another grand day of going to school.

    Wickie made sure to park close to the entrance of the school. She had her binoculars out, which mind you, no one would notice because she'd make sure to have her windows tinted of her 2014 Mini Cooper car.

     Wickie was a worrywart, and indeed an overthinker, but she was never wrong.

     At exactly seven-fifty-seven she saw him.

     Kaede Somins. He'd grown a lot, standing at an easy six-foot-four. He'd towered over Wickie and though it made her nervous, it also made her realize that she found tall guys attractive.

     He high-fived his best friend Dex, laughing and smiling, showing his perfectly straight teeth without braces. His curled hair had gone wavy, and it covered his eyes brilliant green eyes, though he did that sexy thing where he swiped it back. Muscled and leaned, he looked like a perfect basketball player or rugby player.

    Wickie got out of her car, bookbag on her shoulder, as she sprayed on some raspberry scented body spray, brushing past Kaede and Dex.

     She inhaled his cologne, and rushed into the entrance, her heart at her throat.

    Wickie was feeling inspired for art class.

    The class was the furthest from all the others. Wickie had to take an elevator and sprint just to make it through the doors just as the tardy bell rang.

    Mr. Mughal greeted her, his balding black hair looking extra baldy today, his checkered patterned tie crooked. He was sporting a light blue button up with his usual gray slacks, the belt fighting to stay on over his potbelly.

    "You're early, Miss Zepeda. I figure you felt inspired and wanted to use my charcoals and pastels?" he asked, already handing her both of the kits.

     "You know me so well, Mr. Mughal." Wickie replied, taking both of the kits from him.

    "So, how's your mom?" he asked, blue eyes crinkling in the corners. Wickie stiffened, and she remembered that Mr. Mughal had gone to school with her mother, and he was simply asking as a use to be peer.

     It wasn't like he heard about what had happened her freshman year, and the spiral that came after it.

     "She's so and so. Pollen season is in, so she's been attacked by allergies." Wickie lied easily.

    "Tell her to take some honey and lemon. Usually helps for me." Mr. Mughal advised, and Wickie nodded, knowing damn well she wasn't going to tell her mother anything.

     "Will do." Wickie lied.

    "Alright, good. Hold down the fort, will ya? I need to go to the restroom real quick." he said, not waiting for an answer as he left the classroom.

      Students poured in then, grabbing their sketchbooks from the wooden shelf that had been designed by wood shop, and Wickie clutched both art kits as she sat the furthest from the others, working on her newest inspiration in her own battered up sketchbook that she had brought from home.

     Kaede laughing. That was today's art prompt for her. She'd make sure to start light with the outline, paying close attention to the detail. The way his face expressed happiness at how he laughed, his eyes closed as he enjoyed the moment.

     Posing him was going to be a little tricky because he was so tall, but once she found the one that suited him, it was smooth sailing from there.

     Once she was done, she added her signature lipstick kiss on the corner of the page, and closed her book, tucking it deeply in her bookbag.

     Mr. Mughal, who had taken his sweet time coming back from the restroom, arrived then, as he began the class, and Wickie paid attention, wiping off the excess charcoal and pastel from her fingers. 

     The prompt of the day was perspective. Using either a picture something else as a reference, they were to paint a scenery that caught people's eye.

      It was due by Friday, no exceptions, and Wickie mulled it over as she tapped her pencil on the desk.

     She was pretty sure there was an old polaroid camera in one of the extra rooms of her house.

    And she was also sure she knew exactly who her subject was going to be.