Art Class With My Enemy

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fourteen

I avoided everyone over the weekend, though not necessarily because I was sick. Honestly, I just didn't want to talk to anyone after horribly embarrassing myself. Although Ms. Reiter and the scout were the only two people who saw my performance, I embarrassed myself in front of my best friends when I went and cried to them. It didn't help that Gage was there either.

"You look like crap," my sister commented after school on Monday. Believe it or not, that was probably one of her usual nicer remarks. Actually, I was rather surprised she was paying attention to my presence at all.

"Thanks for noticing, sis," I said sarcastically.

"Why did you even go to school if you're still sick?" she asked.

I sighed and rolled my eyes to myself. "Because I just love school so much."

Jackie scoffed as she turned and left the room, finally allowing me to enjoy my snack in peace. Yeah, I wasn't as sick as I was a few days ago, but I still didn't want to go to school either. However, Mrs. Wilson's stupid art projects were due on Thursday and I needed all the time possible to work on mine during class. I also, unfortunately, still had to spend time after school with Gage to work on our collaborated project. In fact, I had to leave to go to his house any minute now.

"Mom, can I borrow your car?" I asked her, knowing my dad was still at work.

"Jackie just left with it," she said, barely paying attention to me as she read notes on a case she was working on.

"What? But I need it! What about her own car?"

My mother looked up from her notes with an annoyed expression. "It's still in the shop. Now if there isn't anything else you need, I'd like some peace and quiet to work." I left her office grumbling a few choice words under my breath. My damn sister must've been a ninja or something. Seriously, one minute she was talking to me and the next she's gone.

I grabbed my grey sweatshirt hanging near the door and slipped on my shoes before starting my walk to Gage's house. It was actually closer than Harlow's house. I just didn't feel like walking and it looked like it would rain pretty soon. Hopefully it'd hold off for a while.

As I was a little more than halfway there, I realized I spoke (or thought) too soon. Apparently the dark clouds above decided that they couldn't hold their water supply long enough for me to enter Gage's house. Once it started pouring, I debated on hiding under a tree or sprinting to his house. In the end, I decided that I didn't care. I was already soaked in a matter of minutes, so I figured I'd just take my time walking the rest of the way.

I pathetically rang the doorbell of Gage's home, silently praying that his mother wouldn't see me. I still felt bad for leaving without thanking her for attempting to help me on Friday, and I knew she wouldn't like that I was drenched in the rain while I was still sick. Plus she might say something about getting her house all wet or.

"Dakota! What on earth possessed you to walk here in the rain?" she greeted, pulling me inside immediately.

"It wasn't raining when I started walking here," I replied, wincing as I braced myself for a verbal attack.

"Well we need to get you out of those drenched clothes right away! I don't want you getting any sicker," she said. My eyes opened in surprise as she kindly placed her hand on my arm and smiled at me.

"I'm sorry about getting your house all wet. And I'm sorry about abruptly leaving on Friday," I blurted, unsure of what else to say to her.

Her caring blue eyes sparkled, almost like how Gage's eyes did a while ago. "I'm just glad to see you're looking much better," she said, her warm smile growing. "And I could care less about a little water in my house, Dakota," she added as Gage entered the room. His eyebrows rose when he saw me, probably because I looked like a drenched cat.