Worth Waiting For

Chapter Eight

 Sitting at our usual spot at lunch, I'm across from Antoinette and Leo, waiting for Dennis and Aiden to get back. Dennis has some leadership stuff to do, and Aiden is talking to his football coach. I get out my sandwich and salad I packed the night before. I pour the caesar dressing on my salad. Leo swipes my chicken and Antoinette takes a bite from her cheese pizza.

"I wonder if they're coming for lunch?" Leo says.

"I don't know, they've been gone for a while," Antoinette replies.

"Well if they don't show in five minutes, I'm eating their food," Leo says.

"Thought you were full from eating all of mine," I say laughing.

Leo says "Oh but Den Den has some Doritos, and that's what I really want. Doritos are definitely my weakness,"

"I thought your weakness was..." Antoinette whispers in his ear.

Leo's eyes get big. "Oh umm... that's my second,"

Just when I think I'm truly going to vomit, Dennis and Aiden come and they slide into the booth.

"Sorry we're late," Aiden says.

"How'd it go?" I ask Dennis.

"Well we discussed the next rally at our first football game," Dennis opens his lunch. He picks the Doritos and eats one.

"I definitely want to go and cheer you guys on," I reply.

"That would be awesome! I think you'd be my good luck charm,"

I smile at him as I snatch a Dorito from his bag and eat one.

"We'll totally make poster for you guys, but it might not turn out to good since I'm not as artistic," Antoinette says.

"Oh now that's one thing I can do," I reply.

"You draw?" Aiden asks me.

"Yeah, I'm kind of an artist,"

"No joke, Leiah is amazing!" Antoinette says smiling.

I smile at Antoinette. "Thanks, but I don't like to brag,"

"That's the one thing I'm horrible at. Maybe you can pay me back for teaching you to cook and teach me how to draw?" Dennis asks me.

"Yeah, sure. Anytime."

After lunch, Aiden, Antoinette and Leo go the opposite way from Dennis and I as we walk to Home Ec.

Dennis and I are walking down the hall when I think of something.

"Can I show you something?" I ask him.

"Yeah," he tells me.

I take him to the art building at school and we go in the art room. I look around the paintings when I find mine. I put it on the stand and stand back so Dennis can see.

"What do you think?" I ask him.

"It's beautiful. This is yours?"

I nod. "It's a painting of a girl's profile with different colors around her gray complexion. She has a modest face, but you can tell she's in anguish. It took me forever to paint it, but I kind of wanted to show myself through the painting. As you can see, it shows a girl in gray with multiple colors around her. It shows how she has been an outcast from the outside world. I guess I did feel like this girl in the painting, but hanging out with you guys, you all have shown me that some people are acceptable of anyone. Even a girl that can feel like she's unaccepted among others."

I don't really know why I wanted to tell Dennis about my painting but then out of nowhere, he hugs me. I wrap my arms around him and hug him back.