Chapter Twelve
That day at school lunch was a bit more awkward than usual with Charlotte still being cross with me and Liam feeling the pressure from my text message last night. I attempted to loosen them up a little bit by talking about the upcoming art show at our school.
Every year a few people were selected to show their art they'd been working on in the auditiorum to parents, dates, and other various family members. Most ended up being from the feminine type considering Harry was one of the few males in our class. Most of the girls that were selected to show some work would ask a date to come. They're was music, food, drinks, it was basically like a dance but without all the awkwardness from underclassmen, plus parents.
"You obviously know you're going to get chosen so why even discuss it," Charlotte rolled her eyes picking at the salad she had boughten.
"Char, what crawled up your pants and died?" Niall questioned her looking at her like she was insane for speaking so rudely to me.
"Nothing." She shrugged. "Just stating the obvious."
"You are an amazing artist," Liam complimented me. I gave him a small smile before excusing myself to toss the leftovers of my lunch away.
I needed a bit of a breather from the tension so I decided to get an early start to class and grab my supplies. Thankfully art class was next so I could atleast relieve some stress in my painting.
By the time I finished getting everything from my locker and scrolling through my texts a few times the bell had rung and I took the liberty to head to class. When I got there Harry was already setting up his canvas on his aisle and pulling his stool up towards it.
"Hey stranger," I said sitting next to him and pulling out my paint brushes.
"Hi, Alex." He said already starting to focus on his painting.
"Wow, no Alexandra?" I mocked playfully hitting him on the leg. I watched as his cheeks flushed a bit and his muscles tensed as he tried to keep his composure but it was no secret I was embarrassing him.
"I thought you liked Alex better,"
"I do. But it sounds different when you say it." I shrugged getting up from my seat to search for my half done painting. I'd been working on it for more than a month now but still couldn't decide how to configure the lips. It was starting to look more like an inaminite object rather than a person at this point.
"Good to know," He gave me a small smile.
"So where were you the other night?" I quizzed sitting back down and pulling out a tan colored paint.
"What do you mean?" He finally looked over to me as he studied my facial expression.
"At the diner, I mean." I said.
"I take work days off you know," He replied as if I was a dim witted girl. "Natalie mentioned you'd come in looking for me."
"Wipe that smirk off your face." I quiped.
"I was helping out at home," He answered as if the conversation before had never happened.
"Oh," I said lost with words. It was incredible how many times he left me like that.
Our short lived conversation was cut off by Charlotte's arrival as she cleared her throat clearly announcing her presense.
"Where'd you go during lunch?" She asked me, too loudly if you ask me.
"I needed to take a breather." I shrugged finally finishing painting the lips. "It was a little stuffy in there."
I heard Charlotte sigh as she took my hand down from the painting and leaned into my face to whisper to me, probably so Harry wouldn't hear.
"Look, I'm warning you now about him. Just looking at him I know its bad news. I trust you to make the right desicion. Regardless of your actions you are still my best friend and I don't want to have some stupid rivarly over who you like get in the way of that. I still don't like him and I will never approve of that. I'm warning you now, don't do it. None the less, I hope we can stop putting up these stupid walls like this is the middle school again."
"Okay." was all I could say before being cut off by the art teacher who began to explain something about the fore ground for our painting. Charlotte kept a hold on my hand for a few seconds more before squeezing it and letting it go. I couldn't help but feel the tension fall from my body and go straight towards the floor.
______
After school I found myself driving an extra ten minutes to the park. When I pulled my car into park in the lot I pulled my sweater off leaving me in my t shirt from earlier and some jeans. I grabbed the sneakers I'd left in my glove department from earlier and slipped them on.
I walked for a few minutes before I circled around the swingset and finally settled to sit down.
After atleast an hour I realized I wasn't there for the fresh air.
That little girl with the brown pony tail that swung back and forth and her random color scheme never showed up.
That boy with the curly hair that was pushed back in the bandanna with the multicolored plaid shirts never showed up.
I swung for a while longer then seeing a similar maroon van pull up into the parking lot. Bengie jumped out of the car with one of his friends and my Mom got out from the drivers side with a beige bag and a pair of sunglasses. She waved over to my direction before waving me over towards the bench where Harry and I had once sat.
"What on earth are you doing here?" My Mom asked me placing her sunglasses in her hair.
"Needed some fresh air," I shrugged putting my fingers through my hair.
"At the park for children?" I shrugged again.
"Do you have plans for this evening?" She asked me again. I couldn't help but feel my mother about to ask me for yet another favor coming on.
"Would you head to the grocery store and pick up something for dinner?" She gave me a pleasing smile. "It doesn't have to be extravagant. I promised Bengie he could stay until dinner and I don't have time to stop there myself."
"Alright, Alright." I sighed getting up from the park bench. I couldn't help but feel a pit in my stomach of sadness as I retreated back to my car.
Author's Note:
SORRY THESE LAST CHAPTERS HAVE BEEN SHORT
its hard to put a lot of details in such simple events, but don't worry more stuff shall happen soon if you think this story is slow then i'm really sorry i promise itll get bettter :)
sorry i haven't posted in like two months ; summers been crazy busy
i'm going to try to get into more of a routine once school starts to post once a week bc i'm working on another story right now too!
Love always,
Meredith xoxo
