| torn up

~ chapter 4 ☁️

My last lesson on Wednesday is one of my favourites, Art. I can't say I'm very good at it but I really enjoy it.

Right now Miss Cruz is getting us all to make a piece surrounding the theme of nature and I have chosen to create a water colour painting of a bird. I found an amazing picture on Pinterest and decided to use that as my inspiration.

I can honestly say I'm slowly getting there. After having used the last couple lessons to focus solely on the tedious process of drawing, and erasing, drawing and erasing, etc- I should be done soon. I only have some details left to finalise so I might even be finished by the end of today's lesson, well that's if Mason doesn't keep distracting me.

We've been texting all lesson, he's been secretly doing texting under his desk in his class but Miss Cruz is quite chill in letting us have our phones out on the desk and going on them during her class as long as we get on with our work. And I am definitely abusing this privilege today.  

This period has long since started when I look up from my spot in the back corner to see Mr Baker and Eli walk into the classroom. Eli does not look happy at all, anyone can tell he has been dragged here and Mr Baker doesn't look very pleased to be here right now either.

He waits patiently at the front of the classroom for Miss Cruz who has been popping in and out of the classroom. She's been doing errands all lesson, as she usually does when we're all doing our own thing in class.

I watch as he says something to Eli but the dark haired boy just ignores him, rolling his eyes and staring out the door, probably wishing he was anywhere but here. Eli's always been one of those people who is constantly being dragged to class by teachers who find him loitering around the back of school mid day.

Miss Cruz finally walks back into the classroom, surprised when she spots Mr Baker who begins explaining something to her while gesturing to the moody teenager besides him.

I casually glance over at Eli and freeze when his once wondering eyes glide over the classroom and land on my figure, the bored glint in them morphing into one of sadistic amusement, and I can already tell he's planning to target me in some shape or form before the bell rings.

I instantly look away, trying to act like I didn't see him while tying to discretely angle my body away from his view as I tuck myself more into the back corner where I am seated.

It doesn't work though because as soon as Mr Baker has left and Miss Cruz is telling him to go find a seat and begin working a moment later, he's immediately making a beeline for the seat next to mine. By now I've lost all focus and yet I still continue to pretend to draw as if I am 100% concentrated on the paper in front of me when in actual reality all my senses are now in overdrive and trained on him.

A few moments pass in silence and despite my hair hanging loose and acting as some sort of barrier shielding my face from his eyes, I can still feel him staring. Thats one of the things I hate most about him, he always gives me a really intense and drawn out gaze as if he can see into my very soul before starting to pick on me, it's unsettling to say the least.

'Willow.'

I swallow dryly when his deep voice rings out besides me, my hand stilling for second in its mock stroke before I force it to move again, trying my hardest to pretend I can't hear him.

'Willow.' he repeats again, sounding much closer this time and I can't help but flinch slightly.

'Now, now, now, what did we say about ignoring me, hmm?' he tuts mockingly in a tone way too soft for him to be using when he's basically threatening me.

This time I can't ignore him even if I try because I can feel him leaning closer and before I can even react, he's touching me and tucking my hair gently behind my ear. I instantly recoil backwards, forgetting my drawing and moving to face him in horror as if his touch had burnt me.