Memories

XV

SUPALONELY

'I'm a sad girl, in this big world
It's a mad world
All of my friends know what's happened
You're a bad thing'

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"Thalia, I asked you to write down the answers to these simple questions," Thalia's drawing teacher said. Thalia had been chewing in the end of her pencil and looking down at the blank paper all lesson, and Mrs. Frazer had noticed. Thalia didn't look up and Mrs. Frazer sighed.

"Question one - what is your favourite art medium?" she waited for Thalia's answer, and even then, all she did was write down 'acrylic paint' in her messy scrawl. "Alright," Mrs. Frazer moved on. "Question two - what do you hope to do after college?" Thalia looked up at her then.

"That is the question, isn't it." she stood and ripped the paper out of Mrs. Frazer's hand, much to the woman's surprise. Thalia scribbled down her answers to the questions and handed it back to her teacher, promptly sitting back down and going back to her previous position.

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The fall banquet was Thalia's first outing with the team other than a game, and she had no idea how it would go down. She'd heard from mostly Kevin that Riko, his old teammate and the person she'd learned was the real reason behind his career ending injury, was not a good person. Not at all.

"Did you see the Kathy Ferdinand show when Neil cussed Riko out so bad?" Nicky said excitedly as they ate lunch in the athletes cafeteria the day before. The two were also with Aaron and his maybe-girlfriend Katelyn. Thalia had been eyeing her the whole time, though she'd mostly spoken in hushed tones with Aaron.

"No." Thalia replied simply and went back to her salad that composed on lettuce and tomatoes. Nicky had frowned at her choice of food, but didn't comment, as he knew Thalia would likely ignore him.

"It was great. He basically accused the Rat Bastard of ruining Kevin's hand, which he did." Nicky continued. Thalia tried looking everywhere except her teammates and the other girl at the table.

"Nicky, I'm not sure that's common knowledge within campus." Aaron said warningly. Thalia didn't really like the other Minyard, but maybe that was because being chosen was something Thalia didn't like. Aaron was chosen to stay with his mother, and Andrew was doomed to a terrible life.

"Right sorry," Nicky said and continued talking at a million miles a minute.

"I'm gonna go make sure my dress has arrived." Thalia said, excusing herself from the table. Nicky somehow didn't even notice or care that she'd left, and just turned to his cousin and Katelyn.

Thalia didn't go back to the dorms, however. Instead, she made her way to the art studio, where her most recent painting was waiting for her. Thalia picked up the paints and brushes she'd need, and made her way over to it.

It wasn't a complicated piece, though Thalia knew it meant a lot. It resonated within her and hoped it could bring clarity to other's lives. It was a mostly monochrome piece, with different shades of grey ranging from black to white. A hand was the main focus of the painting. The only colour on the canvas were three neon yellow and pink capsules falling out of a bottle. The ones still inside were shades of grey, just like everything else.

"This is a lovely place," came a voice from behind Thalia. She'd raised the brush to put her first stroke of acrylic to the canvas when someone had spoken. Thalia tensed but relaxed ever so slightly when she realised it was Andrew. "And that is a nice painting."

"Aww, you almost sound as if you mean it." Thalia replied mockingly as she put her things down and crossed her arms. Andrew mimicked her, a smile on his face that showed Thalia he was back on his meds. "What are you doing here?" Thalia asked seriously. Andrew looked around the studio and shrugged as he walked forwards into the room a little.

"How many of these are yours?" asking another question and ignoring Thalia's original one. The truth was that this room was only her art. Everything ranging from abstract faces with oceans  covering half of it, to simple line drawings of two hands clasped with colours exploding around them.

"Alright then, keep your secrets," Andrew said, smile still in place. "Renee wants to see you." Thalia narrowed her eyes.

"Why," she demanded, but Andrew simply shrugged and walked out of the studio, but not before looking at a specific piece of Thalia's and back at the girl herself with narrowed eyes. Thalia knew immediately which one had caught Andrew's eye, and somehow she knew he'd meant for her to see.

It was the piece that had made Thalia's teacher ask her to go to the team therapist. The piece in question was similar to the one she was currently working on - a wrist was visible in the painting, and vibrant red paint that really did look like blood if you looked at it the right way oozed out of four straight lines on the wrist.

Thalia didn't know why Andrew had wanted her to know he'd been looking at it, and she didn't try to figure it out as she washed the wasted paint of her palette. She had a fair idea as to why, but didn't plan on butting into Andrew's business to find out.