Troubled

TWENTY

KYLE GARCIA

I grin as I watch her spin to face me. But her expression wasn't what I was imagining when I picked up the drawing and walked to meet up with Ray.

"What did you say happened to Dawson?"

He looked as if he didn't understand what I was talking about for a second before realization dawned on him.

"He got swanked when we were both coming in through the school gate."

I curse under my breath. He used to extremely clever, which is why I never imagined he'd get swanked.

'Swanked' was a word formed by Dawson. He used it to say a person got caught selling, buying or in possession of weed. It was our code word, something we could say in the presence of his dad and not feel anything, because he didn't know anything about it.

"What was he doing? How did this happen?"

Ray snorted, "The i***t couldn't wait till we got to school before he started to smoke. Even if I told him not to. I had to leave him, because we were close to the school gate and if he was caught, I would be carried as well. And immediately I left his side, he got caught."

I sigh. Sometimes he got too excited about it, so much so that he forgot we had to be sneaky about it.

"What is his punishment?"

Ray shrugged his shoulder as if to say he didn't know or he was done with the conversation. He got bored of conservations quickly.

"Whatchu got there?" He asked looking straight at the drawing in my hand.

I had almost forgotten it was with me. I smile as I being it up to my eye level. The mastery of art in it marveled me.

"Wow." Was the only comment Ray made. But I knew it impressed him a great deal. He was still staring at in from over my shoulders.

"Where did you get that?"

I wanted to answer. But for some reason I wanted to keep that part of my life untouched, unstained. A secret. A secret hobby that no one else knew about so nobody else could ruin.

Or maybe I didn't want to explain and tell everyone that I was carrying around the drawing of the girl they called troubled and funny enough we share the same therapist.

"From around." I finally answer, I stalled too much already, at this point it would only look suspicious if I didn't respond.

"From around?" He questioned. I refused to meet his eyes. I looked straight at the beautiful eye I held in my hands.

A very pretty girl with such fine talent to draw. Who knew what else she can do? No fair to the rest of us.

"Yeah, from one of the classrooms when I came earlier." It was half a lie. I did get it from the classroom. From someone inside the classroom. I could even say I picked it up.

"The artist has real talent. They know what they are doing." He was still examining the drawing. That caused me to chuckle, if only he knew who drew it.

"The school's talent hunt is next month, applications are open. I can bet everything I have that this artist is going to win."

Those words played over and over again in my head. Cora had a huge opportunity in front of her. And from the little I knew about her, she was not going to sign up. Considering the fact that she was hiding in the shadows and drawing. That only meant she didn't want the world to know about her drawing.

Somehow the fact that only Ray and I would be the only ones to see her work didn't sit well with me. I felt the need to help her.

So with whatever emotion that pushed me, I stand up. I plan to sign up for her, in her name of course. The thought of seeing her expressionless face crumble and flood with relief because she was too much of a coward to sign up by herself and I was going to help her. In her state of gratitude she might even shoot a smile my way.

By the time I got to the arts room, it was empty but unlocked. I find the sign up board pretty easily. Four names were already on it. I quickly scribble CORA PHILIPS as the last name. I step back to admire the work of my hands and kind heart.

I was just about to leave and head back to my class when I hear foot steps approaching,bit walked so fast that I duck and hide behind some easels. Great, a footballer was definitely big enough to be seen behind the easels bit I couldn't even leave my spot.

It was the arts teacher. But I still couldn't come out. I heard the guy was crazy, but he was heavy on the punishment too. So no, coming out was not an option for me.

Anyway, back to the present. Where Cora is shooting me the most hateful look I had ever seen. Her eyes were glued to mine as she too slow steps towards me.

"Who gave you the right?"

I felt my throat close up, this was not what I imagined it would go. Although to her credit her expressionless face remains expressionless.

"Hey chill.. I just thought.." she cut me off.

"Just thought what huh? I bet you weren't even thinking, you just did. What if I wasn't going to sign up? What would you have done then? Because I certainly wouldn't have been there for the talent hunt."

I hadn't thought that far to be honest, and truthfully it was stupid.

"Or what? Someone dared you? And you thought it would have been fun to embarrass me in the presence of so many people?"

I open my mouth and close it like I was gasping for air.

She scoffed, shook her head like she was trying to convince herself it wasn't worth it. Before I could get a word in, she stalked off.

The art teacher, I think his name is Steve. Or Stefan both us of us stared at her retreating form. I wondered what got her so worked up. I know it would have been a mess if she didn't want to sign up, but now she signed up, it shouldn't be a big deal right? I also thought of how she got so worked up without shifting a muscle in that her expressionless face.

"This it. This is what I've been searching for!" Stefan clapped as he stared at the ceilings wistfully.

"You are the only one in the world who I have seen her react to. You should be proud of yourself. Nothing works. What you saw was her raw emotions."

I blinked. She was so emotionless just now that she seemed detached. Stefan didn't know what he was saying.

"You dear, will be her muse from now on. I appoint you her muse!!"

I stare at him blankly.

He laughs his crazy laugh before saying.

"The two of you will work together."