So Contagious

His face lit up brighter than I had ever seen. Brighter than it had ever been when he was with me. Sighing softly, I turned away from the sickening sight that made my stomach churn. Our classmates around gave me pitying looks before returning to their lunches ignoring my irrelevant presence. As they always had.

Walking out of the cafeteria I slowly made my way to a class where I knew nothing of this would be spoken of. No one cared except the ‘important’ people in the school. Who cares though? I just lost something I held dearly to me.

No, I wasn’t some stupid love struck girl, I was a stupid heartbroken girl that didn’t know when to give up. He told me every time we would meet that it was for show to annoy her to the point of wanting to get back together. I just never listened.

Now look where that landed me, brokenhearted and alone. Stepping into the art class, I acknowledged my teacher and walked into the back of the room pulling my paint set and recent painting out. It was a gift I had been working on for his mother.

Now it was meaningless.

Staring at it longingly, I sat down and began working on it. Even if I wasn’t going to give it to her I should at least finish it. Standing up, I walked back over to my drawer and removed the photographs I had forgotten before settling down in my chair again.

The painting was of his mother and father smiling and holding hands on their front porch. All I had to add was the scenery and the last minute touch up details on the house. Working diligently, I ignored when the bell rang signaling class was going to start soon. Luckily Mr. Stiller didn’t have an art class this period. I did not feel like going to math.

He looked up at me a few times thinking about kicking me out no doubt, but smiled sadly before returning to his grading. Ten minutes after the final bell rang he stood up and came over next to me. Taking the seat across from me he watched as I finished the painting before sitting back and staring at it longingly.

“Why the sad look?” he asked suddenly.

Tensing, I stood up and cleaned up my mess, then putting away my things except the painting which I set to dry under a slowly blowing fan. Walking past the classrooms window I stopped and stared at the glowing sun that warmed the ground with its embrace. Sighing, I walked back over to where Mr. Stiller was and nodded to him before heading to the door.

A rough hand closed over my wrist and I gasped turning to my teacher. He smiled softly and spoke again, “If you don’t want to go to class you could stay here. I have a feeling you aren’t in the best condition right now.”

I stared at him shocked before feeling a prickle at my eyes. Reaching up with my left hand, I felt tears slowly escaping and wetting my face. He seemed shocked and stared before reaching out and embracing me. I felt more tears escape and soon I began weeping with no control.

His grip was tight like my father’s would have been and I was grateful for him. We stayed like that for a few minutes until I finally calmed down and he sat me down before rubbing my hand soothingly. I smiled brokenly at him with a grateful look in my eyes, I hoped.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?”

Laughing at his words lightly, I clenched my teeth from the tightness in my chest. “What isn’t? I made the worst mistake I could’ve.”

“Explain,” he pressed.

Staring at the floor for a moment, I looked up and smiled weakly. “Do you really want to hear my problems?”

“If it means to make your smile return and for you to become how you were before; yes.”

Leaning forward and hugging him tightly I pulled back and replayed my past forty-six days.