Pencil, Paper and Passion.

Monday morning dawned bright and early. I laid in my bed, staring at the ceiling, trying to muster up some enthusiasm for the school day. Except how was I supposed to do that when my entire life was going to hell in a hand basket? I couldn’t think of a single bright spot and there was one very big reason I didn’t want to go. Ben. Groaning, I rolled from my bed and tumbled to the floor. Without bothering to get up, I crawled to the bathroom. I sat on the floor and stripped from my clothing before crawling into the shower stall. I stood long enough to grab my shampoo and body wash and to turn on and adjust the water before I sat back down. What was the point in standing if I really didn’t have to?

After my shower, I finally realized I’d have to exert a little energy after I caught a glimpse of my face in the mirror. I stood in my towel with my hands on my cheeks, staring at my reflection in horror. Was that really me? That pale, hollow eyed, washed out girl? My fingers trailed up to the dark shadows beneath my eyes. I’d slept though, hadn’t I? Almost all of Sunday I had slept, ignoring phone call after phone call from Brandt and Charlotte. I’d only gotten out of bed once, to accept the delivery of my repaired car, then had immediately gone back to sleep. So why did it look as if I hadn’t? Stress, I thought and tacked on a little sarcasm. It does wonderful things for you.

Determined now, I made quick work of blow drying my hair before I applied enough makeup to cover the shadows beneath my eyes and give my face some color. I marched to my closet and pulled out a casual sundress in poppy red. I added a white blazer and white flats before I went back to the bathroom to try and tame my hair. Unfortunately, the wild curls had a mind of their own and I gave up, letting them do what they wanted. By the time I’d finished, it was time for me to head to school. I grabbed my phone and made my way downstairs, snagging my book bag on my way out the door.

I grinned at my car and barely resisted kissing it. Instead, I got inside and ran my hands along the dash and seats. I really had missed it. I started the car and sped out of my driveway, heading towards school.

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I arrived with five minutes to spare and scrambled from my car before dashing through the parking lot, into the building. I didn’t slow down until I reached my homeroom and I stopped in the doorway to catch my breath. I spotted Brandt and Charlotte sitting at the back of the room and made my way to them. I plopped into the seat in front of Charlotte, huffing out a breath. “Hey, guys.”

Charlotte widened her eyes at me. “Oh, hello! Do we know you? I could almost swear I’d seen you before…”

I rolled my eyes at her. “Charles, you’re not amusing. It was one day.”

“No, it was two. Three if you count Friday, which I do.”

I furrowed my brows and glanced at Brandt, who was glaring down at his desk. “Oh. I guess I didn’t talk to you guys on Saturday either, huh? Friday doesn’t count though, because we saw each other here.”

“And?” Charlotte asked, lifting an eyebrow.

“I’m really sorry that I didn’t pick up my phone.” I gave them both my best puppy dog eyes, willing them to accept my apology. However, it was wasted on Brandt because he’d yet to look up from the desk. “Brandt? I really am sorry.”

He sighed and shot a quick glance at me. When he saw my face he winced and smashed his own face into the desk. His muffled voice was pleading. “Don’t give me that look. It’s not fair.”

I widened my eyes even more and scrambled to my knees in my chair to lean over and lay my head on his shoulder while Charlotte watched in amusement.. I added a small sniffle to my voice and spoke quietly, “Oh, but Brandt, I can’t help it. I’m just so s-sorry!”

He groaned loudly and I had to hold back a snicker. He was such a sucker. He raised his head and caught a glimpse of the tears in my eyes, which had his widening in fear. “Please don’t cry! I forgive you. You didn’t do anything wrong. Just please, dear lord I am begging you, don’t cry.”

I raised my own head and grinned at him, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek before plopping back down onto my butt. “Thank you, Brandt! You’re the best!”

His face smacked down into the desk again. “I know you’re acting. I’ve always known. It shouldn’t have this affect on me.”

“It’s the eyes,” Charlotte told said, giving him a sympathetic nudge with her elbow. “Who can resist those big, green, watery eyes?”

I laughed, then remembered I had something very important to tell them. “Guys… I really have to talk to you. It’s serious.”

At my tone, both my friends sat straight in their seats and watched my warily. Brandt was the first to speak. “What is it, Eliza?”

I took a deep breath then said in a rush. “My mother is closing up the house and moving Tuck and me to the Hamptons.”

There was a moment of complete silence while the people I was closest to tried to digest what I’d just said. Again, Brandt’s face went into the desk with a moan. Charlotte’s face, however, turned a mottled red and I watched as anger flashed in her eyes. She shrieked, “What?! She can’t! That’s your house!”

“Not until I’m twenty-one,” I pointed out quietly, a little awed at her fury.

“But… You’re eighteen! You have money! Just get an apartment or something!” Her entire face lit up at this idea.

I looked at Brandt, who’d lifted his head at Charlotte’s outburst, to see him nodding enthusiastically. I smiled widely at them both. “God, I love you guys. I knew you’d think the same thing I did!”

“Then why did you even say anything about moving to the Hamptons?! I almost had a heart attack, Eliza.” Charlotte huffed out a breath, glaring at me.

“I just wanted to make sure it was a good idea.” It had been bouncing around in my head ever since my mother announced that we’d all be moving permanently to the Hamptons. Charlotte was right, I had money. I’d come into a small portion of my trust fund, two-million dollars, when I’d turned eighteen. So far, the only thing I’d used it for was to buy my car, so there was more than enough for me to rent an apartment for a few years.

“Oh, in that case, I’m perfectly fine with almost dying.”

“Ha ha, Charles. Anyway, are you two up for apartment hunting today and tomorrow? I’ve got almost two weeks to move out, but I want to get it as done as soon as possible.” Now that I had my friends’ approval, there was no doubt in my mind about what I should do.

Brandt nodded enthusiastically. “I’m in. I was hoping I could get a ride home anyway; my car’s in the shop.”

“Really? Mine just got out.” I laughed, then turned to Charlotte. “You in?”

“Can we go by my house first, to drop off my car?”

“Duh.”

“Then I’m in.”

I threw an arm around each of their necks and squeezed them to me. “You guys are my favorite people.”

They wiggled out of my grasp just as the bell rang. I felt my stomach clench and any lingering happiness from being with my friends vanished. Suddenly, I just wanted to go home. I stood slowly, carefully bending over to pick up my book bag and slinging the strap over my shoulder.

Charlotte’s impatient voice carried from the hallway. “Eliza! Come on, we’re going to be late for Chem!”

I swallowed the bile rising in my throat, but made myself hurry into the hallway. “Sorry, Charles. See you later, Brandt!”

He gave me a small wave and went the opposite direction of Charlotte and me. I stared after him, wishing I could go too. Charlotte tugged on my arm. “Come on!”

I let her lead me swiftly through the hallways to the Chemistry classroom, but I balked at the door. “Uh, you know, Charles, I think I forgot my phone in homeroom… I’m just going to-”

“It’s in your hand, Eliza.” She eyed me. “What is wrong with you today?”

“N-nothing! Just a little absentminded. I’m sorry, let’s go in.” I braced myself, then hurried into the classroom with my head down, making my way to my usual seat in the back. When Charlotte dropped down beside me, eyeing me yet again, I sent her a reassuring smile.

I sat, staring at my desk until I couldn’t stand it any longer. My eyes shot up to the front of the classroom just as the late bell rang out. Ben’s head shot up from the papers he’d been grading. Our eyes met and locked. I tried to keep mine emotionless, but I could see the fury flash into his. I immediately dropped my gaze, misery washing through me.

He hated me. Any lingering hope that we could make up vanished. I felt tears threatening and I squeezed my eyes shut against them. There was no way I was going to cry in the middle of his classroom. It would be mortifying.

“Alright, everybody,” Ben spoke to the class. “Today, we’re going to do a worksheet on what we learned Friday.”

He passed out the worksheets on balancing chemical equations, telling us that they were due at the end of class. When he stopped at my desk, he slapped down the worksheet with more force than was necessary. I stared blindly down at the piece of paper as he stayed paused at my desk. Didn’t he have to hand out the rest of the worksheets?

“Now, it’s only twenty problems. If you need any help, just raise your hand. Get to work!” He stood still beside my desk and I looked up to see that everybody had a worksheet. He’d deliberately given mine to me last.

My eyes flitted up to his face and I noted the clenched line of his jaw before I focused once again on my paper. I reached down and dug a pencil from my bag, then set to work on the twenty equations, ignoring Ben’s presence. I couldn’t help a sigh of relief, though, when he moved away to help another student. I made quick work of the equations and in less than fifteen minutes was dropping the finished worksheet on Ben’s desk. Thankful that he wasn’t behind it, I turned to hurry back to my seat. Instead, I came face to face with him.

He said in a low voice, “I’d like to speak to you after class, Miss Sinclair.”

I nodded, swallowing hard, before I dropped my head and moved around him, back to my seat. My stomach was churning and I feared I’d be sick. Of course he’d want to see me after class. He probably wanted to tell me to transfer to another class, which I was perfectly fine with. Hell, I was giving serious thought to transferring schools.

When the bell signaling the end of class rang, I took my time gathering my things. When Charlotte became impatient, I waved her along and made my way to Ben’s desk as the last of the students trailed from the room. I tried to keep my voice cool when I spoke to him. “Mr. Gallagher? You wanted to see me?”

He stared at me for a few moments, seemingly taking in my appearance. Just as I was about to start squirming under his scrutinizing gaze, he spoke. “Yes, I’d like to discuss your detention.”

My eyes widened as I remembered that I was sentenced to detention in his room, twice a day. How was I supposed to keep my cool through that?! “Uhm…”

“In light of recent events, I’d just as soon forgo the rest of your punishment.”

Hope started to unfurl inside me, but his next words dampened it.

“However, Mr. Avery would be the one to decide that and it’s in our best interest that he stay ignorant of our… relationship, such as it was.”

I nodded, trying not to wince at the disgusted way he said 'relationship'. “That would be best.”

“Then I’ll see you at lunch and after school.” It was clearly a dismissal.

The late bell rang overhead, but still, I hesitated, “But-”

His voice became clipped and I could tell he was severely annoyed. “This is our only option, Elizabeth. It’s only for one more week, in any case. We’ll both just have to suck it up and ignore each other as much as we can.”

I nodded again, starting to feel like a bobble head doll, and said quietly, “I understand, Mr. Gallagher. See you at lunch.” I turned on my heel and scurried from his room, hurrying to my next class.

'''''''''''''''''''''''''''

The rest of the day passed in a blur, even the forty-five minutes spent in Ben’s room during lunch. Not that I’d had to deal with him, as he’d been out of the room more often than not. Still, I’d been tense through the entire period, cleaning the closet on autopilot.

When the last bell of the day pealed out, I headed to Ben’s classroom. I took the long way, trying to prolong the time before I had to deal with him again. Unfortunately, the long way meant taking a rarely used hallway that was just a little bit creepy. The janitors never bothered to fix the lights, so it was lit only by the sun coming in the windows from each end of the hall, giving it a gloomy look. I shuddered, picking up my pace a bit.

Just as I reached the end the hall, something crashed into the back of my head. With a cry of pain, I fell to my hands and knees. What the hell? Fighting dizziness, I tried to look up, to see what had happened but another blow landed on my head, knocking me down the rest of the way.

I heard a familiar voice and it sent chills down my spine. “Put her in the closet.”

I tried to get up, to scream, to do something, but never got the chance as I tumbled into the black, unconsciousness claiming me.