We'll Keep a Secret (If You Keep Me Guessing)
Nine
Monday morning dragged on slowly. I tried my hardest to put my full attention into my classwork, but thoughts of Alex still remained in the back of my mind. I hadn’t seen or spoken to him since I left his house Saturday night. He didn’t show up at lunch, and I was anxious about how it was going to be when we finally came into contact with each other again. What would we say? Would it be awkward? I shuddered at the thought.
By the time art class rolled around, I had begun to think that Alex had skipped school entirely, so my nerves settled down a little. I took my seat, pulled my project from my bag and started putting some finishing touches on it. It was a painting that I made of a heart that had been bruised and broken, and it bled music staffs and notes instead of blood. It was a representation of how I felt my heart would look if someone were to cut my chest open and examine it. The bruises and breaks symbolized the hardships I had been through up to that point, and the staffs and notes symbolized my passion for music. Other than my friends, it was the only thing that helped me pull through difficult times.
As I was working, I felt movement to my right. I tore my eyes away from my picture and saw Alex sitting down next to me. He halfway smiled at me, but my expression remained blank.
“Hey,” he said sheepishly.
I didn’t respond. I just resumed working on my painting. I wanted him to see for himself what it was like when his best friend ignores him. I wanted it to hurt, to burn on the inside like it did to me, but I wanted it to feel a thousand times worse for him.
He huffed. “Sophia—”
“What, Alex?” I asked bitterly, refusing to look at him. “You’ve finally decided that you want to talk to me?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
I froze for a moment then turned to face him, my brown eyes locking onto his. “What’s been going on with you lately? Whenever one of the guys and I try to talk to you, you’re so distant and guarded, and when we ask you to hang out, you claim to be busy. What’s up?”
“Well—”
“Do you have some new girlfriend that you’re trying to hide from us or something?”
He furrowed his brows. “What? No.” He paused and sighed. “I’m really sorry if I made you guys feel like I didn’t want to be around you. That wasn’t the case at all. I was just really focused on something that I was doing.”
“And what would that be?” I asked, calming down a bit.
Alex reached into his bag, pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to me. I looked it over, and it took my breath away. It was a drawing of a boy and girl, who I assumed were supposed to be in love, facing each other. They both were hiding items behind their backs. The boy held a bouquet of red roses behind his, and the girl held a knife behind hers.
“You drew this?” I asked, stunned.
Alex nodded.
“Oh, Alex. It’s beautiful. I’m sure Mr. Garner will love it.”
“I don’t care what Mr. Garner will think. I didn’t do it for him. I did it for me.”
I gave him a puzzled look. He sighed and scratched the back of his head.
“I took your advice and drew something that I couldn’t express in words. It’s supposed to be me and Becca.”
I looked at the picture again. This time, as I stared at it, my heart broke for Alex. The boy, Alex, I guess, was blindly in love with the girl and completely oblivious to the fact that she was planning on hurting him. He had never felt comfortable telling me why he and Rebecca broke up, but from that picture, I could make a pretty good guess.
“Alex, I’m so sorry. Whatever she did to you, you didn’t deserve it.”
He half-smiled. “Thanks, Soph. I’m over it, though. Drawing it really did help me feel better about it.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re okay, and I’m glad you’re talking to me again.”
He chuckled slightly before wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer to him. I smiled against his warm chest. It felt so good to have my best friend back.
By the time art class rolled around, I had begun to think that Alex had skipped school entirely, so my nerves settled down a little. I took my seat, pulled my project from my bag and started putting some finishing touches on it. It was a painting that I made of a heart that had been bruised and broken, and it bled music staffs and notes instead of blood. It was a representation of how I felt my heart would look if someone were to cut my chest open and examine it. The bruises and breaks symbolized the hardships I had been through up to that point, and the staffs and notes symbolized my passion for music. Other than my friends, it was the only thing that helped me pull through difficult times.
As I was working, I felt movement to my right. I tore my eyes away from my picture and saw Alex sitting down next to me. He halfway smiled at me, but my expression remained blank.
“Hey,” he said sheepishly.
I didn’t respond. I just resumed working on my painting. I wanted him to see for himself what it was like when his best friend ignores him. I wanted it to hurt, to burn on the inside like it did to me, but I wanted it to feel a thousand times worse for him.
He huffed. “Sophia—”
“What, Alex?” I asked bitterly, refusing to look at him. “You’ve finally decided that you want to talk to me?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.”
I froze for a moment then turned to face him, my brown eyes locking onto his. “What’s been going on with you lately? Whenever one of the guys and I try to talk to you, you’re so distant and guarded, and when we ask you to hang out, you claim to be busy. What’s up?”
“Well—”
“Do you have some new girlfriend that you’re trying to hide from us or something?”
He furrowed his brows. “What? No.” He paused and sighed. “I’m really sorry if I made you guys feel like I didn’t want to be around you. That wasn’t the case at all. I was just really focused on something that I was doing.”
“And what would that be?” I asked, calming down a bit.
Alex reached into his bag, pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to me. I looked it over, and it took my breath away. It was a drawing of a boy and girl, who I assumed were supposed to be in love, facing each other. They both were hiding items behind their backs. The boy held a bouquet of red roses behind his, and the girl held a knife behind hers.
“You drew this?” I asked, stunned.
Alex nodded.
“Oh, Alex. It’s beautiful. I’m sure Mr. Garner will love it.”
“I don’t care what Mr. Garner will think. I didn’t do it for him. I did it for me.”
I gave him a puzzled look. He sighed and scratched the back of his head.
“I took your advice and drew something that I couldn’t express in words. It’s supposed to be me and Becca.”
I looked at the picture again. This time, as I stared at it, my heart broke for Alex. The boy, Alex, I guess, was blindly in love with the girl and completely oblivious to the fact that she was planning on hurting him. He had never felt comfortable telling me why he and Rebecca broke up, but from that picture, I could make a pretty good guess.
“Alex, I’m so sorry. Whatever she did to you, you didn’t deserve it.”
He half-smiled. “Thanks, Soph. I’m over it, though. Drawing it really did help me feel better about it.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re okay, and I’m glad you’re talking to me again.”
He chuckled slightly before wrapping an arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer to him. I smiled against his warm chest. It felt so good to have my best friend back.