On Mute

Chapter 7: A Pretty Lake & a Handsome Face

 This chapter is dedicated to the two most amazing teachers in the world. Take care Sir and Miss!

Three days... It was three days before Marc finally filled the chair that haunted me in Chemistry. He didn't talk to me, he didn't look to me, he didn't even acknowledge my existence. I felt like a hole was being drilled through my chest as he ignored me with the least effort, like I really wasn't there. I gripped my pencil tightly. Fine, I can play that way too!

            Suddenly I began to draw a snake, it coiled and twisted around my paragraphs, its body cast in a sheath of shiny scales and at the end a rattling tail. I shot my hand off to the side as my pencil curled the snakes long fork tongue and whoosh my fingers went flying across the page. I felt like I was dancing with the pencil, leading it around a paper ballroom floor, going around in circles, in semicircles, this way and that as more and more scales were created under my loving hand.

            It felt so real, so wild! I was scared the slippery serpent would slither off the page and I tried my best to keep my pencil to paper making sure I never broke contact with the body, like I was pinning it. I began to hum, my mind dreaming off into space as the snake charmed me with its magnificent beauty.

            Huff.

            I crashed back into reality and I twisted my head towards the sound. I caught him off guard, his smile wide and genuine, but then his glowing eyes faltered as they met with mine and he looked away. I startled him; it was the only thing I could think of? But as his gaze returned a minute later I caught him again and this time he didn't stop. His dark black eyes bore into me, wide and open like he was trying to find something... but gently. I blinked, I couldn't take it.

            "May I borrow your notebook?" He asked, I was dumbfounded and he repeated the phrase. Why was I still tongue tied?! He sighed. "I missed three days... do you mind?"I shut the notebook, cramming all the crazy creatures I created inside, and handed it to him without a word. It was painful to say the least, saying goodbye to all my little masterpieces... but I owed the guy, he saved my bacon. He mumbled a "thank you" in return, but I just sat there and nodded; my face burning.

            The whole day I thought of his smile, when he smiled he looked like a god, a higher being! Someday I am going to draw that smile and who knows, the paper may turn into gold leaf?

            It was the weekend finally, Brie met up and we made plans for the following day, Beth and Margaret decided to join in and before we knew it we selected which PJ's to wear. Stopping at the trident in the road my friends waved me goodbye, and I replied accordingly. But as I turned to the path which lead to my house the big tree painted sign caught my eye.

            I think I want to pay someone a little visit.

            The house was cobblestone, with large skylight windows jutting from the steeple. Moss and vines climbed up the walls of the ancient structure and the big red door that I knocked at made me feel like I was a child in comparison. This was the home designated to the park manager, an old church that was renovated into a house with a small garage added on in normal side paneling. It was spectacular and enchanting to the eyes, I have seen it before on some of my nature walks... but I never was this close. The door slowly opened and I backed up a step.

This close to... him.

"Abigail?" The dark eyes asked; I looked to his forehead as I tried to talk.

"H-Hi..." I said as best I could. I was getting nervous and I didn't know why?! The next time I tried to open my mouth nothing would come out, Marc expelled air and caught my back with his hand. He pushed me inside.

"If you are going to be an airhead, you might as well come in to do it." He scoffed, he lead me into the house, past the front closet and over into the front sitting room, where I noticed he had my notebook open to the page with my latest creation. He sat down in the love seat and I took a seat on the couch it corresponded with. We didn't say a word.

"Where are your folks?" I asked after a moment, it was the only thing I could.

"Dad ain't home, and Mom is... out of province at the moment." I noticed the curtains drawn and looked out to see where I was once standing. I could see everything, the lake, the trail; it was a beautiful sight to behold.

            "I love the view, it's beautiful." I stated randomly, Marc never looked in the direction I was staring.

            "Yeah," He said sincerely. "It is." Then he jumped to his feet. "So, what it is that you are here for anyway?" I bit my lip.

            "I-I..." I wanted to know why you took a bullet for me?! Why did you do something for me when there was no reason to? Why are you doing so much for me when you know I can't do anything for favour in return?! I guess I must have spoke with my eyes for he answered my look perfectly.

            "You aren't the type to do something bad, whatever you broke into the school for it was not to cause trouble." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his American Eagle sweatshirt as he looked my way. "Right?" I never noticed he wore brand names before, I always seen him in a plain tee-shirt and jeans in school. Maybe he was the son of a rich CEO?

            "Yeah, and to be honest I didn't actually break in... the window is always forgotten to be locked." He smirked at me. "A-and I didn't take anything, I swear!" he nodded in acceptance.

            "Was just a dare right, some girly sleepover stuff?" He smiled again, what is with him and smiling today?

            "I wouldn't go that far." I corrected. But I wasn't going to tell him why I was really there either. "I just wanted to say thanks for doing that for me, that's all." I bit my cheek. "And... sorry for getting you arrested."

            "Eh, it wasn't that bad, I didn't get it put on my record I just got off with a warning. The school only suspended me so that I wouldn't do it again. No skin off my nose, the best vacation I ever had!" Seriously... what was wrong with him? Was he just being sarcastic and I wasn't detecting it?

            "E-enjoying the notes?" I laughed, pointing to my notebook on the coffee table.

            "Yeah, I actually haven't got anything down yet though... too busy looking at your pictures." I grasped my knee.

            "O-oh really, huh?" He nodded.

            "I used to do a lot of this stuff, sketching I mean. I like your choice in pencil; it suits you well to use the 2HB." Yeah, somebody told me that a while ago too.

            "Why did you stop?" I asked, probably no good, his hands were massive, I couldn't figure out how he could coordinate a pencil with such large digits?

            "I fell in love with music."He said. But his smile faltered as he looked back on his memories. He made his way towards the exit "A-anyways... can I get you anything?" I heard his stomach growling as he stood at the door.

            "Nah, I'm good. I better head home." I got up and was going to leave when I realized he was standing in the doorway, he looked frozen. I tried to slip by him as I smiled awkwardly, my foot grazed his and I saw his eyes flicker. "Goodbye!" I said as I waved out the door, he swallowed hard and returned the wave.

            Frowns, smiles, scowls and flickering eyes, this was the boy of a thousand masks. The thing I wanted to know was... did he know I was wearing one too?