CHARLIE'S P.O.V
I wanted to laugh at the expression on the guys faces this morning. They looked so shocked, especially Jack. I never thought I could look this good. Goosebumps rose on my skin on the chilly ride to school. Melanie had allowed me to wear my black sweatshirt but she eyed it with clear distaste. I felt the eyes of people on me as I walked down the hall with Jack by my side. He wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled my closer with a low growl under his breath. "What's wrong." I asked placing my hand on his cheek. His sour expression immediately cleared as he closed his eyes and leaned into my hand. "Your too beautiful for your own good." He muttered leaning against the locker next to mine as I attempted to open it. I threw my backpack in and slammed the door before books had a chance to spill out again. "Hey there. Your Charlie right?" Max, the schools women eater asked. I nodded mutely waiting expectantly for him to leave. "Wanna go out sometime?" He offered, grinning at me. I shot him a look of utter disbelief as Jack moved to stand at my side. "She's taken." He snarled wrapping possesive arms around me. "Whoa sorry dude." Max said, holding his hands up in surrender, backing away. "Jack calm down." I whispered as Max made a hasty exit. "Calm down? You've got guys all over you." Jack seethed. "You're the only guy I want." I said turning to wrap my arms around his torso. I felt like a small child doing so, he was so large. He placed his hands on my waist and kissed the top of my head. "I have Algebra." I said stepping away from him. He nodded and I sauntered down the hallway. I turned back to see him in the same spot, watching me with an unreadable expression. Algebra was boring and I tried to ignore the whispers that floated around me. One voice out of many got under my skin. "Look at her. She's acting like a total slut." Lizzy whispered her voice full of malice. I turned around to glare at her and she shot me a lazy smile. I took a deep breath and tried to concentrate on the lesson. The bell rang and I sighed in relief. I grabbed my hoodie from the back of my chair and threw it on as I hurried into the crowd of students leaving the classroom. As I walked to the door I was tripped. I looked up to see Lizzy smiling as her friends giggled. "You. I don't know who you are but you better get away from my best friend now." Melanie called. She entered the room and helped me to my feet. "Excuse me?" Lizzy asked, she seemed shocked that someone would actually speak to her that way. "You heard me you slut. Now go get bent and leave us alone." Melanie said in her sweetest voice. It was layered with a thick edge of malice. "That was the greatest moment of my life." I said in an awed voice once we were out of the classroom and in the hallway. "It was nothing." Melanie said modestly. "You are the most awesome friend anyone could ask for." I said throwing my arms around Mel. She was blushing as I stepped back her eyes glowing happily. "You really mean it?" She squealed her walk taking on little skips. I nodded and caught sight of Luke heading our way. He didn't scare me as much anymore. He was really quiet though. I don't think he'd spoken more then six words to me. "Hey Luke." Melanie greeted him. He stood on one side of me while Melanie stood on the other. "Hey Mel. Hi Charlie." He answered back. I was confused but said a quick hello back. The whispers seemed to decrease when the pack was around me. I wondered if it was something about them that made the other children not willing to get close to them. I felt sad to know that was the reason Melanie or any of the others had friends. Luke and Mel walked me to my next class and hurried away to get to their own. I sank into a seat in the back of the room and tuned in to my favorite class. Art. Ms. Lilly was my favorite teacher. She was only in her mid twenties and she was absolutely gorgeous. She had hair that was the color of fire, and it hung in straight waves down her back. Her eyes were an electric blue that stood out in stark contrast to her creamy skin and bright hair. She hated the student and teacher relationship and insisted we all call her by her first name. "Morning kids. Sorry I'm late. Mrs. Martin stopped to chat in the teachers lounge. You know how she likes to talk." Ms. Lilly laughed dancing into the room, her movements lithe and graceful. She hopped up onto her neatly organized desk and crossed her legs. She smiled at her small class of students. "Isn't today just wonderful? This morning I woke up early to paint the sunrise." Ms. Lilly told us. She reached down into her bag and pulled out a small water color picture. The sun was just coming up over a vast range of trees, shooting colors starting at the palest gold and ending at the darkest red. The painting was stunning and I couldn't imagine myself painting anything that good. "Today I want you all to draw or paint me a picture expressing your emotions." Ms. Lilly invented thoughtfully. She jumped down from her desk and I saw she was wearing her classic paint splattered jeans and an old white cotton tee shirt. She skipped to the back of the classroom and pulled open the huge door to the supply closet. She flicked on the light and pursed her lips thoughtfully. "Charlie. Would you be a huge help and come grab some of these boxes of paint please?" Ms. Lilly requested turning to me with bright eyes. I nodded and eagerly jumped from my chair. I grabbed the boxes she was asking for and took them to the front of the room. The art room was always in casual disarray and I don't think I've ever seen it clean. We didn't have regular classroom desks either. Ms. Lilly believed they would stifle our creativity. We had weird shaped table splashed in funky bright colors. I grabbed a canvas and some paint and moved to an table in the back of the room. I dabbed my brush in a rich crimson color and spread it onto the canvas in random lines. That represented Jack and the strong connection I already felt for him. I pulled a somber blue in to symbolize my fathers return and the toll it was taking on my brothers relationship with me. Streaking in some other wild colors I wiped my itchy nose with a finger covered in paint, probably spreading it to my face. I poured my emotions into the painting and when I was done I felt at peace. "Charlie this is beautiful. So random and edgy yet with soft colors that bring it all together." Ms. Lilly said as she gazed at my canvas with glowing affection. Ms. Lilly didn't have children. She believed that her students were her children and in a way she was like a second mother to me. Though she could never come close to replacing my actual mother. I smiled in a content way at her. "Thank you Ms. Lilly. I feel much better now." I admitted. She smiled knowingly. "I know. I thought that this would be a good thing for you. I could sense your emotions running wild and thought it best that you could get them out on paper." Ms. Lilly told me patting my head in an affectionate way as she moved on to Billy Collins who was covered in paint. "Billy I have told you and told you. Hold your brush like this to ensure that the paint actually stays on the canvas." Ms. Lilly sighed demonstrating the proper brush holding technique. I giggled and hung my painting on the hooks hanging from the wall so it could dry. The bell rang and I felt regret pang through me. I didn't want to leave. I washed my hands in the sink and hurried into the hallway crashing into Jack who was waiting outside. "Oh hey. How did you know I was here?" I asked as he kissed my forehead gently. "I followed your scent." He answered as if it was the most natural thing in the world. He chuckled suddenly. "What?" I asked suddenly self concious. "You had paint on your nose." He said brushing it with his thumb. I blushed hotly and smacked his hand away. I scrubbed with the sleeve of my hoodie and he laughed and brushed my hand away. He kissed my nose and then my lips. "Your adorable when you blush." He informed me taking my hand as he led me to lunch.
