The Insanity of a Wallflower

The Second Mural- XIII

I walked away from the school doors with Tim on my heels. He was talking about the soccer practice he had tomorrow and how he didn't want to show up for it. I was barely listening, my mind fading in and out, but when my eyes rose to the parking lot, I saw Hayden beside his Jeep. 

He was laughing with Bradley at something before nodding goodbye and climbing into his vehicle. He looked down at his phone with a slight frown, before looking up and meeting my far gaze.  I glanced away quickly and began trying my best to partake in whatever Tim was talking about.

But my heart felt like it was pounding out of my chest. 

We walked down the edge of a sidewalk before we got to the parking lot. "I can't wait to get my dad's truck." Tim sighed.

"You hate walking?" I asked.    

                                                                 

"No, not really. But that beast has been in our family since Grandpa was young, and it's supposed to be handed down to the next generation. Obviously it's my turn and I haven't bought a vehicle because I know the old beast is just right around the corner. But my dad really latched on to it too and hasn't passed it along yet."

"Tell your grandpa then," I smiled slightly. 

"Can't." he shrugged. "Pops passed away three years ago. Now don't go looking all sad on me," he laughed, "It's just a fact of life. People leave our lives and there's nothing we can do about it."

I nodded my head, and my fingers twitched suddenly. 

"So your mom got a new boyfriend yet?"

"I seriously hope not. What about your dad? Any new scandal involving the town mayor?"

"I wish; I could use it as blackmail to get the truck."

"Have you talked with Karri much?" I already knew they did, both sides had already admitted it to me- but still, I wanted to know more.

"Yeah, we text every other day.  Most the time she's just asking about you."

I frowned slightly and tugged on my shirt sleeves. "Tim I've got a favor to ask."

"Yeah?" 

"Stop updating her on my behavior. Please don't... keep tabs on me and run back to her."  I knew the moment he told Karri I was sharing extra classes with just Hayden... she would know something was seriously wrong.

"I know her really well," I continued, and I gazed up at him, "I know she cries to you."

Something swept behind his eyes; surprise and guilt. I continued on, "She won't open up to me because she knows I'm already going through a lot. But the more you tell her about how you're concerned about me... the more you're hurting her.  I'm fine.... I really am. Karri has been my platform these past few years, and though I've been struggling to stand without her- I knew how to stand before her. I'll figure it out."

Tim sighed slightly as we rounded a street corner. "I texted her after lunch," he breathed. "I told her you seemed fine, you were just your anti-social self. But you looked okay. I said I even got you to laugh." he stretched and slid his hands behind his head, "But you know what the odd thing was though?"

Tim's eyes shifted down to me. And then down to my bag.

"When I told her about your drawing... she got all weird on me. She asked a bunch questions; what was happening in the drawing, did it seem odd, and so on. I told her it was just Icarus, but that only made her ask a hundred more questions. What's up with your drawings Alys? I'll keep my word and not tell her anything about you, if you just explain to me what they are. And they are obviously something."