Your love is a sin

To paint a reality

Alan POV

"She is absent?"
I asked once again.
"Yeah, her mother called in saying she will not be able to come for a few days too" Mrs. Walts sighed and continued."She's going to miss out on so many classes, I'm worried she won't be able to keep up with the exams next month."

Anne has been absent for 5 days straight. At first, I thought it was nothing but after the 4th day it bothered me, so I reached out to some of her classmates but nobody knew why. And today I couldn't help myself from asking her teacher. But now I don't even have her contact number and Ryan also couldn't find her social media, I doubt if she even has one.

But seriously I feel so annoyed when I don't find her on the rooftop. I know it's been 2 months since our meeting and this has become a ritual of ours to meet at the rooftop and take a nap or sometimes talk about random things.
Now that she's not there it feels like something is missing. And I have to admit she's grown on me, I miss her stupid questions.

I sighed.

I don't like her absence.

"Alan, can you deliver some notes to her address? Since you're her close friend I hope you won't mind"

My mood instantly became lighter with that suggestion.

"Yes I'll deliver it, Mrs. Walts" I smiled.

"Oh okay then" She started to scribble on her notepad and tore a piece of it.

"This is her address and these are the notes," She said while handing me the piece of paper and some notebooks.

I grinned.
I feel like this is going to be a good surprise for her.

After thanking Mrs. Walts I walked out of the staff room, all the while I couldn't stop smiling ear to ear.

*****

So this is her house?

I gaped at the beautiful architecture shamelessly. It is elegant and almost seemed too decorative. The marbled floor made me nervous to step on it, I exhaled and walked up to the doorbell.

Being brought up in a house that lived on the edge, worrying about the bills, rent, fees, etc has never given me the luxury to spend money on anything we didn't need. I remember times when we would go about without food for days, and only after we've paid for everything, food would enter our mouths. It's not easy, with mom spending it on beers bottles and sometimes even drugs. I had to start earning since I was 13 years old, to keep me and her alive.

I pressed the bell, stepped back, and waited for the door to open.

The door creaked and opened to reveal a woman in her mid-40s, her hair was neatly tucked into a bun and
her black glasses gave off the air of seriousness to her appearance.

She scanned me, top to bottom. And without fail, I could see the confusion and a tinge bit of discomfort in her eyes.

"May I help you?" She asked after assessing my appearance.

"Mrs. Walts sent me. I am here to deliver notes for Anne." I said with a firm tone and maintaining eye contact.

"I see, please come in."

I followed her as she guided me to the living room and soon I was greeted by a lavish room.

 The black laddered couch matched perfectly with the white walls which were decorated with family pictures, while the large portrait of a man in his mid-50s hung neatly between all the other frames and the room was illuminated by a beautiful chandelier that gave the last touch to the grand room. The room was just like the exterior of the house, it is elegant but seemed too grand. 

Like no one really uses this room.

"I'll inform her of you. Please wait here." She smiled stiffly and left the room.

I walked over to the walls decorated with photos, my eyes eagerly tracing each and every frame. The family looked happy, all smiling in the pictures. My eyes caught the one in which Anne was around 7 years old, she was laughing with pure joy at the camera. I smiled at the cute girl in the photo. Then I moved on to the next one, it was a family picture of her dad, her and her mom. Her smile looked vague as if she's faking it. Her mother looked beautiful, smiling elegantly beside her husband. Her father was handsome as well, very put together.

"Hey.."

I turned around to face Anne. She was wearing a white nightgown with sleeves, all her hair tucked at her left and a small smile playing on her pink lips.Maybe its because I haven't seen her for days but this simple outfit makes her look angelic.

Gosh she looks beautiful.

"Hi, I came to deliver some notes for Mrs Walts." I offered a smile. 

"I see" She smiled back  "Come have a seat Alan, do you want anything? water? juice?" She offered as we sat down.

"Oh no, it's alright." I declined politely. "So how's your health? You were absent for days" 

"Oh yes um..I'm good" she smiled but it didn't reach her eyes. Why is she lying?

"So are you coming back to school?" I asked, trying not to sound too eager in my tone.
"Yes, I'll be attending soon." She replied with a daze look on her face as if she's contemplating something.
She then looked up to my left and bite her lips, a somber look settling in her eyes.

What is she looking at?
I tried to follow her gaze and turn around but was stopped by her yell.

"Um Alan!"
"Yes?.. what's wrong Anne." I asked confused by her sudden outburst.
"Um..ah.. would you like to look at my..my sketches? I have recently been trying to improve my skill." She rushed out her sentence anxiously.

I felt more confused by her sudden change of demeanor. It's like she doesn't want me to look behind. Whatever, let me just follow her lead.

"Yea, sure why not." I replied brightly.

"Okay, I'll lead you to my room."

She then guided me towards the stairs  while tailing behind me. There were so many rooms, but hers were more inwards than the others.

"Come in"
Her room was surprisingly themed white. Nothing decorative, just plain but everything was quite clean though. One bed placed on the right corner of the room with a study table near the window which brightened up the room. One door, maybe for the bathroom and a wardrobe. All I could say is, her room was simple unlike the living room.

"Here my art book " she handed me her book and led me to her bed.
"I'll go get us some snacks"
"I'm not hungry, Anne"
"But I am", she smiled and I gave in. I can never win against her. I smiled in defeat.
"Okay"

She quickly left the room to go fetch us some snacks.

I quickly busied myself with her book. Her sketches were amazing, I could tell she was very good at this. I don't know is she was a member of the art club but I wouldn't be surprised if she were. Flipping through the streams of sketches, I stumbled upon a peculiar one.
It was a girl, her eyes looked lifeless and empty. Tears streamed down her cheeks as a man's hand clutched her neck, squeezing the life out of her. Her two hands reached out to grab his arm and her mouth looked liked it struggled to utter help.
She looked miserable. But what disturbed me the most is the hopeless expression as if she is giving up everything slowly by slowly as he is squeezing tighter.
This art eerily seemed to paint a dark reality of someone.

Why did you draw something like this, Anne?