In My Head

Art Geeks ~ Kaden

The bell rings. Finally. I thought this class would never end. I grab my backpack. Logan stuffs the book into his bag and jumps up. There's no time to get my art stuff from the car, so I leave the room and turn toward the stairwell with Logan.

We reach the stairs and start up. It's freaking crowded. The whole way up the three flights, all I can think about is what it would be like to go down on these stairs. How badly I'd get hurt from falling, how everyone would see it happen. How I'd probably knock people over when I fell, and block the way so everyone would have to stop and wait for me to finish spazzing out. And how quickly it would spread around the school. By the end of the day, everyone would be calling me the kid who had a fit on the stairs.

After what feels like three whole minutes, we finally reach the top of the stairs, and I breathe a sigh. My palms are all clammy. We head down the hallway at a slow pace, caught behind the mob of art geeks making their way to class. I spot the classroom for Drawing 2.

"Kaden!" The hallway is full and loud, but I still hear someone call my name. Logan halts right in the middle of traffic and waves. I follow his gaze-Stephanie is coming over. I roll my eyes and go into the classroom.

Logan holds up his hands, palms up, and shakes his head at me. His lips move to form words that look like, What are you doing? I shrug and turn away.

This room is really boring compared to the drama room. Two still lifes are set up along the side of the room. The tables are in two long rows across the room, facing the still lifes.

The teacher is in the back of the room, at a counter covered in drawings. I think she's Latino. Her jet-black hair is piled on her head in a shiny bun. She looks up, smiles big. "Oh, you must be the transfer. I'm Mrs. Rivera." She has a neat accent and big white teeth. She searches her classroom, which is still empty. "I thought there was going to be two newbies."

"Oh yeah, my brother is coming." I gesture at the door.

"I did some shuffling so you could sit together, in the front here." She moves over and puts her hand on the back of a chair at the end of the front row. I drop my backpack and take a seat in the next chair. "Let's get you an art locker."

A girl comes in, and we meet eyes instantly. Her long brunette hair is pulled back in an elaborate ponytail. Her eyes are milky bluish light-green. She looks familiar for some reason. She stops mid-step, and her mouth falls open. Judging by her face, I guess I must have taken her spot.

"Oh, Mirna, perfect timing," Mrs. Rivera says. "The newbies need an art locker. Would you take them down?"

"Sure," the girl says. She smiles big at me and holds her hand up in a cute little wave-oh my god. I know why she looks familiar. She's the girl from the Epilepsy Center yesterday.

The girl plops her stuff down on the table in front of me. All I can do is stare at her. She smiles and tilts her head to the side. Her eyes flash green, and then turn blue. She backs up to the teacher's desk, where Mrs. Rivera is flipping through a binder. She takes out a card and hands it to the girl.

The girl puts the card in her pocket and comes back, waves me up with both hands. "Come on," she says in a voice that sounds way grown up. Then she goes for the door. What, we're going now? Logan hasn't come in yet, but something makes me follow her out the door and into the hallway.

Logan is nowhere in sight. Where the hell did he go?

Invitation ~ Logan

Kaden turns around and disappears into the classroom. I shrug and turn back to Stephanie. She smiles. "Imagine seeing you here. Are you all arts and crafts, Hastings?"