The Beach

Three

" Going the wrong way on a one way street, I'm feeling strangely sane today, I am amazed, I'm brave today, I rearranged my brain today, I rearranged my ways..."
One way st: Jhene Aiko, Ab-soul

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Davina sighs as she puts in her headphones.

It was the next day and she was at school in her first class, math. She had been thinking about yesterday for a while after she got home.

She might be working with Cain soon.

This puts her on edge, not only because he could kill her but also because her parents said stay away. Since her siblings could drive on their own, they visited the cafe a few times a week. If they come and see Cain there, they'll talk and she might have to quit her job.

Davina's plan was to be as nice as possible to him, to get on his good side if he ever gets the idea to shoot up the school or something.

Hopefully it worked.

" Davina, you think you can help Cain, since he's next to you?" Davina looked up at her teacher with wide eyes, the teacher had a look of insistence making Davina huff softly. She turned to Cain who had his headphones in, he had his head back, eyes closed, arms crossed and legs spread apart.

She tapped him on his decorated forearm. His grey eyes fluttered open and he looked over at her. He didn't make an effort to take out his earbuds so she resorted to sign language.

' The teacher said I should help you, get you caught up and stuff.'

He read her hands and when she finished looked back up at her so their eyes met. His eyes shifted to her worksheet, even though he had the same one. Cain then moved toward his bag, he rummaged through it and pulled out a triangular folded piece of paper.

He handed it to Davina whose eyebrows were furrowed. She took it from his hand and unfolded it. The paper was the one she gave to him yesterday about the maintenance position. " Oh, uh well thanks, hopefully we'll have an answer for you-"

She looked over at Cain, only to see him back in the same position as before, but this time his music was playing a little louder. Davina slumped and rolled her eyes, she put the paper in her own bag and decided to leave him alone.

-

" How is it? Having him in all of your classes?" Frankie asked. Once again, Davina and her friends sat together at a picnic table for lunch. Davina shrugged her shoulders to the answer and let out a breath through her nose. 

" Like I said, he doesn't speak, he's a mute. Yesterday he came into the cafe looking for a job and had to give him the paper interview." Kayla's jaw dropped, "really? Babes, the universe is telling you that you're his next victim." Kayla sang.

Davina continued eating and didn't reply to the comment.

Like she always does, Davina went to her art class early. When she got there, she went to her easel and sat down. She took out her pencil and looked at the lead covered canvas in front of her. She had been working on a personal project for a few days now and only worked on it when she had time in between classes.

Davina continued sketching on the canvas not knowing that a certain someone was also in the classroom. Moments passed and Davina needed some color, so she got up and walked over to the supply drawers. She looked through it, found what she needed and closed it. She backed away a few steps, raised her head and when she did, she jumped.

 There sat Cain sat an easel in the back of the classroom, he was just watching her, his headphones in and his arms crossed like earlier. " How long have you been in here?" She asked, her heart slowly calming down. Cain uncrossed his arms and started to sign.

' Before you.'

Davina nodded, " well you could've done something, not sit there like a creep." Davina walked back to her easel and continued her drawing.

-

" Alright everyone, so before we get into pottery, I have one last project for you all." The class erupted in light groans and sighs. " Oh it won't be that bad, I want everyone to make a piece of something or someone that gives your life meaning, it can be your parents, dog or even your phone but it has to be something that you feel gives your life a purpose worth living..." Davina began to think of the people and things in her life that made her feel good, made her feel alive.

" You have the rest of class to brainstorm and the rest of the week including the weekend to get this done."