Cursed To Hold My Breath

The Drawing

I felt somebody nudging my arm as my head dropped from my hand and bumped the desk. I sat up straight, looking around groggily, then stretched and yawned.

"You're missing out on the lesson." Haley whispered in my ear.

We were in our Calculus class, and I was lulled to sleep by the droning of Ms. Baxter's lecture.

"I'm already flunking, plus I'm really tired." I said sleepily, laying my head on my desk.

"It's only the first quarter, you can't give up after a month."

"I didn't sign up for this class, it's not my fault I'm so smart." I harrumphed.

"Well then you would've never met me." Haley grinned at me. "Maybe if you listen and take notes, you won't fail." She slid me a piece of notebook paper.

I groaned and pulled out a pencil from my bag as Haley began scribbling down notes on her paper. I didn't take any notes, of course, so instead I doodled on my paper.

By the end of the period, when we were given free time before the bell, I had drawn a girl standing by the edge of a small stream, looking forlorn with trees surrounding her. I stared at the familiar image for a moment, then shook my head as I began folding the piece of paper before Haley caught a glimpse of it, and snatched it from me.

"What is this?" She asked as she studied my drawing. "That's a really good picture, is that you standing there?" She pointed to the forlorn girl.

I shrugged, "I guess so, it's only in pencil, so I had to give her black hair."

"You have black hair." She pointed out.

"Whatever." I took the paper from her and folded and stuffed it in my back pocket. "Do you know what we're doing in English?"

"Levi said there's a test today, remember?" She began packing up.

"I didn't study." I admitted.

"Emma!"

"It's fine, I'll just wing it." I waved her protest away with a hand. "I actually do pay attention in that class, for your information."

"I know, I'm in that class with you." Haley said. "But still, you have to study."

"I don't feel like it." I said lazily.

Haley rolled her eyes as the bell rang and we all piled out into the walkways once more. English was all the way on the other side of the campus, so that would give me some time to talk to Haley as we walked there.

We passed by Lillie on her way to her science class and waved. She looked up and smiled, but kept walking. I caught a glimpse of Alex walking with his hands stuffed in his pockets, head down, heading off to his next class. My gaze lingered on him a moment before a nearly walked into a pole.

"Watch where you're going." Haley grabbed my arm and led me through the crowd until we came into the air conditioned room of our English class. It was only this and Biology next for me, then the school day will finally be over.

"Hey, I hoped you studied." Levi smiled as he came into our class and sat in his seat.

"I did." Haley said proudly, confident that she'd get through this test with ease.

I gulped as I pulled out a piece of paper while Mr. Salver handed out the test packets. I was surprised to have found it to be multiple choice (thankfully) and it was relatively easy. That period went by pretty quickly because of the test and the bell had rung, which surprised me thinking that class should've been longer than that short time.