Paint the Pictures

Chapter 20

Rhys' POV

I wanted to talk to Sydney but she was with friends every time I saw her between classes all day. I ended up hanging around school before Kyle's football game and took my usual place in the stands.

I heard people moving around behind me and I turned around to see Sydney getting dragged over by her friends. I turned back around but didn't say anything as they sat down. I only have listened to the conversation that they were having as the game started.

They didn't talk much through the game and the home team headed into half time with a 21-10 lead and Kyle caught two of them. I tuned back into the conversation that Patrick was having with Sydney. They were talking something that happened in one of their classes.

I talked a little bit to John but it was casual and most of it was about the football game. Sydney wouldn't even look at me as halftime continued. I didn't get a chance to talk to her because the teams came out and the game started again.

Kyle caught another touchdown to give the team a 35-21 win. I knew that he was going out with the team so I didn't bother hanging around much longer. I was most of the way out of the parking lot when I heard someone calling my name. I turned around to see Patrick calling after me so I headed over.

"Do you want to come and have dinner with us?" he asked.

I shrugged and he took that as a yes because he grabbed my wrist and dragged me towards the rest of them. I didn't get a chance to see what Sydney thought of the decision because she had turned away from me and started walking.

"Where are we going?" I asked.

"There is this diner nearby that we often go to. We are going to have dinner there," Clarisse said.

I nodded and we continued to talk a little bit as we walked. It was a small place and it wasn't very busy so we could sit at any table we wanted. John pushed me to sit down and I grabbed a menu. None of the others looked at it and I assumed that it was because they all knew what they wanted.

The waitress smiled at all of us when she came over and took our orders. Sydney continued to avoid me and made sure to talk with someone else instead of me but I didn't really mind. I didn't usually feel comfortable around other people but Sydney's friends were all really nice and they didn't push me.

I got talking to Patrick a bit more and I was able to relax even more. The food was really good and I was glad that I came out with them even if Sydney wasn't talking to me. We didn't hang around much longer after we had finished our food because it was getting late.

"Would it be ok if we join you in the art room again sometime?" Patrick asked.

I nodded and that satisfied Patrick and the rest of them. They all headed back to school because one of them had their car parked there but I lived close enough to just walk home. Sydney was also walking home and it meant that we were walking together.

We started walking in a silence and it just felt awkward.

"How come you didn't want to tell me?" I asked.

I'm pretty sure she knew exactly what I was talking about but she didn't say anything for a minute or two.

"I didn't want to tell you because it's something that I have never told anyone," she said softly.

"You don't think that I was talking about something that I don't talk to anyone about. I wasn't asking you to pour your life story but just a little bit."

"I didn't mean to shut you out."

"I got confused because you just stopped talking to me. I missed talking to you," I admitted softly.

We didn't get to talk anymore because we had reached my house.

"Just think about it," I told her before heading inside.

I was pleasantly surprised to see all of them come into the art room at the beginning of lunch. Sydney and I had talked a little bit during our art period. I didn't push her to talk about what she was holding so deep so the conversation was more casual. More like what we used to have at lunch.

I glanced up from my spot on the floor to look at Sydney. She didn't look like she had been forced to come in so maybe she would start to come in again.

"What are you painting?" Ellie asked.

I started talking about my current picture on the floor and I felt Sydney sit down on the floor beside me. I offered Sydney a brush and let her paint as well.

"Aren't you going to let me help?" Patrick teased.

"None of you guys take Art. I don't trust you," I teased back.

Patrick pouted at me but didn't say anything else as they started talking leaving me and Sydney painting silently on the floor.

"I thought about it," she started.

"And what do you think?" I asked.

"I still don't think that I'm ready to tell you but maybe I might be able to at some point in the future," she admitted slowly.

I nodded and let her continue talking.

"I was stupid by just stopping talking to you and I hope that you can forgive me because I still wants to be friends."

"I can because I know what it is like because I have things that I don't share with others," I said.

She smiled at me and it meant that we managed to start up a normal conversation again. For once I was contributing to it as much as she was and I felt comfortable. So comfortable that I forgot that the rest of her friends where in the room until Clarisse said something.

"We are going to go to class so we'll see you later."

Just as she said that the bell rang anyway so Sydney and I started to pack up. She rinsed the brushes as I packed up the paint.

"I'll see you tomorrow in Art," she said as she left.

"Yeah," I said.

It felt much better having someone to talk to. I didn't realise how much I missed it

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The Wise One