Mind Candy · Marliza [hiatus]

Two

Maria lifted a nervous hand and knocked at the heavy wood. The students inside appeared to be working in different groups while Miss Schuyler sat at her desk, grading papers. When she didn’t appear to hear the careful knock, Maria tapped at the door again, this time more forceful. Miss Schuyler looked up from her work and politely smiled before standing and walking over to the door. She grabbed the handle, twisting it and opening the door wide. Maria suddenly became very self-concious of how disheveled she was and met Miss Schuyler’s eyes.

“Why Maria, what are you doing here?” She inquired looking down at Maria. Maria realized that she was, in fact, shorter than the teacher and blushed even harder.

“Susie and I were running late to school today, and she insisted that I come along. I’m sorry if we’re disturbing your class Miss Schuyler, I tried to get her to go by herself but-” Maria was beginning to babble when Eliza cut her off, motioning Susie inside.

“Susie, why don’t you put your backpack in your cubby and join Angelica at group number four?” Eliza asked. Susie nodded and rushed inside, placing her bag in the cubby before joining a tanned girl with slick straight dark hair at a group of desks. Miss Schuyler shut the door behind her, creating a barrier between them and the groups of young children.

“Eliza.” she said abruptly, pushing her stray hairs behind her ear.

“What?” Maria asked. She knew it was her first name, but why would she being saying it to her?

“My name. It’s Eliza. If I can call you by your first name, you can call me by mine.” Miss Schuyler- no, Eliza stood in front of Maria, looking at her thoughtfully before pushing more of her stray hairs behind her ear.

She gave up temporarily fixing her hair and pulled the sharpened pencil from her messy bun. Maria watched, mesmerized by the way her hair fell in loose waves that framed her face. Eliza reddened when she realized Maria was watching her, and Maria snapped her gaze away from her hair. She wanted to capture that moment indefinitely, the way her hair flowed down her back like a river of silk before she twisted it back up into a tighter bun. Eliza cleared her throat.

“I need to get back to my class, but thank you for getting Susie here, albeit a little late.”  Eliza stammered out, before turning back to the door. Maria’s gut felt like it has just jumped off a cliff the way that it writhed inside her.

“Alright, E-Eliza. I’d best be on my way too. I’m already probably late to work.” Maria stopped herself before she could began to babble again.

“I hope to see you again soon, Miss Maria Lewis.” Eliza responded before turning back to the door, twisting the handle and walking back inside her classroom. As the door shut behind her, Maria let out a long breath that she hadn’t realized she had been holding.

As she stumbled blearily out the school, Maria felt truly shaken. Her cheeks were still tinged red, that she was sure of, and her stomach was doing backflips all the way back to her car. The clock read 8:45, beaming at her in a soft blue light, a color that was very similar to Eliza’s nail polish as her fingers ran through her long dark hair. Maria shook her head, starting her car and pulling out of the school.

Her drive home you quick and uneventful, her thoughts consumed by both Eliza’s face and the anxiety that coupled itself with being late. She reentered her apartment after parking her car, hastening herself to get ready. She decided that she would have to shower later in the day and brushed her hair out, braiding it back and she pulled on a dress shirt and blazer, and slipped on dress pants and simple black heels. A swatch of lipstick on her lips and a touch of mascara completed her look and she packed her bag, feeling more calm than she had before.