Always With You

Chapter Two - A Friendly Outing

I peek through the window as I approach the car and I see a figure sitting in the backseat behind the driver. The butterflies in my stomach dance a little faster, making me wonder if it is actually nausea I am feeling.

I jump in the front seat next to my mom and quickly turn around in my seat. Clark was sitting there with his head down. I feel mom tap my shoulder, her way asking me not to overreact. I turn back to a sitting position and my mom starts to pull out of the school's entrance.

I turn slightly in my seat, just enough to see him. He still hasn't raised his head and the only thing I can see is his golden blonde hair.

"Hi," I say trying to hide my excitement. "I'm Roxanne, but most people just call me Roxie."

I extend my hand toward him, but he doesn't even glance up at my introduction. It's almost as if he hadn't heard me at all.

I slowly pull my hand back toward me, the rejection stinging a little. "I've heard a lot about you," I say. "Mom and dad say you can draw!"

Again, he doesn't look up. He seems to be in his own little bubble and the rest of the world doesn't seem to exist.

I give mom a quick glance and she gives me a small smile. I turn back and look out my window at the world passing by.

"Where are we headed first," I ask.

Mom shrugs. "I was thinking that art place downtown or maybe that comic shop near the train station." Mom looks in her rearview. " Do you have a preference, Clark?"

I look back to see his head had lifted slightly. I can sort of see his facial features, but not fully.

"Anywhere is fine with me, Mrs. Dixon." His voice sounded small, almost as if he has never raised it.

"Oh sweetheart, you don't have to call me that! Call me Yolonda!"

Clark seems to mutter something under his breath, but I'm not for sure. He turns his head to look out the window.

The car ride goes by in silence except for the gentle hum of my mom's ambiance playlist.

We pull into the parking center behind the downtown shopping center. We all shuffle out of the car and head towards the old art store that mom has been dying to visit.

Clark falls behind us, almost as if he didn't want to be there at all. I slow my walking until I'm right next to him.

I want to say something, but I'm not sure what to say. This close I'm able to see every hair on his head and behind them I can barely see his sea blue eyes.

"I like your hair," I say hoping to strike up a conversation. "I've always wanted straight hair, but my genes just don't want that to be."

He gives me a look out of the corner of his eye, his emotion unreadable. It sends a shiver down my spine. How can someone not show any emotion like that?

"Thank you," he says in that small voice of his. "And yours isn't that bad."

I resist the urge to punch him in the shoulder, my first reaction to a friendly compliment. "Oh, stop it," I say resorting to patting my hair.

I think I see a smile form on his face, but it was gone in a blink of an eye.

We make it to the store's entrance. Mom turns towards us. "You can find anything you want, Clark," she says with a smile. "As for you, young lady, your budget is thirty dollars. Make it go far."

Yes, I think to myself. I've needed some new pieces for my room. I grab a basket and begin liking around the store.

I see some paintings in the back of the store that catch my interest. They are nature pieces painted with a nice blend of red and greens. I resist the urge to run as I make my way to them.

I reach my hand to touch one and I feel the paintstrokes under my hand. I look at the price tag and sigh is dismay; seventy dollars. At least the price fits the beauty.

Next to those paintings are a few smaller canvases depicting different galaxies. I look at the price; five dollars each. The canvases can fit in my palm, but I know it will add pop on my wall. I put three in my basket and look around for some knick knacks to put on my bookshelf.

As I'm searching, I notice Clark looking at some paintings. The paintings are bleak compared to the ones I had seen, depicting a forest shrouded in darkness.

"Hey," I say. "That's a nice painting. Are you going to get it?"

He doesn't move his gaze from the painting. "Probably not. It's too expensive."

I look at the tag and see a whopping eighty dollars. "I bet mom wouldn't mind getting it if you wanted it."

He finally removes his gaze and focuses it on me. Something seems to be hiding behind his blue eyes, but I'm not able to place it.

"I don't need it." He gives the painting one last look and turns to look at some of the knick knacks. I decided to join him.

"Look how cool this is," I say showing him a panda chewing on some bamboo. "Isn't it adorable."

He just nods and keeps looking. I turned the panda over to look at the price; five dollars. I place it in my basket and keep looking.

Clark remains quiet. I look in the basket he's carrying and see nothing. He seems uptight, almost as if he doesn't want to be here.

The way his brow furrows and his jaw locks shows a deeper pain he's not saying. I see a scar running along the side of his face, tracing his chin.

"Are you okay?"

He looks at me and his eyes seem to lose any light that may have occupied them. "I'm fine, but I don't appreciate you breathing down my neck."

His voice sounds steely, sending shivers down my spine. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"I don't like spoiled rich girls trying to butt their nose in other people's business so back off."