I awoke to my alarm clock on a dreadful Monday morning. Oh how I loathe Mondays. I slowly got out of bed and threw on a t-shirt and a pair of jeans. I quickly did a simple fishtail braid in my hair and took Ms. Ackry's homework which I had did last night and shoved it in my backpack.
I headed downstairs and grabbed an apple for breakfast. I headed out the door and began my walk to school. I was done with my apple by the time I saw Riley.
"Good morning Callie." she exclaimed.
"Hey Riley." I replied.
"I've been thinking about the painting you made on Saturday and I think you are really talented. Maybe you could do it professionally."
"I don't think I'm that good. Making art has always been something I've done on the side. Just a little hobby."
"Okay don't listen to me now. But when you're the next Van Gogh, I'll just say I told you so."
"Riley, Vincent van Gogh was crazy. What are you trying to say?" I say in a joking matter.
"Well excuse me for not being an art nerd. I just knew the man made nice paintings."
"Whatever. Hey did you do your English homework?"
"Yeah, but it was totally boring. Poe's works are a little aged. Why can't we read stuff from this century like 'The Fault In Our Stars'?" she says.
"I actually like Poe's short stories. I like the way he writes." I reply. We had now reached the school.
"You are one strange kid." she says as we part ways and head to our first period classes.
When I enter class I'm the first person in there aside from Ms. Ackry who is busy writing an entire book on the board.
"Good morning, Ms. Newman." she said when she saw me come in.
"Good morning."
"Did you do your homework?" she asks. And this is the number one reason why I don't come to class early. To avoid situations like this.
"Uhm... yes."
"Why the hesitation?" she spits back.
Why all the questions? I almost say.
"I just wasn't expecting you to ask me that question."
She stays silent after that and fortunately more students walk in to make this situation less awkward.
And then Tony walks in. I quickly look down at my desk trying to avoid eye contact. I can feel him looking at me. And to my horror he comes and sits down in the desk in front of me. Now I have to look up at him. I look up and our eyes lock. I feel like I just might explode.
"Well I haven't talked to you in a while." he said. Our faces were so close I wanted to kiss him.
"I didn't think three days was that long of a time." I replied. It's a lie of course. Going Friday, Saturday, and Sunday without talking to the boy I had a crush on was absolute torture.
"So how did you spend your weekend?" he asks.
"Well Friday night I went to dinner with my parents and Saturday I spent most of the day with Riley. Sunday I did my English homework."
And thats when Isabelle tapped on his shoulder.
"Uhmm, excuse me Tony, but your in my seat." she said it in a somewhat nervous manner. Like she liked Tony. Oh my gosh is that how I act around Tony?
"My bad Isabelle." he said getting up.
"I'll talk to you at lunch Callie." he said towards me and headed toward his assigned seat.
So he was going to sit with us today!? I couldn't help but smile.
Announcements came on and the final bell rang signaling for class to start.
"Alright class pass up your homework and take out your literature books." Ms. Ackry ordered.
We did as she said and she began her long lesson about some short story in the literature book.
When the bell for second period did ring, I was eager to get out of that classroom. I quickly made my way to the art wing.
I always enjoyed art class for it felt like a peaceful haven where I could be myself and let my creative juices flow. Mrs. Reed passed back the work we had started Friday. I looked at what I had created.
It looked really tortured. Like I was forcing the art to come out. And the colors were kind of dull. Maybe I should start over. I got up and grabbed a new canvas and bright water colors. I got a fuchsia, sky blue, and a sping green. Along with a black to outline. I went back to my desk and began sketching. It was a picture of a blue butterfly placed on top of fuchsia flowers. It made me think of Hailey. She loved butterflies. I was able to finish just as the bell rung.
"Okay guys leave your creations on your desk. I'll pick them up." Mrs.Reed said and we all left the class.
My time in my third period and fourth period felt like an eternity before it was finally time to go to lunch.
Riley and I got in the sandwich line when we entered the lunchroom. After retrieving our lunch we made our way to our usual table. Tony was already sitting down.
"Well look who decided to join us today." Riley said as we sat down.
"And hello to you too Riley." he said.
"Hi Tony." I said.
"So, Callie told me you guys sent Saturday together. What did you guys do?" Tony asked.
"Well aren't you nosey?" she said in a playful manner. "We painted pictures. Not my idea. It was all Callie."
"You made more art Callie? I've never seen you paint anything before. Just your sketches which were pretty good."
"Yes. It was beautiful. She doesn't believe me when I say she's talented. I totally thinks she should be an art major when she gets to college. And you won't believe the portrait she painted of Hailey for her birthday. She spent weeks working on it. Making sure every detail was perfect and all the colors were right. It looked just like her. When Hailey gets out from the hospital she's going to freak when she sees the painting." Riley exclaimed.
"You are so lucky. The only thing I can draw are stickmen. And even they look bad." Tony added.
I couldn't help but smile from all the compliments they were giving me.
"Guys, stop." I said.
"Callie, we're not going to deny that you are an awesome artist." Riley replied.
And that's how the rest of lunch went. Those two telling me how I'm going to travel to Paris one day and have an art gallery in the Louvre. As if!
The rest of the day creeped by. I really cannot understand how eight hours can feel like eight years. It never ceases to amaze me. However, the final bell did ring and students errupted from the classrooms.
I was almost out of the school when I saw a lot of the students crowded around one of the display cases. What could they possibly be looking at?
I nudged my way through the crowd to see what was going on and boy was I suprised. Sitting in the display case was the canvas I had painted on just this morning. Everyone was witnessing something I had created. I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned around to find Tony who was grinning back at me.
"I can't believe you made this." he said pointing at my painting. "It's amazing."
"Wait how did you know I painted that?" I questioned.
"Do you not see your name under that work of art."
I looked back at the display case and under my painting it read in huge block letters-
"Hailey's Wings"- by Callie Newman
"Hailey's Wings" That's what I had written in the corner of my painting as the title. When I turned around again Tony was nowhere to be found. Where did he go that quickly.
I made my way back through the crowd and out of the school. Riley was outside waiting with a huge smile on her face.
"Oh my gosh! Did you see it! It was amazing!" she exclaimed.
"Calm down Riley. People can hear you." I said as we began our walk home.
"And how you dedicated it to Hailey. That was so sweet."
"Well when I drew it I was thinking of Hailey. She loves butterflies."
"Everybody was crowded around it. Did you hear what they were saying? They love your work!"
"It was simply an assignment for my art class. I didn't expect the entire school to see it. Mrs. Reed must have thought it deserved more people to see it instead of it lying around in a dusty art room."
"This is just the first step Callie. Next thing you know you'll be getting a scholarship to go to a prestigious art school."
"I think you exaggerating a little much." I said as we came to the corner where Riley has to turn.
"Whatever, see you tomorrow." she said.
"Goodbye." was my reply.
I couldn't help but smile the rest of the way home. I totally did bot expect Mrs. Reed to do something like that. But I'm glad she did. It felt good to have people enjoy something you had poured your heart into.
I made my way up to our front door and took out my house key. I slowly opened the door and found my dad taking a nap on the couch in the living room. I made my way up the stairs and was about to head to my bedroom to get my heavy backpack off my shoulders.
I passed by my parents' bedroom and found my mom vacuuming their rug. She turned when she heard me.
"Oh your home from school, Callie. How was your day?" she asked.
"It was one of the best days I've had in the past few weeks." I replied.
She smiled when I said that and went back to vacuuming.
It really had been an awesome day. Who knew a Monday could turn out so well?
I walked into my room and dropped my backpack on the floor. I glanced at my closet which I knew contained the potrait of Hailey. I really could not wait until she opened it.