Song: You're gonna be ok by Brian and Jenn Johnson
I don't see him the rest of the night or the next morning. I get to school and walk to Mrs. Banks office.
"Good morning Cecilia." She greets me with a warm smile. "What can I do for you this morning?"
"I just wanted to give this back to you."I hand her the bag of clothes. "and this." The play booklet.
"You can keep the clothes, they looked good on you and besides it will just collect dust here." She holds the booklet. "I was hoping you would join us."
"It's not that I don't want to..." I stand there in front of her alone, a part of me wishes Weston was here.
I don't notice her eyes trailing down my body. "What happened to your hand?" She asks concerned.
"Oh that...I was washing dishes and cut it on glass."
She looks at me in disbelief her smile fades. "May I look at it; I have some medicated cream we can put on it to help heal faster."
I want to tell her no and that I will be fine but something holds me there. Her hands feel so soft against mine. I watch as she takes off the paper towel that is wrapped around my hand that is in place with tape.
"Ouch that looks like it hurts." She walks around her desk to pull out a drawer. She digs around for the cream and also comes out with a bandage.
I sit down in one of the chairs and look around the room, noticing all the portraits on the wall and on her desk. Pictures taken at various places while I assume on vacation. It looks amazing. I try to think about what it would be like to be on the beach with sand between your toes and the ocean waves beckoning for you to take a dive and maybe never return, to be swallowed up by the deep ocean...
Her touch startles me back to realization. She puts cream on then the bandage. I keep stealing glances up at her, wondering what she must be thinking.
"That should do it." She pats me on the arm.
"Thank you." I tell her because I don't know what else to say.
"No problem...Cecilia would you mind if I looked at your arm."
I look down at my arm and then away. I don't want her to feel pity for me. I don't want her to see that side of me. I can feel tears on the edge of falling.
"The cream will help it heal... I would hate to see it get infected."
I should leave now. How can I trust her? What if I do let her and she messes all this up, whatever this is.
Out of nowhere I hear him, "You can trust her...let her help you."
I look around the room for him but I don't see him. I take a deep breath, letting her pull up my sleeve baring the one lonely scar. It's a good ten inches long down my arm. As well as the five perfect scars in the other direction, but those are faint, already healing.
She uses soft hands, trailing the scar with the cream and then she uses gauze to cover it up so my shirt won't rub up against it. "Cecilia I am here if you need to talk."
"Okay."
She decides to drop the subject. "So about Drama, is it your parents?"
"Kind of and I don't have a way home. They don't want me out late after school."
"What if I drove you home every day?"
"I don't know maybe."
"What if I talked to them would that help?"
I feel panic starting to rise in my chest. "No...No that will be ok please don't."
"Well ok I won't but I really hope to see you later today for auditions."
I stand up to leave, I smile at her. "I'll think about it."
"Cool...well I hope you have a good day. Oh and don't forget I'm here if you need me."