Deep breaths, Elena, deep breaths.
I would have to wait for art class to see what I could salvage with turpentine.
I didn’t even know what Chloë looked like, but one thing was for sure, even beauty queens had their insecurities.
I just never thought I would be one of them.
* * *
During recess, I hid in the gym.
The gym was warmer than outside. I sat down in the bleachers’ top row and tried to blow some warmth into my hands as my gloves also got drenched with paint. My body slightly shivered as the long sleeve shirt wasn’t nearly warm enough. I was still reading Wuthering Heights and tried not to think about what happened this morning.
Mrs. Finn tried to help me with the dry paint in my hair. Some of my strands carried a red hue.
Dad was going to lose it.
“Oh-oh, you were the one that got Chloë’s wrath?” a familiar voice said a few spaces from me, and I looked up.
Yeah, I wonder why.
He chuckled as he sat down next to me and took a strand of red paint. I was glowering at him. He smelled nice.
“You, okay?” He smiled at me, and all my emotions went messed up again.
“I’m a big girl. I love paint, just not all over me.” I didn’t tell him about my cheek and nose that slightly pounded.
He chuckled. “So, what did you do?”
I gaped at him. “Are you seriously asking me that?”
“Yeah, she has a mean streak in her, that is for sure.” He looked around, and then our gaze met again as he took a bite of an apple and chewed. He even made that look hot.
“You are not very smart, are you?”
He moved the apple to his cheek and said, “No, I think I’m quite clever. Why do you ask?”
“Yeah, I think you need to leave before she sees you sitting here with me.”
He froze, and his smile disappeared. “You think it’s because of yesterday?”
“Mmm, I don’t know, Blake. I don’t even know what she looks like. So let me think. What was completely different in my routine yesterday? Oh, right, you came to sit over at my table.” I sounded like the queen of sarcasm.
I didn’t like the look on his face. He looked pissed off.
I kept on reading my book, hoping he would get my drift and just leave me alone. But he was still sitting on his spot.
I sighed. “Please, I have a few months at this school. I want to get out of here in one piece, if you know what I mean?”
“Why do you have a few months at this school? You know something I don’t?”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Why, why did this guy have this effect on me?
“What is funny?” He smiled too.
“Nothing, it’s not this school. It’s my dad. He has a high-security job that requires him to go to different places every three months.” I didn’t want to sound like a pathetic case.
“Are you serious?”
