The Girl with the Sketchbook

It's hard to decide what I want to draw on the first page of a new sketchbook.

I bought the sketchbook just one day before I entered my new highschool. It's yellow in color, just like my name, with the huge and cute label on the bottom right corner of the book. For just a book, its quiet costly, but the pocket money I've saved covers it.

I ponder what I want to draw all night long, but I couldn't find any kind of inspiration. Usually, I would go out and sketch the sceneries that piqued my interest, but then I've been doing this for so long that I don't know what else I want to draw. Feeling slightly disappointed, I decided that I would see what the scenery my new school would offer tomorrow.

And with that, I kept my sketchbook in my bag and turn in for the day.

"Ah, Red! Good morning!" the girl squealed out in delight when she saw the raven-haired boy waiting in front of the house.

Red Winchester smiled, but not at me.

"Morning Misty," he said, before his gaze finally acknowledge my presence, "Yellow, morning!" his smile directed at me was much warmer, and I somehow felt happy about it.

Misty shot me a dirty glare, I could feel it, but Red seems to be oblivious about that fact. Misty then wrapped her arms around Red and led him to school, babbling about how excited she is to start the new term with him. I watched them as they walked, before following them quietly from behind. Throughout the walk, my gaze is always fixed on Red's back, I wanted him to turn around and look at me, but I know he wouldn't. His gaze is fixed on Misty only.

Sometimes I envied my cousin, who is a year older than me. She has everything she could ever wanted – loving parents, friends, a good boyfriend... Everything. On the other hand, I'm the girl who has nothing. My parents died a long time ago, I have no friends, and obviously not a single boyfriend. My life is void of any kind of love.

Sure, uncle Wilton treated me like his own child, but Misty and her mother are different. They treated me as if I don't belong in that house. They are mean and very discouraging, Misty is also no less than abusive. When she gets emotional, she would hurt me to release herself off the frustration. I can't fight back, she's much taller and more athletic compared to me. Her attitude improves slightly ever since she dated Red though, I felt relieved and disappointed at the same time.

After all, I like Red...

I shook those thoughts out of my head the moment I spotted the Sakurai Highschool building – my new school.

The first day of school went on slowly. As a highschool student in her first year, my day is filled with much introduction to the school staffs. I dreaded the roll call, I always have.

"Amarillo de Bosque Verde," the teacher called out my name, and I stand up. "Why don't you introduce yourself?"

I panicked, not knowing what I should do. My hands move frantically, trying to convey a simple message that I hope he'll understand, and he did.

"You can't speak?" Sir Blaine tilted his head with much interest.

I nod to confirm the fact.

"Ah, interesting young girl," he offered me a warm smile, I could see the symphaty behind that smile. "Everybody, please treat her nicely, okay?"

I sit down again, relieved that it went well. It was worse when I entered middleschool. The teacher thought I was a foreigner and started spewing out all the languanges she knows in order to get me to talk. In the end, I have to write down my problem in order for her to understand.

I have been like this ever since I was very little, perhaps it all started when I was six. I never wanted to recall those moments, but people never stopped asking about what happened to me.

"Psst, hey."

I turned my attention to the girl sitting next to me.

"My name's Blue," she offered me a smile, "Let's be friends."

I returned the smile and nodded. She's a pretty girl, with outstandingly cute face and soft brunette hair. I didn't pay much attention to her before, because it never came across my mind to start making friends. Due to my inability to communicate properly, I have been alone for as long as I can remember. Most of them people around me stuck close to me because they were curious, but then slowly, they would leave me. It's all the same pattern repeating itself over and over again.

I don't need friends, I'm better off without friends anyway.

During my first lunch break, Blue came over to me with a broad smile on her face.

"Yellow, is it? Let's have lunch together!" she said as she showed me her lunch.

I nodded in reply, and she quickly brought her chair closer to my desk. I took out my lunch, and she stared.

"You're only going to eat that?" she asked as she pointed at my melon bread.

I nodded in reply, wondering if there's anything wrong with melon bread. They are cheap and tasty, I don't see anything wrong with eating it.

"No wonder you're so small," she commented as she checked over my small figure. "You need to eat more!"

I thought about it for a moment. Sure, compared to the other girls of my age, I'm much smaller and leaner. Perhaps this is caused by the fact that everybody around me is too busy with their own matters to actually care about my nutrition. My growth is stunted, I probably won't grow any much taller than this.

"Here, I'll share my bento," she smiled as she brought up her food. "I was going to share it with my boyfriend, but he's busy with some other matters and won't join me for lunch." She placed the disposable chopsticks in my hand and began unwrapping the bento box.

I look at her, hoping that she'll understand that I'm questioning about her boyfriend.

"What's wrong?" she asked when she caught me staring. Blue tilted her head in confusion for a moment, "Wait, let me get you something you can use..." she turned to her desk to grab something from her bag. She then produced a small, cute notebook with a cute pikachu picture on the front cover. "Here, use this," she offered me the book and a pencil as well.

Hesitantly, I took the book from her.

"You can't speak, right?" She smiled, "But surely you can still write. So, if you want to say anything to me, just write it down! Don't worry about the book, I'm giving it to you so you can use it whenever you need it! Consider it as a friendship gift!"

I admired the cover for a moment, wondering if I should really be taking such a gift. I glanced at her for confirmation, and when I noticed her smiling in encouragement, my will to shove to book back ot her vanished. I opened the first page and write down my very first words to her.

Thank you, Blue.

"Hey, you really have a nice handwriting," she complimented. "And you're welcome, by the way."

I smiled. For the first time ever since I stepped into this school, I felt genuinely happy.

Blue is a very friendly girl. She's cheefuly and bubbly, she never stopped talking. She likes to talk about many things, her life, her boyfriend, her interests and her funny memories. I noticed the way she likes to talk with descriptive words aided with hand motions, as if she's really trying her best to convey her story, and I really like that.

"Alright kids, don't forget to check out the clubs!" Sir Blaine dropped that moments before he left the classroom for the day. "See you kids tomorrow."

"Yellow, I have a date with my boyfriend," Blue told me as she packed her bag. "I'll see you tomorrow!"

I gave her a nod, and watched as she left. Before attending to my own things. Soon, I realized that my sketchbook is still left untouched. I took it out and ran my fingers on the front cover, before opening the first page. It's still blank, no doubt, a picture won't magically appear just like that.

The first page is always the hardest, as I've noticed after numerous times of buying new sketchbooks. The first page always inspire the next, and the next after. I always carefully choose what I want to draw on the first page.

I look around the room, watching as the students walked out of the classroom one after another. I waited, observed, nothing bright came to my mind. When everyone disappeared already, I still can't figure out what to draw.

I sigh as I glanced out of the window next to me. I still have time before I go home. Maybe I can look around the school to find something interesting. With that thought in mind, I slung my bag over my shoulder and grabbed my sketchbook and pencil, before walking out of the classroom.

I noticed several seniors walking about, each of them heading to their own clubs, chattering happily as they did so. I keep on walking though, ignoring them as I look around for some sort of inspiration. When I went throught the school twice already and still has yet to find anything, I decided to stop by in the library to rest my tired feet.

The library is quiet empty, figures though, since there's no way anyone would want to stay back in here for the first day of school. I was about to walk over to the window seat to gaze down at the basketball field, but then I noticed that another man has already occupied the table with piles of papers and books.

I hesitated for a moment, nervously glancing at the librarian – who questioningly stare at me for standing there – before I finally decided to occupy the table next to him. I wanted the window seat, but it'll be rude to ask him to move. I won't mind sharing the table, but will he mind? He looks busy with his work. What's with all that paper? Did his teacher give him homework already?

My eyes traveled up from the piles of paper up to his face. He's closing his eyes, head leaning elegantly against the window. He has smooth and soft skin – one that'll make you want to reach out and touch it – as well as swept-back crimson hair, which looks soft too. He has long eyelashes, prominent jaw line and a rough hands. He's very handsome, is he a model?

I quickly flipped open my sketchbook, my hands automatically moves. The lines began with his perky nose, before it began to spread out and form the image of a very handsome man sitting by the window in the library. The more I draw, the more I notice his features in further details. Maybe this guy really is a model.

Several minutes soon passed, and just when I'm done with the basic outline, he finally opened his eyes. His gaze first fell on the scenery outside, before – with a very disinterested look – he turned his gaze the other way – to me. I froze abruptly, and then I realize that I've been staring at him. Feeling panic, I quickly tried to look busy by erasing some of the extra lines, hoping that he would look away and pretend that he didn't see a thing.

I didn't expect him to approached me.

"You're talented."

My pencil and eraser jumped out of my hand when I felt his breathing on my head. He smiled, before picking it up for me. I wanted to tell him that I'm sorry for drawing him without permission, but I turned to nervous and jittery that I barely know what I should do next. I accepted the pencil and eraser I dropped from him.

He took off his square-framed glassess, "I've never seen you around before... Are you a new student?"

I nodded.

"What's your name?"

I flipped open the front cover of my sketchbook and showed him my name.

"Can't you talk? Or are you just nervous?" he asked, smiling slightly.

I shook my head, I could feel the heat rising up behind my back, trickling me like droplets of stinging, hot water.

"Well, which is it?"

With my finger, I pointed at my throat, before drawing an 'x' mark on it.

"Oh, you really can't talk..." he dropped the smile. "Interesting..."

I held my sketchbook close, maybe I should leave.

"My name's Lance," he introduced himself after a moment of silence. "Sorry if I creeped you out. I just thought your drawing is very nice..."

I gathered my stuff, before suddenly standing up. After giving him a slight, apologetic bow, I quickly leaves the library. I could feel his gaze on my back as I closed the library door behind me.

That was so embarrassing.

Author's Note:

Ola guys!

The first chapter is here, it's exciting to start a new story, it's like beginning a new journey. I originally thought about making Yellow an extremely shy girl who rarely talks, but then it just came to me - why don't I just make her mute to make the story even more dramatic?

Hahaha, I'm sorry Yellow!

I'm going to update this alternatively with my other fic - The Princess and the Knight.

My internet connection is bugging the hell out of me. It's slow and super annoying!

Well, I hope you enjoy this story!

Please Comment, Critic and Review!

With Love,

Eleria-chan.