~Chapter Two~

Promises, Promises

THE NEXT DAY, FOURTH PERIOD

My mother had this weird rule about secrets. When I was four, she sat me down and explained that I was never to keep one. A few minutes later I marched up to Gary and told him my parents got him a Lego castle for his birthday. Gary started to cry, and Mom sat me back down and told me that a surprise was something everyone would eventually know, and a secret was something no one else was ever supposed to find out. She looked me right in the eyes and told me in this real serious tone that secrets were wrong and no one had the right to ask me to keep one.

I wish she'd set the same rule for promises.

The problem with promises is that once you've made one, it's bound to be broken. It's like an unspoken cosmic rule. If Dad says, "Promise you won't be late for curfew," the car is fated to break down, or your watch will magically stop working, and your parents refuse to get you a cell phone so you can't just call and tell them you're running behind.

Seriously, no one should have the right to ask you to keep a promise – especially if they don't consider all the facts.

It was completely unfair of Gary to make me promise not to have anything to do with Drew. He didn't take into account that Drew was back in our school now. He didn't have the same memories that I had. I didn't intend to speak to Drew again, but the only problem was – because Gary had made me promise not to – I was afraid of what I might do.

That fear gripped the breath in my chest as I stood outside the art-department door. My sweating palm slipped on the knob as I tried to turn it. Finally, I pushed the door open and looked to the table in the front row.

"Hey, May, " someone said.

It was Leaf. She sat in the seat next to my empty chair. She snapped her gum as she unpacked her pastels. "Did you catch that documentary on Edward Hopper we were supposed to watch last night? My DVR totally had a meltdown. "

"No. I guess I missed it." I scanned the room for Drew. Ursula Bishop sat in the back row, gossiping with Bianca de Louise. Mr. Burgh worked on his latest "pro-recycling" sculpture at his desk, and a few students trickled into the classroom before the bell.

"Oh, crap. Do you think there's going to be a quiz?" Leaf asked.

"This is art class. We paint pictures while listening to classic rock. " I checked the room one last time. "I doubt there are going to be quizzes. "

"Boy, you're crabby today."

"Sorry." I got my supply bucket out from the cubbies and sat in the seat next to her. "I guess I've got a lot on my mind."

My tree drawing sat on top of the bucket. I told myself to hate it. I told myself to rip it up and throw it away. Instead, I picked it up and traced the perfect lines, my finger just above the paper so I wouldn't smudge the charcoal.

"I don't get why you even care about him," Leaf said for the sixth time since yesterday. "I mean, I thought you said that drew guy was hot."

I stared down at the drawing. "He used to be."

The tardy bell rang. A few seconds later the door creaked open. I looked up and expected to see Drew. The same way I used to expect to run into him at the mall or see him slip around a corner downtown after he disappeared.

But it was Brendan Bradshaw who came through the door. He was an office aide fourth period. He waved to Leaf and me as he delivered a note to Mr. Burgh.

"Now he's cute," Leaf whispered, and waved back. "I can't believe he's your chem. lab partner."

I was about to wave also, but then I got this sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. Brendan dropped the note on Burgh's desk and came over to us.

"We missed you last night," he said to me.

"Last night?"

"The library. We had a study group for the chemistry test. " Brendan rapped his knuckles on the table. "You were supposed to bring the donuts this time. "

"I was?" That sinking feeling got deeper. I'd sat out on the porch last night, thinking about Drew, until I was practically a Popsicle, and had forgotten all about our study group – and the test. "I'm sorry. Something came up." I fingered the drawing.

"I'm just glad you're okay." Brendan grinned and pulled a roll of papers from his back pocket. "You can borrow my notes during lunch if you want."

"Thanks. " I blushed. "I'll need them. " "More painting, less talking, " Mr. Burgh bellowed.

"Later." Brendan winked and left the room.

"He is so going to ask you to the Christmas dance," Leaf whispered.

"No way." I looked at my drawing and couldn't remember what I'd planned on doing next. "Brendan doesn't like me like that."

"What, are you blind?" Leaf said a little too loudly.

Mr. Burgh glared at her.

"Pastels are far superior to charcoals," Leaf said, trying to cover. She glanced at the teacher's desk and then whispered, "Brendan is so into you. Ursula said that Misty told her that Dawn Berlitz said that Brendan thinks you're hot and he wants to ask you out."

"Really?"

"Really. " She waggled her eyebrows. "You are so lucky."

"Yeah. Lucky. " I looked down at Brendan's notes and then at the drawing. I knew I should feel lucky. Brendan was what Leaf called a "triple threat" – a cute senior, a hockey player, and a total brain. Not to mention, one of Gary's best friends. But it seemed strange to feel lucky that someone liked me. Luck shouldn't have anything to do with it.

Twenty minutes later, there was still no sign of Drew when Burgh got up from his desk and stood in front of the class. He stroked his multicoloured scarf, which draped over his shoulders and around his neck in a stylish sense. "I think we'll try something new today, " he said. "Something to challenge your minds along with your creativity. How about we have a pop quiz on Edward Hopper?"

There was a collective groan from the class.

"Oh, crap," Leaf whispered.

"Oh, crap," I whispered back.

THE LUNCH BREAK

Mr. Burgh cleared his throat over and over again in irritation as he handed back our quizzes. He returned to his sculpture and twisted a wire around an empty Pepsi can with melodramatic jerks.

When the lunch bell rang, he cleared out of the art room with the rest of the students. Leaf and I stayed behind. AP art was a two-period class with a lunch break in the middle. But Leaf and I were the only juniors, so we usually kept working through lunch to show Mr. Burgh that we were serious enough to be in his advanced class – except on the days Gary invited us to eat with him and his friends at the Rose Crest Cafe (the off-campus lunchtime haven for popular seniors).

Leaf sat next to me, perfecting the shading on her pastel drawing of roller skates while I tried to study Brendan's notes. But the more I tried to concentrate, the more the words on the pages jumbled into an unintelligible mess. That sinking feeling I had before seemed to churn inside me until it turned into trembling anger and I couldn't think about anything else. How dare Drew show up after all this time and then disappear again. No explanations. No apologies. No closure.

I knew there could be a million reasons why he hadn't shown up today, but I was sick and tired of excusing his behaviour. Like when he'd steal food out of my sack lunches, or whenever his teasing got too intense, or when he'd forget to return my art supplies – I'd chalk it up to all the stuff he'd been through in his life and let it slide. But I wouldn't excuse how he'd crept back into my life just long enough to cause me to disappoint my parents, upset my brother, ditch out on Brendan, bomb a quiz, and potentially fail my chemistry test. I felt so stupid, wasting my time thinking about him, and now he didn't even have the decency to show up. Now I really wanted to see him one more time. Just long enough to tell him off ... Or smack his face ... Or something worse.

Drew's tree drawing sat on the table taunting me. I hated the way it seemed so perfect, with its smooth, entangled lines that I never could have drawn myself. I picked up the drawing, marched over to the waste-basket, and unceremoniously chucked it in.

"Good riddance," I said to the trash can.

"Okay, now I know you're insane," Leaf said. "That's due in like an hour. "

"It wasn't mine anyway – not anymore."

Hello you fantastic readers! I feel so glad that you all are enjoying this story! Oh, I'll try to update on a weekly basis, but it might become delayed sometimes due to school work...9th grade hasn't started yet, but once it does...yeah :P You've all been great, and I'd like to give a shout out to my followers/alerters! As well as the reviewers! Keep an eye out for the next chapter! But before I end this, I'd like to reply to my reviewers! :D

theasianwonder: Haha, thanks! Yes, I will try to update Dusk Awakening at the same time I update this story and my Transformers one, but it makes me glad that you are enjoying my stories! :D Thank you for your encouragements!

TheRealContestshippingPrince ss: :D Glad to know that I'm keeping you on the edge of your seat! But this is just the beginning...more drama will come up, I can ensure you of that!

laurenkams: I know right? When I first read it, I imagined that happening with my BFF saying stuff like that about my brother...let's just say I got whacked by a few pillows once I told her that... :P

AdorableMe: Getting excited huh? Yay! But I'm warning you, if you thought the beginning gets exciting, just wait till you read the rest!

Forest~Rose