During Mari's last class of the day she had been awkwardly introduced to the kids throughout the day. Most of them looked like they might just beat her up if she tried to face them. Leaning against her desk, Mari folded a piece of paper into little bits as the teacher finally began her role call. As the letters flew by, Mari looked out the window surveying the grounds of the school building. Suddenly a pair of eyes appeared at the bottom of the window. Rob was kneeling on the ground peeking in. When he spotted Mari looking his way he made a face at her.
Mari gave a giggle as her name was called. "Malone? Marian Malone?" Mari straightened her back and snapped back to the teacher. "Yes, ma'am. I'm here." The art teacher, Ms. 'Z', gave Mari a stern look that didn't suit her. "Is there something more amusing outside, Miss Malone?" Mari shook his head. "No ma'am. I had--just been looking out and saw two squirrels fighting..." she whispered, her voice going increasingly smaller with each word. She felt embarressed that she had allowed herself to become distracted.
Rob, still kneeling outside the windows, chuckled to himself when he had seen Mari giggle. Her whole face had brightened and that gap-toothed smile of hers only made him grin. The backdoor to the artroom opened and Mari along with a few others, walked outside with their canvas and easels. Rob crawled further into the bushes and Mari set up her easel and stool, facing him and the bushes. Figuring she was only painting the building, Rob made plans to move. "You move, I'll kill you." Mari warned as she pulled out her pencil. Rob looked up to her and she grinned, glancing between him and the canvas.
Rob's knees began to ache but he dare not move if it meant taking that cheerful smile off Mari's face. After nearly half an hour of staying in the brush of leaves and sticks, Mari told him he could move. Falling out of the bush, Rob lay still on the grass, looking to the grey sky. "Serves you right, getting me into trouble." Mari said matter of factly as she started to paint. Rob crawled forward towards Mari but she brandished him away with a paintbrush.
"You're not allowed to see..." she stated plainly, continuing in long, smooth strokes of her brush. "And just why not? I'm assuming it's of me..." Rob pouted, sitting on the ground and folding his arms over his chest. Mari looked over to him and her green eyes gave off a friendly air of joking. "You got me in trouble...you can't see till it's finished..." "Hey now..." Rob threw up his hands in admittance. "You were the one who laughed, I didn't force it out of you."
As she shook her head, Rob saw the way her hair sprung into those tightly spiraled coils. Looking over her face he noted the flecks of bright, shimmery gold around the pupil of her green eyes. Rob had just started to look over the line of freckles on her cheeks before he shook his head; staring instead to the grass. He'd never seen a girl like that before. Never noticed all the little things so easily. Suddenly a paintbrush whacked his head and he looked up. Mari bit her lower lip as if in concentration, holding back giggles.
Rob laughed and picked up the paintbrush, smearing it in dirt. He jumped to his feet and Mari's eyes went big. "No!" she shrieked looking as if she were going to press the wet canvas against her clean t-shirt. Rob laughed and dived towards the girl, knocking them both to the ground. Pinning Mari beneath him, Rob leapt up quickly and turned towards the easel, looking as if he were to throw the dirt-covered paintbrush against it before he stopped.
"I told you! I didn't want you to see it!" Mari squealed, struggling to her feet before she noticed his frozen movements. Rob looked over his own face, hidden slightly by branches. His eyes were looking off to the left, looking into the distance and a mischieveous grin was spread over his face. He'd seen many pictures of this face on him but never had he thought it could be painted so simply.
Mari stepped to his side, giving him a nervous sideways glance. She didn't know if he planned to ruin her new piece, throw it to the ground and rip the canvas. Surprised, she watched as he picked up her glass of water, swirling the paintbrush to get some of the dirt off. Rubbing his thumb into the bristles, he dragged the dirt over the brick behind him, giving it a texture that she hadn't brought out yet. After Rob had finished his addition, he turned to Mari, his eyes suddenly much softer then before. "Can I watch you finish it?"
Her face flushing bright red, Mari nodded and Rob sat next to her as she continued to paint. As Mari neared completion of her work, she was shocked how solemn Rob was. At first he'd seemed like the typical loner that haunted every school and she didn't understand why he was sitting with her, watching her paint. When the final bell rang, Mari jumped at the sudden sound. She stood, picking up her paints and brushes, taking them inside without so much as a word to Rob. Bringing her backpack out, she looked to see if he rode a bus or walked home only to find the young man was gone. And so was her painting.
Mari gave a giggle as her name was called. "Malone? Marian Malone?" Mari straightened her back and snapped back to the teacher. "Yes, ma'am. I'm here." The art teacher, Ms. 'Z', gave Mari a stern look that didn't suit her. "Is there something more amusing outside, Miss Malone?" Mari shook his head. "No ma'am. I had--just been looking out and saw two squirrels fighting..." she whispered, her voice going increasingly smaller with each word. She felt embarressed that she had allowed herself to become distracted.
Rob, still kneeling outside the windows, chuckled to himself when he had seen Mari giggle. Her whole face had brightened and that gap-toothed smile of hers only made him grin. The backdoor to the artroom opened and Mari along with a few others, walked outside with their canvas and easels. Rob crawled further into the bushes and Mari set up her easel and stool, facing him and the bushes. Figuring she was only painting the building, Rob made plans to move. "You move, I'll kill you." Mari warned as she pulled out her pencil. Rob looked up to her and she grinned, glancing between him and the canvas.
Rob's knees began to ache but he dare not move if it meant taking that cheerful smile off Mari's face. After nearly half an hour of staying in the brush of leaves and sticks, Mari told him he could move. Falling out of the bush, Rob lay still on the grass, looking to the grey sky. "Serves you right, getting me into trouble." Mari said matter of factly as she started to paint. Rob crawled forward towards Mari but she brandished him away with a paintbrush.
"You're not allowed to see..." she stated plainly, continuing in long, smooth strokes of her brush. "And just why not? I'm assuming it's of me..." Rob pouted, sitting on the ground and folding his arms over his chest. Mari looked over to him and her green eyes gave off a friendly air of joking. "You got me in trouble...you can't see till it's finished..." "Hey now..." Rob threw up his hands in admittance. "You were the one who laughed, I didn't force it out of you."
As she shook her head, Rob saw the way her hair sprung into those tightly spiraled coils. Looking over her face he noted the flecks of bright, shimmery gold around the pupil of her green eyes. Rob had just started to look over the line of freckles on her cheeks before he shook his head; staring instead to the grass. He'd never seen a girl like that before. Never noticed all the little things so easily. Suddenly a paintbrush whacked his head and he looked up. Mari bit her lower lip as if in concentration, holding back giggles.
Rob laughed and picked up the paintbrush, smearing it in dirt. He jumped to his feet and Mari's eyes went big. "No!" she shrieked looking as if she were going to press the wet canvas against her clean t-shirt. Rob laughed and dived towards the girl, knocking them both to the ground. Pinning Mari beneath him, Rob leapt up quickly and turned towards the easel, looking as if he were to throw the dirt-covered paintbrush against it before he stopped.
"I told you! I didn't want you to see it!" Mari squealed, struggling to her feet before she noticed his frozen movements. Rob looked over his own face, hidden slightly by branches. His eyes were looking off to the left, looking into the distance and a mischieveous grin was spread over his face. He'd seen many pictures of this face on him but never had he thought it could be painted so simply.
Mari stepped to his side, giving him a nervous sideways glance. She didn't know if he planned to ruin her new piece, throw it to the ground and rip the canvas. Surprised, she watched as he picked up her glass of water, swirling the paintbrush to get some of the dirt off. Rubbing his thumb into the bristles, he dragged the dirt over the brick behind him, giving it a texture that she hadn't brought out yet. After Rob had finished his addition, he turned to Mari, his eyes suddenly much softer then before. "Can I watch you finish it?"
Her face flushing bright red, Mari nodded and Rob sat next to her as she continued to paint. As Mari neared completion of her work, she was shocked how solemn Rob was. At first he'd seemed like the typical loner that haunted every school and she didn't understand why he was sitting with her, watching her paint. When the final bell rang, Mari jumped at the sudden sound. She stood, picking up her paints and brushes, taking them inside without so much as a word to Rob. Bringing her backpack out, she looked to see if he rode a bus or walked home only to find the young man was gone. And so was her painting.