Chapter 7
Monday
"One word frees us of all the weight and pain of life: that word is love."
Sophocles
I woke up in the morning slowly. It took me a moment to figure out why my bed was so hard and warm, like a living sculpture that conformed to my body, its muscled chest softly rising and falling with each breath. Strong arms surrounding me... I opened my eyes and remembered that I was laying on Ariston's chest, my arm was still wrapped around him and his right arm was wrapped around my waist, his left hand resting on my back, my face still buried within his neck as his mint and vanilla scent filled my lungs with every inhale. We had not moved since last nigh; I smiled, he is here with me. I felt so at peace that I closed my eyes, not wanting to wake him, not wanting him to get up. I sighed in contentment as I unconciously moved closer to him, and received a soft sound from him, one of happiness if I dared name the emotion.
"Good morning, Mera." I smiled, hearing his soft voice in my ear.
I looked up to see Ariston smiling to me, his head turned to meet my eyes. He looked so beyond beautiful, his eyes embracing mine making me feel even more weightless. My hand had somehow ended up resting upon his chest, a few of my fingers rested on his warm, smooth chest where it was exposed by the few undone buttons of his white dress shirt.
"Ariston," I said his name softly, and watched his smile grow as his eyes shined with such overwhelming elation it made me fall into him even further. "How long have you been awake?" I asked him.
"A little while." He answered. "I did not want to leave before you woke."
"I am grateful you did not leave." I told him, I would have hated waking without him.
"How did you sleep?" Ariston asked.
"Better than I have in a long while." I told him with a smile. "And you?" I asked, he laughed lightly.
"The same." He replied simply.
I got lost in his eyes, my heart beating faster realizing that we were lying down together and that I was in his arms and the possibilities this situation could offer. A blush covered my cheeks. His eyes changed and for a moment I could swear that we were on the same page, then he decided to sit up, bringing me with him. He did not look at me as I sat right along his side as he leaned forwards. Ariston took a pen and a piece of paper from the coffee table and wrote something down.
"If you should need me for any reason, this is my private number." Ariston told me, his face and voice were serious. He handed me the paper and I smiled, looking at the numbers there, then to him. "I should be going, we would not want any rumors to start." Ariston said with a smile as he stood up from the couch.
"I will see you in class." I said as I tried to hide my disappointment that he was leaving; my body already missed his warmth, ached for it. He nodded at my words.
"Until then." He said, I smiled and his crooked smile grew, his perfect white teeth flashing as he shook his head gently and walked out the door.
I checked my watch, there were still two hours before class. I took my phone out and smiled as I entered Ariston's name and number into my contacts. I went into my bathroom and got out of my dress from last night and brushed my teeth. When I finished I looked at the bandage on my right shoulder, I had all but forgotten that the man's knife sliced me last night, the wound did not hurt at all even when I moved.
I was trying to decide whether it would be a good idea to shower with the bandage on, I had never had a wound like this before so I had no frame of reference. I decided to take it off and be careful not to get soap in the wound. I gently pealed the bandage off, my eyes going wide as I saw that there was no wound, just flawless skin. I ran my finger over it in shock. I had seen the wound last night, had felt it until the medicine Ariston sprayed on it numbed the pain, now there was not even a mark left. Some part of me knew it was because of Ariston.
After getting over my shock, I took a shower and dressed in a denim pencil skirt and a pink silk shirt with cap sleeves to hide the fact that the wound was gone. I slipped on my dark tan leather boots and looked at my watch to see that I still had an hour left before I would need to leave for History.
My mind was racing; from last night, to my missing wound, and the promise Ariston made, I could not seem to think straight. One thing I knew for certain was that I had to talk to Ariston, he seems to understand these kinds of things, and I knew that somehow everything was connected to him.
I put my headphones in and listened to my iPod as I sat down and tried to clear my mind, when that did not work I decided to draw. I took out my sketch pad, it has been far too long since I have sketched his face. I did various drawings of Ariston, my favorite of which is the one from this morning when I looked up at him and saw him smiling back to me, with such elation within those sky blue eyes. It was not long before I forgot my worries as I looked upon my sketch of his face, biting my lip as my smile somehow grew.
I realized then how much I had been holding back and trying not to feel because, subconsciously, I knew I was still Aaron's girlfriend. But now everything is different, yet he still pulls away from me, as he did this morning. Why? I wondered. A frantic knock on my door brought me forth from my thoughts, I barely heard the knock over the music, so I took the ear buds out. A moment later the knock came again, even more frantically.
"I am coming." I said as I got up, wondering who could be at the door at this hour. "Aaron?" I was shocked to see his face, not able to understand why he is here.
He was still in his pajamas, and barefooted; his face was plastered with a look of worry. He threw his arms around me and held me close.
"I just got Jack's message about what happened last night," Aaron said, pulling back to look at me. He took my face between his hands. "Are you alright?"
"I am fine," I told him as I gently pulled away from his hands. "Not a scratch." Aaron gave me an odd look then glanced down to my shoulder and I remembered the wound. "Except for that." I said.
"May I?" Aaron asked as he raised his hand to move my sleeve.
"No," I said quickly as I pulled away before he could see that there was no wound. "Ariston took care of it last night, it does not even hurt." I did not miss the look in his eyes at the mention of Ariston's name, but he said nothing.
"You're okay?" Aaron asked again, I nodded with a smile.
"I am." I told him. "I appreciate your concern though." He gave a nod. "How have you been?"
"Alright." He said. "I miss you."
"I miss you too." I told him, he smiled a bit, meeting my eyes with longing for a time before he just sighed nearly inaudibly.
"I should go and get ready for school." He said.
"I would love to see Mr. Leason's reaction to you walking into class barefoot and in your pajamas'." I told him and Aaron laughed. Mr. Leason is a strict teacher; from what I hear he will give a student detention if they have so much as one hair out of place. That being said, he is absolutely brilliant in the field of engineering, one of the best, and that is one of Aaron's main interests.
"I'll see you around." Aaron said, I nodded and he walked away.
I closed the door behind him and sat down on the couch. I pulled back my sleeve just to check again that there was no wound, that I was not dreaming or going crazy. I once again ran my finger over the smooth skin and shook my head.
"Are you sure you don't want me to stay and walk you to class?" Jack asked Margret as they walked into the room. I quickly put my sleeve back in place before they could see.
"I'll be fine;" She reassured him, adding in, "Besides I have Mera, she can kick anyone's butt, as she proved last night." Margret said, her eyes locked on Jack's.
I was unsure if I should smile or not. Such conflicting emotions were running through me, half of me is proud of what I did because I protected Margret and who knows how many others. The other half of me is ashamed that I almost took a life, even a worthless one at that. As I said to Ariston last night, it is not for me to play god.
"I'll meet up with you as soon as I can." Jack promised.
I glanced up to see Margret in Jack's arms, they kissed like there was no existing without one another. I smiled and could not help thinking of Ariston; I could feel the blush on my cheeks at the thought of Ariston's lips crashing down on mine in such a way. I felt breathless, my heart racing. I bit my lip and shook my head in an attempt to clear it, knowing there was no hope for that.
What is this feeling that is taking over more and more of my soul by the day? This extraordinary feeling that is something between falling and flying? There is an undeniable attraction between Ariston and I, but there is more to it, something deep within me, something I cannot put into words. I smiled thinking of him, thoughts of him always bring a smile to my face, no matter the moment. He is always there, always with me, always causing feelings I could never have imagined existed before I looked into his eyes.
"Bye, Mera." Jack said, causing me to look up to him. "Take care of her for me."
"Always." I promised with a smile and a wave; he smiled and walked out of the door. Margret's face was still flushed; I smiled. She looked at me, her eyes dazed.
"I am um, am going to get ready." She said, stumbling over her words a bit. I tried not to laugh, understanding how she feels.
Margret and I walked to history together, my mind was still a jumbled mess as thoughts of Ariston, last night and my missing wound persisted. I just wished we could reach the class room faster so I could look upon him sooner.
"How is your arm?" Margret asked.
"It is healing well." I said, not looking at Margret.
"I am glad to hear that." Margret said. "So what happened with Ariston last night?"
"What?" I asked, the question catching me off guard as I looked at her. Half my mind panicked, wondering if she was asking about my shoulder and how I would explain how the wound was healed. Although I did not know Ariston's secret, I was very protective of it and of him. Margret just smiled to me.
"Jack said that when he came to the car your head was on Ariston's shoulder and you were holding hands, and he also said that he is sure that Ariston stayed with you last night." Relief filled me for the briefest of moments before my cheeks flamed red at her words. "Well?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and an implication in her voice.
"We talked in the car ride and I was tired so I laid my head on his shoulder and ended up falling asleep there." I told her as if it were nothing while trying to hide how much it meant to me.
"And last night?" Margret asked.
"He stayed and slept on the couch." I said, hoping I could get around this.
"Where did you sleep?" She asked. I sighed, knowing I could not lie to her.
"On the couch." I admitted, she smiled. "Nothing happened, I just slept in his arms, that is it. He was a true gentleman." I could not hide my smile no matter how hard I tried. I sighed and shook my head while smiling, finally giving into what I was feeling.
Margret and I walked into History, I smiled seeing Ariston, he smiled and nodded to me in hello. He kept his face formal, but I could see something more in his eyes. I went to my seat after tearing my eyes off his with difficulty.
When the class ended I waited for everyone else to leave the classroom. I was not going to wait for Ariston to talk to me, I was not going to take the chance that he would start avoiding me again. When the last of the students left, I went up to Ariston. He looked into my eyes, that same look within them that brought a smile to my lips, though there was also curiosity.
"We need to talk." I said, causing his curiosity to grow along with concern.
"Is everything alright?" Ariston asked.
I pulled the neck of my shirt over my shoulder, he looked where there should have been a wound, then closed his eyes for a moment as he took a deep breath, before looking at me again. Clearly he was not certain of what to say.
"Why is there not so much as a scar?" I asked him, he was silent. "You did this?" I asked.
"Yes," He answered then smiled and shook his head, his eyes helpless. "I could not help myself as I held you last night, I cannot stand the thought of you being in pain." I was touched, I always knew he cared. I took a deep breath and covered my shoulder.
"Okay." I said.
"Okay?" He asked, slightly surprised. "No questions?"
"No," I said with a shake of my head. "My grandmother always said that there are those who have the healing touch." I smiled to him. "I just never expected to meet one." He laughed once, amazement in his eyes, before speaking.
"I would appreciate it if you would not tell Margret or anyone else about what I can do," Ariston said. "Unless you already have."
"I have not and I will not tell her or anyone else." I said to him. "How long should I keep my shoulder covered for?"
"Five days should do it, since only you and I truly saw the extent of the wound." He said after a moment and I nodded. "Thank you."
"I should be the one thanking you." I said. "Thank you."
"Anytime." He said. Now that that was said and done, I had another question, one I had been wondering at for a while.
"How come I have not seen you outside of class since we spoke at the Stables?" I asked.
"I thought you could use some space, time to think." Ariston answered. I shook my head with a smile and tried to say something then just nodded.
"Not any more." I told him. He smiled while taking a deep breath, I have missed his smile.
"You have been avoiding me as well." Ariston said.
"I thought you did not want my company." I admitted. He shook his head with a smile, those eyes filled with so many emotions as I felt even more drawn to him.
"Far from it." He said. "You are all I can think about." He allowed that to sink in for a moment, while I looked into his eyes in wonder. "The Stables then? After school?"
"I will be there." I told him.
He put his hand out and I placed mine in his, feeling his storm flow through me along with such comfort. He kissed my hand and we stood there looking at each other for a time, I could not find a good enough reason to look away until I heard the school bell. I blushed and he kissed my hand once more before he let go of it.
I sat in the car with Margret as we drove through the Town of Blueridge. It used to be a small town, but when the school went in and wealthy students began to arrive, it was not long before the locals saw the opportunity to make a profit. Mansions and houses were built, high end shopping went in and just like that the town was bustling.
I looked out the window but all I could think about was Ariston. We had such a great time riding together. We walked our horses out in the cross-country field afterwards and talked just as we had the day we met. Leaving him was difficult, but I had something I had to do today. We agreed to meet up again tomorrow at the Stables, and I could hardly wait!
Margret pulled up in front of the large brick building that was Green Hills Nursing Home. I came here on a class trip last year and since then I have been coming when I can to visit with the people here. Some of these people here do not even get visitors, either they have no family or their children do not take the time to visit them. They take good care of the people here and I enjoy being with people who have lived for so long, they always have great stories to tell.
"I will pick you up in a few hours." Margret said.
"Thank you, you are the best." I said with a smile.
"I know." She said and we laughed.
I got out and walked into Green Hills and towards the desk. Kally Bennett was at the front desk, she is three years older than I am. She works here part-time and is attending her last year of college.
"Hey, Mera." She smiled as she we greeted; Kally is always smiling. "How have you been?"
"I have been well. How are you?" I asked her.
"Same, I got an A in History." She said.
"That's my favorite class." I said, trying and failing not to blush while remembering just why it is my favorite class.
Every weekday I cannot help anxiously awaiting my first class, knowing just whom will be waiting there for me to look upon.
"Who is first on my list today to visit?" I asked her, she glanced to a post-it.
"Mr. Peterson in Room 105; I think you two will get along famously! This way." We walked down the hall side by side. "So how is Aaron?" She asked.
"He is alright. This morning was the first time I have spoken to him since we broke up last week." I told her.
"Oh honey, I am so sorry to hear that. Are you alright?" She asked.
"I was the one who broke up with him, it simply was not meant to be." I said, she nodded.
"I know what you mean, I broke up with Tom for the same reason a few months ago." She told me with empathy, I gave her a smile and a nod in understanding. "We need more than what we had I suppose, destiny always does work wonders at the right time." I glanced away as one face entered my mind, making me smile as I noticed Kally watching me as her expression became stunned. "Is there a new new man for you?" She asked. I blushed and smiled thinking of Ariston. "Oh my...! Tell me!"
"We met a few weeks ago, he is absolutely wonderful but I am not sure what this is yet. He is a bit older than me though." I said, she smiled and winked.
"Well, age just means experience." She said in a way that made me blush. Kally laughed at my own inexperience on the subject, and I joined in the sound. "This is it." She said at room 105.
"Thank you." I said to her, she smiled and winked again then walked towards whatever was needed of her.
I looked into the room; a man sat on a recliner as he read from a worn book. He looked to be about eighty-five years old, his hair was gone and his jaw was covered in white stubble, yet he possessed this way about him. This man was someone who had lived a life he was proud of and was at peace now with his choices in life.
"Mr. Peterson?" I said as I knocked on the open door. The elderly man looked up at me and smiled a kind smile. He had bright clear blue eyes, like tinted glass held up to the light.
"Yes, miss?" He said.
"I am Mera Vandenberg, I am something of an artiest and I was hoping to draw you if that is okay?" I asked as he removed his glasses.
"You can if you like, I am not much too look at though." He said in a kind and humble voice. I smiled and walked in.
"On the contrary, I think you are quite handsome." I said as I took a seat next to him.
"You're being too kind to an old man." He said, I laughed. "How would you like me?" He asked, moving his head around and then I spotted the image I wanted.
"There, perfect." He held still. I opened my sketchpad and took out the right graphite pencils, then began to sketch his appearance.
"If you think I am handsome now, you should have seen me sixty years ago, I was quite the catch." He said, and I smiled as I worked, meeting his eyes as he laughed. "Or at least my wife thought so. I never could understand what a gal like that saw in me." He said with amazement in his voice.
"How old were you when you got married?" I asked.
"She was seventeen and I was nineteen when we met, she knocked me off my feet the first time I looked into her brown eyes. We were married three months later. Everyone told us we were crazy to get married so young, but we knew what we were doing." He said with a smile that took ten years off his face. "Two years later we had our little girl Rebecca and over the next twelve years we had six more children, five boys and another girl." I looked up at him and froze; that look in his eyes, that sadness, I would know it anywhere. I have seen it countless times before, in Ariston's eyes.
"Is that your wife?" I asked a moment later, looking at a black and white photo of a beautiful woman.
"That's my Wendy. She passed away three years ago." He said, sorrow in his voice, that same heartbroken emotion upon his features that I have seen upon Ariston's face and in his sky blue eyes.
"I am sorry for your loss." I said to him. He nodded, tears in his eyes. He wiped them away and smiled to me.
"I hope you can forgive an old man." He said. "I cannot help it when I think of her, she was everything."
"Do your children visit you?" I asked after a moment.
"My children and grandchildren visit me all the time." He smiled.
"How many grandchildren do you have?" I asked as I went back to drawing.
"Thirteen in all; six boys and seven girls, and from them I have ten great grandchildren, the youngest is four." He smiled and pointed to a photo that showed a younger Mr. Peterson with a huge family and his wife sitting next to him, holding his hand lovingly.
"Wow, they are beautiful." I told him with a smile. "I have a small family myself, I cannot imagine having such a large brood."
"There is nothing like building a life with the woman you love." Mr. Peterson said to me. "Getting married, buying a house and making it into a home; having children and raising them together. There is nothing more wonderful than family." I had to agree with him on that.
I finished the drawing of him. I could not help but think of Ariston, is that what happened to his wife? Did she die? I pulled the drawing from my sketch pad and handed it to Mr. Peterson.
"Here you are." I said, trying to keep the sadness from my soul. He looked at it and his eyes widened.
"You are some artist." He said in amazement.
"Thank you." I smiled.
"May I see your other drawings?" Mr. Peterson asked, glancing to the paper in my hands.
"Certainly." I handed my sketchpad to him. He looked through them, one by one as he took the time to appreciate each one.
"Who is this man you draw so much?" He asked. I blushed and glanced down, forgetting about my drawings of Ariston.
"Just a man I know." I replied, not wanting to admit my infatuation with a teacher who was so much to me.
"He looks at you like this?" He asked and I nodded as I blushed further. "This man cares for you a great deal." He said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. I looked up at him, shocked and slightly hopeful at his words.
"What makes you say that?" I asked. He smiled.
"The look in his eyes, the smile on his face." He said with knowing eyes. "The look is always the same." I took a deep breath as my mind went through all Ariston is, my curiosity at his sadness. How can I help him if I do not know what caused his heartbreak?
"He has a great sadness within him, I want to help him but I do not know how." I said to Mr. Peterson, he nodded.
"Sadness like that can only come from one thing." He told me with those knowing eyes. "He lost someone, someone he loved dearly. All you can do is be there for him, and listen when he is ready to talk. I wish you the best of luck with him." I smiled, a slight blush covering my cheeks.
"Thank you." I said to him, he nodded as he gave me a warm smile, handing me the sketchpad back.
"It was nice to meet you." I said.
"It was nice meeting you too, Mera." He said with a smile as I gathered up my things.
