Free Tethered by L. D. Davis

away.
    “Wait, Donya.” Emmet went to take my arm, but remembered we were surrounded by people and stopped short.
    “Hey, you don’t have to explain anything to me,” I forced another smile. “I’ll see you later.”
    I moved away from him and speed walked my way to the art room.
    *~*~*
    I had the art room all to myself. It was a Friday afternoon and there weren’t many kids that would want to hang out after school if they weren’t forced to, even for art.
    I immersed myself into my art project. It was almost Valentine’s Day and we had to do a Valentines theme. It could be anything we wanted, as long as the focus was on love, as if any fifteen year old kid really understood anything about love.
    The room was completely quiet. Every now and then I would hear a few teachers as they passed by the room or maintenance as they cleaned up the school just so we could mess it up the next week.
    I was lost in my project. I watched the paint appear on the canvas with the same serenity I felt when I skateboarded. The sound of the brush as it connected with the surface was soothing. I took pleasure in the careful lines and smooth curves that had to be created with careful precision. The smell of paint settled my mind, feeling the liquid between my fingers settled my nerves.
    Hours passed. Occasionally, a rare teacher would check in on me but say nothing. Mr. Boggs, the maintenance manager, told me earlier before I got started that I could stay until nine and then he’d have to kick me out. I used every minute, every second, putting my heart into my project. Before today I was going to do a simple, cheesy project. It was going to be your typical hearts and flowers and candy type of picture, only a few steps above what a kindergartener may create, but after I saw the truth about Emmet and Stella in Emmet’s eyes, my creative process changed. It exploded into my fingertips and I had no control over it.
    I took a step back and exhaled slowly as I looked at my work. I guess I really did know something about love.
    The invisible tether slackened. My back was to the door, but I knew he was there watching me just as surely as I knew my own name. I glanced up at the clock over the teacher’s desk. I had roughly twenty minutes to clean up and get out, but I couldn’t stop staring at my project. I never considered myself to be talented, but even I could not deny how incredible it looked.
    I heard his footsteps as he approached me. He stood behind me, looking over my shoulder at my project. I heard him exhale miserably. I didn’t mean to make him miserable, but I took a little solace in knowing that he may have been a bit miserable. Misery does love company.
    “Do you forgive me?” he asked as he moved in closer to me.
    “Nothing to forgive,” I said, but I didn’t turn around to look at him. “Why are you here?”
    “It’s late. I didn’t want you walking home.”
    “I’ll be fine,” I said.
    “You’ll be fine now because I’m going to drive you home,” he said.
    His arm circled my waist. I should have pulled away, but my body had different ideas. It melted back into Emmet and my head tilted back against his chest.
    Really, body? Really?
    “Where did you get your inspiration for this painting?” Emmet asked in my ear.
    I didn’t answer him, because I knew that he knew. And I knew that he knew that I knew that he knew.
    The woman in the painting was bleeding from the gaping, ragged hole in her chest. In her hand was a bleeding heart. Dark blood covered her fingers and dripped down into the green grass below, staining it red. It was an offering to the man before her who had his hand extended as if to receive the heart. Their fingers touched and some of the blood dripped onto his extended fingers. The man offered in his other hand dying roses and a box of chocolates with tiny spiders crawling out of the box.
    Maybe my teacher didn’t intend for us to create anything as macabre as this, but to me that was the reality