The Art of Life (35 page)

               
“See, you DO find me attractive.
 
That’s good, I find you pretty,
too.
 
So we are even,” he replies.
 
My heart drops a little and I actually sit
there silent for a second.
 
He finds me
pretty?

               
A little shocked, I just say,
“Thanks.”

               
“Oh, oh, oh, I have a great
idea!
 
Hold on.
 
I am going to hang up the phone and send you
a picture, but you need to promise to make it your background.”

               
Shrugging my shoulders, I
hesitantly say, “Okay.
 
I don’t know if I
trust you though.”

               
“Just trust me, this will be
great!” He exclaims.
 
“Bye toots!”
 
With that, he hangs up the phone.

               
I just shake my head.
 
“What did he say?” Rose asks.

               
“He is sending me a picture that
I promised to make my background.
 
I hope
it’s nothing dumb.
 
He would do that to
me, and think it’s funny,” I sigh.
 
Everyone kind of sits here, waiting.
 
Suddenly, my phone rings and I open up the message, and then I
squeak.
 

               
Jack leans over.
 
“What is it?
 
Holy cow!
 
Jeremy is ripped.”

               
“I want to see!” Rose squeals
excitedly.

               
Snagging the phone, Jack hands
it over the table.
 
I just sit there,
with the image still engraved into my brain.
 
It’s Jeremy, without his shirt on, in his works pants leaning against
his motorcycle.
 
It’s one of those dirty,
bad boy pictures.
 
It’s hot, I mean, make
me drool, hot. I shouldn’t be having these feelings or thoughts, but how am I
not supposed to after that picture!
 

               
Rose gasps, “Isabelle!
 
I want this picture!”

               
My mouth opens, closes and then
I stutter, “I…I don’t know if he wants anyone to have it.”

               
“I don’t care,” Rose mumbles as
she futzes with my phone.
 
“Good, sent
it.”

               
“Send it to me too!” Ashley
shouts.

               
My mind is still not processing
right.
 
I watch as the phone passes to
Eric.
 
He looks at it and his eyes get
wide.
 
“I think he puts most other guys to
shame.
 
I feel as though I need to go to
the gym.
 
That’s not ripped, that’s
chiseled.”
 
Eric looks at me, “What does
he do?
 
Exercise in his sleep?”

               
I shake my head.
 
“No, he runs, I know that much.
 
He is also into martial arts.
 
Other than that, I personally have not seen
him work out, but we aren’t together all day, every day.
 
So, who knows what he does when we are
apart.”

               
“Aren’t you afraid of some older
chick taking him away from you?” Holly asks.

               
“Oh,” I say quickly.
 
“It’s not like that.”
 
What do I say?
 
“We are really close.
 
If he wanted to date someone else, he would
just tell me.
 
We are in a weird
situation.”

               
Eric puts his soda down.
 
“You should be careful that he doesn’t…..take
advantage of you.”

               
I snort and laugh at the same
time.
 
“Jeremy?
 
He would never take advantage of me.
 
Actually, he wants me to take advantage of
him.
 
Better yet, I think he wants every
girl to take advantage of him.”

               
“So, you and he aren’t…..” Holly
draws out.

               
“Dear lord have mercy, NO!” I
snap, blushing hard.

               
She waves her hands.
 
“No, I was just curious because, well, he is
older and everything.”

               
“Jeremy and I kiss, that’s it,”
I state matter-of-factly.

               
With a sigh, Ashley asks, “Is he
a good kisser?”

               
Trying really hard not to smile,
I reply, “Yes, I can say that he is.”

My eyes drift from
her to Eric.
  
I catch him looking at me,
and he quickly
adverts
his gaze.
 
“Anyway,” I start, “He is full of
himself.
 
I love that about him, because
he does it in humor.
 
I could never see
him really believing that he is better than someone else.
 
He actually has a very sweet side.
 
I will deny I ever said that about him, too.”

               
“Talking about your Jeremy are
we?” I hear from behind me.
 
I hang my
head in defeat.
 
She’s
bbbaaaccckkkk
.
 
“I
heard about him and the car.”

               
“Wait, it gets better,” Ashley gushes.
 
Obviously, oblivious to the fact that Sonya
tortures me.
 
“Look at this picture!”

               
Sonya groans, but takes the
phone anyway from Ashley.
 
Her eyes widen.
 
Then instantly her face changes into a rather
cold expression.
 
“Still not exactly sure
what you are doing with him.”

               
“What do you mean by that?” Eric
asks.

               
“Nothing,” Sonya says, giving me
a look.
 
“I see you have done something
with your….look.
 
It’s different, that’s
for sure.”

               
Eric interjects.
 
“I think she looks fantastic.”

               
That makes me blush and smile
awkwardly at the floor.
 
“Yeah, well it
was a great improvement,” Sonya snickers.

               
My phone rings and I quickly
pick it up to answer it.
 
Anything to shut Sonya up.
 
“Hey.”

               
Jeremy is laughing, “So what did
everyone think?”

               
“You will probably be around the
school in about two hours,” I reply, halfheartedly.

               
“What’s wrong Isabelle?”

               
Sighing, I whisper.
 
“I need the guillotine back.”

               
“Oh baby, I am sorry,” he
moans.
 
“Do you want me to come over
there and put her in her place?”

               
I can’t help but giggle.
 
“I wish, but I will be fine.
 
I have to go though, class is starting soon.”

               
“Well, I will probably talk to
you later, if not tonight, tomorrow.”

               
“Okay,” I reply.
 
“Talk to you later.”

               
Whispering, Jeremy says, “Say I
love you.”

               
“No!” I exclaim.
 
“Why would I do that!?”

               
“To get under
her skin, but NEVERMIND!
 
I will
talk to you later toots.”

               
With a snicker, I draw out, “
Bbbyyyyeee
!”
 
Hanging
up the phone, I smile at everyone and ignore Sonya.
 
“Thanks for letting me have lunch with you guys.
 
I need to go get some of my books.”

               
“You should eat with us tomorrow
again,” Jack says.
 
“You are more than
welcome.”

               
Wow.
 
“Thanks, I may just do that.”

               
Eric stands up with me.
 
“I will walk with you.
 
I have to get my anatomy book.”

               
We start to walk and I brush
against Sonya, slightly shoving her.
 
She
yells, “Hey, watch it.”
 
I just look up,
meet her gaze and smirk.
 
That makes her
jaw drop.
 
When we move past her, my
heart starts to beat a mile a minute.
 
Did I really just do that?
 
Where
in the world did that come from?
 
It’s
like teasing the lion.
 
Who knows what
she will do now.
 
The thing is
,
is it going to bother me?
 
I don’t know.

               
For the rest of the day, all I
can think about is lunch and well…..that picture of Jeremy.
 
I mean, I knew he was good looking but not
like that.
 
No wonder girls are all over
him.
 
And people wonder if we are dating,
pppffsshhhh
, that would never happen.
 
I wouldn’t even know what to do.

               
I grab my art project and sit
down in class.
 
My drawing of Jeremy is
nearly complete.
 
I have really taken my
time to do this one.
 
If he is going to
ever see it, I want it to be perfect.
 
I
am completely oblivious to the world around me while I work.
 

               
Suddenly, I hear that all too
annoying sound.
 
“So, your
hair….it’s…well, it’s alright.”

               
“That’s
funny,
your friends thought it was great.
 
Actually, you are the only one who said it’s alright.
 
Complete strangers have said it was great,” I
reply, not looking up at her.

               
“What are you trying to do, have
a magical make-over?” Sonya asks.

               
Brushing my fingers on to the
paper, I reply, “I decided it was time I grew up.
 
So, I am growing up.
 
You should think about doing that yourself.”

               
“How dare you!” She snaps.

               
“By the way,” I say, looking up
at her.
 
“You seem to have had a magical
make-over yourself.
 
I just can’t seem to
put my finger on it.”
 
I tap my finger on
my nose.
 
“I wonder what it was.”

               
That obviously strikes a
nerve.
 
“It was for my deviated septum.”

               
“Uh huh, you keep telling
yourself that,” I laugh.
 
What in the world
am I doing!?
 
She is going to kill me.

               
“No matter what you do to
yourself, you will still be you,” she hisses quietly.
 
“You are a loser.
 
Always have been, always will be.”

               
I grab my phone and turn it
around, showing Jeremy’s picture.
 
“A loser who gets to have that.”

               
“Whatever!” Sonya exclaims.

               
“Isabelle, no phones,” my
teacher says.

               
Putting it away, I yell, “Sorry,
Mr. Billings.
 
I was just showing Sonya
the person I am drawing.”

               
“That’s fine, just no
phones.
 
Miss Sonya Stewart, do you not have
a project to work on, or are you getting some pointers from Miss
Nimon
?”

               
“I would never,” Sonya growls.

               
My teacher walks over to
us.
 
“Well, it’s not a bad idea.
 
She is a very gifted artist.”