Y2K part 4 sketches and spikes
Getting sleep that night was anything but restful. I couldn't stop thinking about CC crying and why Kenny left her. How am I supposed to comfort and be there for her without seeming like a creepy scavenger taking advantage of her moment of vulnerability?
The next morning, stepping into the courtyard, that January weather was still very brisk. The Island of Misfits is bare once again.
Finally experiencing what everyone else did during these cold mornings before class started, I made my way to the library.
It was a relief to see a group of students (misfits included) hanging out at the stairway instead of the painfully heartbreaking scene from yesterday. I went through the glass doors and into the library to find the rest of the crowd.
The guys were already engaged in their continuing campaign of DND. Because of my absence all last semester, they were too far into the game to have a new character jump in. All I could really do was sit there as a spectator.
It's still fun to listen to all the banter and storytelling, but I'd rather be engaged and a part of it.
While sitting there amongst the chaos going on, I noticed CC was still nowhere to be seen. Has she not arrived at school yet, or did she move on to another area to hang out before school?
I couldn't just sit there anymore; I had to find something to do for the sake of my own sanity. I moved over to the open table next to them so I could work on the art commission for Manny.
Being in the Library, I actually had some privacy to work on such a piece without having other eyes constantly peering over to see what I was up to. I knew it was a very lewd piece and would probably make me seem a bit perverted for drawing it, but that was part of the deal.
"That's some interesting homework you got there!"
I was suddenly startled by the voice of CC behind me. I quickly slammed my book shut and fumbled to cover anything inappropriate from showing.
"CC? Hi!" I laughed nervously. My cheeks were burning from embarrassment.
How much did she see?
CC joined me at my table with a look of judgment in her eyes. "Why aren't you with the others having fun?"
"Oh. That." I let out a deep sigh. "It's too late in that campaign to join. No biggie. There will be others."
"Bummer." CC's face shifted. "So now you're over here drawing naughty stuff? What was that? Japanese porn-imation? Tsk tsk. Shame."
"No...I...but..."I was fumbling for words and trying to explain myself, but I was caught red-handed."Yeah."
"God. I'm only teasing you." She giggled. "But I do think oversexualizing the female figure like that is very degrading to women."
My head hung low. "I know. It's just part of a deal I made for a tennis racquet."
She raised one eyebrow high. "That doesn't make it any better."
"Well...That's to the discretion of my client." I straightened up and acted like a well-established professional. "It's strictly confidential."
"Mhmm." She let her head rest on her hand and leaned forward to push for more information. "So... just how many have you made?"
I casually patted my sketchbook. "Just one for now. We'll see how that goes before I make any more."
"I see." She slowly blinked and tapped her fingers. "What else have you been drawing in there?"
I figured I didn't really have anything to hide. Many classmates have already asked to see my drawings, and I proudly let them see my book. I slid it over to her. "See for yourself."
CC started with the latest piece in my book, which I was working on when she walked in and surprised me.
She flipped through the pages, seeing many figure studies, practice poses, fan art, some very questionable drawings, original concepts and characters, comic ideas, and scraps full of doodles.
There were a few definite eye rolls through her skimming.
"Whoa!-"
She paused on a page and showed me one of the many doodle pages from summer school.
"You still have these." She giggled, looking at all of them. "It's Spike Lee SquarePants!"
We both burst into giggles. It was one of the many pieces we both worked on out of boredom. I drew the face, she did the rest.
"Of course. I've pretty much kept every drawing I've done since I started high school."
CC continued to flip through, then suddenly gasped. Her expression softened, and she stroked her fingers slowly across that page. "Oh my God. When did you do this?"
She pulled out a page from the protective sleeve it was kept in. It was a drawing of her and Kenny in that cutesy Precious Moments style.
"I had a cute idea seeing both of you together. Precious moments." I giggled. "It was supposed to be a gift to you both. I just never got around to giving it to you."
I knew in my heart this was sentimental and special to her. There was a shimmer of happiness behind those saddened eyes. She still aches for Kenny.
"Go ahead and take it. It's yours."
"Really. Thank you...Thank you." CC clutched it close to her chest.
The soft tone in her voice said it more than anything else. I knew then that she was not ready to let him go. I don't blame her. Over A year's worth of memories is not easy to forget.
She didn't know that I already knew the truth about the break-up from Kenny. And I wasn't going to tell her.
At least not yet.
The group started to put away all their campaign materials, which made me look at the time. "Oh shit. Bell's about to ring."
CC put the drawing into one of the books in her bag.
"Are you going to be here during lunch?"
I slung my backpack over my shoulder and shrugged. "I think so."
"Cool. See you then." She picked up her backpack and Lunchbox purse before giving me a little wave as we parted ways.
I wasn't certain what everyone else was doing, but this was another opportunity I just couldn't refuse.
An opportunity to be there for her.
-----------
It was good to be able to talk to CC like we did back during summer school. From our interaction this morning, CC did seem in better spirits as compared to yesterday, or at least she's better at hiding her pain.
Hopefully, I can keep up the same charade.
Entering the library after a quick and somewhat disappointing meal, as usual, I was surprised to find Bear. But he wasn't sitting alone. There was a curvy girl with blonde hair and a blouse made of a shimmering, metallic-looking fabric sitting next to him.
"Hey!" Bear spotted me and waved over to me.
The blonde girl curiously turned around, and it was Betty.
Whoa! There you go, Bear!
"Hi!" I waved back and approached them in hopes I wasn't interrupting anything.
It was good to see Bear at least engaging with his crush and making some kind of move instead of being withdrawn. They looked cute together.
Betty looked at me, a little bewildered. "Wow. You both really do look like you can be brothers."
"Told you." Bear chuckled.
"You did?" I crossed my arms, ready to interrogate. "What else did you tell her?"
"That's about it." Bear then gestured. "Betty. This is Alfie. Alfie, Betty."
I copied Bear's gestures. "Betty, that's Bear. Bear, that's Betty."
We were laughing until someone startled me by poking my sides.
"SHHH. Quiet in the Library."
My heart jumped, and I had my hand on my chest. I whipped around to see CC giggling.
"Oh my God. You should have seen the way you jumped. That's twice I got you today." CC then pulled up a chair and joined in. "I see you met my friend Betty."
"Yeah. Bear just introduced us." I figured by then that I wasn't interrupting anything and joined the rest. "I take it you're a military kid?" I asked Betty.
"What gave that away?" Betty said with a mock surprise.
Bear laughed. "We stick out like sore thumbs."
"Well, considering we're in a high school where 90 percent are Hispanic, you're either from the military or one of the few locals that aren't Hispanic." I shrugged. "Wild guess. So where did you come from?"
"I'm from Kansas." She smirked.
"Kansas!"I exclaimed. "That's a first."
"We're not in Kansas anymore," CC stated with her best Dorothy impression.
Betty scoffed. "Why does everyone do that?"
"Probably because that's the first thing that comes to mind." CC giggled.
"What exactly is there to do in Kansas?" Bear questioned.
Betty slowly blinked and thought for a moment. She then answered very slowly. "Umm...We...have cows?"
CC snorted and started laughing.
"Shhhh! If you're going to be hanging out in here, try to keep the noise down." The librarian barked.
I pointed at CC as the culprit, as she was the one laughing the loudest.
The librarian shot us a warning glance with her eyes now blazing before marching off.
Once she was outside of view, CC quickly slapped my hand, sending it crashing onto the table.
"Owww!" I shook my hand that now had a throbbing red mark on the knuckle.
All of us snorted, trying to hold in from laughing out loud.
"Cows, huh?" I crossed my arms and leaned back into my seat. "Is it very rural in Kansas?"
Betty nodded. "Where I live...Pretty much."
"Is it true that people actually go cow-tipping?" Bear laughed.
CC grimaced. "That's just mean!"
"Sadly." Betty's face shifted. "I've known a few back home who tried. The farmer chased them off with a shotgun."
"Oh fuck!" My jaw dropped. "Seriously? Were they stupid?"
She nodded. "Yeah. But mostly drunk. When there isn't much to do, people do stupid things for entertainment."
Bear and CC giggled.
I've never heard a quote so true until then. That reminded me of all the stupid things I've already done out of pure boredom.
"Now I'm curious. What are your thoughts about El Paso?" I asked Betty.
"This place is huge. It's scary...but exciting. A different atmosphere compared to Kansas. It's so small where I'm from that everyone knows everyone and their business."
"Eww. That's kinda creepy." I shivered.
"That's why I like it here. The chances of running into anyone from school while not in school are slim to none." CC claimed proudly.
"That's pretty true." Bear chimed in.
"Oooh." I pointed to Betty. "You definitely need to pick up some Spanish here if you haven't. Or at least the bad words"
"I'm actually taking French now. Tho I've already learned 'Pinchi Cabron' (fucking bastard) from some friends on base." Betty said. "There's also 'pinchi guera' (fucking white girl). Apparently, hearing it is a good indication someone is talking shit about me."
"My favorite Spanish word is Albondiga (meatball)." CC giggled. "Al-bon-di-ga!"
Betty looked puzzled. "What does that mean?
I giggled. "It's a meatball."
"Donde estan mis Albondigas? (Where are my meatballs?)" CC said in a tone similar to Beavis from Beavis and Butthead. She continued to ask that to anyone who passed by.
I shook my head and giggled.
"My favorite word in French right now is quatorze (14). Betty said. "It sounds like you're saying 'Cat Whores'."
"There are plenty of them in anime." Bear chuckled.
"Oh, I know," CC smirked and playfully prodded at my shoulder. "I've seen Alfie's drawings."
My face instantly lit up like a furnace. I covered it with both hands to hide the blush from the rest.
Everyone burst out into laughter, including me.
"God! We're so fuckin' random." Bear chuckled. "How the hell did we go from talking about Kansas to Cat whores?"
That outburst was our final straw.
The librarian came back to the study area. Her face was about as red as mine. "Ok, seriously. OUT!"
We all stood up, grabbed our things, and rushed out, still giggling and chuckling like a pack of wild hyenas.
Until that point, I'd never been kicked out of the library before. But seeing CC laugh like that—really laugh—it made it all worth it.
As the proverb says, "laughter is the best Medicine." If this is what it took to help her heal that broken heart, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.