Curvy Girls Can't Date Quarterbacks - Kelsie Stelting Page 0,49
script.
“We’re here,” I said, nerves rampant now that he was about to see a part of me I rarely shared with anyone other than my family. I swallowed and gave him a side glance.
Beckett’s eyes were alight, like we were about to discover gold. If only the idea of him seeing my work didn’t make me feel like I was standing in front of a classroom buck naked.
I stepped through the door and flipped on the switch, illuminating easels of artwork, shelves of paint, and long, gauzy curtains. I tried to imagine what it looked like through the eyes of someone who hadn’t spent hours in here.
Would they notice the drips of paint that had escaped my canvases and landed on the easels? What about the carefully organized baskets of every kind of paint from acrylics to oils? Or the showpieces I hung on the walls, a blend of pastels and neon colors?
He approached one, the latest painting to earn a space on the wall, and took it in.
Anxiously, I stood beside him, wishing I could hear all the thoughts whirring behind his hazel eyes. Instead, I had to watch as his gaze traced the plane of the canvas, the strokes I’d painted of each of my friends at the AV table. Even though our friendship might not last past homecoming, I wanted the memory of belonging to last forever.
“This is amazing,” Beckett finally said, awe clear in his voice.
My heart twisted and clenched, clinging to each word. Maybe I wasn’t classically pretty or my mom’s ideal daughter, but maybe my art made up for it—helped me shine. “Do you really think so?”
He nodded. “I’ve never looked at something and felt it before, you know? But this...it feels like happiness.”
I smiled. “It is.” And I’d be forever grateful to the girls because they’d given me this, a moment, a chance with Beckett. I hoped with every piece of my heart it would last.
Twenty-Eight
My car might as well have been a cloud for how high I felt from the night before. I carried that same happiness with me on my way to my tutoring session with Anna the next morning. After parking in my spot, I grabbed my box of chalk from the passenger side and walked to the drop off line. Even though the fall air was cool, it felt refreshing, full of possibilities.
When Anna’s mom pulled up to the drop-off line, I walked over to the van and peeked into the window she had rolled down.
“Hey, is it okay if we do some tutoring outside this morning?” I asked.
“Sure thing,” she said, nodding toward the backseat. “She had a little bit of a rough day yesterday.”
I frowned, glancing back to Anna where I could see her standing inside the van by the door. “What happened?”
“I don't want to talk about it,” Anna said.
Her mom mouthed to me, “Bullies.”
My heart sank for her as I reached over and opened the door. “Come on, sweetie. Let's head out.”
“Have a good day, honey,” Anna’s mom said to her in a gentle tone.
Anna gave her a quick wave and then hopped out to walk beside me.
I patted her back on the spot above her backpack. “I'm sorry you had a rough time yesterday.”
“It's fine,” she said too quickly. “I’m fine.”
“It's okay to be sad,” I told her.
She grabbed the box of chalk in my hand. “What’s this for?”
I smiled, recognizing the change in subject. “We are going to be drawing and writing outside. Do you know how to write bubble letters?”
She nodded proudly. “I could do that in Kindergarten.”
“Perfect.”
We walked to the playground where the basketball courts were, and I sat down on the cement. It was cool under my legs and I had to sit a little carefully in my skirt, but we made it work. “Do you want to start with green?” I asked her.
“That's my favorite color,” she said. “You remembered.”
“Of course I did.” I handed her a dark green piece and pulled out a light green one for myself. “So, what I'm going to do is write a word, and you are going to copy it. How does that sound?”
“Good,” she answered. “Can we start with alligator?”
“I’m guessing you read that book with your family?” I asked.
She nodded enthusiastically.
“We’ll start with alligator then!” I said a silent prayer that I could actually remember how to spell the word. I took my time writing the letters and even drew a little alligator pretending to eat the letters.