The ways we lost him(completed)

Chapter 12

The bell rang and they stayed where they were, waiting for the other students to filter into the art classroom. The wide windows were open, allowing sunlight to stream into the room.

The art teacher entered, throwing the group a soft smile. Allen, the art teacher was only a few years older than them and was a lot more laid back than other teachers, and he loved Sebastian. Sebastian loved art, he was exceptional at it, he had a real talent that was evident just looking at his work. He could really portray emotion in his pieces.

Angie recalled his final piece, it was a self portrait he had painted, she hadn't thought much of it at the time as he was a very open person but he painted himself crying, tears of molten gold and violet streaks that ran down his cheeks. But his eyes, his eyes were alight with a violent and desperate look, it left you stunned, you could feel the emotion he had felt. He was standing in the pouring rain and his eyes ran down his eyes in wet ringlets, water droplets masking into his tears. She sighed, it was his greatest masterpiece.

"Dalia isn't in today?" Allen asked as he passed them. Luka slowly shook her head as he frowned, his eyes clouded over. He shrugged as he passed them to go into the storage room.

The class began to fill with all the usual people. Unfortunately, Jaxon was in their class and Angie couldn't resist watching him out of the corner of her eye. She could tell he was avoiding her gaze, he seemed nervous, almost fidgeting in his seat. But above all, he was quiet. Normally he didn't shut up, he was always spouting out nonsense in class or joking around with his friends.

His friends sat at a different table today.

The teacher came back with everyone's portfolios and began handing them out. Angie watched as he plopped Jaxon's down on his desk, not sparing him a second glance.

She tore her eyes away, to see Luka sitting in her corner, balancing her history book on her lap.

"You didn't do that last night?" She asked in surprise. She'd never seen Luka fall back on homework, it was a big no no for her friend, who merely shrugged.

"I couldn't focus, I didn't do anything last night. I slept for two hours and ate a tub of  chocolate ice cream while watching funny dog videos."

Hesitantly, Angie let out a small laugh at the honesty of her friend. It relieved her, she realized that Luka hadn't changed all that much.

"That's normal, believe it or not. It's called grief, it's a sucky emotion that makes you do things you don't understand."

Luka met her eyes, nodding slowly.

"I'm kind of worried about Dalia, you know?"

Angie nodded in agreement, neither of them had seen their friend for two days since learning of the death of Sebastian. She knew some people experienced grief in different ways and dealt with it in different ways, but pulling away from society was a bad habit of Dalia's. They both knew of the anxiety that she battled with, it was considerably worse when they first met her, the three of them became friends naturally and Dalia had improved a lot, she was more open now and outspoken, but Angie would never forget who she used to be. Scared and timid, tripping over her every word because her confidence had taken so many blows that she didn't know how to function socially anymore.

Then, she missed lots of days and Angie worried, she didn't want Dalia to fall back into the darkest part of her mind.

Suddenly she was pulled out of her thoughts by yelling. She spun around as she heard the cardboard of his portfolio smack against the wooden table. Jaxon slammed it down, setting his steely glare on their table.

"You think this is funny? You think this will make me feel guilty? Because I'd have to right?" He spat out venomously.

Angie recoiled back in shock before narrowing her eyes and meeting his gaze with just as much anger.

"Would you like to elaborate what you're so damn pissy about before spitting out complaints?"

Jaxon clenched his fists in anger, grabbing a page from the portfolio and holding it up to her. She froze, staring into the painted eyes of her friend.

"Why.. why do you have that?" Stuttered Luka from beside her, but Angie was already across the room yanking it from his hands, in her haste the corner ripped off.

"Jesus!" She spat, as she saw the open portfolio containing all of Sebastian's work.

"What's wrong with you?" She hissed, "Ruining his life wasn't enough, now you want to be him?"

Luka appeared behind her, laying a hand of her shoulder before she calmly addressed Jaxon who looked like he was suffering from whiplash.

"I..I didn't. I don't know."

Angie frantically grabbed tape to try and reattach the picture back together. Jaxon watched her apprehensively as she fretted over it.

"It's only a picture..." he trailed off in a hopeless effort to try an lesson the situation.

Angie's eyes snapped up angrily. "Well it's not like he he make another one."

Jaxon fell to a loss for words, his mouth crossed in a straight tight line as he pulled the portfolio towards him.

"You did this, you're trying to get in my head." He hissed and Angie's eyes skimmed over the label attached to Sebastian's work, her eyes narrowing as she spotted a name that wasn't his.

"I didn't kill him." He snapped, and then looked away in anger, his breath coming out in short pants as he grabbed hisrug sack and stormed out of class.

Angie felt a cold chill run through her blood as she let her eyes follow him out, past Allen who merely shrugged. Finally she met Karma's eyes who returned her steel gaze with ease.

She felt her fists clench at her side, he's one to tall about motive.