Our Little Deadly Secret

Ryan Weston

"Hey!! What are you doing here? The school is closed. Everyone is gone.." a voice echoed at me, scaring me half to death, causing a whole bucket of green paint to go flying onto the half wall that was suppose to be painted later on to look like a brick wall for the play. I was so focused on filling in the top part of the tree with the base coat that I had forgotten that time had flown by... it was three hours after school was dismissed: it was almost 5:30 at night.

"Holy shit!" I screamed as I turned around to see a somewhat familiar face looking back at me from the floor of the auditorium / gymnasium.

I hate to admit it, but some of the paint on the brush that I had held in my hand not only flew when my reaction was to fling the brush behind me, but the brush as well landed right on Ryan Weston's face.

"Oh my God! I am so sorry! Here, come up here on stage and let me help you wash the paint off your face..." I started to say. Even though this boy had pissed me off earlier that day, and seeing the end result of him getting smacked with pain - even if it was unintentional - was funny, I still felt bad that he was now covered in paint that takes forever to come off of any surface.

"I would love to wash this off but it's hard when there's paint in your face and on your eye lids, making it very hard to trust myself in opening my eyes to see."

"Oh..! Yeah.. that woulod make sense. uh... here: lemme help then," I commented as I hopped off the stage and grabbed Ryan's arm to wrap around my neck as I grabbed onto his waist.

Together I directed him up the side stairs and onto the stage. Around the corner and towards the back stage area where the bathrooms are conveniently located. I turned on the light and started the faucet, letting the water run a little bit to get warm before wetting a couple pieces of paper towel.

Gently, I wiped the paint away from his eyelids to reveal his somewhat tanned skin underneath, something he probably obtained from being in the sun all summer since the rest of his body was more fair of a tone like mine. I rinsed off the towel and then whipped the sides of his nose, under his nostrils, and what was splatters on his soft lips.

I could feel myself taking small steps closer to him as I wiped away more of the green paint. Little by little. That's when I noticed, while trying to turn back to rinse again, that he opened his eyes to look at me. They were a piercing sky blue. So pure. Untainted by time, it seemed. They were so perfect that I started to lose myself in them.

I never noticed that he had slipped his hands behind my back, slowly pushing me closer to him where there was almost no room left really between us. His dusty brown hair was perfectly cut and spiked almost into a small quiff, held down with the smallest amount of gel possible.

As quickly as I got pulled into him and his charm, I pulled myself out. This was not the time to pretend to be in a movie scene. This was the kid, the 6ft. tall kid who tried to steal my seat and give me crap about it. And then had the nerve to say that Maac was my hero. As if I needed saving.

Get a grip, me! This was the same guy who was giving you shit in front of your friends! You are better than this! Make an excuse and get out of there.

"There's... uh... more towels over on the side there... and... I'll be waiting outside if you need any help. Just gonna organize the paints and grab other paints that I'll need to fix the mess I made on the wall..." I quietly commented as I begrudgedly walked out the door of the bathroom and around the corner.

Five minutes later, Ryan peaked out of the bathroom with no paint on his face. I was, at this time, trying to fix the part of the half wall that I ruined with paint. I had a feeling that trying to fix the mess would take forever, but if I could fix part of it quickly I could at least come in early tomorrow and fix what's left. As lon as nothing else happens between now and tomorrow.

"You never answered my question..." Ryan quietly replied as he stood next to me while I took a rolling pin filled with white paint and painted the somewhat dried mess on the wall.

"Which was..?"

"Why are you here?"

"I'm painting... for Drama Club. As part of Scenery Club."

"So the school lets you stay after?"

"Depends on what you're doing. If you're just here to roam the halls and do nothing, then they prefer you to go home or somewhere else. But since I'm doing something for the school, they really don't mind. What should be asked is what are you doing here after hours?"

"I was looking for the president of the Drama Club actually... thought the teacher would be here but I guess not."

"If it helps much, I am on the committee for Drama Club. Maybe I can help.."

"No no! Its fine. I'll just wait until tomorrow. Its not a big deal.."

"It kinda is since auditions are within the next week and there's paperwork that needs to be filled out since Mr. LaPage is really big into making sure all this useless paperwork gets filled out properly and sent back. I mean...I have all the paperwork on me and I can go step by step with you so you know exactly what needs to be done and for when."

He took one look away my pleading eyes before giving in. Smiling, I dropped the roller into the tin of paint and tried to hop off the stage only to feel a pair of strong hands holding onto me. Once again, I was fixated on him. His somewhat built arms, not too thin but also not too built up. He was somewhat on the skinnier side but not like a toothpick skinny. And he was tall but not too tall. I only came up to under his lower lip.

As he lowered me down, all that had happened earlier today had been washed away from my memory. to be honest, I was kind of starting to like this version of Ryan. Like a lot. But not enough to change my mind about dating. But I knew right then he would fit in well with us.

"Thanks..." I stuttered before catching myself and reign going myself back into reality. I then walked over to my bag, unzipping it, and pulling out a huge stack of papers.

By the time we had gone through everything, it was finally time for me to go home. I didn't want to but I knew I had to or I would get into trouble. I walked out with Ryan to our cars and I waved bye before hopping into my own car. Starting up the engine, I plugged my phone in only to see that I had five messages from... Maac.

Instead of reading them, I decided to call to make sure everything was okay. But something in me told me it wasn't some he picked up on the first ring.

"Selena! Where have you been!" It was Maac, and he sounded scared. About what, I was soon to find out.

"Hey. What's wrong? You sound like something bad has happened.." I quietly whispered over the phone to him. I took a small peak over towards Ryan. There was shockingly a look of concern on his face. evgen though I was trying to keep my voice down for him to not hear, it was not quiet enough.

"Come home... please!" Maac demanded. And with that he hung up.

I have never felt the type of way i was feeling at that moment except for a small amount that can be counted on one hand... and this was one of them.

I apologised to Ryan quickly before running out the door and to my car, sending the engine to life before spitting out of the tiny parking lot to head home.

What made it worse was not being able to pull into my own driveway since it was over ran with police cars and a couple ambulances.

At that exact moment, as I made the call to pull into Maac's driveway, my brain flashed back to the moment with Ryan backstage. It was just a small taste of what I would never have, and this life I live is reality. And in this life, there is no such thing as long periods of peace and quiet from havoc and destruction.