The Earth Painter Read online

I walked over to the fountain just outside the auditorium, held my hair in my hand and took a drink. The water was sweet, almost like candy. I’d never tasted water like it. I drank and drank until I was satisfied. I stood back up, and my eyes fell on the auditorium doors. Suddenly my fear was gone. I could do this. It felt like I had been made for this. I wanted to go in. I wanted to be on stage. No, it was more like a need than a want, and it was exhilarating. I shoved my script in my backpack before I opened the door to the auditorium.

  I didn’t even pull out a book to read. I wanted to be present, not off someplace else via my kindle. Anthony met me at the door before I could make it to my seat.

  “Listen, I have to warn you before lunch.” Anthony shook his head and looked down at his feet before he looked at me to speak. “Wayne is getting on my nerves today. He got the results back from Clemson University about the water, and there was something unusual about it. Now, I don’t know what he’s talking about half the time, but I’m used to him. I just wanted to give you the heads up.”

  My brows furrowed. “Thanks for the warning, but what’s that got to do with me?”

  “At lunch, he’s going to want to tell you all about it since you brought up the whole water thing. He even mentioned asking you to help him collect the next sample.”

  “Help him get a water sample? What, like turn on the faucet?”

  “No.” Anthony shook his head. His eyes doubled in size. “He and Mr. Winters are going down to the basement where the well is. Clemson wants a sample that’s not been through the pipes yet. Wayne’s going down into the well.”

  “Oh my goodness.” My mouth hung open at the thought. I turned and continued down the aisle to the stage. Anthony followed. “But why does he want me there?”

  “He likes you. He has a thing for redheads, says they’re rare and went on about natural blondes being just as rare but too unattainable and if you can’t afford gold, there’s always copper. I think this is his way of impressing you. I suggested he just invite you to a track meet or something, but Wayne will be Wayne.”

  I spun around, pulled Anthony aside and whispered. “He likes me? I’ve hardly spoken to him.”

  Anthony shrugged his shoulders. “Hey, the heart wants what the heart wants. I’m not telling you what you should do, but I did want to warn you.”

  I looked off into the darkness of the auditorium. “Thanks.”

  “Don’t mention it.” He walked over to the group he usually sat with while I went to my seat next to Theo.

  “What were you two whispering about so intently?” Theo said with a smirk.

  “Oh, his friend Wayne wants to impress me by having me watch him go down the well and get a water sample.”

  Theo’s gray-blue eyes sparkled under his wrinkled forehead. “Why?”

  “He likes me, apparently.” I turned my head away, not wanting to see his reaction to that statement.

  “But why does he want a water sample?”

  “Oh, he sent some to Clemson, and they found something unusual. Now they want a direct sample from the well.

  “Interesting.” He tapped his index finger on his chin then looked at me again. “Can I be there when he gets the sample?” His eyes grew larger, making their brilliant color more visible.

  “I guess. You can ask him, but I’m not planning on being there.”

  “Why not.”

  “I told you…he likes me. I don’t want to encourage him.”

  “Don’t girls normally want boys to like them?”

  I shook my head. “Let’s just say he is not my type.”

  Theo leaned in closer to whisper. “Being the prettiest girl in the school doesn’t make it okay to look down on people. I know that’s the norm, but it’s not right.”

  I thought he’d stopped being like this. I leaned closer to his ear. “I don’t look down on people and stop making fun of me.” Why did he have to go back to being the jerk he was on that first day?

  His mouth fell open, bewilderment hung on his face. “How was I making fun of you?”

  Did I have to say it aloud? “I know I’m not beautiful, so cut it out. And I’m not looking down on Wayne. I don’t want to hurt his feelings by telling him I only like him as a friend.”

  Theo stared into my eyes. His expression serious, no hint of mocking, “I think you’re the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen.” His left hand reached up and gently brushed along my cheek. “Your eyes, the slant of your cheek bones.” He dropped his hand. “If I were going to paint a beautiful face, it would be yours.”

  All I could do was stare back. There was absolutely no air moving in or out of my lungs. I turned back and glanced at the stage so I could catch my breath. Placing my right elbow on the armrest, I cupped my face in my hand. It was hot to the touch and probably the color of blood.

  Ms. Jones started the class by calling roll. Then she asked who wanted to go first with the monologues.

  “Oh crap!” shouted the big guy next to Anthony. “I forgot all about that.”

  “Me too,” Anthony answered back. “I’m not used to having homework in this class.”

  I had planned to try to go first, but now I was out of sorts from what Theo had said. Except for a couple of students, everybody took their script with them and read from it. Then, it was my turn.

  I walked out on stage and looked out over the class sitting in the first couple of rows. Theo was watched me the way he always did. His eyes were full of wonder, leaning forward with interest, like was enthralled with me and what I did.

  I lifted my freckled hand and stared at it as I delivered my line about my hand being from part of a beautiful exploding star from long ago. The thoughts of the lines swept through me and out of my mouth—that I was made by some ancient source of beauty and power and power that slung planets into space.

  I looked out into the audience again, still speaking the lines, but they weren’t just lines anymore. I could see and feel them. They were my words as I pictured a beautiful diamond buried inside of me, waiting to be discovered, just like the diamonds deep in the earth waiting to be found. Waiting to be dusted off, declared to be more than an accidental rock, but beautifully significant.

  The lines I had struggled to understand, now meant so much to me as I shared them. I lamented about the wonders of the earth that made us stop and stare in awe, the green plants, the towering trees, the vast oceans of beauty, and for the first time, I realized I too was part of the beauty of Earth.

  I looked back at my speckled hand again, but with a look of wonder, the same way Theo looked at me. “And he called this bit of me an atom. And when he wrote the word, I fell in love with it. Atom. Atom. What a beautiful word.”

  I stopped, not sure what had just happened and gazed into the audience. Ms. Jones jumped up and applauded. “Now, that’s what I’m talking about people.”

  A few of the students started clapping too. The bell sounded, and I ran up the aisle and into the restroom. I splashed water on my warm cheeks and dried them with a paper towel. I stayed there until the halls were clear. I didn’t feel like eating or talking to Wayne. I stepped out into the hall, looked around and then headed for the school’s library and ducked inside. I browsed the fiction section, but all they had were old books, nothing current. Wandering over to the reference section, I spotted the rows of yearbooks. I thumbed through the one from nineteen-eighties—when my parents attended Chesnee High School.

  There was my mom, in a long white dress, standing on stage. A sash hung over her shoulder pronouncing her Miss Chesnee High School. At first, my eyes focused on her and the crown on her head, but then I noticed something odd in the smaller picture in the bottom left corner. On the stage, sitting on the floor, with his legs hanging into the orchestra pit was a guy. His face was too small and out of focus to see it clearly, but his build and shape were familiar.

  The bell rang, but I didn’t hear it at first. Students in the library were filing out, rushing to class. I put the yearbook back on the she
lf and shook my head, “Nah, it couldn’t be him.” I ran out the door and down the hall. Theo was on my mind—that was all. The boy in the picture just happened to be sitting in the exact spot where I first saw Theo.

  I needed to shake him out of my brain so I could concentrate on my schoolwork, but he was all I could think about.

  I got to the door of my class but froze. Students brushed passed me to enter the room, and I stepped out of the way to let them all by. The bell rang, and the door shut. The only way I’d be admitted now was with a tardy slip from the office.

  I leaned against the wall and slid down to sit on the floor. I put my face in my hands. Tears spilled out of my eyes as I fought to keep it all inside, but my frustration wouldn’t stay in.

  I finally stood up and walked down the hall to the restroom to splash more cold water on my face. I looked in the mirror examining my freckled and now, red splotched face. Today, for the first time, as I spoke those lines, I understood them. They became my words as I became Tillie. I had to believe that hidden for all these years was something beautiful; something of great worth inside of me. I wanted it out badly so I could see it, even if no one else did. Something about the way Theo looked at me made me think he’d seen the beauty in me.

  I sucked in a breath, walked out the door and stopped at the water fountain to get a drink. I drank again as I had earlier. The water was refreshing, cooling me, soothing me all over. When I looked up, my eyes fell on the double wooden doors to the auditorium again. I thought of what had happened in there earlier and about Theo. When I thought of him, my heart skipped a beat.

  Chapter 7

  I finally made it to the office for a pass to get into class, but I wasn’t fully present even when I slid into my desk. Later, I was still in a fog as I walked to Shelby’s car. Everyone ran past me to get to their cars; however, to me, they moved in slow motion. Tires squealed, engines roared, but I barely noticed until I felt a tap on my shoulder.

  “Holly, I’ve been chasing you down the hall and yelling your name. Didn’t you hear me?” I turned to see Wayne standing behind me.

  “No, I’m sorry,” I shook my head. “I didn’t. I had my mind on other things.”

  “I’ve wanted to talk to you, but you didn’t come to lunch. It’s the most extraordinary thing. Clemson University contacted me about the water from our well. There is some unknown trace mineral or substance they cannot identify. They want me to collect an unadulterated sample from the well. Mr. Winters and I are getting a harness from his brother who rock climbs, and I’m going down in the well to collect the sample in the kit they sent to me.”

  I watched his face light up in excitement as he spoke without taking a breath. My conversation with Anthony had slipped my mind, and now my brain was too numb to come up with an excuse. “Wow, that sounds…interesting.”

  “If we discover something new, my name will go in the science books, and it’s all because of you. I was wondering if you would like to stay after school with us Thursday and watch me go into the well to get the sample?”

  “I would, but….” I glanced over to Shelby’s car where she sat texting. “I don’t have a car and my ride has an after school job. I’d hate to ask her to stay and wait on me.” That sounded good.

  “I’ll take you home. My parents just bought me a new car,” he said and pointed to a shiny black Camaro.

  I was stuck. “Sure.” I smiled at him and took a breath. “See you tomorrow.”

  Wayne smiled his metal smile, “It’s a date.” Suddenly a hiccup like sound escaped from his lips. It happened a few times before I realized he was laughing.

  “My ride is…um…waiting.” I turned and ran to Shelby’s car.

  I got in the car and slammed the door. “Drive.”

  Shelby did as I commanded, before she giggled. “You and Wayne Mossburg?”

  “The end of that sentence is, ‘are friends,’” I said with a glare.

  “What were you guys talking about?”

  I didn’t want to get into all of it. “He asked me to help with a science thing after school Thursday. He’s going to give me a ride home after.”

  “Um huh?” She grinned and glanced at me.

  “Hey, I don’t bother you about your guy so leave me alone about this guy who’s not my guy at all, okay.”

  “Just messing with you. Say, you wanna do something Friday after school? I’m off and was thinking of going to the mall and then the football game.”

  “Maybe. I’ll ask my mom if I can.”

  Shelby pulled into my driveway. “See you tomorrow.”

  “See ya.”

  It was nice looking forward to school for a change. I looked forward to drama and seeing Theo.

  ***

  Shelby didn’t have much to say the next morning on the way to school. After a while, I had to ask why she was being so quiet.

  “Sorry,” she said. “Brad and I had our first fight last night when I got off work.”

  “Oh, sorry. Was it a serious fight?” I didn’t want to pry but if she needed to talk…

  She shook her head, “I did something stupid and made him mad. It’s my fault really.”

  I didn’t bother her anymore about it. I had too much going on with my own life to add Shelby’s problems to my list.

  I got to drama a little late because my AP history class ran over. Ms. Jones walked to the middle of the stage. Paint splattered overalls replaced her normal dressy style “Listen up everyone. Our scripts still aren’t here, so we are going to get busy painting scenery. We have canvases ready for painting. If you are talented in art, you can work on the forest backdrop. If you are not so great with a paint brush, you are not excluded from helping. You will work on the stone walls for the castle. All you do with those is paint the whole canvas gray. Then later, someone from the art department will go over it to make the stone outlines.”

  She was about to walk off when she remembered something. “Oh and because of her excellent performance, Holly Scruggs will be performing her monologue for the parent teacher night scheduled next week.”

  I stood there, for a second, while people half clapped and half mumbled they were glad I’d done a good job instead of them, as they got busy putting on paint smocks and heading to different painting stations.

  I trudged up the steps to the stage and looked at the canvas destined to be stonewalls. I sighed grateful they had something simple I could work on. Even I could paint the whole thing gray.

  I snagged a painting smock and snapped it up before grabbing a brush to dip in the bucket of gray paint.

  “Why are you painting a gray wall when you could be painting a forest?” Theo asked from behind me.

  I turned around so he could see me roll my eyes. “Um…because not everyone can paint like you.”

  “Tsk…sure you can. All you need is a little guidance.” Theo took my hand and dragged me to the larger canvas no one had started on. I followed without protest. I didn’t mind Theo showing off to impress me. It was kind of flattering. My heart skipped a beat.

  But instead of me standing back to watch him, he stood behind me, and took hold of my right hand while nuzzling his face by my ear. “First, let’s start with green. The forest is made of different shades of green. Green means growth and life,” he whispered. His breath tickled my earlobe. Goose bumps pimpled down that side of my body in response. He guided my brush into the paint and then across the canvas with soft gentle strokes. My eyes fluttered when he tucked strands of my hair behind my ear. I’d never been held by a boy before. The feelings and thoughts were more than I could comprehend.

  “If we mix the green with a touch of black, mix white for gray, we can create shadows.” He mixed the colors on a piece of cardboard box he held for a pallet.

  We moved from side to side, up and down, covering the blank canvas with gentle strokes. His words still tickling each time he spoke. My heartbeat quickened, and my breathing became a little more labored. I watched in amazement as my brush changed the ca
nvas from white to shapeless shades of green and then into a forest thick with vegetation.

  As the brush glided along the canvas, I breathed in deeply, the scent of pine trees rushed up my nose. I shook my head and tried to focus on the trees we were painting. The flat painted trees suddenly became three-dimensional. A brown and white bunny hopped into a bush and stirred the leaves, causing me to turn my head towards the motion just before a squirrel scurried up an oak tree carrying a nut in its mouth.

  I swallowed, and my breath caught as the trees began to surround me. For a second, I was sure I was in a real forest. I could smell it. I could hear the leaves rustle while, at the same time, I could feel Theo still holding me guiding my brush across the canvas. My knowledge of what was true and my senses were in conflict.

  Was the room spinning? My stomach was moving with it, or at least it felt like it. I couldn’t process what I saw or thought I saw while painting. The paint fumes were making me high. I had to get away from them. I stepped back from the canvas to get a grip on myself.

  The dizziness continued, and my stomached tightened. My breathing became quick and shallow. The room grew dim while stars sparkled over me. I was afraid I might faint or throw up. I pulled out of Theo’s grasp and bent over to catch my breath. Ms. Jones and some of the other students looked up to see what was wrong with me. It was distressing enough to feel sick, but it would be too embarrassing to throw up or faint in front of the class.

  “Holly, did you paint that?” asked Ms. Jones, her eyes wide with wonder.

  I looked up at the painting. The forest was immaculate, but just a flat painting, not the real one I was sure I’d just been in with Theo.

  “Theo painted it, not me,” I answered panting with my head still bent over.

  Ms. Jones rushed closer to check on me, placing her hand on my back. “Are you all right?”

  “I think the paint fumes must have gotten to me. I…I don’t feel well.”

  Well run outside. Go straight out the side curtain and you’ll see the exit.”

  I rushed through the side curtains and barreled out the door. The sunlight blinded me after being in the dim auditorium so long. I stood and took several deep breaths to clear my lungs. That’s when I noticed a boy hiding in the doorway, smoking a cigarette. I turned to go back in, but the door was locked.