Cherry - part 27

Zia

Projects

Her giant calendar on the wall had yet another X on it. She was counting down. She wanted a normal, regular life. Perry had been weird ever since that dinner thing with Cherry and their families. It was several days ago, yet he continued to being strangely silent. Zia had asked him how it all went, but the only thing he had said, was “Good.” So she didn't bother with asking no more. Instead she tried to make something useful of the last week she had left before she started her job. Countless times her mother had asked her “So what are you going to do today, honey?” and Zia had a new answer every day; “I found my old paint-stuff in the basement. I'm going to take up painting.”, “I'm going jogging.”, “I'm going to organize all my music.”, “I'm going to make vases of clay.”, “I'm going to reorganize my room.”, “I'm going shopping for new clothes and give some of my old to charity.”. She was restless and even though she thought “I could also just relax.” but being alone in the house was too much for her. She was used to being alone. She was used to live in an apartment in Paris, having each night alone. The truth was that Zia was lonely and had been for a long time, so she had to distract herself from the noisy silence. Today's project was to go visit her new workplace to get a better hold of it. She didn't want to risk her dignity because she couldn't find her way around it.

She drove her own car to the school and the silence was screaming at her. It was class time so the halls were empty. She wandered the halls silently around the school, until she came to the hall were her upcoming class was. She had been here once before, after hours, but it was strange to know that her students were on the other side of the wall. The bell rang, and only a few seconds later the students roamed the halls. A girl, who came from her upcoming class, stared at her. A boy beside her shot a look at the girl, then at Zia. They were about three people apart. The girl said something to the boy, but Zia couldn't hear it. The boy said one word, and then looked at Zia again. The girl nodded and turned around. Then they walked away. Now Zia could see her bright, red hair flair around her shoulders.

She continued onwards.

When the kids went to the next class, she decided to go home. It was quite hot outside and the last bits of summer were still visible in the heat, the birds, the flowers and the warm wind. She sat in her car with the door open and her legs out to cool down the car. She watched a car drive rapidly around the parking lot, finally parked and a man furiously stormed out of the car.

What a maniac, she thought for herself; I better get out of here before he pulls out a gun or something. She swung in her legs, but before she got to close the door, the man stood in the way.

“Hello.” He said calmly, fixing his messed hair. He was dressed in a suit.

“Can I help you?” Zia asked, and was surprised by her worried voice.

“Do you, by any chance, know where...” he paused and pulled up a note from his pocket, looked at his watched while mumbling 'second period', “classroom 13c is?” He looked pleadingly at her.

“I'm in a hurry.” He added. He was tall and very handsome. He had brown eyes, glasses and brown, messed hair.

“I'm sorry, I don't know.” She turned the key and heard the engine roar a bit.

“So you're not a mother?” He was genuinely surprised.

“I'm going to teach here in a couple of days.”

“Lucky students. Thanks anyway.”

“Bye.”

And then she drove away.