To Kill a Heart Ch. 2

I walked around my room. Trying to figure out what to wear to school that day. I wanted to wear red, I didn't really know why, I just felt like wearing the bold color. I finally choose a crimson long sleeve sweater, and pulled it over my head. Sitting in front of my mirror I put on my make up. I loathed the activity, but Apolo always threw approving looks my way when I wore it. That's what made it worthwhile.  1

Standing up, I grabbed my backpack, and headed down stairs to grab a bite to eat before I left for school. Damn I thought. There was no cereal again, a common occurrence in the Blancett house. In all actuality it was more common to have no food at all. My Mom and I were always in dire straights when I came to money, so food was way down there on the bottom of the list of necessities. It was less important than oh say, a new shirt, or knickknack for the house that mom just had to have.2

Running out the door, I cursed my mother under my breath, and caught my bus. 3

The routine of the days at school was almost more then I could take. The reasons for having to go to the same classes, at the same time, to learn the same thing only in another way were just beyond me, and Apolo for that matter. 4

I hated school and I always will. All of my classes were mundane and completely boring, all of them except the ones I had with Apolo of course. I had two classes with him, and my only saving grace during those hours was his presence. 5

He had this silly little thing he would do when he was bored. Getting up from his chair he would sneak over to me and just talk at me about nothing until I acknowledged him. It was a game. If the teacher caught him sitting there on his haunches before I either talked to him, looked at him, or he got tired of the game and left then I won. I won a lot. That particular teacher never liked Apolo any way. 6

School was about to end and I was chatting with Apolo about nothing in particular when the bell rang. So off he went, leaving me in mid sentence. He did that a lot. His friends would show up in the middle of a conversation we were having and then he would just leave, with out saying much more than goodbye. 7

As I sat on the bus I thought about my predicament. What was I to do about these feelings that I have for Apolo? How was I going to let him know how I felt? The bus stopped, and I got off. Dozens of ideas on how to rid myself of the feelings I had for him rolled though my head, only to have me shove them away. I didn't want to stop loving him; what I wanted was for him to love me. 8

I walked in the door to my house, and trudged up to my room. Looking around I realized suddenly that Apolo fulfilled my life. I had pictures of the two of us all over my room. 9

I stepped over to my dresser and picked one up. It was my favorite. We were at the beach, the ocean at our backs, and I was up in Apolos arms, like a bride. It was just supposed to be one of those pose-with-an-arm-around-the-other-persons-back pictures, but just before it was taken he picked me up.10

I put the frame back down and sighed. What was I going to do? I smiled grimly and thought; life isn't worth living if I don't have Apolo to live it with. I didn't know it then, but I had just given myself the answer to my problem.11