Silence is Suicide.

Chapter Seventeen.

Who called my name? She sounded like Annabel in one way or another, but, then again, everything reminds me of my lost love. There is a slight possibility it was my girl. A huge smile formed on my face. Somehow I knew I was getting my hopes up.

Then, my heavy heart hit the ground. It was only the fawn brown haired girl, Rae, who called out my name.

I sighed and gave her a slight friendly wave.

She smiled and began to walk toward me. "Since when did you work here?" she asked noting the broom in my hand.

I shrugged.

She giggled, "That's Andrew, my boyfriend. He's getting a tattoo today." She flashed her perfectly white teeth at me when she smiled. "I'm thinking about getting my nose pierced, but I'm a total chicken. What do you think, Emerson?"

She wanted my opinion? That was unexpected. I looked around for a piece of paper, then i remembered there were some in the back room. I looked at her and held up my finger again, then sprinted to the back room. I ripped some paper and grabbed the nearest pen as quickly as I could. I wrote "Go For It." then scampered back to where Rae was standing. 

I held the paper up and she blushed.

"You think so?" she giggled, hiding her smile.

I nodded yes. then wrote, "You'd look amazing."

She smiled again, unable to hide it and whispered a "Thanks." I watched her walk away toward her boyfriend, Andrew.

Jeremy lead my enemy over to the first station. I watched from a distance, trying to hide from Andrew. He's the one who usually starts my torment. If he saw me, I can guarantee he'll flip out and make an unneeded scene. 

I slipped into the back room and started to doodle on the paper for a little bit. Time flew by quickly.

"Hey," a voice whispered to me, it startled me, and I turned around to face them.

Rae was standing in the doorway smiling at me. "Mind if I sit with you?"

I stood up and offered her my seat. She blushed slightly and accepted it. I sat down in the chair next to her.

She noticed my drawings. "Wow, these are amazing." she said in awe, paging through them with a soft touch. "I think this one is my favorite." Rae showed my the drawing of a rose with a butterfly on a fallen petal. Honestly, that was my favorite too, I spent a lot of time drawing it.

I ripped a piece of paper and wrote, "You can keep it." 

She looked back up at me, blushing, "Honestly?"

I nodded yes.

She reached over and hugged me. She looked into my pain-stricken eyes, "Thank you, it's beautiful."