That's How I Met the Artist | Teen Ink

That's How I Met the Artist

March 31, 2010
By purpleauthor BRONZE, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
purpleauthor BRONZE, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
4 articles 0 photos 8 comments

Favorite Quote:
Life's journey is not to arrive at the grave safely in a well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, totally worn out, shouting, " What a ride!"


I picked up the necklace and held it in front of my face. The small fake diamonds inside it reflected in the light from the sun coming through my window. I smiled at it and locked the chain around my neck and patted it down against my chest. It stood out perfectly on my plain baby blue t-shirt. My skinny jeans and matching spiked belt gave me a different kind of look. I admired the necklace in the mirror again as I flattened my long blonde hair with my hands. This necklace was just my name, Maggie, written in gray capitol letters and were filled in with those fake diamonds you get in every piece of jewelry sold at Wal-Mart. The reason it was so special? My father, who passed away last year, bought it for me as a last minute 8th grade graduation gift. This gift was all I had to really remember him by, and I wouldn’t give it up for the world

I grabbed my bag and headed for the hallway, down the stairs and into the living room. “Good morning Maggie!” My mother said cheerfully. She was making pancakes, like she always does on the first day of school. “Do you want bacon or eggs with the pancakes?” She asked. I shrugged, “Bacon is fine,” She plopped a plate of fresh cakes in front of me. And oh my god, did they look good. To bad I had zero time to eat them. I grabbed them with my hands and stuffed them in my mouth. Grabbing my backpack and a piece of bacon I mumbled, “Seeya after school mom!” and I was off.


I arrived at my new high school in less then a five minute walk, my excitement was driving my feet as fast as they could go. This was going to be a good day, I would make sure of it. I was smiling at this thought when I happened to trip on a rock. Go figure, only I would trip on a rock! Landing on my face on the hard cement, I heard laughter behind me. A group of sophomores were walking to school as well and had witnessed my embarrassing fall. I rolled my eyes, “Great, that’s just what I needed,” Whipping the dirt off my shirt I kept walking, still keeping that positive happy feeling.

“Welcome freshman!” a peppy senior yelled from the cafeteria. She was handing out maps of the school so we wouldn’t get lost. I ran to grab one. “Here, you go, and welcome to high school!” She practically threw the little yellow paper at my face. Her strange toothy smile scared me, “Wow?” I thought to myself.

The bell rang through the school and I glanced at the roster that was mailed to me. “First period, History, room 117” I said to myself. I scanned the map and placed my finger on room 117 and followed the nearest staircase up to the first floor. I read the numbers on the tops of the doors as they flew by me in my rush to get to class. “115, 116, 118” I said. Wait? 118? Where’s 117. I whipped around, the hall was emptying, I was going to be late! The room in front of me was 116, but right nest to it was 118. That doesn’t make sense? As I turned around as saw the little numbers 117 over a door, a boy ran by and hit my backpack with hit textbook.

“Happy first day freshman!” he yelled and ran around the corner. My bag had gone flying and somehow opened itself? My new books and pens were scattered across the hall. I cursed under my breath. I raced around and grabbed my things and set foot in 117 just as the bell rang for class to begin. The entire room was filled with unknown faces, and they were staring at me. My hand instinctively went up to my necklace and I started to fiddle with it to relieve my stress. The only empty seat was next to the only person not staring at me, a boy with sandy brown hair. I walked over to him and gently placed my things next to me on the desk. He didn’t look up. I leaned over to get a view of what he was doing. He was drawing, and he was really good. He had drawn the front of the high school so perfectly I thought it was a photo at first glance. He didn’t seem to notice me watching him sketch away.

The class had started and the history teacher, Mr. Dinardo, was handing out worksheets for us to fill out. The boy next to me was still drawing; he was adding people to his scene now. A girl with brown hair and a pink dress was walking up to the building. It was amazing how real it looked.

The mop of brown hair in front of his face was hanging down, shielding his eyes. I could make out the bright blue color of his eyes when he looked over at me, and caught me watching. I flinched and jumped up and looked straight at Mr. Dinardo. I saw him smiled and laugh out of the corner or my eye. Embarrassed I began stroking my necklace again. I see the intent the letter had made on my fingers by the end of the class.

The bell rang and I rushed to grab my things. As I was about to walk away I felt a hand on my arm pulling me back. “Hi,” the boy said, “My name’s Sam, I thought it would be rude if I didn’t introduce myself,” He let go of my arm and I smiled back at him. “Well hello to you to, I’m..” But I he cut me off. “Maggie?” he said. I squinted at him, “Yeah, how did you know?” He laughed and pointed at the necklace, “It’s written right there, I doubt you’d where something with a name that isn’t yours?”

I blushed and looked down at it. “Yeah, that’s me! All Maggie!” Sam went to pick up his things, I could see the finished picture on top of his notebook, it was so beautifully done. He held out his hand, “Nice meeting you Maggie, I’ll see you around some time,” He smiled, I looked up at his face, it had to be as beautiful as his drawing skills! Sam walked away and I was alone in the classroom. Oh crap! I have to get to my next class!


Finally lunch! All day I’ve been running around this god forsaken place trying to get from one room to another, do I really have to do this everyday till June? I sat down at an empty table, I’ve been so busy trying to find classes, I really didn’t have anytime to talk to people and make friends. I stared at the table, “Great, I’m alone. All by myself, cause I don’t know how to use a map,” I pulled out a book from my bag and started to read.

I was engulfed in my book, in a totally different world when I heard a chair move at the other end of the long table. I looked from the corner of my eye. It was Sam. I was going to say hello to him when I saw him take out a plain piece of paper and a pencil and he started to draw. I looked back down at my book; I decided not to disturb him.

Mr. Dinardo came up to me and tapped my shoulder. “All alone Maggie?” he asked. I turned and looked up at him. Sam looked at me and seemed to scan the whole front of my body. For a second I felt uncomfortable, but hey, whatever? Mr. Dinardo started to talk about how impressed he was with my grades that he had received before the beginning of the year. The entire lunch period I sat facing my teacher as he told me of his high hopes for my history grade. Every few minutes Sam would look up and scan me again. He would just go right back to drawing, what was he doing?

The bell rang and I gathered my things. Mr. Dinardo said goodbye and Sam rushed to grab his things as well. He ran out of the room before I could say anything.

I walked down the hall, only one period left till the end of the day! I lifted my hand to touch my necklace, but it wasn’t there. I looked down and saw nothing; I reached in my shirt and found nothing! Where is my necklace! I turned around and scanned the ground for any sign of shiny metal. I raced down the hall and back to the lunch table, nothing. I started to panic, this can’t be happening! The bell rang, damn, now I’m late! I ran up the stairs to my English class and into the room as fast as possible. Again, when I entered, every face was turned on me. My hand went to my chest, but there was nothing there, nothing to comfort me. I raced to the empty seat in the back and rubbed my face to soothe the red heat in my stressed out skin.

I couldn’t concentrate, the class felt like 2 seconds long because before I knew it the bell was ringing for the end of the day. I shot up and ran to my locker downstairs, I’d have to search the entire building for it! As I ran up to the tan colored locker that belonged to me I saw a piece of paper taped to it. It was me, all my features in a drawing of me. My shirt, my hair, the color of my eyes, ad on my chest was my necklace! I stroked the drawing, it was so amazing, I swear this drawing looked better then any professional photograph I’ve ever had taken. I put my hands on my mouth admiring the beauty, when I saw a small envelope taped below the picture. It had my name written on the front, I took it and opened it. Inside was my necklace! And a small note that said, “Lose something?” I looked around at the end of the empty hallway was Sam leaning against the wall smiling at me. I walked up to him, “Where did you find it?” He shrugged, “It fell off in the hallway I saw it and remembered it was yours,” I stared, “But how did you know that locker was mine?” He looked down the hall and pointed to a wrinkly old man with tattoos up and down his arms. “The amazing skills of a janitor and his list of locker numbers.” He laughed and started to walk away.

“Hey, where are you going?” I asked him. “Home?” He pointed to the door at the end of the hall. I walked up to him and looked up at his face, “That picture is amazing, is that what you were doing at lunch?” Sam blushed; I could feel the heat coming off hi face. “Well yeah. I thought you would like it because of the way you watched me draw and I.. think you’re kinda cool?” I looked at him, “Lame” He smiled, and took my necklace from my hands. He ran his hands under my hair and clipped it firmly around my neck. “So? What would you say if I asked you to go with me to a movie on Saturday?” he said, removing his hand and looking into my eyes. I felt dizzy, is there such thing as love at first sight? “Hmm, maybe depends on what we see?” “ANYTHING but a chick flick!” he said. “Oh, I’m so looking up the nastiest, girlish movie I can find!”

“So I’ll take that as a yes to my date offer?” He asked. “Why yes Sam I believe it is,” Since when had I become so cheesy? He held out his hand, I took it and we walked out to the front steps. I turned around and we looked at the building. Yup, just like his picture! He looked down at me, “Is there any kind of official agreement so I know you won’t stand me up?” I looked up at him and smiled and planted one right on his lips! When I pulled away he looked shocked, “Too soon?” I asked, blushing. “Well maybe it was to soon, but her this is high school, you got move when you get the chance!” He laughed. Thank god! I thought I just screwed up everything by kissing him! But wow, he tasted good! Is that wrong?

He bent down and kissed me again, yeah, he tastes real good, like Cherry Pepsi good! “Wow,” I said, feeling dizzy again. “Is that a official enough for you?” I asked. He nodded. “Well, we don’t know each others last names but we know what out lips taste like?” He laughed again. Good so I’m not the only one thinking of the word taste. “So I’ll seeya tomorrow Sam!” Suddenly I felt like I couldn’t stop saying his name! “Till tomorrow Maggie,” And that I would never get tired of hearing him say mine. He winked and walked away. When he was out of sight and around the corner, I jumped in the air and spun around in circles. Another group of sophomores walked by me. “Damn, freshman, calm down, it’s only the first day of school, stop being so happy!” She yelled at me. I still smiled and skipped down the stairs and down the street.

I touched my necklace again, and looked up at the sky, “Hey dad, you’ll never believe this! I finally have a boyfriend!” The sun shined down and reflected off the metal. Because of this necklace, I met the artist! Man, there I go again, being cheesy, maybe that’s what happens when you randomly fall head over heels!


The author's comments:
Do you believe in love at first sight?

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