Guilt by Leen Elle Read Free Book Online Page B

concern, and didn't seem to be able to grasp his own thoughts at the moment.
    When he failed to move, Claire took hold of the paper, ready to grab it away from him. "Can I have it?"
    It took a few more seconds for him to respond, but he let go of it. "Sure. I guess so." His expression didn't change, but he didn't stop her from taking it.
    Claire looked at it. It was the charcoal drawing from the newspaper article. Before he could change his mind, she slid the paper into her own portfolio to get it out of sight.
    She couldn't fully explain to herself why she reacted the way she did towards Corry's strange conduct, but the thought of this talented artist destroying his own skilled work agitated her. Unlike the Freak, who tended to create gruesome images for the sake of doing so, and because the sight of blood and gore thrilled his demented young mind, Corry's works were full of heart. Even if his works were melancholy, one could tell that he felt the pain and sorrow of the world through his art. He was beyond the artistic ability and mentality of the average teenager. Such talent had to be preserved, even if it mean protecting it from the artist himself.
    Corry shoved the other two drawings into his own portfolio, but crumpled up the index card that held the critique for the charcoal drawing. The class period moved onward, and Corry returned to his former state of awkward silence. Claire could detect the tension from his sulking, and felt it darken her own mood.
    On his way out the door at the end of class,Corry threw the index card in the trash. Claire held back until he left the classroom, and then fished the card from the top of the trash bin. She was curious about what Mr. Dart could have said that made the boy react the way he did.
    She intended to unfold the card on her way to Algebra class, but Corry came up beside her in the hall. She jumped at his unexpected presence, and barely managed to hide the card from his view.
    "I wanted to apologize," he said. "My actions in class today were probably a little - strange . . .You know, when I tried to throw that picture away."
    "Not at all," Claire lied. What was she supposed to say?
    "I just . . . wasn't very happy with that drawing." He justified.
    She thought that was a bit of a vague explanation, but didn't think it would be right to question him on it. They fell silent, the earlier exchange over the drawing still making them feel uncomfortable. He continued walking with her until she approached her classroom, then said good bye and that he'd see her tomorrow in art class. She responded likewise and ducked into the room.
    When she seated herself at her desk, she pulled out the index card from the pocket of her jeans, where she had hidden it, and scanned the critique. Mr. Dart's assessment of Corry's work was very positive. In fact, it was exactly what Claire had expected to receive regarding her own work. She read it again more thoroughly. The art teacher commended him on both his style and his imagination.
    Claire sat there wondering what could have made Corry react so negatively to such praise. Algebra class began soon after, and she dismissed the issue. When she left school for the day she threw the card in the trash on her way out the door.
    Apparently, Corry just couldn't handle a compliment.
     
     
     
     

Chapter Nine
     
    I stared at the black and white picture that accompanied the obituary. The photo was pixilated and dark, and it had faded during its time in my portfolio, but his features were still visible. The newspaper used Corry's yearbook picture. It was the most recent photo of him, being taken only a few weeks before his death.
    I'd forgotten exactly what his features looked like. Although I thought of him many times, his physical appearance seemed to have dulled in my memory. He was a year older than me when I knew him. I remembered him seeming nearly grown up, then. Whether it was his physical visage or the quiet intelligence I saw in his eyes, he had