5 Times

In which Talia helped Mary 5 times.

First Time.

Mary took the wash rag in one hand and the edge of her desk in the other, cleaning off the surface in wide circles. Talia watched at the door. She dropped her bag by the frame and took another rag, and began cleaning the other desks. 

“Hey.” Said Talia, ringing out her cloth and started washing a desk with it.

“Hey.” Mary replied, sticking out an arm to find a different desk. Talia grabbed a broom and swept the floors in between the desks, near the door, and by the walls, creating a pile of dust in which she scooped up and poured into the trash bin.

“Do you know where the broom is?” Mary asked, reaching out an arm across the wall.

“No need. I already did it, let’s go” Talia answered, taking her own bag in one hand, and Mary’s in the other.

“Oh, thank you.” Mary said. Talia hummed, putting a hand on her shoulder and guiding her out of the classroom.

“Is someone picking you up?” Talia asked Mary, who shook her head.

“No, I can usually find my way home.” 

“I can walk you home if you want?” Talia proposed. Mary shook her head again, “It’s getting late, you don’t need to worry about me, thank you, though.” She waved a dismissing hand. Talia hummed again and let her shoulder go, Mary waved her goodbye and headed to the left.

Talia wiped a hand on her long gray school pants, sighed, and started walking to the right.

Second Time.

Mary extended a hand to feel the flowers before her. She felt a sharp pain in one of her fingers, quickly withdrew her hand and wrapped her other hand around it, feeling blood pool in her fingers. She grit her teeth and sat down on the bench next to the flower bed. Talia walked past the bleeding girl, “Woah. Here, I’ll help you.” She assured.

“Thank you. I think I pricked a finger on a flower there.” Mary said, laughing awkwardly. Talia took a handkerchief out of her jacket pocket and tied it around the bleeding finger.

“Here, this’ll help for now, but you really need some bandages. Wait here, I’ll be right back.” Talia said while jogging down the block.

“O-Ok?” Mary replied, not knowing that the brown-haired girl was already halfway to the drug store.

Talia panted when she finally entered the store. She walked through the aisles, picking up neosporin and bandages of a sort. She dug through her pocket again, taking out a few dollars and handing it to the man at a register. 

Talia soaked up the last of the blood that dripped down Mary’s fingers, applied the neosporin profusely, and then unpackaged a band-aid, sticking it tightly around the pricked finger. Mary moved it slightly, “Thank you for helping me, and I'm sorry if that was your handkerchief I bloodied.” 

“No problem, and it wasn’t, don’t worry.” Talia lied.

Third Time.

By the time Valentine's Day rolled around, Talia was alone, per usual. She walked through the hallways, seeing her peers exchange chocolates and gossip. She rolled her eyes and pushed her way into her classroom, seeing Mary at her desk, bobbing her head lightly to the music that was playing through her earbuds. She tapped the girl on the shoulder and pulled an earbud out, “Whatcha’ listening to?” She asked. Mary turned her direction and took the other bud out.

“Nothing really new.” Mary chuckled. Talia hummed and grabbed a square box of chocolates out of her backpack, sliding it over to Mary.

“Here, for you. I’m guessing we’re both alone this year, right?” Talia laughed. Mary nodded and opened the box, feeling the contents, “Yeah, and thanks. You really didn’t have to.” Talia sighed,

“You have to quit saying that, we’re friends now, and that’s what friends are for, ya know?”

“I guess.” Mary said. Talia stood up from the desk and held Mary’s shoulder again, “I know an excellent cafe around, here. I can take you if you’re free?” Talia asked, helping Mary onto her feet.

“Sure, my mom is expecting me at 5 though.” Mary said, walking out of the classroom with Talia’s hand still on her shoulder.

“Cool. We’ll have enough time, it’s close.”

Talia sunk her fork into a strawberry cake, while Mary enjoyed a simple black tea.

“Are you sure that’s all you want?” Talia asked again with a mouthful of cake. Mary nodded and brung the cup back to her lips, “Yeah, I’m sure, you’ve already treated me enough, I’ll have to pay you back.” 

“Nah, it’s fine. Remember, we’re friends.”

Fourth Time.

“I really don’t get what the teacher is telling us to do by saying, ‘draw something that is your sanctuary!’ I can’t even draw!” Mary mocked the teacher, “What’re you planning to draw?” she asked Talia.

“Hm, I don’t know. I’ll have to think of something quick, though.” She answered.

Talia sat by the lake with a sketchbook on her lap. She twirled a pencil with one hand, and made squiggles and random shapes in the mud with the other. She sighed and washed her hand off. She took a burette from her pocket, pushed her short hair back, and started scribbling on the page, forming something like a face. She then added features like the nose and mouth.

Talia stood up when she realized that the sun was already setting. She smiled at her drawing and shoved the book into her backpack, slinging it over her shoulder. 

“Hey. How’s your drawing coming along?” Talia asked, resting an arm over Mary's shoulder. Mary sighed, “Not so well, I got my mom to look at it for me and she said it looked like a kid drew it!” Talia laughed a bit. 

“Well, I’m done with mine” She asked, taking out the sketchpad from her bag, “Oooo,” Mary awed, taking the drawing from Talia’s hand.

“Aw, the lines aren’t deep enough. I can’t see it.” She sighed giving it back. 

“Dang. Sorry, I didn’t think about that.” Talia said, dropping it into her open backpack.

Talia sat at her desk, drowning out the rambling teacher while she drew over the lines again and again, making a deep indentation. Her drawing had a straight jawline, a small nose, big eyes, hair going down to the shoulder, a little ring and a stud in each ear. 

“Here, I redrew it so you can hopefully see it.” Talia said, putting the indented drawing on Mary’s desk. She picked it up, examining the deep lines with her index finger, then pointed a finger at herself.

“Is it me?” Mary asked, tracing her own face with her right hand and the drawing with her left. Talia smiled, “Yep!”

Fifth Time.

Talia pulled on her long beige pants, a white button up, and an apron tied over it. She grabbed a notepad and slid it into a pocket in the apron. She smiled as she strided over to a booth near a window.

“Hello, are you ready to order?” She asked, taking out her notepad and pen, scribbling down what the customers said.

Talia waved goodbye to their last customer and turned the little cafe sign from ‘yes, we’re open!’ to, ‘sorry, we’re closed!’. Her coworker patted her hard on the back,

“You’ve been workin’ hard recently. What’s the deal?” He asked.

“I’m saving up. Something for my friend.” Talia replied, shuffling tiredly to the dressing room, “Cool. Just remember, take it easy.”He said while walking out of the door. Talia gave him an ok sign.

Talia walked out of the bank, holding a thick envelope tightly in her hands. She met Mary at the same cafe that they went to on Valentine’s day. Talia set the envelope in her lap, and encased Mary’s hands in her own, opening them up and giving her the envelope. Mary furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, “What is this?” She asked, opening the white parchment, careful not to tear it. Mary leafed through the contents, coming to a realization. She dropped the envelope, bringing a hand over her mouth, “You shouldn’t have,” Talia scratched the back of her neck, “Yep.”

A few weeks later, Talia guided Mary to the park, keeping a blindfold over her eyes. Mary clutched her white cane tightly, grazing it over the ground to keep her clear of any obstacles. Talia sat down on a bench, and Mary sat next to her, clutching the cloth over her eyes. 

“Can I take it off now?” Mary asked. Talia hummed as a yes. Mary took a deep breath and removed the blindfold, keeping her eyes closed. She opened her eyes, blinking at the newfound sight. She looked to her left, seeing Talia for the first time.

“Can you see me, Mary?”

…..

“I can see you, Talia.”