Painting the Sky

Nothing hurts people more than their first heartbreak. It leaves a lasting scar that stings every time someone tries to repair it. Skylar is in the process of finding herself after her first heartbreak, but she finds herself unable to open up to her longtime crush, Isaiah. She continues to search for a solution to her shyness, but she’s unsuccessful until everything starts to change.

“You can do this. He’s just a normal guy; you can do this,” Skylar tells herself. “He-”

“Isaiah, you going to the bonfire Saturday?” Ben asks. She ducks out of the boys’ sight.

Isaiah walks up to Ben, unbeknownst to him that Skylar is hiding in the bush able to hear everything. “Why wouldn’t I? It’s the perfect opportunity to meet some new girls,” Isaiah tells Ben, his best friend.

Ben nods his head in agreement. “Yeah, bro, you need a girl that isn’t psycho this time. Scarlett is the most insane person I’ve ever met. How is she not locked up?”

“I don’t know, dude, but I’m glad I got out while I still could.”

“Alright, see you later.”

This is Skylar's life: constantly vying for Isaiah to so much as glance at her, but it never happens. Her introverted disposition doesn’t make her a prime candidate for Isaiah’s attention. Yet, as timid as she is, she longs for a way to show him her true feelings for him.

“Um, Sky…..what are you doing in a bush?” Claudia asks.

“Oh...um….nothing,” Skylar replies.

“You’re right. I’m sure it has nothing to do with the fact that Isaiah Anderson, the guy of your dreams, is coming to the bonfire, which I’m forcing you to accompany me to as my best friend.” Staring off into the distance, Skylar tries to ignore Claudia. “Listen, I know that it’s hard for you to open up again, but holding your feelings in isn’t going to do any good…”

“Skylar, you know I would never hurt you; you mean too much to me. Just tell me.”

“I’m afraid.”

“Afraid of what? I could help you, but, Sky, you have to be honest with me.”

“You could actually have a shot with him. You just need to be hone-”

“I’m afraid of you, us, this. I’m giving you every piece of my heart, and I don’t want you to break it.”

“Are you crazy? I love you, babe. That wouldn’t be possible.”

Claudia rambles on unknowledgable that Skylar isn’t listening.“Isaiah would be insane, completely insane if he didn’t reciprocate your feelings. I’m sure he feels the sa-”

“I believe you. Please, don’t prove me wrong.”

Realizing Skylar is no longer in the conversation Claudia tries to gain her attention. “Skylar?”

“I won’t.”

“Sky?”

“I trust you.”

“Skylar, are you even listening? Do you hear what I’m saying?”

“Look, I know understand what you’re saying. I get that it’s frustrating seeing me sad all the time, and it’s an easy fix if I tell him how I feel. I know, but don’t you get that it’s difficult for me too? I showed someone how I felt before, and I wouldn’t be able to handle that again. The pain that follows heartbreak….it’s unbearable.”

“I’m sorry that you had to go through that, but what if Isaiah is different? He could be the one to heal those wounds,” Claudia explains to her.

“You don’t get it. You don’t know what it’s like to show someone the most intimate, personal feelings you repress inside yourself, the ones you tell yourself you’ll always keep hidden. But you don’t anyway because you let some stupid guy know every aspect of your mind, your heart, your soul, your everything until they have every piece you, that you can never get back. You don’t understand what it’s like to tear down every wall that you’ve ever built to protect yourself brick by brick, and in return the person you love betrays you. You don’t get that I’m broken! You don’t know what it’s like to feel unloveable. Don’t you get that? Don’t you empathize with me? I can’t tell Isaiah how I feel, so I guess he’ll never know.”

“I don’t know what to say,” Claudia tells her best friend.

“Me neither, that’s kind of the problem here.”

“Have you seen anyone about this? I hear it helps?”

“And be the laughingstock of the town? No thanks.”

“No matter what happens, you’ll never be the laughingstock. Scarlett will always reserve that role. Hey, maybe she can help you! She can brew up some magical, mystical, mysterious spell that will cure you of your demureness of feelings,” Claudia mocks.

“I actually hate you.”

“No you don’t.”

“You’re right.”

“Oh no!” Claudia exclaims when she notices the sky is fading to a darker shade of blue, one of the three colors the sky is normally: light blue in the morning, blue in the afternoon, and dark blue at night. “It’s almost dinner; I have to go. I’ll see you at the bonfire.”

Skylar walks away feeling conflicted if she wants to attend the bonfire. If she goes, there is a chance she could talk to Isaiah. It is her dilemma and her dream. She begrudgingly walks to her house and stumbling on her feet, she runs into an old woman with a scar across the left side of her face.

“Oh, dear, be careful where you step,” she tells Skylar.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I’ll be more careful.”

“Is something troubling you? You seem distracted. I could help.”

“I wish you could, but unless you have some magic potion that could cure my problems, I don’t think you can.”

“Well, you never know. I have a few tricks up my sleeves. Let me see what I can do. Tell me, dear. What seems to be the problem?”

Skylar sighs and reluctantly explains, “There’s this guy.”

“There always is,” the old witch mumbles to herself.

“What?”

Catching herself, the witch mumbles, “Oh nothing, dear. Please continue.”

She explains to the witch her issue with revealing her feelings for Isaiah while walking to the witch’s house in the forest. The witch then conjures up a spell and gives it to Skylar. She tells her to drink the potion when she can’t find the words to tell him her feelings. Skylar thanks her and walks away.

At the bonfire, Claudia drags Skylar to the general area where Isaiah is standing. Even with Claudia’s persistence, she can’t muster up the courage to tell him how she feels. “Come on, Sky,” Claudia begs, “If you would turn around, you’d see that Isaiah is looking at you. There’s nothing to be afraid of. You’re the kindest and prettiest girl here; he’d be stupid to turn you down.”

Skylar slowly turns around to see Isaiah giving her a subtle nod and calling her over. She looks at him, then down at the potion she holds in her hand. She whispers to herself, “I can do this,” drinks the potion, and walks over to him.

Laughing and exchanging embarrassing stories, Isaiah and Skylar shared the perfect night. Isaiah walks Skylar up to her doorstep and pauses before turning to her and saying, “Tonight was amazing; I don’t want to say goodbye.”

Skylar looks down, “Me neither,” she says as a subtle blush paints her cheek.

He looks up and gazes intently into her eyes while removing a single strand of hair from her face. He softly kisses her cheek engendering the blush to spread to her entire face. He waves goodbye and says, “Until tomorrow,” but Skylar never woke up the next day.

The next day, Isaiah searches for Skylar, yet he can’t find her. Desperate to talk to her, he runs up to Claudia, “Have you seen Skylar? I can’t find her anywhere?”

The look on Claudia’s face tells him his answer, and walks away dumbfounded. They never saw her again. As it turns out, the old witch isn’t old at all; she’s a beautiful, young maiden, Scarlett, who was once in love with Isaiah. She fears Skylar, whose beauty is beyond compare, so she conjures a spell that turns Skylar into the sky. The once dull blue that was light during day, and dark during night now allow Skylar to express her feelings. When she sees Isaiah with a gorgeous girl, it turns a green shade of envy. When she sees Isaiah upset and hurting, the sky turns a red shade. The rain comes and goes when she cries, and the wind forms when she’s frustrated. Although it isn’t the life she imagined, the witch kept her promise, and she can express her feelings.