As I stared at the black paint on my canvas, I couldn't help but think about her. She was like a burst of color in my monochrome life. Her slight smile could brighten up my day and bring a whole new range of hues to my board.
But for the past two weeks, she had been absent from school, and I felt her absence keenly. Every girl I saw reminded me of her, and her face seemed to haunt me wherever I looked. I couldn't help but worry about her.
On the first day of her absence, I dialed her number, eager to find out what had happened. Her mother answered the phone and told me that she had gone to the doctor for a check-up.
I was immediately filled with dread. "What happened to her?" I asked her mother anxiously.
"Nothing serious," her mother reassured me. "Just a minor fever and body ache."
I tried to tell myself that it was nothing to worry about, but as the day wore on, I couldn't shake off the feeling of unease. She didn't call me back, and I couldn't help but wonder why.
