April's POV:

I settled into my chair and started to draw. I had to draw a picture for my art class. Daroga had been kind enough to give me some recordings of Erik's piano music and it helped. But not as much as listening to him playing it did. Something about his music that was completely different then anyone else's. It inspired me to keep drawing. I sighed and sketched my self-portrait. I hated drawing myself. It was horrible and not to my liking. Erik always said I should but I never had. I couldn't draw myself. It sounded conceited. I might have skipped it because I was getting the highest grade in that class and didn't need the grade but it would've completely ruined my chances. So here I was, drawing me. I barely heard Jackie walk in the room. I quietly finished the drawing and turned to look at her. She raised her eyebrows and pointed at the drawing,

“What is that?” I laughed. Sometimes I felt sorry for Jackie. She was stuck with me as a roommate. She didn't understand anything about art and I didn't understand anything about math.

“Me.” I said. The speech class was helping and I wasn't stuttering near as much as I had before. It was nice to talk easily with everyone. I saw Jackie raise her eyebrows.

“Oh, I should have known. It doesn't look a think like you. What are trying to do, ruin your face?” I laughed,

“No, I wasn’t t-trying to ruin my f-face. I was drawing w-what I felt I l-looked like.” She glared.

“Look, you are fifty times prettier than that thing.” She pointed at my drawing. I smiled and said,

“Would you l-like me to finish y-your drawing?” She smiled and snapped her pose. I had insisted on getting a drawing of everyone of my friends. Considering those were Gio, Stephen, and Jackie, I didn't have many to do. I set up my easel and started to draw. Suddenly Jackie started to talk.

“Well, how did you date go with Stephen?” I smiled and kept drawing.

“Well e-enough. We did a lot of t-talking. He is really n-nice.” I touched up her nose and frowned.

“Well, do you think you might be willing to go steady for the rest of collage?” I shot her a glare.

“Why do y-you ask?” I concentrated on her nose. It was hard thing to work on. She rolled her eyes and said,

“You have been going out for the past six months. You look like the perfect couple. You act like the perfect couple. And I was hoping to be a bride's maid soon.” My pencil fell from my hand as I shot daggers with my eyes.

“What d-did you just s-say?”

“I just said the reason I think you should keep going.” I picked up my pencil and kept drawing. I was working on her lips and she did me the curious not talk while I did it. I thought about not giving her permission to talk at all but it would be boring.

“Well, do you like my ideas?” I sighed.

“W-well, they are i-interesting. But to m-marry someone you h-have to love t-them. I am not s-sure I love St-Stephen.” Jackie raised her eyebrows.

“Well, you could fool me, April.” I shot her a deadly glare and she shut up. I finished the drawing and went to bed. For the first time in nearly a month I pulled out the picture of Erik and looked at it. Stephen was handsome and since the school party hadn't touched a drop. I liked the sober him better than the drunk one. In physical terms Erik wasn't handsome. He was ugly. But I knew him. I knew what was underneath the deformities. I knew the man behind the monster. Erik was my friend and I would always care about what happened to him. Erik, I think I might be falling in love with Stephen. When you let me go you told me to find someone else. You wanted me to move on. I didn't want to leave but good things have happened to me. I don't know what to do. If I love Stephen then I will not see you again for a long time. But I don't want to leave Stephen when I don't know if you want me to come back. How I wish I knew what to do! I put the picture away and fell asleep, just as confused as before.

Erik's POV:

I had finished the painting and it was hung in my room. There it would always stay. The painting of the woman I loved and had let go. She had been gone for seven months and I knew that she had met someone whom she might could love. It was inevitable. I had known that but her promise made me wonder. I would wait four years to see if she came back. If she didn't I would leave forever. I would never come back. I would take my things and find another home. This one had too many memories.