Post by silent.lullaby on Dec 17, 2009 15:08:57 GMT -5
//We Run This Town//Chapter 007//A Colourful Class
It being an art class, I go to my locker and pluck out my pencil case and sketch book, Blaire at my side; we had already visited her locker. We shared the class while Gemma and Lucia went to Drama. “We have Mr. Harrison,” Blaire informed me. “He’s pretty cool, goes with the flow, helps with your work but doesn’t like take it over you know, like that teacher back in middle school.” I smile knowing just what she’s talking about. Nothing was worse than a teacher telling you your art is wrong. “Remember in the surreal unit she told me she just simply didn’t get it! It’s surreal, it’s not suppose to just take one look, she has no real appreciation for art.”
Inside the room I seen Darren and Gavin already sitting down and talking, they were with Linden Wood and Ohiko Cho; talking about football try-outs, and discussing who they think will make it on the team.
Blaire yanks on my arm and breaks my concentration, “lets sit here,” she decides on a four person table front row centre, right in front of the ‘playboys.’ Despite the fact Gavin and Darren were off limits, I can see the hunter’s glint in Blaire’s eyes. When she called dibs on Linden, I was quite sure she meant it. She would get a date if it was the last thing she did.
The last bell rang and the room goes quiet as Mr. Harrison walks in. “Hello class, I’m Mr. Harrison. Today, being the first day of school, I’m going to take orders for sketchbooks for those of you who don’t have one already, also I’ll take orders for a great variety of art supplies that you may want to purchase.” He put his worn briefcase on the desk at the front and opened it taking out a folder, “here are the forms.” He steps around his desk and put’s them in front of me, “care to hand these out... uh... you weren’t in my class last year were you?” He asks.
“No, I wasn’t, I just moved back this year.”
“Oh welcome back then, where were you living?” He asks, Mr. Harrison seemed to be the kind of teacher that was a friend to his students. He seems genuinely interested in his students, and their well being and personal growth.
“Sicily,” I respond, “with my grandparents.”
“Beautiful, art filled city.”
“It’s absolutely stunning,” I respond smiling.
“Would you like me to hand those out for you Mr. Harrison?” Blaire asks kindly, “since I’m assuming that’s what you were going to get Lili to do before you got trapped in a conversation.”
Mr. Harrison laughs heartily, “thank you Blaire,” he hands her the black and white order forms and she starts placing them daintily in front of everyone.
“Lili, did you take art classes why you were there.”
“A few,” I respond, trying not to think about the classes at all.
“Wonderful, wonderful.” Mr. Harrison goes back to the front and Blaire puts the extra’s back on his desk before sitting down beside me again. “Now, since today is the first day, and most of you end up ordering all of your supplies from me for the discounts, and I can see over half of you came to art class completely empty handed...” He looks around the room scrutinizing us with his glare. “I’m going to be paring you all up into a group of three. You’ll be giving a large canvas, and plenty of paints, I want something vibrant, that meshes all three of your personalities together, I want to get to know you from the piece!”
Mr. Harrison grabs his class list and starts shredding it putting all the names into a bucket, probably used for still life exercises. “Alright, first group; Yvonne Marker, August Raine and,” he dipped his hand back into the bucket and pulled out a third name, “Nick Barker.” The three went to the back room to grab their canvas and a set of paints.
Pulling out three more names he read them off, “Linden Wood, Lilianna Lombardi, and Darren McCauley.”
“I can’t stay in that group,” I heard a strong masculine voice from behind me and I turned slightly in my seat knowing it was Darren. He glares at me, and I look to Gavin who looks mildly disgusted.
“Oh really?” Mr. Harrison responds with a humourous sarcastic ring to his voice. “And tell me Darren, why might that be.” I put my head down, great, now the entire class would know who I am.
“Don’t you watch the news Mr. Harrison?” Darren asks. “She’s the daughter of the New York Crime boss, mafia. My father put her father behind bars, I can’t work with her.”
“Luck of the draw,” Mr. Harrison responds, “and yes I do watch the news, and who her father is no reflection on who she is. You are partners with Mr Wood and Miss Lombardi wether you like it or not, get your supplies.”
“Unbelievable,” I heard Darren mutter before his chair squeals back.
I stood slowly leaving my supplies and head to the back stepping quickly in front of Linden and I fall into step beside Darren. “Was that really necessary?” I whisper angrily.
Darren smirks as he grabs the canvas and Linden and I grab the paints and brushes. “Of course it was, you’re the god damned mob princess and no one here seems to remember that. Just reminding everyone of just who you are, and just what your family does.” He steps out of the supply closet before I can say anything.
“Coming?” Linden asks holding the door for me. I just nod and exit the closet.
Blaire ends up with Ohiko and a girl with model good looks named Kaper Callahan, they are stationed at the other end of the room, and Blaire sends me a look of sympathy. I sigh and start setting up the paints, pouring the bright liquids onto a cut out of Bristol board.
The disaster begun. Everything I suggested Darren immediately shot down, and in retaliation I did the same to his. Eventually we got fighting so much, Linden just sighed and started doing the project by himself.
“You don’t even know me,” I retort to Darren’s latest insult.
“You’re a spoiled bitch living off blood money.” He says, like it’s the only thing he needs to know about me, like it’s common knowledge.
“You’re a real son of a bitch, you don’t know shit about me or my family!” Our argument steadily gets louder and I can tell more and more people were becoming distracted and watching us, waiting to see what would happen. Some watched Mr. Harrison wondering what he was going to do. First day and I could practically see the principals door in my head.
“I know you live off people getting killed, or getting strung off drugs, robberies, illegal businesses.”
I want so badly to tell him I’m fifteen, I’m a child, there is nothing I could do even if I wanted to. Instead I slap him in the face. He just as quickly slaps me back and I can’t help but be shocked. I had never been hit. Not ever. My hand goes to my face gingerly. “You two done?” Mr. Harrison asks. “What the hell are you two doing huh? Screaming, arguing, it doesn’t matter who you are outside of this class, who your families are. What matters is that in this classroom you two remain civil, you do your work, this is an art class. A place for peace and creativity, not this violence and ignorance.” Mr. Harrison’s complete disappointment in us was definitely worse than if he had just chewed us out. “Think you can work together for the last half hour, or do I have to send you two to the principals office on the first day of school, and it doesn’t matter who your parents are, no parent wants to hear their child is getting into trouble the first day of school.”
I look to Darren, he doesn’t look pleased. “Fine.”
Looking back at Mr. Harrison, “I’ll play nice too.”
“Good,” Mr. Harrison responds. “Everyone back to work.”
Linden had already started the piece, it was a comic representation of each of us. He and Darren were in football uniforms, Linden had a tie over his jersey. I was kind of blank, just a basic outline. “I don’t know you that well,” Linden says as if knowing I’d zoned in on my blank figure.
I nod and pick up a brush and start to paint my hair brown and pin straight, organized. I put a romantic sweetheart cut dress on my caricature. I think about my personality, and look to Darren for a second. I paint a set of bloody brass knuckles on my right hand, and a friendship bracelet on my left wrist. I quickly paint an angel standing on one shoulder and a devil on the other each whispering into one of my ears. I step back a few steps studying the painting. As a whole it’s quite good.
Linden decked out in his jersey with a tie over it, a mischievous smirk on his face. Myself in the middle with the angel and devil whispering in my ears. Darren on the far right, jersey with tux jacket over it, messy hair and a devilish grin upon his face. The background; a whirl of colours mixed and swirled. We each signed it with a ink pen.
The bell rings and I turn to Darren. “You’re quite a talented artist,” I say trying to soothe the ill feelings between us. I turn to Linden, “sorry about putting all the work on you, it wasn’t my intention.”
Blaire steps beside me and Linden smiles at me, “don’t worry about it, I know how uptight Darren can be, once he’s on a roll it’s just better to let him get it out of his system.”
I look to Blaire and then to Linden, “this is my friend Blaire Walker,” I say pointing to her.
Linden gives her a grin, “I know, you were on the cheerleading squad last year weren’t you.”
Blaire grins, “yes, and if I have my way, I’ll be on it again this year too.”
“I look forward to watching those try outs,” Linden responds with a grin. Blaire smiles back and I duck out unnoticed and head for my locker so I can grab my gym wear.