Pavane for a Lost Boy (Or Rather, How to Survive Loss after Rejection)

Chapter Forty-Seven

"When you least expect it, expect it."

That's a maxim that should be taken seriously when your life is full of twists and turns and can make everything into one giant soap opera. Such is the case for me the next day when Matchmaker McNeese (Serenity's sarcastic nickname for the teacher) assigned me and Ryan to paint pictures of each other during break period. "I want to see you two showcase your art skills and then tell me what you see in each other," she said. "And besides, some private time to really dedicate to each other would be good for you two."

Of course, Ryan was all for it. "I can't wait to be beside my new buddy," he crowed gleefully, eyes lighting up as if he was a kid in a candy store. "And my plans for his portrait won't be too explicit, I promise."

I, on the other hand, wasn't amused by this new development, especially after that scandalous dream with him and Oliver trapping me in a sexual threesome. But I knew that McNeese wouldn't make things any easier if I refused, so I had to grit my teeth and bear through it. Fortunately for me, Principal Callaway was also going to be on standby to make sure that Ryan wasn't going to try or say anything funny.

And now, I was in the modern-themed large art classroom as Ryan and I were hard at work with painting and drawing each other to the delight of one teacher who needs a man (my opinion, so sue me) and one principal who's a saint to deal with this mess as much as I was seen by everyone else who was opposing this matchup.

Ryan smiled widely as he was painting away like some madman while I was being more caustic and detailed about his portrait. "This is the best thing ever," the quarterback drawled delightfully as McNeese hummed at his work. "First, I'm on the swim team as my future husband's diving partner. And now, I'm painting his picture. It doesn't get any better than this."

"I happily agree," Ms. McNeese agreed as she watched him work. "Ryan, you're doing wonders. I think I'm going to cry."

"And I'm going to be sick," I heard Principal Callaway mutter as he came to me while I worked on Ryan's portrait (Mrs. Peavey was kind enough to lend me Ryan's picture from sophomore year). To me, "This right here...wow."

"Tell me about it," I replied as I was working on adding a bit of flair to my planned portrait of Ryan. "The more I hear of McNeese saying that Ryan and I would be perfect together, the more I fear that Theo is ready to come at me with a vengeance."

"Not on my watch," my principal vowed to me. "I have him and Jillian under strict watch by their parents and made sure that they'd gotten the message. Nothing will be happening to you if I can help it."

McNeese came over, her eyes trained on me. "You're coming along just fine, Demario," she chirped. "Just make sure to capture Ryan's true essence and paint from within your soul. Show me how you really feel about Ryan Peavey, our star quarterback and your future husband."

If Ryan's my future husband, then I'm Lady GaGa who slept in the tanning bed for too long.

Of course, McNeese made sure that Ryan and I were cleared for our next class since both of us were ahead in our class, so we weren't to leave until we had finished our paintings and compiled a statement about each other. I knew that Ryan was ready to gush about me and tell her what she wanted to hear.

Me? Well, I was going to use my painting and my statement to let them know how I exactly felt.

"All right," Ms. McNeese announced, clapping her manicured hands as I finished my statement while my painting was set to dry. "Time to show me what you have, boys."

"I'll go first," Ryan volunteered, getting up from his desk with his speech ready.

How convient.

Ryan turned his artwork around and my eyes went wide to see my portrait from my freshman year. Only I was much older and was now in a tuxedo with a Mona-Lisa smile on my face while my eyes were sad. "This painting of Demario is how I envision him on his wedding day to me," Ryan began. "When I look at him, I see a young man who didn't have it much easy and had to settle for less while his family got the prime choices in life. The sad look in his eyes tell me that he's still not over being rejected and broken by the people who were supposed to care for him. But the smile on his face is a representation of him planning to defy the odds and come out stronger. And once he does, I'll be there on our wedding day to shower him with love and affection. Yeah, he has Oliver by his side, but I'm the REAL man that Demario needs. I strongly believe that by the end of this project...Demario Bader will say yes to being mine, the way that I should've been for Artem."