carpe diem ⊶ joseph descamps

14 | flushed

—
[fourteen]
the announcement
—

After those first few days of school, time had flown by quickly. The last remnants of summer faded away, and in came autumn. Sadie loved the season, as the colors started to change and the tourists finally made it back home. But her favorite part, she would have to say, was the art resurgence.

The fourth quarter, as she had learned before anything else, was the busiest time of the year for her family. It was the months of October, November, and December that the Devereauxs' hardwork from the rest of the year started to reach its peak. While she and her parents had a love for their craft year-round, the rest of the world seemed to value art the most in the autumn season. She wasn't sure if it was the leaves changing colors, or the cooler temperature, or even the melancholy that came—but the fact of the matter was that those three months were the time art was truly appreciated.

Even at school, it was acknowledged how important it was at this time of year. Giraud taught about The Renaissance in History, Meyer taught about wavelengths and frequencies through music for Chemistry, and Marcelin used the entire second half of the term to discuss Romanticism in Philosophy. Sadie had always enjoyed going to school, but this was her favorite time of the year while studying.

Mr. Marcelin had been giving back the form's newly graded quizzes with their results announced aloud, when he stopped in front of Molly and Sadie.

"Miss Devereaux, do my eyes deceive me?" Mr. Marcelin asked, a disappointed look on his face, causing her initial smile to fade away. "Or does this look like a twenty on your exam?"

Gone was his disappointed stare, and replaced was a bright smile, making Sadie's widen once more. She laughed a little as she grabbed the graded paper, looking down at it slightly surprised. She'd expected to have done well, but certainly not the top score.

"Congratulations, Sadie, well done," said Mr. Marcelin, before he continued giving out the rest of the results.

"Psst, Devereaux!" came Descamps voice.

She wanted to ignore it, but decided to be nice just this once to the blond since she was in such a good mood.

She turned to the left and asked, "What?"

There he sat, new eye patch and all, with a wide grin on his face.

"I got a nine," he told her, causing her eyebrows to furrow.

"Okay..?"

He pouted at her, holding his hands out pitifully. "Help me."

Sadie looked at him with disgust, good mood officially soiled.

"You make me sick, Descamps."

She turned back to the front as Dupin sniggered from behind Descamps and Molly gagged from behind her. She could see Descamps from the corner of her eye leaning on his hand as he stared at her, but she kept her focus on Mr. Marcelin as he started to address the class once again.