Alpha Nixon

3- Harper

"Each individual view art in its own way, giving art a new meaning and interpretation" the professor passes around print ours of the seven interpolations of art though out history "Through out history artist have drawn crowed for their versions of beauty, thought the strokes of misunderstanding and uniqueness with a paint covered brush put to canvas"

The lecture drones on with the topic of modern arts and the turn of its century, causing me to drown the topic out. "The dead line for this project will be posted to your class schedules, I will not accept anything subpar when it comes to the interpretation on Vincent van Gogh's Red Vineyard. This is to be your moment to prove to my and this class why you love art"

Gathering my things after class I walk out and into the busy halls of the arts department lecture hall and outside to see its raining.

Two days away from this place and home doesn't seem like enough anymore, before I used to be able to go camping or for a hike and come back recharged, before I used to be able to go camping and feel like all my worries were somewhat gone, as if being alone and away from home would free me.

When I first came out my mother was accepting but when my brother started calling me a disappointment and calling me a perverted waist of space for liking other men. My older brother Avery walks around with his head held high thinking he's better then everyone else because when his dad died he was left a good sum of cash.

"Harper is that you" my mom shouts from upstairs.

"Yeah" I shout back.

"Come here" with knitted eyebrows I climb the stairs and head down the hall only to stop in front of my bedroom door seeing it open. walking into my room I see my mom and brother sitting on the floor Infront of my closet with my clothes scattered around the floor around them.

"What are you guys doing?" I ask walking closer to them.

"Well we figured you'd want to get rid of all these old clothes, I mean giving as your gay and all, I figured you'd prefer a more feminine wardrobe" my brother snickers while balling one of my hoodies up and tossing it the black trash bag in front of them.

I can't deal with them right now I turn around and walk out of my room back down the hall and out of the house slamming the door behind me.

I may be gay but that doesn't me I want or need to dress a certain way, I'm not defined by the clothes I wear or my sexual orientation. I am a man who choses to love another man and that's all. Way is it so hard for them to accept?

By the time I reach Hastings Coffee shop I'm over worked with anger and anxiety, the need to disappear into the woods again and get lost in the wilderness sounds like the better thing to do but with exams and finials coming up I have to stick it out and that means blocking them out.

Ordering my favorite tea I wait for my order to be called then turn to leave only to trip over my own clumsy feet on my way out, to my horror theirs a man about to enter the shop at the same time I go tumbling forward and I spill the very hot contents of my cup all over his white button up.

I fumble over my words in when I apologize making an even bigger fool out of myself then I already have, I offer to buy the man another shirt but he simply says no after hearing him say mate and turns around.

With a sigh I turn around toss the now empty cup in the trash and get back in line to order a new one, the girl behind the counter gives me a small smile before asking me for my order as if I didn't just order a few minutes ago.

"Small lavender, mint tea with honey" I say and watch her type it in then she looks to my right and there he is again the extremally good looking god of a man from before "And what can I get for you sir" turning my eyes back to the girl at the register I wait for him to order I mean I might of offered to by him a new shirt but I guess I could of offered to buy him a coffee as well.

"Medium hot chocolate and a black" his voice is ruff and gravely in all the best ways, its deep but not to deep and it only makes him more attractive if that was even possible.

Taking out my wallet I start to count out my money when the girl tells us how much it is but the man beats me to it and hands her his card, she rings it up and tells us to wait.

I awkwardly stand next to the man while we wait for our order to be called and say a small thank you. taking out five dollars in ones I reach out to hand them to him only for him to shack his head no.

"What's your name" he asks catching me off guard, here I thought this Adonis of a man was just going to ignore me while we waited.

"Harper, Harper Lewis" I hate my name with a passion, I still to this day have no idea why my mom named me Harper. I reach my hand out for him to shake and ask him what his name is.

"Nixon Marsh" he shakes my hand and I feel sparks as if he was electrically charged and I pull my hand away quickly.

Our order is called a few seconds later and we both walk out of the coffee shop and head in the same direction. Along the way he asks me how old I am but ignores it when I ask him the question back, he asks if I go to school and I ask him what he does for a living again only to be ignored.

When we reach the corner of Elms and Pine I look both ways before stepping off the curb to cross the street "Hey, uh Harper" he says and I turn around to look back at him, he shacks his head and says nothing so I turn back around feeling disappointed and continue my walk home.