Natalie Howard is her father's biggest disappointment, and nothing will ever change that. She's come to terms with the fact that she's useful only for her face, but with a lifetime of dreams to one day open her own gallery, and get as far away from...
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I'm sat in the library with Evelyn, the TA for our English Literature class, though we've become fast friends in the three weeks that she's helped Henley and I in so many ways that our actual professor has sucked at. Henley left not too long ago for her next lecture, and when I brought out my sketch pad to make a quick start on a potential draft for my first art assignment, Eve decided to stay as well, studying for her own classes and going over some content she was going to be teaching.
We're studying art and its destruction in my History of Art class, and there's something about it that really calls out to me. Perhaps it's that something so beautiful can be destroyed, and while it will never go back to what it used to be, the memory of it is enough to remember its beauty.
I've barely carved out the structure of a face, but I already know this is going to be my most-layered work yet once I make a real start on it, especially when I mess it up quite a bit to make it perfectly imperfect. We're only two weeks away from the basketball team's pre-season friendly at the end of the first week of September, and as expected, the entire student union is buzzing for the game.
"My roommates are trying to convince me to go to more games this year," she informs me once I tell her I'm debating between wearing a skirt or jeans. She's advised to go for the skirt, with the warmth of summer having no intention of leaving, "They failed in persuading me to go to the pre-season party, so they're even more determined now."
"You should have come," I reply easily, "It was a lot of fun."
Evelyn raises an eyebrow, "Being able to climb up the stairs and get straight into your own bed didn't contribute to that?"
"I mean —," I shrug with a small smirk on my face. My companion shakes her head as she laughs, closing her text book and leaning back as she gathered the dark blonde strands of her hair and huffed out a breath, "Will you at least come to the next few? I'd love to actually be able to meet your friends."
"Maybe next semester?" she counters and I sigh, "I've just got a lot going on this side of the year with my classes and helping out with Lit."
I fold my arms, "I'll hold you to that."
She beams at me as she looks down at her phone, the time edging ever closer to five o'clock. When I see the reflection of the time, I wonder why the hell I've chosen to spend my one day off in the week at the library, especially a Friday.
"I should get going," she says as she stretches.
"Any fun plans for tonight?"
"Oh, yeah," Eve raises her eyebrows, "My ex-boyfriend is coming to grab the rest of his stuff that I have. It's going to be a hoot."
I take my pencil away from my draft, and meet her eyes with heavy concern at the level of sarcasm in her tone when she refers to ex-boyfriend, and it doesn't take a genius to work out that the relationship didn't end amicably.
