Tangled Hearts

Chapter Five: Sketching Connections

Ashley kept her new finds from yesterday's mall trip in the corner of her room, remaining in their bags. She pulled out some baggy jeans from the Urban Outfitters bag and decided to pair it with a fitted white top. She settled on a look she knew would stand out but still felt comfortable. Adding silver hoops, and a layered necklace, she completed her "downtown girl" vibe and packed her bag with essentials like her laptop, chargers, and wallet.

On the way to school, she stopped by her favorite coffee shop. She ordered her usual iced caramel macchiato. Ashley was never a fan of hot coffee, it made her feel like a businessman. While sipping her drink in the car, her phone buzzed. It was a text from JT.

JT: Hey, how many classes do you have today?

Ashley: Just two. Fridays are easy. I only have History and Psych, then I'm free.

JT: Cool. Come to my dorm after so we can work on the project.

She typed back:

Ashley: Sure. I'll swing by home for my art stuff after class.

Once her classes wrapped up, she headed home for her Bristol pad and pencil bag, packed with all her drawing supplies. Back on campus, she made her way to Juniper Hall, JT's dorm building. She got on the elevator and went up to the fifth floor. Ashley waited outside of his door, balancing her art supplies as she knocked.

He answered quickly with a grin. "Look who finally made it," he said, opening the door.

Ashley stepped inside, his dorm was surprisingly tidy. She set her supplies on the dining table and placed her bag on the chair.

"Trust me, the bed is way more comfier than those chairs," he said, redirecting her to his bedroom.

As Ashley followed him to the bedroom, she couldn't help but think about the locker room conversation she'd overheard. Despite not knowing where it took place, her mind immediately went to that bed.

His room wasn't extremely decorated, all it consisted of were basic items. The most decorative items in his room were a mini Cascadia Hawks flag, a color-changing floor lamp, and a family photo on his desk.

"Alright," JT said, grabbing his sketchpad, "Since this project's about emotion, let's get to know each other better."

"Before or while we draw?" she asked, setting herself up on the bed with her sketchpad.

"How about after, but we can jot things down as we go." They both got comfortable, facing each other as they began taking notes.

"So," JT asked, glancing up. "Tell me about your family background."

Ashley took a minute to think about what she was going to say. "My family's from Puerto Rico, and I'm the first to be born here in America."

He nodded, writing down his notes. "What about your current family life and values?" He wanted her to go a bit deeper than that.

"It's just me, my mom, and my abuela. My dad's out of the picture since he's an abusive asshole. But anywho, my mom and abuela have always been my biggest supporters. I'd do anything for them honestly."

"Wow, I'm sorry to hear that," he listened to every word and could already envision his notes coming to life. "Also, you have really pretty eyes," he added with a small smile. He already noticed that her eyes were green before but now that he had to analyze her fully, it was like every hue popped out.

Ashley laughed. "Thank you. Ok, now your turn." She picked up her pencil as she prepared herself to listen to him.

JT leaned back, grinning. "Well, my background's boring compared to yours, but I'm just a white guy from Florida." He gestured to the family photo Ashley had seen earlier.

"It's just my mom, dad, and little sister. My dad has been my role model forever. From family to football, that's the blueprint I picture for myself."

Ashley made some notes, still unsure where to take her portrait. Their conversation continued, varying from topic to topic, learning more about each other as time passed.

"What's one thing that's shaped your personality the most?" Ashley asked.

"Definitely my parents," he answered. "They let me have the freedom to make my own choices, so now I'm comfortable speaking my mind."

Ashley thought for a moment. "Weird as it sounds, I'd say my personality's been shaped by the shitty experiences I've had with men," she finally answered. "No offense to you sir but your gender has put me through hell. Oddly enough, I'm grateful for it since it has made me a stronger person." She continued.

"On behalf of my gender, I apologize," he joked.

"Oh hush." she rolled her eyes with a laugh. "Do you think we have enough?"

"Yeah, I think so. You can work on my desk if you want." JT responded.

Ashley moved over to his desk and grabbed her large Bristol pad while JT stayed on his bed, starting to work. He turned on some music for background noise as they both continued to work on their portraits.

Ashley took a humorous approach. She could hear how passionate JT was about football so she gave him a football for a head, including the white lines on the ball for his features. She included a big speech bubble reading "BLAH! BLAH? BLAH." It represented his ability to vocalize his thoughts.

JT decided to go for a cartoonish look, sketching her features to be less defined. He made a brain in the middle of her face because, to him, she seemed to have a lot of knowledge and history that made her who she was. He colored the entire piece with different shades of green, making the portrait be viewed through her own eyes.

At the last minute, he gave her two small Puerto Rican flags as earrings to honor her heritage.

Once they finished, they each wrote explanations for their choices on a separate piece of paper to be turned in with their projects.

⸻

"Ready for the reveal?" JT asked, counting down.

On the count of three, they both turned their sketches around. They both immediately burst into laughter.

"Oh my god, you made me look like Shrek!" Ashley said.

JT shook his head, laughing. "And you turned me into an upside-down Hey Arnold!"

"Let me see what you wrote," she said. They exchanged papers to read each other's explanations, getting to understand the true meanings behind the drawings.

"Aww, okay that's actually sweet. I guess I'm not Shrek," Ashley admitted with a smile.

"And I guess I'm not Hey Arnold," JT agreed, chuckling.

Ashley finally glanced at her phone and noticed the time. "Wow, it's later than I thought," she said, her eyes widening.

"Yeah, it's been a few hours, hasn't it?" he said, starting to put away his supplies.

They packed up, Ashley carefully tucked her sketchpad under her arm and her pencils into her bag. He followed behind her to the door, planning to walk her to her car since it was dark out.

As they reached her car, he looked over at her with a relaxed smile. "Have a good night Shrek."

Ashley laughed, opening her car door. "Whatever Hey Arnold. You have one too."

With a playful shake of his head, JT stepped back as she got in, waving as she pulled away into the night.