Loving the Game

* Poetic Arts *

"Please hurry and take a seat," Mr. Lyles announced. As usual Brooklyn and I sat next to each other at the work station near the back. We both disliked too much attention, so sitting in the back was perfect for us.
"If you have been paying any attention to our semester rubric," Mr. Lyles began," then you would notice today I will be partnering you up. The partner you will receive will be your partner until the end of the year."
"I hope we work together," I whispered. I'm not the bigger people person if you know what I mean. Brooklyn nodded in agreement.
"...and before you get hopeful all partners will be boy and girl." Mr. Lyles smiled because he knew exactly what he was doing. Most everyone in the class sat with someone they knew. Half of the people in here (including myself) only took this class as a way to pass time and get an extra credit for our senior year. I eventually ended up liking Mr. Lyles (because he resembled Liam Neeson) and the class was about art and poetry put together. Art was something I'd always been good at naturally and poetry...not so much.
"Dammit!" Brooklyn mumbled in frustration.
"Let's begin shall we?" Mr. Lyles continued.
"Mr. Barnes you will be paired with Ms. Santana..."
"Oh my god," Brooklyn frowned. Nothing was wrong with her partner in fact he was pretty much a silent person. She just didn't want to leave me. Brooklyn blew me a kiss as she trudged away with her things. "...Mr. Harris you will be working with Ms. King... Mr. Thomas..." Mr. Lyles continued. I sat there in shock. There was only one Harris in our class and he was Deshawn Harris.
"Hey, how you doing," he said as he sat down in the seat that used to belong to Brooklyn.
The word fine came out kind of hoarsely.
"You aren't sick are you?" He asked looking me up and down. I shook my head no. "So guess we partners, huh?" He said trying to make small talk. "That's what I was told," I sighed looking in Brooklyn's direction hoping she'd turn around and somehow save me from eventually embarrassing myself.
I looked back at Deshawn who was already watching me. "Problem?" I asked with more of an attitude than I intended. He shook his head and I could tell he was a bit taken aback by my comment. Somehow whenever I'm around someone I like I tend to be more on the mean or sarcastic side. I guess it's my low-key way of flirting, which is totally backwards.
"Now that all of you are situated, we will begin discussing our assignment we will begin on Monday. We will be studying great sculptors such as Michelangelo and his creation of David. We will be doing our own body sculpting...wood body sculpting. This is a big reason why you are in pairs. You will be depicting your partner through wood sculpting because you might take a look in the mirror and see yourself one way. But through the eyes of your fellow peers you may appear to be better or perhaps worse than you think." Never have I ever wood sculpted or even attempted to carve anything other than a pumpkin, and honestly I barely did that neatly. I don't know how Mr. Lyles expects me to all of sudden carve a guy like D with ease. "Sounds straight to me. What about you, ma?" Deshawn asked me. Ma? No one other than Rakeem would call me ma and that wasn't often.
"Yeah, sounds nice." I lied.
"This project alone will be work 25% of your final semester grade in my class so I advise you to try your best to cooperate and be understanding of your partners or else you will crash and burn. And along with that so will your grade."
I closed my eyes and let out a deep sigh. As if Mr. Lyles hadn't already done enough he had to go and throw in grades with it.
"Now I'll allow you and your new partner get to know each other and brainstorm on your project." Mr. Lyles announced taking a seat at his desk with a smirk spread across his face. I felt like smacking it off.
"Brianne right?" Deshawn asked interrupting my thoughts of choking the teacher out.
"Yeah," I answered. "Your Keems girlfriend right?"
"Eww no!" I frowned in disgust. "He's my best friend that's all." I clarified. Not that there was anything wrong with Rakeem. He was very handsome and had several hoes jocking him constantly, it's just the fact that he's always been a big brother to me and I can't picture him being anything else but that. Deshawn laughed," You don't got to be all defensive." "I wasn't! I mean... I was just saying." "Yeah, ok." He said shaking his head in disbelief. I sighed and rolled my eyes, "Whatever." "You real different than what I expected." He said.
"How is that?" I wondered.
" I thought you were...you know, quiet and shit. Thought you'd have more respect for a nigga like me." I raised an eyebrow wondering had I really liked this guy for the past 3 years and he ended up being an ass? "I'm joking ma," he laughed flashing that pearly white smile of his. "I don't joke." I responded not laughing along with him.
"So I see," I he said scratching his head.
"Joking," I grinned.
"Oh I was gone say..."
"Say what?" I said eyeing him.
"That I was gone need a new partner." He laughed. "Yeah right." I smiled. The bell rang just before he was able to respond. He stood up and collected his things,"Guess I'll see ya Monday?" I nodded,"Monday." Brooklyn stood waiting for me in the doorway. "Bye." I said and Deshawn just threw his head back.
Brooklyn and I began to walk in silence towards the girls dorm building.
"So it must be nice to have your lil boo as your partner huh Bri?" Brooklyn joked. I rolled my eyes.
"I saw ya'll talking," she smiled nudging me with her arm. "Stop it," I laughed," it was nothing major. I swear." "Yeah that is until you start getting horny." "Your so gross," I giggled playfully pushing her away from me. "I mean Bri, girl, he's going to be by your side for an hour and a half everyday for the rest of the semester. There's no way y'all ain't going to get close its impossible." I threw my hand up at her, "Nothing's impossible ." I reached out to slide my key against the front door lock to the dorm building. Brooklyn shrugged as we walked in. What I lived about our dorm is that on our junior year we got put in the new dorm building they built. Everything was basically high tech. We controlled our own central heat and air with a remote, the tv had a 3D option, every room had a coffee/tea machine, a smart fridge and toilet, and those adjustable to comfort beds. Unlike all the other older girl dormitories, we didn't have to use stairs to get to our suites either instead we had elevators that went to each of the 42 to floors. I followed Brooklyn into the elevator that sat in the middle of the lobby where everyone mingled, ate breakfast, and occasionally held parties. "All I know is, is that it seemed to be quite a lot of laughter coming from you to but I'm on hush mode though." She smirked. "You're hell," I laughed shaking my head and pushing the button on the elevator that read 15.