Brushed-off Feelings (Hiatus)

Chapter 2

Are you freakin' kidding me?

"Sir," I stood up. "Why can't we just choose who to collaborate with? Don't you think that would be easier for us?" I saw a few nods from my classmates.

"Well, I'm not here to make things easier for all of you. I'm here to teach you arts and ensure that you will improve your talents so that you will create your masterpiece. Am I clear?"

"But..."

"No more buts okay? You only have until Monday to pass your project so I suggest you all better start working now. I know you kids, can't create art that fast so I'll tell the guards to open this room this weekend. I, on the other hand," he looked at his watch, "am late." He then walked out.

How am I going to do this project with Blake? I've heard someone fake-cough beside me.

"I think Prof. Anderson is right. We better start working on the project if you wanted to get rid of me sooner." He said, still not looking at me.

"Whatever." I sat down waiting for him to tell me what to do, which he knew clearly well, how I hate. He drag the other chair closer and sat down. An awkward silence settled on us while our other classmates chatted with their partners. How can this collaboration even work when we both can't talk to each other without looking away. Dammit!

"So what now? Do you have any suggestion on how are we're going to do this?" I finally asked him. He looked at me as if he heard the frustration in my voice.

"How about you create your work, and after that give it to me and I'll incorporate my style to it."

"That could work if Prof Anderson didn't notice who's dominating the whole canvas, which is highly unlikely since he knows our brushstrokes as if it was our fingerprint or something."

"Well do you have a better idea?"

"How about we work on each side of the canvas, sort of like a reflection effect?" I said quiet proud of my idea.. He smiled sarcastically

"Don't you think that's a bit uh...unoriginal? I think the lesson in this project is to fuse both of our style to create an art and not only coexist on the canvas."

Coexist on the canvas? I don't know why but those words feel like they have more weight than what they were intended to have.

"Do we really have to?" I asked not sure if the queasy feeling in my stomach is due to excitement or mortification to what he will reply to my question.

"We don't have to if you don't want to. But if we do this half-assed and Prof noticed it, this will reflect on both of our grades. I know you don't want that to happen." The tone of his voice changed. Gone were the sarcasm and indifference. I wanted to look at him but I'm afraid of what I'll see.

So I just said, "Fine, when do you want to start?"

"I don't know. When do you want to start?"

"I'm the one who ask first."

"Why am I the one deciding this?" he said a bit frustrated. I saw a certain someone in the doorway.

"Because unlike some other people, I don't have someone waiting for me." I said.

"And what do you mean by..."

"Blake! Hurry up, I'm starving." Cathy whined from the door. Blake's mood changed instantly like he just remembered something.

"Fine, meet me in the arts gallery at 6." He then walk away towards her waiting companion leaving me clueless as to why we were going to meet in the gallery.