Standing in the Spotlight

Tatum

Meeting with yearbook girl my phone alerts me as I walk down the hall. The head newspaper editor girl or whatever asked me to draw a picture for the school newspaper. I quickly gather some supplies and run to meet her. When I get to the room no one else is in there so I take a seat and start to doodle. I always get carried away when I draw. It's like I enter some new world and I totally tune out the world around me.
"Um hello. Hello? Hello!" A girl yells at me.
"Oh sorry I didn't see you come in. Are you Elizabeth Rose?" I respond feeling slightly awkward.
"Yes I am. And you're Tatum McClain." Elizabeth Rose says while she takes a seat across from me and neatly sets down her laptop, phone, notebook, and some other things.
"Yeah that's me."
"It wasn't a question. I know everyone in this school. After you check the yearbook enough times you remember all the names. And you're the only person with blue hair at this school." At this point all of her things are placed in a specific spot on the desk and she begins to type in her laptop.
"So what do you need me to draw?" I ask as I put my previous doodle away.
"Wait let me see that. That picture you just put away," I reluctantly hand her the doodle. Why would she want to see that? Is something wrong? Why isn't she saying anything? After about a minute of silence she hands back the picture, "Forget the newspaper. I have a bigger job in mind for you." Elizabeth Rose slowly closes her laptop and looks at me for a second. She gets up and sits back down in the seat right next to me. Part of me wants to run away but the other part knows she's about to say something really important. "Have you heard the news? Not some school gossip but the big news."
"Um I don't think so. Why? What happened?"
"Spotlight is...closing," Elizabeth shares in soft tone, "And we are working together to save the school but we need more help."
"Who is 'we'?" I ask as my heart pounds out of my chest. Spotlight is my home. It's my escape from the world. I can't lose this place.
"Well right now it's just Cosette Degray and me but we are getting more people or trying to at least. You could help make posters, banners, flyers, who knows what else. You have a gift and we need to show people how important Spotlight is for kids like us. We need them to see why they can't shut it down."
"Spotlight means everything to me. Without Spotlight I would have no where to do art it's just," I pause to think about what to say, "I'm not sure I'm good enough. What if I mess it up and ruin the whole thing?" Elizabeth grabs my drawing and holds it to where I can see it.
"You are good enough." And that's all she said. Just those simple words. The smile on my face told her I was in. We both gathered our bags (she arranged her materials neatly while I shoved some random papers into mine) and we walked out. Elizabeth Rose started right and I went left to the art room.
"Oh and you can call me Lizzy Rose if you want," she turns back and tells to me.
"How about Eliza?"
"I think I like that better," she laughs and we wave at each before walking away.

I get to the art room and take my supplies out of my bag. I pull out the doodle and I can't help but smile at it.
"Ok so today we will be making pots out of clay," our art teacher, Mr.Zimmerman, says to us. This is the seventh clay project we've done this year and the whole class is getting tired of them. I start to form my clay pot without really paying attention to it.
"Are you ok? You zoned out?" A cute unfamiliar boy asks me.
"Oh yeah I'm fine I'm just tired of clay," I respond, "Are you new here? I didn't see you last semester."
"Yes I am. I'm Froy and what's your name?"
"Oh um I'm Tatum. Tatum McClain." He extends his clay-covered hand to me but when I go to shake it I fling clay onto his face.
"Oh my gosh I'm so sorry I didn't mean to. Let me-"
"No you're fine it's nothing," he wipes they small glob of clay off of his cheek and smiles, "See." We both laugh and go back to our clay.

After design class I went to my room to put my new pot in with the 6 others from this year.
"And then I was like 'well if you didn't want drama then why did you lie and say you could sing?' And get this, she walked away! Like literally walked away from me. I could see the tears in her eyes," my roommate Hadley screeches over the phone. I can already tell that she is sharing what happened with Cosette Degray, one of my new allies.
"What are you looking at, blue haired freak?" She spits at me. I twirl a strand of my blue hair around my finger.
"Nothing," I mumble then collect all my stuff for the rest of the day. I head towards Painting with Mrs.Rainey. That's always my favorite class because he never gives us actually assignments she just tells us to "draw our feelings," and I love drawing freely. But today was different. I walk into the classroom to find Mrs.Rainey crying.
"Oh Tatum um...I'm sorry you had to see me like this," she says wiping her eyes.
"What happened?" I ask while I set my stuff on a table.
"I can't exactly share this information with any students. It's nothing personal the headmistress just doesn't want any of you kids to worry."
"Is it about," I look around to make sure no one is listening,"Spotlight closing?"
"How do you know? Who told you?" Mrs. Rainey says in a harsh whisper as other students begin to come in.
"Uh just a guess," I respond but she obviously didn't believe that. The bell rings and she gestures for me to find my seat.
"Today we will be starting a new project. I want you to think about why you came to Spotlight. Think about what draws you here and what makes you want to stay. And then I want you to make it into art. You can sculpt it, model it, paint it, draw it, anything. Just make it special to you," everyone looks confused as to why she would give us an actual assignment. The class slowly began gather materials but I had already started. I already know why I love it here at Spotlight. It's my escape.
"Are you Mrs.Rainey?" Froy asks as he walks into the room.
"Why yes I am. And you are?" Mrs.Rainy responds, turning away from her latest painting.
"Uh Froy Rodriguez. I'm new here."
"Well Froy, why don't you sit there next to Tatum and she can explain the assignment." Play it cool Tatum. Just act natural. He's just a boy. We are both humans. Well I think I'm human at least.
"Hey Dude. Bro," I say to Froy and he laughs. "Dang it Tatum that's not natural," I whisper to myself.
"What was that?" Froy asks as he sits next to me.
"What was what? I didn't hear anything. Hey look it's paint," I say in the most awkward way possible. "Oh the assignment. So basically you're just gonna pick something you like about Spotlight and make it into art. But I can help you come up with a theme since this is your first day here."
"No it's okay. I know what I like about you-I mean Spotlight. Because yeah that's what the assignment is. I definitely didn't say anything else," Oh thank the sweet Lord Baby Jesus. He's just as awkward as me! I can't help but laugh at this. We both smile at each other and I know we are thinking the same thing.
"Um so there's the coffee shop downstairs. Maybe we could meet up tomorrow morning so you can help me with the assignment," he says sweetly.
"I thought you didn't need help."
"I changed my mind." The bell rings and he leaves but he turns back to smile at me one last time. I gather my stuff unable to stop grinning and walk out.
"You're welcome," Mrs.Rainey says without even looking at me as I reach the doorway. I laugh and start making my way to chemistry.