SUPPRESSION •Complete•

ARTDOM

ARTDOM

Art, I picked art instead of music. I don't know why, I wasn't any good at art. I'm not any good at music either. But art, I'll probably fail. Should have just gone with a study hall. Would have been less damaging to my grade point average.

Art was in the basement, not the first or second floor, the basement. Tells you how much the board of education cares about creativity. I'm surprised they still allow us to read fictional books in English.

My art teacher, he was surprisingly quiet. He just stared at our class as we sat down. He didn't say or do much. Just sat on his stool and stared at us. It made me feel odd, why was he looking at us?

He picked up a deflated soccer ball that rattled when he moved it. He turned it around in his hands a few times. His dark brown eyes just watching us. It was unnerving.

He slowly got up from his stool and grabbed a big colorful stick of chalk. Must of had six different colors blended into it. He stood at one of the barren walls and started slapping the chalk against it until he had written his name.

MR. HYDE

It fit him, it really fit him well.

Mr. Jekyll and Hyde: "Welcome class, to art." He took an exaggerated bow. "Now, who ever can tell me what this is," He held up the deflated soccer ball. "will get an A for the first marking period."

Hands shot up all around the room. My hand stayed down. This had to be a trick, the question was to easy.

Kid after kid said their answer.

Kid One: "It's a deflated soccer ball."

Mr. Jekyll and Hyde: "No."

Some hands retracted back to their tables.

Kid Two: "Your personality?"

Mr. Jekyll and Hyde: "No."

Kid Three: "It represents something."

Mr. Jekyll and Hyde: "What does it represent?"

All hands went down.

I already liked Mr. Jekyll and Hyde. He seemed like a fun kind of teacher. In the crazy kind of way, though.

Mr. Jekyll and Hyde: "Have they already beaten the creativity out of you." He sighed dramatically.

I decided to think really hard on the meaning of why the soccer ball was deflated. What could have caused it to lose all it's air? I studied the soccer ball in his hand, it was old with many grass stains. Then it came to me.

Me: "It represents change over time."

Mr. Jekyll and Hyde: "Elaborate."

I was on to something.

Me: "When you first got the soccer ball it was filled with air and had no scratches or stains. But over time it started to lose air and became worn down. Even if you tried pumping it back up it was never the same as when you first got it. It represent the way we grow and change."

Mr. Jekyll and Hyde: "Come on, keep going."

I thought for a few seconds, what else could I add?

Me: "No matter how hard we try, we'll never be the same person we were a year ago or ten years ago. And eventually we get worn down and our skin is marked with the stains of life. Just like this soccer ball we become deflated and tired over time."

Mr. Jekyll and Hyde started clapping, a big grin spread over his face.

Mr. Jekyll and Hyde: "Well done..."

Me: "Freya."

Mr. Jekyll and Hyde: "Well done Freya, you get an A for the rest of the first marking period. Perhaps there is hope for the youth yet."