Begin Again

CHAPTER 13

"Can you do the exercises on page 34?"

"Yeah! I think that I am actually making a bit of progress."

"Yeah you do! Although you seem a little distracted today. Is everything alright?"

Jack says to me while I am picking up my books.

"Yeah. Everything is alright here."

"What about there?"

"There?"

"Back home. I mean... I don't think that you came all this way here just for the school. I get the feeling that... you are running away."

"It is a long story. Maybe I will tell you about it one day. But now I have to go. Bye Jack."

"Bye, Anne."

I get out of the library and go towards the Arts class. It is my first lesson and I don't want to be late.

Yesterday was a very... weird night. Meeting Joe really helped me. He took me to the dining hall and made me a tea. I told him everything. The words just came out of my mouth without control. I couldn't stop talking. And he just stood there listening to what I had to say. I told him every little detail about all these years. At the end, when I finished he seemed angry. Frustrated. He couldn't believe that people actually can be like that. Then he walked me back home. He gave me one last hug and then I got to my room and slept so peacefully.

I am glad he was there. I am glad that I told someone. There were things that I had never told anyone. I needed to talk.

I get in the class and take a seat by the window. There are a few people in class. A girl with short black hair comes and seat next to me.

"Hello. I am Jen."

"Hey! I am Anne."

"Are you new?"

"Yeah. You?"

"I am here since I was 10. Do you mind if I sit with you?"

"No... Not at all. Have you taken this class before?"

"I did last year. I totally loved it. The teacher, Mr. Williams, is so nice."

"I am glad. I really like Art."

"Me too!"

She says and then she stands up and goes towards a cabinet by the whiteboard. She opens it and takes out something that looks like a portfolio. Then she comes and sit next to me.

"This is my last year's portfolio. It has all the things we did on class."

I nod and open it. It is full of drawings and collages. Most of them are green. Only a few are colorful and some are black and white.

"Why most of them are green?"

"It was my color last year. Mr. Williams decided that everyone should pick a color and make most of the assignments on the shades of this color."

"Wow! That sounds amazing."

"I know! It was really interesting."

We get interrupted by the teacher. He gets in and greets us before closing the door behind him. He cleans the whiteboard and writes his name on it.

"For those who don't know me. My name is Jeff Williams. I love Art and I privileged enough to have studied it in Italy which is like painting herself. I hope this year to be amazing and artistic. For today I thought that it would be nice to do something to get to know each other. So... I want you to improvise. Take a canvas and start painting whatever comes into your mind. I will pick then the newbies for a small presentation."