The Secret Behind The Great

Art Class With Jay

AU where Jay and Nick are in high school and have art class together.

Nick's POV

I am pressed. I am stressed. I am not okay! That's all that was going through my head the moment the teacher announced a class project that would be half of our grade. It would be fine if it wasn't partner work. He was the one assigning partners, which made this thing ten times worse. I was always the one stuck doing 99% of the work and then my so called partner just sat there before maybe asking if they could help out on something. I hated this so much. Oh also did I mention I was a homosexual. Yeah, your boy is gay, takes an art class, and actually dresses nice while showering on a daily. Heck yeah getting bullied for having proper hygiene and caring about looks. The teacher was almost on my name as he went down the list of names. I was always the last one he paired for some reason...
"Nick Carraway." He called out loud enough for people in Switzerland to hear.  Look, just cause I hardly speak doesn't mean I'm deaf sir, thanks. "You and Jay Gatsby will be working on this together."
I was frozen in my seat. Why? Why me? God I know it's been a while, but please please please don't let this be real. I'd rather show up to school in my underwear than be paired with the Gatsby. I'm sure you're asking why, but believe me, you'll understand. Okay, so, imagine a Greek God... golden hair, gorgeous blue-green eyes, perfect lips, chiseled cheeks and jaw, and not to mention a perfect body. It's as though god literally carved him just to taunt me 'cause, yeah he's straight.
I was startled from my thoughts as my nostrils were filled with a familiar smell of mint gum and the most perfect cologne a man could ever put on. I was shook to say the least. Alright playing it cool. Heck yeah I'm cool, super duper-
"Okay so what medium do want to use...cause uhm I can't really draw and majority of my paintings are abstract to say the least." He cooly, his voice low and deep. Like the ocean...just like the color of those gorgeous eyes. I'm keeping that to myself for sure.
"Well we better do photography then. I mean if a jock like you could even use a camera that is." I replied, a light laugh escaping my lips. This earned a glare by Jay, but I didn't care. I had to play it cool. I do not like Jay at all. This will not effect my grade at all.
_________________________________________

    This was going horribly. Half way through the semester and all he and I had managed to do was argue about the subject we'd be photographing and writing about, while I also somehow managed to make myself fall deeper and deeper into the hole that was my crush for Jay Gatsby. We were at the park this time, trying to find some middle grough. While I was photographing trees and the sky (heck yeah basic gay photographing like a boss), Jay was just sitting on top of the table in the park doing nothing. Just like I thought, he does nothing, I do everything, and we get the same grade. That's just great isn't it.
    "Dude, trees are basic and only chicks photograph the god damned sky like that. Just stop. That isn't going to work." This comment from ten feet away just managed to make my blood boil. I was over it. I was over trying to get this grade. I was over trying to impress Jay and somehow manage to get him, which was basically impossible. I was just done. I stormed over to the table he was sitting out before taking a deep breath.
    "Then why don't you try doing something huh? All you've been doing is sitting there looking all handsome and nice doing nothing but criticize me. I'm so done with this. I have been doing whatever you say in hopes of impressing you and getting you to show some interest in me, but god knows that can and will never ever happen. I can't stand this." I shoved the camera into his hands even though he had one of his own already in his lap. "Take this and figure something out on your own 'cause I'm done playing this stupid game with you Jay. Go ahead and tell the teacher. I don't care." After that lovely rant, I turned and ran off. This was mostly because I had just confessed that I liked, but also cause my mother was calling my phone... yeah I was late, oops.
    The next day we didn't speak... along with the day after that, followed by weeks after that, which soon turned into months. We didn't speak. The awkward glances in the hall followed by the hour of class we had to be next to each other were the worst part of these last few months before Christmas break. He and I had not spoken, only put up with each other's presence because neither of us knew what to say. I was mad, he knew it, and neither of us were willing to put our pride aside in order to apologize. The biggest issue with this was that we hadn't even put together our presentation and my anxiety was going crazy all day. Right before our art class I had to step out as I had a panic attack in the bathroom, which only made my hatred for Jay grow. I stepped into class five minutes late only to see that Jay was at the board about to present.
"How nice. You finally decided to join us today Mr. Carraway." The teacher spoke sarcastically. My skin crawled at the tone of his voice as I stepped beside Jay.
"What the hell are you doing. We haven't worked on this at all." I spoke between gritted teeth. Jay placed a hand on my shoulder and gave me a small, apologetic smile before making me turn and face the board.
"Dude this isn-" I cut myself off as I saw a picture of myself appear on the board in front of me, but it wasn't me looking silly in an attempt of posing, but instead it was me caught off guard and yet I looked okay. 
"Our project was on true beauty. Today our standards of beauty have completely diminished. Now we find fake models posing beautiful, but it is only a cover up. It's them trying their hardest to look perfect in an attempt to distract us from how bad it really is. True beauty is found in the raw and vulnerableness in the images of those whose masks are laid down and they are no longer worrying of what people think. These images of my partner Nick Carraway are of him when he has his mask off and is unaware that people may or may not be staring. He's relaxed, calm, and trying to put on a show to appeal to others. He's himself and that right there..." He paused for a moment, the images on the board going through like a slideshow as he stared at me. "Is what is truly beautiful."
I was in shock. I didn't know what to say, but as I turned around to face the class, I knew that they felt the same way.
"I haven't been myself these past few years. I've been wearing my own mask out of fear. My real name is James Gatz. I moved here with my dad to start over after my mother passed away. I couldn't help but want a new beginning and in doing so I denied myself the right to falling for someone I really liked... " Jay, or well, James faced me. "Nick, I really messed up and for that I am sorry, but this... I will never be sorry for." He pulled me to him and in that moment I allowed myself to completely dive into the hole that was my crush for James Gatz. As his lips pressed to mine, I pushed away the thoughts of the class and the teacher. I only focused on James, because he was raw and vulnerable in these moments and that was truly beautiful to me.