Ways To Go

Way 2.0

Joe Evans

"I felt like time has stopped. I am no longer aware of my surroundings. I hear sounds around me, but I can't process what they say. All I see is the empty walls. The paintings are gone. Everyone is  shouting "Joe!". There are people waiting outside. Mr. Aust has important guests coming. My mind goes blank."

Finally the day has come!

I have waited the whole break for this day. If I wanted to be honest with myself, then without any doubt I would have never imagined myself being this excited for the new semester. I like holding my brush and playing with every single color in the palette, but when this turns into a project, I am not the most excited about it. Sometimes, I can't keep up with my own thoughts. I do hate projects but no one is happier than me when we start a new project. My friend Álvaro always says that it's obvious just looking by at my eyes. I think it's just the deadline thing.

I get off the bus, heading towards the campus. It's still one week before the new semester and of course I am not as excited about the new semester. It's all about this week.

"Oh finally!" It's Álvaro calling back. I kept calling him to know if he is already here, but he never answered. Sometimes I think he does this just to mess with me.

"My phone's battery is always dying because of you, you don't even wait, you just call back right after one ends." Álvaro said complaining and acting annoyed, well maybe he is.

"Well, if you picked up your phone I wouldn't have gone that far." I explained.

"Hey anyway hurry up everyone is already here." Álvaro said and hanged up.

I start to run after checking the time. I think I was too busy being excited that I am late now, but what's new about that.

I almost arrived late, I sigh as I enter the hall sitting near Álvaro. Arriving late would have defeated the whole purpose behind my excitement. I sit properly in my chair, directing all my senses towards the man who has just entered the room.

"Hello everyone, I am so glad that you came today, I am even happier that many of you came to the studios during the break to prepare for your works," Mr. Aust said, he is the dean of the fine arts department. "I know that you have all waited for this, well starting from today we will prepare for the first art gallery for this semester, I am assured that it would exceed expectations despite the short period." Mr. Aust said or at least that's what I managed to recall. He kept talking for quite the time, no one talks more than Mr. Aust. Last semester at the seniors' graduation ceremony he kept talking until they had to play the music forcing him down the stage.

Professor Collins then said "The first thing we are going to do is assigning the roles." He took a paper out of his notebook "Anyone interested in being this event's director?"

That's it, the moment that I have waited for; I raised my hand confidently before he finished his sentence.

"Mr. Evans, of course." He chuckled, "Anyone else interested?" He smiled and then said the magical words "Ok, Mr. Evans is the director of this year's event."

I am not exactly sure about what happened after that, but I know that I am now the happiest. The first art gallery of the semester is one of the important events at campus every year. It's always the fourth year's students who are in charge of this event. There's nothing more exciting than becoming the director of an event like this. Mr. Aust and Professor Collin left, leaving us to start discussing our plans for the event.

"Come to think of it Álvaro, wasn't this so easy? Just like that and I became the director?"

"Everyone knows how much you are excited about this Joe, not that it's easy but they trust you." Álvaro said. The air is becoming thicker now that he stated it like that, then he adds "Good luck, you will need it." He chuckled. I narrowed my eyes looking at him with disapproval.