Under Pressure - Septiplier

Chapter Sixty Three

The couple wanders through the gallery for the next thirty minutes or so, whispering quiet comments and jokes about the artwork, admiring and teasing them all at the same time. Of course, they're biased towards Ethan's. Soon, the judges step up onto the small podium, tapping the microphone. The feedback flares up, and everyone winces, turning to look. The lady leans forward with a sheepish smile, testing the microphone again and relaxing once it comes out normal.

"If I could have everyone's attention, I would like to announce the winner's from the gallery today. The artwork seems to get better and better every year, and I'm honored to..." Mark ignores the rest of the speech, staring at the paintings and pieces around them as he waits for the exciting part.

"Now, all three pieces that place will go on to the state competition. If your name and piece is called, please come forward, and we would love to hear a small explanation of the work," the lady says before glancing down at her paper. "In third place, we have Ainar Omarov, with Elation."

The audience claps as the painting is revealed as a little girl receiving an apple with a brilliant grin on her face. The teenager moves forward, a broad, surprised grin on his face as he climbs the stairs to the podium, getting his medal, and then speaking about his work for a moment. He brings up the little girl, apparently his sister, who is the subject of the piece. Mark zones out until the lady steps up again.

"In second place, we have Joy Dambe with Mother," she says, and Mark watches the girl hurry up, long dark hair swaying down her back, glinting with gold dreadlock rings. She talks about the painting style, and she's more animated than the boy. Her painting was revealed, showing a portrait of a woman in colorful, traditional Nigerian clothing. She looks regal and powerful. Joy calls up her mom, and while she's in ordinary clothes, she carries the same air of strength about her. Mark pays attention, biting his lip as the woman steps up again. He holds his breath, and Mark feels Jack tense beside him.

"In first place, we have Ethan Nestor, with Reflections," the woman announces, and the audience applauds. Mark breaks into a bright grin, vigorously clapping for his friend as he climbs the stairs and receives his medal and a plaque as well. The photograph is shown for everyone, and a few people turn around to look at Mark and Jack. Mark avoids their gazes, eyes on his friend as Ethan steps up to the microphone.

"I've been fascinated by photography for many years, and this is really a great representation of that. These are two of my friends, Mark and Jack," Ethan says, looking at the two and motioning for them to come up with a wave of his hand. Mark bites his lip and reaches for Jack's hand as everyone turns to stare at them, but Jack moves forward before he can get it. Mark follows after Jack, blinking a few times and trying to stay calm. As they move to stand beside Ethan, staring out over the crowd, he continues.

"I took the pictures of Mark back in middle school, and a month or so ago, I took the pictures of Jack. I didn't intend for either of these to be my competition pieces. Still, there was a chilling similarity between them, and I wanted to show the emotion they had. I wanted to show how people so often wear masks, hiding their true emotions and concerns behind a calm face. The color grading, highlighting, matching, and cutting was more intensive than the actual photography. I'm so proud of how it came out, and I'm honored my friends are willing to model for me," Ethan says. He steps away and moves to stand between Mark and Jack, holding his photo as they pose with the others for a picture. Then, they're all seated.

The lady moves to the microphone, "I would like to applaud all of the subjects for their bravery. Posing for an art piece is intimidating. Being able to bare one's emotions in an unfamiliar setting like that takes a great deal of bravery. Thank you for being open and honest with yourself and for being willing to share this with us."

Mark looks down with furrowed brows. They think it's brave. These people think it's brave to share these terrifying emotions. Mr. Josh says the same thing too. Jack said the same thing. Whenever Mark opens up, he's praised for it. Everyone believes it's brave and takes strength to reveal such intimate, personal feelings. Mark shouldn't be so ashamed of his anxiety. Like anyone else, he's got struggles, and hiding it, pushing people away for it, is the cowardly choice. The brave option is being honest and open with others. He smiles slightly to himself and shifts closer to Jack, reaching out to take his hand, but Jack pulls his hand away, moving to clasp his hands together in front of him. Mark feels his heart clench. The first few times that Jack avoided his hand seemed like a coincidence, but now it's become a pattern. They stay on the podium for a bit longer before coming back down.

They're swamped by people congratulating Ethan and praising Jack and Mark. All Mark can think about is how Jack rejected him again. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. The chatter of the people talking to Ethan slowly dulls into a peaceful murmur as Mark focuses on blocking it out. He works on keeping his mind calm, fighting against the panic and anxiety that's rising from Jack's continuous rejection. He manages to keep himself calm, fighting against the whirling thoughts that are constantly trying to spiral through his mind. Slowly, the crowd dissipates, people beginning the leave, and eventually, it's just the three of them again. Mark stays beside Jack, but there's a tense air between them.