You Gotta Smile Sometimes
Part 5
Your pov
I spent the next few days generally hanging out with my friends, getting to know Matt and going to school, the usual stuff. Consequently, I have found myself constantly being asked if I was okay by everyone, from my friends to my teachers. As of this moment, I was staring blankly at the art teacher who was asking if I felt up for school and reassuring me that I could go home if I felt the need to. I basically flopped on the desk next to Frank who seemed to find my behaviour amusing. The art teacher seemed to find it appropriate, at that moment, to now call the class to gather round the group of desks at the front.
"Today we are going to be starting your coursework. You will be given a variety of themes. These are as follows:
Family portraits
Hidden
Inspired by literature
Doorways
Transport
Symbolic landscape
Fold
Floodlit
These can be interpreted in any way that you see fit. You will be expected to produce a variety of drawing work and produce a final piece of work or series of works."
He then proceeded to reel off numerous dates that went in one ear and out the other. I gave up trying to listen to the dates as I knew I could copy them off Frank at a later date. The teacher sent us back to our tables to discuss our initial ideas. I sunk back into my chair next to Frank, looking over at him.
"So, Frankie boy, got any ideas?".
"Nope. You?".
"Meh, a couple. Dunno whether teacher will let me do them though.".
"Oo tell me, tell me, tell me!" Frank replied, sounding too excited for an afternoon art lesson.
"Jesus Frank, calm down. I'm too sleepy to deal with you hyper."
"sorry, but seriously, I got nothing so tell me your idea.".
"No. it's a secret. No one but me is going to know what it is until it's done." I stuck my tongue out at him and laid my head down on the desk.
The teacher began to call us up one by one to discuss our initial ideas. "Kitty". I walked up to the teacher's desk and sat down in the chair.
"So, Kitty, what are you thinking about doing?".
"Well, Jonathan (A/N: that's your teacher's name) I did have one idea but I'm not sure whether it fits into any of the themes."
"The themes are there for guidance only. Your coursework can be linked to them in any that you want to interpret them."
" well, my idea was to do a series of portraits of the people who I consider as heroes, which would include my friends and a few famous people. But I don’t want them to know, so please don't tell Frank no matter how much he asks you.".
"Uh huh, so how would you go about starting the drawing part of the coursework."
"Well, my friends are used to me just drawing random things when we're together so I'll just pretend to be doing other things whilst drawing them."
"What about the famous people?".
"Use loads of different reference photo's to make a new image of them?" I said hopefully.
"Okay, but you have to promise me that your work will predominantly first hand work of your friends."
" Yeah, okay. Thanks."
I returned to my seat and immediately Frank was asking me what I was gunna do.
"I'm sorry Skittles, you're just going to have to wait until it's done." The rest of the lesson I had to put up with Frank bugging me but I was determined not to give in to him.
The end of the day rolled round and I was walking out of school with the guys when my mother drove up to us and spoke to me in Spanish "Get in the car."
I replied in French even though I knew she wanted me to speak Spanish "Why mother? I was going to go over to Mikey's house.".
She carried on in Spanish "You are going to counselling. Now get in the car Kathryn." I grimaced at my name and turned to explain to my friends, now speaking in English.
"Guys I have to go to counselling, mother's idea. I'll see you all tomorrow."
Mikey came over and gave me a hug, which I was very grateful for, whispering in my ear "See if you can sneak out later. When she's gone to bed. I wanna spend some time alone with you."
I nodded, still hugging him. We pulled away reluctantly and I turned away from my friends. I climbed in the car and waved goodbye to my friends. The drive to the counsellor was undertaken in uncomfortable silence. I sat fidgeting slightly all the way there. When we arrived my mother got out the car and I followed her silently into the building. She spoke to the receptionist who indicated that we sat down in the waiting area. We were informed that someone would be with us soon. Sitting across form me was a boy that was probably the same age as me, if not a little younger. He looked to be into the same kind of music as me. He was sitting next to a man who I presumed to be his dad. I was studying him intently when I heard my name being called. I got up nervously, barely hearing my mother tell me that I would be going in alone. I entered the room and sat down on the chair opposite the desk.
I spent the next few days generally hanging out with my friends, getting to know Matt and going to school, the usual stuff. Consequently, I have found myself constantly being asked if I was okay by everyone, from my friends to my teachers. As of this moment, I was staring blankly at the art teacher who was asking if I felt up for school and reassuring me that I could go home if I felt the need to. I basically flopped on the desk next to Frank who seemed to find my behaviour amusing. The art teacher seemed to find it appropriate, at that moment, to now call the class to gather round the group of desks at the front.
"Today we are going to be starting your coursework. You will be given a variety of themes. These are as follows:
Family portraits
Hidden
Inspired by literature
Doorways
Transport
Symbolic landscape
Fold
Floodlit
These can be interpreted in any way that you see fit. You will be expected to produce a variety of drawing work and produce a final piece of work or series of works."
He then proceeded to reel off numerous dates that went in one ear and out the other. I gave up trying to listen to the dates as I knew I could copy them off Frank at a later date. The teacher sent us back to our tables to discuss our initial ideas. I sunk back into my chair next to Frank, looking over at him.
"So, Frankie boy, got any ideas?".
"Nope. You?".
"Meh, a couple. Dunno whether teacher will let me do them though.".
"Oo tell me, tell me, tell me!" Frank replied, sounding too excited for an afternoon art lesson.
"Jesus Frank, calm down. I'm too sleepy to deal with you hyper."
"sorry, but seriously, I got nothing so tell me your idea.".
"No. it's a secret. No one but me is going to know what it is until it's done." I stuck my tongue out at him and laid my head down on the desk.
The teacher began to call us up one by one to discuss our initial ideas. "Kitty". I walked up to the teacher's desk and sat down in the chair.
"So, Kitty, what are you thinking about doing?".
"Well, Jonathan (A/N: that's your teacher's name) I did have one idea but I'm not sure whether it fits into any of the themes."
"The themes are there for guidance only. Your coursework can be linked to them in any that you want to interpret them."
" well, my idea was to do a series of portraits of the people who I consider as heroes, which would include my friends and a few famous people. But I don’t want them to know, so please don't tell Frank no matter how much he asks you.".
"Uh huh, so how would you go about starting the drawing part of the coursework."
"Well, my friends are used to me just drawing random things when we're together so I'll just pretend to be doing other things whilst drawing them."
"What about the famous people?".
"Use loads of different reference photo's to make a new image of them?" I said hopefully.
"Okay, but you have to promise me that your work will predominantly first hand work of your friends."
" Yeah, okay. Thanks."
I returned to my seat and immediately Frank was asking me what I was gunna do.
"I'm sorry Skittles, you're just going to have to wait until it's done." The rest of the lesson I had to put up with Frank bugging me but I was determined not to give in to him.
The end of the day rolled round and I was walking out of school with the guys when my mother drove up to us and spoke to me in Spanish "Get in the car."
I replied in French even though I knew she wanted me to speak Spanish "Why mother? I was going to go over to Mikey's house.".
She carried on in Spanish "You are going to counselling. Now get in the car Kathryn." I grimaced at my name and turned to explain to my friends, now speaking in English.
"Guys I have to go to counselling, mother's idea. I'll see you all tomorrow."
Mikey came over and gave me a hug, which I was very grateful for, whispering in my ear "See if you can sneak out later. When she's gone to bed. I wanna spend some time alone with you."
I nodded, still hugging him. We pulled away reluctantly and I turned away from my friends. I climbed in the car and waved goodbye to my friends. The drive to the counsellor was undertaken in uncomfortable silence. I sat fidgeting slightly all the way there. When we arrived my mother got out the car and I followed her silently into the building. She spoke to the receptionist who indicated that we sat down in the waiting area. We were informed that someone would be with us soon. Sitting across form me was a boy that was probably the same age as me, if not a little younger. He looked to be into the same kind of music as me. He was sitting next to a man who I presumed to be his dad. I was studying him intently when I heard my name being called. I got up nervously, barely hearing my mother tell me that I would be going in alone. I entered the room and sat down on the chair opposite the desk.