Picture Perfect Night Sky

15 ¦ Margaret Fellice

"Okay, so what did he do to piss you off like that?" He chuckles softly. "You look like you're ready to burn the fucker down."

"Well, he thought that I will be an obstacle to this project, and then he insists on working on by himself." Remembering what he just said to me makes me want to throw the Pringles can in Noah's hand at his arrogant face.

"Wow, what a fucking jerk. He underestimates your ability on working alone. Heck, by the sound of it, it looks like you wanted to work on this project alone." He gives me a sly grin.

"So yeah, he thought he can do all of that without me. That's no problem to me because I can do it all on my own too. The problem is I don't want to happen like what happen last year, where I burned myself up with all the school works."

I feel a hand on the back of my hand. Noah pats me softly, smiling sympathetically at me "Well, you cannot be sure that will happen." I go complete silent, waiting for Noah's infamous words of wisdom. "Okay, if Jacob want to do it all on his own, let him be. If that's what he desires then it's not your problem. It's his lost not wanting to partner up with the best photographer I know." I smile slightly to what he just said. "Look, no need to burned yourself up again. You can slowly finish all of those school works right away." I nod at his wisdom. "But if you take the time to know what kind of person Jacob really is, I'm sure you two will get along real nice."

His last statement makes me think about something. "Say, how did you meet Jacob?"

He rests his head on the top of the sofa, trying to remember how he met the bastard. "Well, I don't quite remember, but I do remember we met in the school's library."

In the library? I never thought a guy like him would visit the library. What was he doing there? I shrug off the thought of him, the last thing I want is him bugging me in my mind. "Enough about Jacob. How about you?"

"What about me?" He raises an eyebrow at me.

"Does your professors give you a heads-up about the final project for this semester?" I sit in a way that makes me face my whole body at him.

"Oh yeah. They did give us a heads-up." He smiles calmly, but I can sense deep inside he's stressing about it.

"So, what are those projects?" I raise an eyebrow at him.

"Well, where do I start?" He places his hand under his chin, and slowly rubs it. "In Philosophical Ethics, we were ordered to write a 100 thousand words review about each ethic."

I scoff at that project. "Dude, that's like for babies for you. You can just easily bullshit your way to that 100 thousand words review."

He chuckles softly at my retort. "Yeah, perhaps. In music, we need to write a song. Any genre of song."

"That's also easy for you!"

"The writing part is easy, but after you write a song, you need to sing it in front of people." He lets out a shaky breath.

"Yeah, that's rough for you." Noah hates being the center of attention. He doesn't like it when people are staring at him, he'll start stuttering when it's his time to sing in front of people. This will be rough for him if he needs to pass. "So much for being a minor subject."

"Uh-huh." He begins to crawl up into a ball in nervousness even though he still had months to prepare himself.

"How about in your engineering class?"

"Oh, that's even worst." He's now starting to stress out. "The professor wants us to create a 3D digital model of our desirable structure."

"That doesn't sound bad..." I tilt my head close enough to the top of the sofa. "So, what structure did you choose?"

"I haven't chosen anything yet. I'm still thinking about it." He now resolves to biting his nails due to anxiety that's been building up inside him.

"Woah hey, don't do that, your fingers will bleed again." I pull off his fingers off his mouth. "We'll think of something." We're silent for a moment just to think of a structure. "Oh, how about the Eiffel Tower?"

"Too difficult, making the gaps in the 3D digital model will be a hassle." He groans.

"Okay, how about the Leaning Tower of Pisa?"

"The tilt of it will be challenging."

I groan, slowly running out of structures to name. "The Great Pyramid of Giza?"

"Really? Even an elementary student can make a 3D digital model of it. Just plot down a pyramid, then shade it to look realistic then boom! The Great Pyramid of Giza." He slumps down the sofa, looking defeated and practically giving up.

An idea suddenly pops up into my brain. "How about Big Ben?"

He looks deep in thought for a moment. "The exterior design will be challenging but overall, it's quite doable for my skills."

"It's official then, you're making a 3D digital model of Big Ben!" I pat his shoulder a bit too hard for his liking, but at least he's smiling.

"Thanks for the help."

"Hey, you help me, so it's just natural to bring the favor back." I smile back at him.

"Since you asked about my final projects. How about yours? What are your final projects, besides the 10 shots?"

"Well, in my MedTech class, we were ordered to create a mechanical design of a brain implant." It's still bugs me on how will I do that.

Noah looks confuse for a moment. "What's that? What's even a mechanical design of a brain implant?" He looks perplexed. "That sounds like something in the far future."

I shrug, "I don't know either. I'll ask our professor what she meant by that."

"Okay, what else are your final projects?"

"Well, in my Traditional Art class, our professor wants us to make our own self-portrait without any reference whatsoever. Meaning no looking at your own photos, so you got to draw what you think you look like by memory." Thinking about it, it's a great way to understand one's self, and its art. Even if a person has some low self-esteem, and they think of themselves as an ugly being, what they're drawing in their self-portrait is art. Even if it's a bad drawing of themselves, it's still art.

He thinks about it for a moment. "That actually sounds relaxing to you."

"I know right! It's actually a great final project." I nod in agreement.

"So, why won't you start at that? You love painting so much, it may calm you down." He pats my shoulder, the same force when I pat his shoulder.

"The problem is how and where would I start doing that?" I frown slightly. "I don't quite have a complete art material for me to start right away."

"Well, if I remember correctly that Mr. Santiago lets his Art room to be used for other students. Why don't you go there, and start right away?" He gives me a sympathetic smile.

Wow, Mr. Santiago is a generous professor. "Okay sure, but... What if there's a lot of other students in there?" I ask nervously.

"Nah, don't worry about that. I always pass by there and I always notice there's no student there." He grins gleefully. "So, don't worry about social interaction over there."

"Oh cool! Alright, I'm heading there now." I stand up from the sofa. "But before I head out, where's this Art Room exactly?"

"It's just near the school's faculty, the next hallway you see before the school's faculty. There will be a sign over the entrance that reads 'Art Room'."

"Thanks, I won't experience another hassle of being lost." I chuckle nervously.

"Be careful you might bump in into some people again." He gives me an impish grin.

Rolling my eyes at him as I head to the door. I swing the door open, but before I head out, I turn my head towards Noah's direction. "Oh, by the way."

Noah's eyes went huge in curiosity of what I'm about to say. "Thank you." I smile at him and he smiles back. I walk out of the dorm, closing it behind me. Taking a deep sigh to calm myself up.

Art room here I come.