Blood Rose (Vampire/Ballerina Book 1)

Chapter 26: Angst

KAYLA

In photography class Jia and Kayla work on their 298th image. Ms. Ruby writes the words SILENT BEAUTY, on the chalkboard. She gets into this theme, so much that she doesn't make a peep. The teacher then writes: SILENT ART. 

Huh? What is silent art? That makes no sense. Art has no sound to begin with. Kay raises her hand. Ms. Ruby mimics a pen and paper with her hands, indicating that she wants Kayla to write it down.

"I'm lost..." The skater boy begins.

Ms. Ruby places her finger to her lips and writes on the board again: BE QUIET TO HEAR THE HIDDEN BEAUTIES OF LIFE. TAKE A PHOTO OF UNAPPRECIATED ART. ALSO KNOWN AS SILENT ART. THINGS THAT ARE OVERLOOKED YET PROVIDE ARTISTIC IMPACT. 

I'm with Jasper, I'm lost too. Kay and Jia share a befuddled glance. 

The teacher writes again: HINT: THE ORIGINAL ART. Kayla jots down a question in her notepad then holds it up: CAN WE FIND IT INSIDE THE SCHOOL?

Ms. Ruby nods, then does shooing hand gestures to the hallway, egging them to begin their venturing. Kayla is happy to leave the room and speak like a normal human being. Once in the hall, she tries to start a chat, but Jia silently shushes her. Wow...is she actually going to follow the quiet demand from Ms. Ruby? I need to fill her in about what happened last night.

Jia takes Kay's notebook and writes: We have to be quiet to hear the art. 

Kay rolls her eyes, taking the pen to scribble: but it's important. It's about me and Darius.

Her bestie sighs then scribbles: The faster we find the art, the quicker we can talk. 

Kayla takes her by the hand, leading her to a garden enclosed at the center of the hall. A greenhouse, complete with fountains, and birds who swoop in from the open sky roof. She push in the see-through door and points at the fountains. The original art is most likely what the earth has made. Jia and I may be the first ones done. This assignment wasn't as hard to crack as I thought. Our teacher needs to up her game. 

Jia, who has the cannon camera around her neck, snaps the photo. 

The mechanical shutter from the lens prompts Kay to speak. "Now..."

"How did you figure it out so fast?"

"Nature is overlooked every day. It has an artistic silence, meaning originality, since it's untouched by human influence."

"Wow! Let me write that down. You're a genius." Jia transcribes what her friend just said.

"Now...can we talk. I need to tell someone."

"Sure. What is it?"

"I don't think I'll ever see Darius again..." Her chocolate doe eyes tear up. "I'm on home arrest for the whole year."

"Seriously??"

"My dad is impossible...he's a ramped-up bull. Just the mention of Darius gets him heated."

"He really didn't like that you went to a party..." Jia coddles Kayla into her arms. "I knew that was a bad idea."

"Me too...I should've followed my gut and said no."

"Yeah...then you wouldn't be in this mess."

"I can't even call him."

"Your dad is so harsh." 

"I don't understand why!" She bawl her eyes out, wailing into Jia's shoulder.

"Aww...I'm so sorry. I wished there was something I could do."