ACT II
— Scene 6 —
P O V : H A R R Y
I walked into the room, immediately welcomed with the scent of acrylic paint. I looked around, seeing a dozen artists fussing around for supplies. My hands started to shake, nervous to be around so many new people.
My eyes met those of tall smiling woman at the front of the class, and I assumed she was the teacher.
"You're new here, aren't you?" she asked me. I nodded, linking my hands behind my back. She then asked me what my name was, and after I responded, she grinned and clasped her hands together, turning to face the class.
"Class, please welcome Harry; he's new," she beamed, and everyone turned to me with warm expressions. I made eye contact with a particular boy in the room, who gave me a welcoming smile.
The students stood by their easels, so I did the same, finding an empty one near the back of the room.
I quickly spotted the canvases, and grabbed one, along with some paint and brushes.
"Harry, the prompt this week is to paint someone, or something that is meaningful to you," the teacher informed me, walking over to where I stood.
I nodded, and began to wonder what I would paint. Luckily, the class focused on acrylic paintings, which was the medium I was most comfortable with.
"Hey, you're Harry, right?" A voice said. I turned to see the same boy smiling at me.
I nodded, "Yeah, that's me."
"I'm Sean," he started. "You have really beautiful eyes," he said, whirling his paintbrush in the air casually.
"Oh, uh, thank you?" I said, caught off guard by the compliment. He smiled again, returning to his work. He's an artist, I thought, he must say things like that all the time.
My eyes trailed to his canvas. The background of the painting was a soft rainbow gradient. In the centre, there were two stone statues, both male, huddled in an intimate embrace.
Something inside of me felt connected to the piece. I felt like I was back in secondary school, when little-me noticed things I hadn't before.
After pondering for awhile, I decided to paint the scene in front of me: students at their canvases, paint splattered all over their smocks, deep in concentration. Art was something meaningful to me, so I knew that this would be a good idea.
I got started with the piece, and soon I was completely focused. This was what I truly loved to do; it was my passion. My mind wandered, and I began to think about Sean's painting.
"Who inspired your painting?" I asked him, my eyes glancing over his piece. "If you don't mind me asking, of course."
Sean turned to me, "Well, it's not about someone; it's about something."
I furrowed my eyebrows, "And what's that?"
"I'm... gay. My sexuality just means a lot to me." he said proudly.
I was about to say something along the lines of "My flatmate is gay, too", but I knew that would sound stupid.
"Oh," I started, "That's... cool."
We were silent again, both focusing on our artwork. My mind started drifting as I painted, my thoughts wandering towards things I barely even thought about for almost a year. I thought about my past relationships, which all happened be with girls. All my firsts were with girls: first kisses, first touches, and first loves.
In the end, I couldn't pretend I didn't notice boys, too. There were some things I couldn't ignore, like the flutters in my chest when my best mates would touch my hand, or getting way too nervous around some guys.
How could I know which of those feelings were real; If I haven't felt them once in the past year?
"Have you ever liked a girl? Even though, you're gay and all?" I asked, immediately realising how ignorant I sounded.
Sean laughed, "No, I haven't. I'm gay, not bi."
Bi. The word rang in my ear. It was incredibly familiar to me, yet hearing it out loud felt so new.
"Right," I nodded, going back to my work. I tried to play it cool, pretending like I had little interest in the subject.
I continued painting, getting lost in my thoughts once again.
P O V : L O U I S
Harry had been at the art class for a few hours now, and sitting alone at home was starting to get boring. Since I had nothing better to do, I decided to take a walk around the neighbourhood.
I stepped outside, feeling the cool, autumn breeze. Even though it was chilly out, it was a beautiful day. The sun shone through the clouds, and orange leaves surrounded the pavement.
I turned a corner, before realising that I had walked into an alleyway.
There was a single girl leaning against the wall, wearing daisy dukes and a revealing top, lighting the end of a cigarette between her fingers. She brought it to her lips, surveying her surroundings. When, she saw me, her face softened, and she quickly put on a suggestive smirk.
"Hey cutie," she moaned. I looked around, wanting nothing but to leave. She cackled, making me cringe.
"What's a hot guy like you doing all alone?" she asked, standing up from her leaning position to make her way towards me.
"You look lost, but don't worry," she paused, "I'm willing to take you home."
My face reddened in annoyance. "I'm ga- I mean, I'm good, but thanks," I coughed.
"Oh honey, you're only gay because you haven't had a taste of this yet," she remarked, gesturing to her body.
"I really don't have time for this," I sighed, turning around to face where I came from. I heard the girl scoff.
"You'll be back," she called out. "Who could resist me?"
I rolled my eyes, waking away. I sure could.
I decided I had seen enough of the neighbourhood for one day, and walked back to the flat. I was already getting used to making my way around Camden.
I was about to turn the key, until I realised that the door was already unlocked.
I opened the door and walked inside. "Harry?" I called out.
There was no response, so I went upstairs to try and find him.
When he wasn't in the bedroom, I came to the conclusion that he was in the office. I went up the stairs and swung open the door.
"Harry, I've been- oh," I trailed off as I took in the scene before me.
Harry stood in front of a colourful canvas, his eyebrows furrowed, with a thin paintbrush tucked behind his ear.
He had headphones in his ears, and was swaying to whatever song he was listening to. His chest was completely bare, giving me a clear view of the tattoos spread across his chest.
I let myself wonder if he designed them all himself. Considering his talent, I wouldn't be surprised if he'd sketched every single one of them. I wondered if they had specific meanings, and why he got them in the first place.
I don't quite know how long I stood there, astonished at the scene in front of me. Soon, Harry began move more, making abrupt movements in his hips. It took me a while to realise he was dancing.
He carried on making the most ridiculous movements I've ever seen, his lanky body making him look even more awkward. I couldn't stop myself from giggling, and I soon burst into hysterical laughter.
Harry turned to me, jumping in surprise. He stumbled back, falling to the floor and landing on his bum.
"How long have you been standing there?" He asked, looking slightly panicked. I froze.
"Uh, awhile I guess," I chuckled, feeling a bit embarrassed myself. He raised his eyebrows in confusion, but eventually shrugged and rose to his feet.
"You just don't understand. When Britney Spears comes on, I can't help myself from dancing like an idiot," Harry explained.
I rolled my eyes, "First Ariana Grande, now Britney Spears? Lord, help me," I teased.
"I hate you," Harry sighed.
"Aww, I hate you more," I said sarcastically.
"No you don't," Harry said smugly. I chuckled.
"Yeah, I don't," I said. With that, Harry grinned and pranced out of the room.
AN: Larry is cute. Is there any more to be said?
— Ava and Melina