Chapter 45
At lunch time while I was at my locker, Jerome walked over to me and leaned against the lockers beside mine. "I have a favour. Or a job. It depends how you look at it."
"What is it?" I asked and before Jerome could even reply, I asked another question. "Wait. Is it something dirty? Y-you tend to ask and say dirty things..."
"No, it's not something dirty," Jerome said. "Well, unless you want it to be." I shook my head. "No? Fine. Anyway, the dance studio is having a recital soon and right about now is when we start marketing for the recital, which includes making the posters and programs. But the poster and program designer decided to quit now of all times. The studio head is freaking out because she doesn't think she can find someone under such short notice so I was like 'Hey, why don't we get the guy who painted the city hall's mural?' So, long story short, would you like to be the poster and program designer?"
"I don't know," I said, only as a joke though because I actually was interested in creating the posters and programs for the recital, especially since it was a dance recital and I loved dancing. "It seems like a lot of work."
"Okay, yeah, that's fine," Jerome said. "I'm sure we can find someone else. I just wanted to ask because you are the most talented person I know. But, yeah, it will be fine. I mean, it is short notice and all that so we might be rushing to finish everything if we can't find someone soon but it will all work out in the end."
"It kind of sounds like you're trying to guilt me into doing it," I said.
"What? No, I would never do that," Jerome said. "...Is it working?"
"Not really," I said. "But it might work if you take me somewhere for lunch."
"Alright, let's go."
"Jerome, I'm kidding. It doesn't really seem like too much work, so I'd love to do it."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really."
Jerome pulled me into a hug. "Thank you. Seriously, you are a life saver."
"I try."
Jerome pulled away to look at me. He fluffed up my hair before smiling at me. "Seriously, thank you. You will be getting paid for it, of course, but I can thank you by taking you to your bed and fu--"
I placed my hand over his mouth to stop him from finishing what he was going to say, and, like always, I could feel my cheeks starting to burn. "S-stop! D-don't say that in the middle of the s-school hallway..."
Jerome muttered something but since my hand was covering his mouth, I couldn't hear what he said. He lowered my hand and chuckled before saying, "I said 'kinky'."
I scowled. "You're a pest."
"I try. So the dancers are going to start rehearsing at the theatre where they're going to have the recital, and the first rehearsal is after school. Want to come too so you can see the dancers to get an idea of what you want the poster and program to look like?"
"Yeah, sure," I said. "Just, you know..." I lowered my voice. "Don't say anything dirty."
Jerome just smiled at me. "Still so fucking cute."
When school ended, I met Jerome outside so we could head to his car in order to go to the theatre. I already texted my parents at lunch, giving them the update so they wouldn't wonder where I was after school. Then again, if Jerome didn't get home right away they probably would have assumed we were out together.
The first thing we went to do when we got to the theatre was to go to the studio owner so she would know that Jerome found someone to design the poster and program. I never met her, despite me going to the studio all the time to dance.
Some dancers were on the stage, either stretching or dancing around for fun. A woman was on the stage with them, writing on the clipboard in her hand. Jerome led me over to the stage. "Jamila," he said, and the woman looked over at him. "This is Nolan. He was the one who painted the mural and he agreed to make the posters and programs for the recital."
"Really?" Jamila asked as she got off the stage and stood where Jerome and I were. "Oh, thank goodness. I was starting to get worried that I wasn't going to be able to find someone." She looked at Jerome. "How were you able to find him?"
"Well, funny story, I'm actually the reason he was able to paint the mural in the first place," Jerome said.
"Wait, really?" I asked.
"Uh, yeah," Jerome said. "I'm the one who took you to the art building where the mayor found your painting, then I saw the note about her wanting the artist of your painting to paint the mural, then I told her I knew the artist, then I called the off--"
"Okay, I get it," I said.
Jerome looked at Jamila. "And he's also my boyfriend, so it wasn't too hard to find him."
"Ah, okay," Jamila said. She looked at me. "Thank you so much for agreeing to make the poster and program. So for the recital, every dancer has their part, so the only thing I want for the poster and program is to not have any one student the main focus. Everyone is the focus in this recital, so if there are going to be dancers in your design, I'd like it to be more of a..."
"Silhouette?" I asked.
"Exactly," Jamila said.
"Nolan's going to sit in on the rehearsal to see if he could get any inspiration," Jerome said.
"Alright, that's fine with me," Jamila said before heading back onto the stage.
I sat down on one of the seats in the front row and took out my sketchbook so I could start sketching ideas once rehearsals started. Jerome sat down beside me since he didn't have to do anything yet for rehearsals.
"I have an idea for the poster," Jerome said. "You can draw me."
I furrowed my eyebrows. "Why would I do that?"
"Because I'm hot."
"But this is for the recital."
"And one of the choreographers."
"Yeah, I'm still not going to draw you," I said.
"Oh, well," Jerome said. "At least I'm in the mural."
"That... was accidental..." I said quietly as I looked at my sketchbook.
"Hey, accident or not, I'll take it," Jerome said.
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i love jerome's arrogance lmao
also i think the book is going to end on chapter 50 BUT we're getting a sequel! and i think for the sequel, i'm going to do a dual POV where every chapter alternate's between nolan and jerome's perspectives. at first i was thinking of just switching over to jerome's, but i can't let go of nolan <3