Blacktop Hustlaz by Jordan Belcher

Author:Jordan Belcher [Belcher, Jordan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature & Fiction, United States, African American, Urban, Mystery; Thriller & Suspense, Thrillers & Suspense, Crime, Genre Fiction, Crime Fiction
ISBN: 0615562159
Amazon: B005X21X4W
Publisher: Felony Books
Published: 2011-10-18T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 17

Marielle Gadson sat at the head of the enormous white drawing table with her twenty students, ten on each side. She had mocha-colored skin with a black hair band at the front of her big Afro. She wore a teal blue collar shirt, sleeves rolled up to reveal a wrist full of wooden bangles that clanked together as she pointed at a student whose drawing she wanted to see.

The student, a shy Ariana Houston, held up her work as if she was unsure of her artistry. It was an unfinished draft of a charcoal forest and what looked like the beginnings of a colorless garden sketched in quaint shades of light and dark gray. It was beautiful.

"This is what I got so far," she said.

Marielle nodded approvingly and waved for her to keep going.

So Ariana lowered her head again like the rest of her classmates and charcoal-penciled in the last of her branches and leaves. But she didn't know if her teacher really liked her drawing or not. She felt like an amateur compared to her peers, especially the ones who had taken prior Art classes. Their creations always seemed more elaborate, more real looking. She got her share of compliments, though. Whether those compliments were honest or charitable, they motivated her. And she would get genuinely delighted whenever Skee Boo told her she was better than da Vinci.

When it got close to three o' clock, the class sprayed their drawings down with a protective adhesive.

"Remember," said Marielle, "black cutouts on white paper due next week. Have a good weekend."

Ariana packed her material into her book bag. Art was her only class today and now it was over; she just wanted to get home so she could relax before she had to go to work. She passed by the many students as she made her way through the Longview halls, said "See you later, girl" to a few of her friends all without losing her stride.

Cold air hit her face when she stepped outside. She watched the news every morning so she was prepared. Her pink skully was snug over her ears, and the hair that flowed just below her chin in out-turned waves warmed her neck. She had on a pink biker-style jacket with matching gloves. Her jeans hugged her thighs, beating back the cold, but as she walked towards her Honda Civic, she glanced down and wished she would’ve wore a pair of heels other than peep-toe sling backs. Her big toe was freezing.

When Ariana got in her car she took off her gloves and rubbed her hands together, next to her face, and blew her peppermint breath in her cupped hands to warm up. She reached in her pocket and pulled out her keys, stuck one in the ignition and tried to start the car. It sounded like it was about to start, but it didn't. She turned the ignition again and the same thing happened.

"This sucks," she whined, banging on the steering wheel. "Why won't you start?"

She tried to start the car one last time and got the same chug-a-chug-sounding results.

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