Work of Art by Maysonet Melody;

Author:Maysonet, Melody;
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: F+W Media

CHAPTER 18

I didn’t want to paint in Dad’s studio. That would have felt too much like a betrayal, as if life went on just fine while he was in jail. So Friday after school I dragged all my painting gear upstairs to the kitchen.

Then I sat in the living room to wait for Joey. Already, he was late, but I’d expected that. Mom came out of her bedroom wearing jeans and a button-up shirt. Her hair was combed. She looked nice. I’d already told her Joey was coming over. She’d promised to keep out of the way so I could paint him for the contest.

“Don’t worry.” She flopped onto the couch with the want ads and put her feet up on the coffee table. “I’ll leave when he gets here.”

“He’s late,” I said.

“Are you surprised?”

“Not really. I think it’s a guy thing.”

“Or a Joey thing.”

“Mom, don’t.”

She opened her mouth to say something but then clamped her lips closed.

We waited. The clock on the cable box said 4:23.

“So you really think he’ll make a good subject?” she asked. “For the contest, I mean.”

I fiddled with a loose thread on the chair. “Mr. Stewart said it was best if I painted him as a live model instead of from memory. So that’s what I’m doing.”

She squinted at the clock. “Wasn’t he supposed to be here at four? Maybe you should call him.”

Then my cell phone rang. It was too late in the day for Dad’s lawyer to call, so I knew before looking at the number that it had to be Joey. He was probably on his way, calling to tell me he was running late.

I flipped open my phone. “Hello?”

“Hey, Tera, it’s Joey.”

“Hey.”

Mom sat forward on the couch, mouthed some words I couldn’t understand. I waved her away.

“So I can’t make it over there,” he said. “Something came up.”

“Oh.”

“Sorry,” he said.

“That’s okay.” Had I just said that? It wasn’t okay, not at all. “What happened?” I asked.

“I got busy. Helping a friend.”

“Oh, okay.”

“So I can’t really talk. I’ll see you Sunday, though. For your birthday.”

“Okay. Eight o’clock, right?”

“Right. I’ll see you then.” He didn’t wait for me to say goodbye before hanging up.

I felt Mom’s eyes on me as I closed my phone and tried to act like nothing was wrong.

“He’s not coming, is he?”

I shook my head. “He had to help a friend.”

“A better friend than you, obviously.”

“Thanks, Mom. That helps.”

She got up from the couch and stretched. “I’m just saying.”

• • •

Obviously I couldn’t rely on Joey to sit for me, so now I had to think of something else for the contest. But what? Something to do with rain. I pressed my palms against my face. Think!

Mr. Stewart wanted me to paint something from my innermost self, something that showed my pain. Maybe he was right, but what did that have to do with rain?

And then I had an idea. I could paint my greatest fear. My dad living in prison. My dad in a prison jumpsuit, getting the crap beat out of him.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.