Art for Art's Sake

[BetaKnight]

Roman Jackson lounged against the doorframe of the art room, trying not to be irritated by the happy chatter coming from the room.

It wasn't that he didn't like his ceramics classmates, and God knew that he liked Miss Hernandez, the student teacher, well enough. He especially liked Miss Hernandez when she leaned over to demonstrate that texturing technique last week, when she was wearing that pink sweater with the little pearl buttons.

The cluster of junior girls by the pottery wheels let out several shrill shrieks of surprise and outrage as one of the sophomore boys stomped on the pedal, flinging blobs of slip around the area. Grimacing at the mess that was being made, Roman watched as the lovely but kind of flighty student teacher tried to rein them in.

Mr. Corwin wouldn't put up with that kind of screwing around. Roman shook his head disapprovingly as he glanced over at the series of cups sitting on his work station. He didn't really need to be here after school, working on his project. Unlike the some of the others, HE was on schedule. The tea pot and cups were formed and he'd finished applying the first coat of glaze. Now he just needed Mr. Corwin to come back from the kiln room, approve his work, and take it away for firing.

Not like I could leave even then, though. Oh no, I'm stuck waiting for Alex to get done with her unofficial detention so we can go home. Glancing down at his fingers, Roman noticed a small amount of pottery clay under several of his finger nails. I hate it when this stuff gets caked under my nails. It's so gross. Spying a handy paperclip, he unfolded an edge and began to dig the offending dirt out. Man, Alex. I could be home working on a model if you hadn't screwed up in class!

[Arscapi*]

(Introduction post for Samaya Boen-Hilstrand )

Samaya threw her backpack over her shoulder as she left the classroom, then stopped just outside to adjust her PE shirt. Sighing, she pulled the baggy shirt out from under her straps so that it hung correctly. This wouldn't have been a problem if they'd just have let her keep wear the shirt she'd picked for school this morning. Finally satisfied she set off quickly to make her way across campus.

She had been in the middle of painting her pieces and was excited about putting the finishing touches on them today. She was hoping that she'd be able to get the small vase complete today, so that she could borrow some of the jewelry techniques from earlier in the year to and create flowers. It sounded good in her head and in her sketch, but she wasn't sure exactly how the finished product would turn out. She was still hoping to get it all done in the next two weeks in time for her mother's birthday.

She made it to the classroom to find Roman Jackson lounging in the doorway. "Is it safe to go in," she asked unsuccessfully attempting to peer around him into the room. Hearing the shrieks coming from the room she decided that maybe it was a good thing she'd been forced to change out of her new shirt.

[BetaKnight]

The rhythmic clicking of heels alerted Roman to the new arrival. He spotted Samaya wrestling with her backpack to adjust the fit of her PE shirt. Her running dress code battle was starting to become to the stuff of legends. At least they're not writing her up for defiance each time she has to change her shirt or else they'd be ready to kick her outta here by now. Starting to smile, he quickly disguised his amusement by clearing his throat.

"Is it safe to go in?"

"Hey Samaya. The little ones are learning about centrifugal force by playing with the pottery wheels again. Nice shirt, by the way. Perfect for today's atmosphere," Roman teased as he eyed the baggy garment. Even when she was in heels, he towered over his classmate, which was a nice feeling since so many of the other guys in school towered over him.

He took a step back, allowing Samaya to enter the room if she was feeling so inclined. "So how long did you make it today before you got busted?"

[Elma*]

((Introduction Post to Meghan Weinberg, and a brief cameo by Amanda Sinclair
You guys don't mind if I totally barge in right?))
"Love, care to explain to me exactly why you take this class again?" Amanda shot Meg a dirty look, in between compulsive sips from her water bottle. She leaned against an adjacent wall to the art room. The two were out of sight from the classroom, waiting for Meghan to finish applying her make up.

"Well, It's fun for one thing. Besides, with me gone, doesn't that mean you, Char and Abby get the whole bag to yourselves?" Meghan chortled back, while carefully applying eyeliner. She managed to smear a little on her nose, but she hadn't noticed, and Amanda wasn't saying anything.

"You don't think I actually smoke that crap do you?" Amanda almost sounded insulted by the accusation. "Don't bother wearing that make up. It's like putting pearls on a swine" She giggled harshly. Meghan couldn't think of a reply, so she headed towards the door, trying not to let it get to her.

Unlike within her own group, she felt out of place walking in this class. She wasn't exactly the artsy type, and was admittedly one of the worst students in the class. Still, she enjoyed sculpting, even if all she could create were large lumps of clay.

Amanda held on to Meghan's wrist tightly, pulling her around the tables before settling on Roman's table. "Hey, She's sitting here" Amanda spoke coldly, and matter-of-factly, as she placed Meghan's purse on the table before turning her body and darting out of the classroom.

"Er.. You guys don't mind if I sit here. Right?" Meghan spoke softly and sweetly. Quite a contrast to her rude friend who had walked in, and more or less demanded Meghan sit there.

[Arscapi*]

"I made it all the way to fourth period," she proclaimed proudly. "Of course I had subs in..." she cut herself off as she heard Meghan and Amanda's voice carry around the corner. She held her finger up to tell Roman that she'd continue in a minute. Then leaned out of the doorframe to eavesdrop on their conversation.

"Well, It's fun for one thing. Besides, with me gone, doesn't that mean you, Char and Abby get the whole bag to yourselves?" Meghan chortled back.

"You don't think I actually smoke that crap do you?" Amanda responded.

'What the hell? Are they actually talking about what I think they are talking about? You know that just cuz we can't see you doesn't mean we can't hear you. Or you know that a teacher could hear you. And you're really just gonna throw that out there. Really? I thought I was being a rebel.'

As they turned silent, she heard their footsteps resume as they headed their way. Grabbing Roman's arm she quickly pulled him into the room and sat them at the nearest table. "Of course I had new subs in two periods and you know Ms. Finch is just out to lunch," she resumed as if she'd never interrupted herself. She just finished explaining as Amanda and Meghan approached them.

She raised her eyes at the grip Amanda seemed to have on Meghan's wrist. "Hey, She's sitting here" Amanda spoke coldly, and matter-of-factly, as she placed Meghan's purse on the table before turning her body and darting out of the classroom.

"Er.. You guys don't mind if I sit here. Right?" Meghan spoke softly and sweetly.

Samaya shrugged. "It's a free country, last time I checked." Then turned back to Roman. "I think that's a tie for my personal best. But what brings you here after school?"

[decoy73]

((Jimmy Robertson continued from Eleutherea))

Jimmy Robertson walked quickly over to the art classroom, at least, he went as quickly as possible without breaking into a clear run, making it to the art class right before the bell rang, nearly bumping into some blond he thought he recognized. Whew. It was weird, but he actually liked this class, mainly because of the stress relief. He'd read some article somewhere in the paper about how they were using art to help people who had been through traumatic situations, to "get the bad thoughts out." He hadn't been through anything like that, but it still intrigued him. Of course, he didn't know how to express his feelings through pottery. He just liked playing with gobs of clay. He noticed a table with a free seat. It was Roman Jackson, Meghan Weinberg, and ... Samaya Boen-Hilstrand, that was it. Given their individual social standings, this could be quite the eclectic group. He plopped his bag down at the table with a smile.

"Hey, guys. This seat taken?"

[BetaKnight]

"I made it all the way to fourth period."

Roman couldn't help but smile at the pride in Samaya's voice. He was startled when she abruptly held up a finger, indicating a need for silence. Just as he was about to ask why they were being quiet, two somewhat familiar voices reached his ears.

"Well, It's fun for one thing. Besides, with me gone, doesn't that mean you, Char and Abby get the whole bag to yourselves?"

"You don't think I actually smoke that crap do you?"

Voice one belonged to Meghan Weinberg, which meant that voice two could only be super-wench Amanda Sinclair. Wow, way to be subtle, ladies. Just stand outside a classroom, discussing your pot smoking habits. Someone doesn't feel like walking the stage, do they? Roman reflexively looked over his shoulder, trying to see if either Mr. Corwin or Miss Hernandez had overheard the exchange. As he tried to picture what would happen if the art teachers HAD overheard, he was suddenly pulled into the room by Samaya, who sat them at his table just as Meghan and Amanda entered the room. Without missing a beat, Samaya resumed their conversation.

"Hey, She's sitting here."

Roman raised an eyebrow at the defensive way Amanda deposited Meghan at the table. "Yeah, sure, okay," he agreed, hoping that Amanda would take her frigid self away as soon as possible. I know my sister can be bossy with me, but even she doesn't constantly treat me like I'm five. Amanda's almost like those bitchy New York socialite moms you see on tv, only she doesn't have a kid, she has Meghan. Poor Meghan.

"Er.. You guys don't mind if I sit here. Right?"

Roman tried to give her a reassuring smile as Samaya answered Meghan's question. "Nah, there's lots of room here as long as you don't join the slip-throwing. And as for what I'm still doing here after school... I'm stuck here until my sister gets done with her detention. I could walk home, but I'm lazy and she has the keys. Besides, it gave me a chance to get that first coat of glaze on my pieces. Now I just have to wait for Mr. Corwin to take them to the kiln and fire them."

He looked at the cups sitting on the table then craned his neck to look at the pottery wheels near the back of the room. "I suppose I could start on the saucers, but the conditions at the wheels are less-than-optimal today." He lifted a shoulder in a half-hearted shrug before looking at the girls. "How are your projects going?"

Roman started a bit as Jimmy plopped down into the last available seat at the table. "Uh, no, man. It's cool. You can sit there."

[Elma*]

Meghan smiled warmly at the group. She knew the reputation she must have carried, and was overjoyed that anyone would take her. She noticed they were sculpting bowls and vases, all of them looking so professional.

She frowned at hers as she brought it over to the table. Large cracks surrounded the vase, which had become lumpy and top heavy. The neck sunk into itself, giving Roman a clear answer to just how her project was going. Laughably horrible.

"I didn't realize exactly how many kids were in this class." Meghan didn't look up from her work, yet made it clear she was talking to all of them. She gave up on working on the 'vase' allowing it to plop onto the table. "So, other than your sister keeping you captive here, why're you all here?" Meghan tried her best not to sound accusatory with her question, though it might have come off as a bit prying.

[Arscapi*]

Samaya retrieved her vase and the paints from the supply room, sitting down in time to hear Meghan's question. "I'm trying to get this finished before my mom's birthday," she explained.

Digging through her backpack, she came out with a book on Puerto Rican pottery. Flipping through the book, she finally found the page which had been her inspiration. Propping the book open, she turned her attention to selecting a brush and squeezing the white paint out onto the tray. She dipped the brush into the paint, carefully wiped the excess on the edge of the tray, and then started to paint. She stopped painting as the hem of her shirt caught on the edge of the table. Sighing she looked at Roman. "Do you think I'll get in trouble if I take this off now? I mean it's after school right?"

[decoy73]

Jimmy listened in as Meghan asked what they were doing there. His purpose. what was his purpose for being here?

"I'm trying to get this finished before my mom's birthday."

Well, there went one explanation, as Samaya answered the question. Jimmy just breathed in and opened his mouth.

"Honestly, I'm here to express myself and get some stress out. Heard that the best way to blow off steam was art, and clay is just so much fun to play with." He chuckled as he got up. "Give me a second." He walked over and got his bowl, a brush, some paint, and a tray. His tray seemed more like a conventional flowerpot. He looked at it carefully, studying it as he leaned back and put his hands on his head.

"I guess my big question is what color scheme I should go for? Red or blue?"

[BetaKnight]

For lack of anything more productive, Roman resumed his examination of his nails. Seeing that they were clean and tidy, he glanced around at the projects the others were working on. The overly-thick and under-supported neck on Meghan's tortured vase gave up its battle with gravity and fell in on itself as she ask why everyone was hanging around the art studio after school. Roman considered offering advice as he watched the piece slowly collapse like a flan in a cupboard but decided against it. Nobody likes a know-it-all, and besides, Mr. Corwin can probably give her better advice than I would be able to.

He watched with interest as Samaya dug out a pottery book and propped it open on the table while announcing that her project was for her mother's birthday. Focused on the brightly painted piece featured on the cover, he nearly missed her question. "Hmm? No, I don't think you'll get in trouble. I doubt either of the teachers'll care, but you might want to wear it anyway, in case something spills or to avoid stains. I mean, it's just a PE shirt."

Jimmy completed Meghan's question-and-answer round with his answer. ""Honestly, I'm here to express myself and get some stress out. Heard that the best way to blow off steam was art, and clay is just so much fun to play with."

"I guess the red, " Roman replied with a shrug as he eyed the other boy's project. What is he making? Some kind of uber coffee mug? "I just wish we had a CAD class. Or that we got to work with metal instead of constantly working with the clay. Metal sculptures are so much more durable than this stuff," he added as he poked at a piece of Meghan's vase. "But if I had to be in charge of this zoo, I wouldn't want to give arc welders to the sophomores, either. You'd be better off giving them to a group of monkeys."

The little knot of seniors silently applied themselves to their tasks for a moment, leaving Roman with little to do. Out of sheer boredom, he found himself asking the unthinkable. "So, prom is coming up. Anybody have anything interesting planned?"

[Elma*]

"I'm trying to get this finished before my mom's birthday,"
"Honestly, I'm here to express myself and get some stress out. Heard that the best way to blow off steam was art, and clay is just so much fun to play with."
""Honestly, I'm here to express myself and get some stress out. Heard that the best way to blow off steam was art, and clay is just so much fun to play with."

"All very refreshing answers. Usually the other kids tell me they're gonna be the next Van Gogh or Picasso, or some shit like that haha" She smiled widely as she crossed her legs, sitting in a very feminine, yet painful looking manor. One would suppose wearing such a short skirt would mean she'd have to sit like that, her legs tightly wrapped around each other. Meghan seemed used to it, sitting as if it were a natural position one could easily contort to.

"Oh gawd, can you imagine? We'd have no survivors, they'd broadcast it on the news!" Meghan put on her best anchorwoman's tone of voice. It was mixed with zest and a hint of importance, making sudden and dramatic pauses like the anchor people make when announcing a story. "Tragedy at Bayview, as the entire Sophmore class wound up dead this morning. Negligence with table saw is to blame. Now onto Jimmy with sports." She giggled as she fiddled with her braid, entirely abandoning hope on her piece. Instead she'd let it harden and call it 'interpretative art' or something.

Prom? Oh... that... Meghan shrugged as Roman asked. She herself hated Prom. She has skinny arms, and a spagatti strap dress, which looked like utter drek compared to what some of the other girls could afford. Namely Amanda, who took such glee in looking better than most of the student body. *sigh*

"Meh, I'm not too excited about it. I'll go, but being Amanda's wingwoman means I'm walking home. Again. Oyy vey." She rolled her eyes, placing her elbow down on her palm and starting back at the rest of the group.

[Arscapi*]

"Good point," Samaya said acknowleging Roman's suggestion. She put the paintbrush down for a moment, then stood and pulled the PE shirt lower hoping to cover the majority of her skirt with her oversized shirt. Then smoothing the skirt down as she went, she sat down again, hooking her feet into the bottom rungs of the stool.

She laughed polietly at Meghan's comment not really hearing what she was talking about. Instead, she was wondering how Meghan has made it through the whole school day in a skirt that short. I wonder who her teachers are? Why can't I be in those classes?

"Meh, I'm not too excited about it. I'll go, but being Amanda's wingwoman means I'm walking home. Again. Oyy vey," Meghan said in response to Roman's earlier question. This brought Samaya back to the conversation.

"Wait, let me get this straight," she said turning towards Meghan. "You're going to go to Prom even though you really don't want to, just so Amanda can ditch you? No offense, but she doesn't sound like a very good friend to me. If you really do think that's what's going to happen my dad can probably give you a ride home. So far I'm going stag and my dad's a little overprotective. Have you picked out a dress yet? I totally have to double check the dress code for formal wear. I like to push the boundaries, but I'm really don't want my prom picture to be me in a PE shirt."

[Elma*]

((Stop being dead. Pretty Please with sprinkles on top T_T))

"Hmm?" Meghan's head shot up in confusion. It had never crossed her mind that the way Amanda dragged her everywhere could be seen as weird. She was certainly used to it. So when Samaya expressed a mixture of alarm and discust, Meghan's eyes shot open.

"Well it's not so bad. I only live like 3 minutes from the school..." She lied through her teeth. Meghan lived far in the outskirts of the town, but she was a track girl. The walk wasn't too long. And she'd never been one to be afraid of the dark, so when Amanda drove off with her various friends, leaving Meghan, she'd have no choice but to walk home. This was why Meghan never wore heels to prom.

"And, whoa! Mile per minute with you, eh? I'm basically wearing whatever shows off my legs. I don't have the bust for an elegant dress, so it'll probably be a simple cocktail dress. Tan maybe." Meghan thought back to the frequent trips she and Amanda made to the mall. Meghan sweetie. You can't wear that dress. You'll look flatter that day old soda love.

"You know, there's a really nice store in the mall that caters to teens. I forgot it's name, but it's right near the sports authority on the second floor. If you all haven't picked out clothes yet, it's a really good store." She gave an expectant look, one that almost demanded that Samaya and the group accompany Meghan there. She probably wouldn't have ever spoken to these people outside this class, but she was really starting to take a shine to them.

((How's about it?))

[decoy73]

((My apologies for being so slow.))

"Meh, I'm not too excited about it. I'll go, but being Amanda's wingwoman means I'm walking home. Again. Oyy vey,"

Jimmy had just barely heard Meghan through his concentration on his bowl. He had heard of Amanda Sinclair, seen her around the halls, with Meghan at her side almost all the time. The British uber-bitch. Why people like her I will never understand. But it wasn't just what Meghan said. It was how she said it. Like she was used to it. That just sucked.

"Wait, let me get this straight. You're going to go to Prom even though you really don't want to, just so Amanda can ditch you? No offense, but she doesn't sound like a very good friend to me." Then Meghan tried to rationalize it by saying she lived close by anyway. Jimmy just frowned.

"I'd have to agree. Party rules state that the only reason you stay behind when your friends leave is either if you're too drunk to leave or if you volunteer to stay or walk home. She seems like little more than a hanger-on to me." Jimmy took a deep breath. He actually felt a little sorry for Meghan. The way she'd reacted to being left behind by the people she called "friends" ... she just deserved better. The next two sentences came out of Jimmy's mouth before he could really think it through.

"I'm going to prom. You can go with me, if you like." As soon as Jimmy realized what he had stated, he realized that he had either made a relatively intelligent, kind offer, or that he had blundered horrifically.