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Lana julee "Yay!"

"I’ to suppress my pleasure both atin a portfolio of my work, and he said that he would assess my suitability"

"He’ll love it"

"I hope so I never thought ood, you know? So I told everyone that I wasn’t interested inmoney off it," I ad it, walking like ere five-year-olds on our first jaunt in the park

"How so?"

"You were scared and deflecting, di disappoint like that to your patients is going to be helpful?"

"Too much?" She stopped and turned to ave her a hug "I still love you best"

"Nah," she said, hugging me back "I think you love someone else best now, but I’oosed her in retaliation

"Speaking of true loves, you telling Noah about your plans?"

"No, not until after I talk to Dr Rossuood news"

I fingered my prepared portfolio I had pored overa few of them to Dr Rossum One of Lana’s sorority sisters was an art major and said that he was notoriously difficult and picky I wished I had taken Lana up on her offer to co my hand if I had asked the I wouldn’t even be here at Central if she hadn’t surreptitiously sent in ht a war, coe professor

"Don’t hover, Ms Sullivan Either cohtly nasal command The door had been ajar, but I hadn’t realized he had spotted er across my nose, took a deep breath, and pushed the door fully open to walk through Dr Rossum’s office was a disaster There were tooden chairs set in front of his desk, but they were overfloith azines and papers A small path from the door to the desk was cleared, but there was nowhere to sit I inched in, careful not to turound I stood aardly while he inspectedI felt like he could see all my flaws That I didn’t kno to draw That I hadn’t taken one art class, ever That I spentin Lana’s shadow and my best friend was a boy I wrote to for four years and had never ans in my throat seemed to swell, and I sed rapidly to try to keep my airway open Don’t cry Don’t cry I ordered myself silently

Dr Rossum held out his hand and I laid the portfolio in his hand For several h ain, and tossed it toward me like a Frisbee I fumbled it and the photos spilled out onto the piles and the floor like refuse My cheeks were burning as I bent to pick up the trash Tears sat at the base ofto spill out if I so much as opened my mouth I mutely tucked all the photos into my portfolio and stood up

"Your photos look like you are trying out for the high school yearbook Pretty pictures of flowers and trick photography? I hardly think you’d cut it as an art student here at Central We are not here to train people to win Cosmo contests, but to capture the heart and soul of people through the lens," he sneered the words as if just looking at un to conta in my own defense because what could I say? That I liked pretty flowers and trick photography?

"Art is not about the acquisition ofand triues you are trying to digitally alter Go back to your humanities studies" He waved to shooat an to fall before I had even crossed the threshold of his office into the hallway

It waswas on the south end of campus, down by the theater and the diner that Noah had taken ht down the lysounds and, after athem

I had allowed myself to be convinced by my friends that I had talent, but deep down I must have known the truth I hadn’t tried to enter the Art prograh A little eht back down to earth

I ran up the stairs ready to bury reeted with the sirls, and all of Noah’s rooress I wanted to die

Noah

Grace stood at the doorway, herdown her face She was breathing heavily like she had run a et here We all froze in our tracks And then Lana and I shook off our surprise and moved toward her at the same time Grace rushed past us into the bedroom I followed, but found the door locked I didn’t even know these doors had locks I jiggled the doorknob and then knocked "Grace" When she didn’t respond, I knocked louder "Grace!"

"Stop it," Lana hissed besideit worse" She tilted her head discretely toward the living roo and watching the draet in there I didn’t know if some dickhead had attacked her outside or if she had terrible news from her family

Swiftly I moved toward Lana’s bedroom I would call her from the privacy of Lana’s bedroonaled Bo with a tilt of my head He responded i the door to Lana’s rooo home

"Maybe you should just let her be," Lana had followed me in

"Do you knohat this is about?" She turned away "Tell rabbed her arm to pull her back

"She wanted to surprise you," Lana said, getting a little tearful herself