"Right, that's all for this lesson you future BEGGARS!" grunted Mr. DeMartino. "Now, remember your homework on Julius Ceaser tonight, or I will appropriately and figuratively STAB YOU and your social lives in the back with DETENTION!"
"Does that man ever take a chill pill?" commented Jodie, leaving class.
Jane met her statement with: "Probably an immunization built up to the meds, considering the length of time he's spent here"
The braided teen smirked. "I wouldn't be surprised"
"Hey, Jodie. Do you mind if I ask you something?"
"Sure"
"I was wondering if maybe you could give your insight into something. I'm... kinda trying to help Daria out in terms of her self-image by doing a drawing, possibly painting of her..."
"Really? That's pretty sweet of you, Jane" smiled Jodie warmly, adding a hint of rogue hue to the artist's cheeks.
"Yeah, yeah... mushy acknowledgment aside, it's been pretty difficult. The damn egghead won't sit still"
"Literally?"
"Yeah"
"She's probably uncomfortable. You know how she can be"
"I get that, but she agreed to this whole thing, and drawing someone in person is different than having a simple photo reference. How do I get her to understand?"
Jodie sighed a little. "I'm sorry, Jane. But this sounds more like it's something that's a matter of getting you to understand..."
Jane scowled a little, taken aback. "The heck?"
"Jane, when was the last time you took a photo of Daria? Like, taking a picture with her. You two guys out somewhere or with a group of other people?"
"Last time I remember it was after another Mystik Spiral gig"
"Uh-huh... Is it, um, okay if I see?" she pried, stopping in the hall with her to see the pictures on her phone. Various shots she'd tried to take with her friend in the grungy establishment were either ill-timed and had her blinking, caught in a motion blur, or the instances she DID manage to snag a pic of her, she was looking down at the floor, turned away and one even had her lifting a middle finger to the camera as she covered her face.
"Yeah, there's your problem" indicated Jodie, raising a brow. "Didn't you two attend a low-self-esteem class together? What part of that didn't occur to you when you were taking those pictures?"
"We'd passed the class! A long time ago too. I dunno, she'd never been bothered before with her personal appearance, so I thought maybe I just got her in a bad mood or bad time"
"Talk to her, Jane" insisted the French club president, with arms folded. "She's not gonna be happy with you or what you've done unless you've actually taken some time to understand her position"
Jane looked down a little glumly. She hadn't meant to be so abrasive or insensitive in her approach.
Next up was Art class and Miss Defoe had arranged for a more 'advanced' and adventurous lesson for the day.
"Alright, everyone. You'll have noticed I've arranged the easels in a somewhat bizarre manner today in regards to today's lesson. And that's because I've selected no particular focus for today's work"
"If only this excuse could serve us well in the outside world" droned Daria.
"What I'd like for us to do today is consider our previous lessons in still-life and select someone in the room to draw. You'll basically be drawing one another at your easels working. I'm really looking for attention on foreshortening and perspective. We have the whole 30 minutes before lunch, so don't panic if you find yourself getting stuck. I'll come by to help you" she explained, handing the students some paper.
"Oh, Kevey! We can be each other's muses!" squeed Brittney.
"Killer, babe!" replied the quarterback, with a goofy, optimistic smile.
"Ah, to add to the difficulty of today's lesson, no two people can just draw each other" added the teacher, sinking the sailing excitement amongst some friends in the group.
"Aw, why?" complained Kevin.
"You've had plenty of practice with drawing people in a front perspective. I'd like for you to experiment at different angles, like the side, back and other stances to enhance your growth in skills"
Brittney huffed and folded her arms. "Well this stinks"
"Hey babe, I'll still draw you. You're the only apple of my eye" he lamely comforted his girlfriend.
Brittney sighed dreamily. "Oh, Kevey..."
Despite being a perfect opportunity to sketch Daria in a more casual situation, Jane decided to free the brunette of her caging eyes and instead delivered her focus upon the quarterback.
"Um, what if all we have is literally just the head of hair and back?" asked Chuck, raising his hand.
"I'm afraid you'll just have to make do with what you see" sighed Defoe.
"Hmm... I certainly will!" mused the creep, wiggling his brows.
"Up yours, creep!" hissed his victim, tossing back her hair and delivering a vivid sneer.
"FIESTY!" he purred.
So went on the work. Jane began to slowly appreciate the chance to draw someone else, as it lessened the burden of having it turn out like crap. Of course, that was only what she'd think. Miss Defoe after a few minutes gravitated instantly to her work in progress.
"Excellent, Jane. You've really got a knack for capturing the human physique. Kevin's form looks well defined and strong" she complimented.
Brittney briskly turned on her stool. "Are YOU looking at my Kevey?"
"No, Brittney. I'm drawing him with my eyes glued shut" the artist responded with a carefree sigh.
The dumb jock left his own seat, provoked by Jane's Ludacris sarcasm. "No foolin'? Lemme see..."
"You jerk!" squealed the cheerleader, marching up to him and yanking him back to his chair by the ear.
The midnight-maned tomboy shook her head. As she went into her pocket to receive her music player and drown out the ear-rape of Brittney's pitch, she noticed the line of sight she was in was Daria's. The bookworm had halted in her motion, waiting for Jane to return to her original position, and the girl's face absorbed a slight pink, particularly when Jane playfully winked at her, sending her back behind her easel like some rabbit returning to its warren in the distance. She was curious to see the attempt from her friend.
With a quarter of an hour remaining, Miss Defoe did her usual scan of her student's progress, circling them and looking out for any details that required criticism. Clearing her throat, she approached Chuck and tapped his shoulder. "I think you've paid more than enough attention to her rear, Charles. Perhaps you can focus on another area..."
"When that bell rings, you're dead freak!" shot the student the boy had studied.
All the lad could emmit was a timid "eep"
Jane had developed the sketch of Kevin into an interesting depiction, showing him being carried over the threshold by a very butch Brittney: with action-man inspired muscles, a buff chest, and even showing Kevin in a dress. Stumbling across this, the art teacher could only shake her head in some amusement, trying not to smile. "What?" pried Jane, with feigning confusion, sporting a cheeky grin. "I haven't deviated too far from the objective"
"That's what I'll use in your defense when I'm asked what I'm grading" snickered the woman quietly.
By this point, Jane was simply breezing by, enjoying applying texture lines and lighting to the magnificent genius that sat on her easel. Given the liberty of taking it easy, she began to gather a little understanding as to the vulnerability Daria faced upon being observed. While she didn't mind as much as Daria, she slowly started to take in the idea of why she felt so 'cornered' when she tried to draw her. Feeling Daria's eyes on her, she became a little reluctant to make any more movements, wanting to be as convenient to illustrate as possible by being a perfect mannequin. Shifting her eyes, she saw her friend frantically drawing and erasing to capture Jane's likeness. Even using the pencil trick to capture the idea of proportions. The fluster she saw on her was pretty cute. It made her all the more want to see the results.
And, with mercy, the bell finally rang. Charles leaped from his chair and sprinted out, as his 'muse' pursued him in a hostile chase. Kevin showed his work to his girlfriend who practically threw herself at him. "Ooh, Kevey. I forgive you... It looks so beautiful"
Rolling her eyes, Jane left hers upon the easel and walked on over to Daria to see hers, only to find she'd tried to scroll it up, fold it up, or do whatever she could manage, to stuff it inside her backpack. "A little shy for show-and-tell?" pondered Jane, with hands-on hips.
"It's not worth talking about" excused Daria, eager to scurry away, only for Jane to snag her by a handle on her backpack.
"I'll decide that. Show me"
"Screw off" bit Daria, with a small blush.
"C'mon, Daria. I'm busting my butt in an effort to give you something special. The least you could do is humor me and give me a glimpse of how YOU see ME"
Daria hesitated, practically squirming under her friend's gaze. "It's no good though..." she uttered defenselessly.
"I don't care if you think that. I wanna see for myself"
At that moment, Jodie passed by and shot Jane a disgusted glare from the door, before leaving her sight. It made the artist shiver and she released her friend.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I've been acting like a total jerk towards you. I just... really want this art to offer some perspective... that maybe you're not as bad as you think" Jane muttered apologetically to Daria. "It's cool. You don't have to show me. I just thought it'd be an interesting exchange is all"
Just as she went to leave the class, Daria grabbed her wrist, urging her to turn back around. With that, Daria reluctantly passed her her own poor attempts in 'replicating' her friend in art.
It was... crude. Flat. And messy. A cloud of smudge smeared a good half of the A1 paper. Daria's drawings were always small, giving off huge space for what 'could've' been. Jane appeared rather sharp. Her form was jagged and awkward. The brutal scratches defining her shape, and shading a clear sign of her growing frustrations, rather than being a necessary addition. Jane felt her heart sink a little. However, underneath the desperate etchings lay a sincere want to depict her friend. It was far from perfect, but it's raw nature made it all the more real to her.
"It's no Raphael" said Daria in a defeated tone.
"But it's not technically bad. But, at least you understand it's no easy task on my end either" Jane met.
"Huh?"
"Would... you mind if I kept this?" asked Jane softly.
Daria shot her friend a quizzical expression, even causing her spectacle to fall slightly on her face, which she quickly pushed back up. "You're serious?"
Jane nodded. Daria looked off to the side in deep thought, clenching and unclenching her fists. "Fine. Take it. But what did you mean by it not being an easy task on your end either?"
"I realize I've been a total ass to you" the artist admitted sheepishly.
"Girls, it's lunch!" reminded Miss Defoe, urging them out of the room.
The two walked along the hallways, as Jane scrolled up Daria's piece and went to place it in her locker.
"What I meant was... I should've taken into account how you felt about me doing this, rather than just ambush you with the proposition"
"I already agreed to this" affirmed the bookworm. "What are you being so apologetic for?"
"I just don't want for you to feel you have to do this. We can forget the whole thing if you'd rather. I know me drawing you makes you feel uncomfortable, and I'm not gonna press on with it if it makes you feel like crap"
"Jane" started Daria, with a small sigh. "You've done nothing wrong. I've been hesitant, 'cus I feel you'll go into this hoping to fix or find something that'll bring me out of this state of mind. But, it's been with me for a long time and I know that the only thing, in the end, that can help resolve the issue is myself. In other words, you have every right to scold me for being uncooperative. I agreed with the idea because I feel there may be some plausibility for your ambition that might result in a probable elevation in confidence and... well, esteem. There's nothing wrong with that. So stop punishing yourself for wanting to help me. I haven't said no, and I wanna see this through"
Her delivery was met with quietness and then Jane smiled. "Does pizza sound good tonight?"
End of Part Three