Concupiscence | HS | currently on hold

XIX. Two hearts

'Well maybe I have two hearts and one part wont give you up. I'm the one that pulls the strings. I've never been too good at these things, because I just need a kick start. I'm tired of dreaming alone.'
Two hearts - Gavin James

"Quiet, quiet down please."

Professor Bates spoke with her tart voice above all whispers and noises, trying to silence the class in a desperate attempt. She hated those days where nothing seemed to go the way it was planned. Some students were making it very difficult to keep her collected exterior on point. 

She looked around and smiled when she saw everyone was present. At least one thing was going well today, no need for another load of absentees and their annoying administration. It was an absolute nightmare filling out those forms. She's was an artist, not a bloody accountant.

"Today is a very special day. As of next week you will be paired up for a team project which will count as forty percent of your examination." Another set of whispers quieted the greying professor and she rolled her eyes. Why couldn't these youngsters shut up once in a while? "Of course," She tried to gain back control over her class with success.

"Of course, there's a catch since I will be putting the teams together." She looked around the room with satisfaction written all over her stance. At least ten pairs of widened and scared eyes stared back at her, finding this project absolutely ludicrous.

"Miss, with all due respect. This is our future we're talking about. We can't just trust someone else with that." A girl spoke up, making Bates roll her eyes once more. She looked over at Nina and found her too looking with an annoyed frown on her lovely features.

"You can and you will. I'm well aware of the gravity of this project, but as you should know, some of the best and most progressive work of arts where made by unlikely people brought together." She gave the girl a poignant eye to make her shut up and continued her class introduction.

"So, for today, you will be starting a project which you think would be suitable for your examination project. You can paint, draw, work with collages, use photographs, etc. You can chose anything you like. By Friday, I need you to have a sketch with an essay in which you will elaborate on where you're headed. With that information I will chose the teams. Make sure to have a clear theme around which you would want to work. The themes who I think fit best together will be paired up." Bates heard several signs and groans, making her chuckle.

"The essence of this project is to not only learn how to work together, but also learn to think outside of your comfort zone. You're artists, you shouldn't play safe. The best way to learn that is by learning from each other. Now off you go!"

Once the professor was done with her introduction, Harry stood up and walked over to her office in his usual confident step. He was slipping back into his old self, minus the endless sleeping around, which he was ecstatic about. He knew very well that getting rid of that part of his life was thanks to Nina. 

He had finally realised that there was something more to the opposite sex than only the physicality of it. Things such as romance, integrity and even intimacy for the sole purpose of getting to know someone better were new to him, but he embraced it nevertheless. He had found a new excitement in it. He had no idea if things were going to work out with Claire, where things might lead, if it would ever become anything serious. He doubted that. 

He knew almost everything that needed to be known about sex, yet now, he was finally ready to learn about what romance and love was all about. He had had a bad experience with it once, but unlike Nina, he wasn't going to let it stand in his way. He had had a taste of what it could be like and he wanted more. Whether with Nina or not, that part he hadn't figured out.