The Right Moment {N.H.}

Chapter 26

 Torre POV

While sitting in class, I couldn't concentrate on anything my professor, Dr. Reyes was talking about. She was rambling on about some writing technique, but I couldn't keep my mind focused on what she was saying. I was still replaying my conversation with Niall from earlier in my mind.

Was he really that worried about the fans finding out about us and going public. I'm sure they're not going to love the fact that I'm taking away their precious Niall, but they can't be that bad, right? I mean, most of them have to have a clue we're dating by now, don't they. They've got pictures of us together already. Making it actually official can't change that much.

"Okay, so you'll have 20 minutes to write a sample piece using the technique we just talked about. When your time is up, I'll be reading some of your work to the class and we'll evaluate how well the technique was used." Dr. Reyes' voice words brought me out of my deep thinking.

Crap! Now I have no idea what to do. I scramble through my notes, trying to find the technique written on the chalkboard, as the people around me are already scribbling away in their notebooks. I finally find "Conceit" written on top of one of the pages. "Conceit- An extended metaphor." Okay, I know that.

I begin writing, just choosing the subject that first comes to mind---Niall. My hand flows smoothly against the page, and the more I write, the more I love what I am writing. Even after beginning late, I finish with a few minutes to spare, feeling completely in love with my work. I take the last couple minutes to read over what I managed to come up with.

A risk. That's what he is. He is a risk. It is never easy, taking risks. There are drawbacks and things that could go wrong. He is like that. He has drawbacks, things to consider. Things that don't make him so great. Things could go wrong with him. A broken heart, a lonely soul. Risks can have amazing outcomes. New things coming, new things happening. New and exciting, that's what risks are. But with a hidden end. He is new and exciting. More exciting than I ever could have imagined. But the end is hidden. What if he wakes up one day and decides I'm not new and exciting anymore. Then it was all a waste. The risk was a waste.

That's the thing about risks. They're had to take. It's not easy to just go and do it. But that's the other thing about them too. After taking a risk, you can take a breath of fresh air, because you did it. You took the risk, and odds are, it will pay off. He is like that too. It doesn't necessarily matter how it ends, only that one day I can think it was all worth it. That he was a risk worth taking.

"Okay, time's up." Dr. Reyes says from the front of the room. I finished re-reading my piece just in time. I rip my paper from my notebook and we all pass them up to the front of the room. I hope she doesn't pick mine to read. It's not that I don't think it's correct, but it's just personal. I should have thought about that before I wrote my whole paper on my boyfriend.

She holds the stack of papers in her hands, shuffling through them, as all of us students sit at the edge of our seats. We are all just waiting to see who gets picked...desperately hoping it's not our own. She finally picks one and sits in front of her podium and begins to read.

99% of the class, including myself, breaths a sigh of relief when she begins reading about the ocean and the mountains and they realize the paper isn't their own. Dr. Reyes reads through the paper completely with a frown on her face.

"I'm not sure whoever wrote this completely understands the concept. You are trying to compare two completely opposite things. Mountains and the ocean are different, but are still both aspects of nature. Let's go on to another one."

She then picks another paper, and we all have another panic attack until we realize it's not ours. At the end of this one, she speaks again.

"This one is better, but still not the strongest example of what conceit really is. The comparing of a bear to man is good, but still not the exact essence of an extended metaphor, since a bear and human are still both beings. We'll read one more and then do our evaluation.

She ruffles the papers once again and picks one out of the stack. She starts reading and it takes me much longer than it should to realize she's reading mine. My heart seems to stop and I'm sure my face is bright red by now. So much for people not guessing it's mine, it'll be completely obvious by the blush on my cheeks.

She reads the ending, and I brace myself for what she will say. Considering I zoned out for most of the lesson, mine probably isn't the best compared to some of the others that the other students turned in.

"Now this one." She pauses and I brace myself for the blow. "This one is an amazing example of conceit."

I automatically smile as she says that. That was not exactly what I was expecting. I mean, I liked mine, but I am a little partial to my own work.

"The author of this piece completely understands the concept. They took two completely different and unrelated things, a boy and a risk, and compared them in a way the reader would not expect. It is done tastefully and expertly, I think. My amends to the author. Well done, you know who you are." I smiled in spite of myself, happy for my success, but mostly just glad she didn't actually say my name in front of the class.

"So do your evaluation for homework. It will be due next class." With that, everyone started packing up their stuff. I did the same and made my way out, my mind consumed with boys and risks.

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