64
Nine o'clock met Tahti looking towards studio B, from when she stood by the stairwell. She and Demir had exchanged looks while he had been working a few days before but they were unable to talk which has relieved Tahti, even though it didn't augur well, for her future answer.
"Tahti."
Her head whipped round to see Jennie, walking towards her, not wearing her usual bright look on her face.
"Hi, Jennie." She smiled and she noticed her expression remained unchanged, even after the greeting. "Is something wrong?"
"I don't know." She sighed, dropping on the bench beside her and Tahti guessed she'd probably fought with Sol again.
"What is it? Did you fight with Sol again?"
"We didn't fight." She replied before raising her head. "It's just...I need your advice."
"Is something bothering you?" Tahti asked as she walked to join her on the bench.
"It's just..." Jennie was saying but stopped to face her to start.
"I have a friend."
"Okay." She drawled.
"I have been friends with this person from childhood and a few days ago...this person confessed to me. Honestly, I like this person too...but I'm scared of what will happen to our friendship if we start dating and break up later. I mean..." She paused to take a break and Tahti guessed it was a really intense relationship.
"My friend is capable and has everything so losing me won't be a big deal. But for me, it would be the same as losing half of my life." Tahti smiled, once her tirade was finished.
"I envy you, Jennie." She said and Jennie raised her head to look up in surprise.
"I'm so confused right now. Why would you envy me?" She asked and Tahti's smile widened.
"Your friend is like your other half. That means you're both sure of your feelings for each other. That's a great thing." She said. Unlike her, who wasn't even sure what she felt for them and how she was to him.
"But still..."
"Plus, from my experience..." She broke off, her eyes widening on the fact that she had almost admitted she was involved with Demir herself.
"I mean...what I think is...You guys can never go back to the way they were, before the he confessed to you. Unless you both lose your memories." She said and Jennie lifted her hand to her face.
"Can you please stay stop stating cold hard facts?" She groaned.
"Don't suffer by yourself and talk to your friend. He's probably thinking the same thing." Jennie lowered her hands, with a sigh.
"I'm scared to even face this person." She replied and Tahti's mind went to Demir.
"I know how that feels." She mumbled and turned back to look towards Studio B.
Her phone rang and she dipped her hand into her pocket to take it out. It was Ramiel.
"Yeah?" She replied, on answering.
"Professor Lee is around for the critique." "Already?" She sprang to her feet. Prof. Lee wasn't supposed to be in school until four, in the evening.
"Hey, you should hurry over. It's almost your turn."
"Shit."
"Is something wrong?"
"Prof's around for the critique." She replied and started and started dialling Demir, as she raced back into the studio.
Her assistants are supposed to be present for the critique, but Henry had no classes that day so he had gone to his part-time work and that left only Demir.
"The number you have dialled is not..."
"Shit..." She swore again as she zoomed down the stairs.
To her surprise, Demir was already in the student, standing by her piece by the time she arrived here. He had even been kind enough to help her unwrap it and set it up for the presentation. As expected of an assistant.
"Hey." He threw her smile when she neared and the professor, who was inspecting a piece next to hers, whipped her head to eye her.
"When did you get here?" She whispered.
"A while back. Where were you?" "Somewhere." She replied.
Prof Lee was rounding up on the other piece, so Tahti used the opportunity to fix her appearance, before she arrived at her table. "Why weren't you in the studio, before now?" Prof. Lee asked, on walking over to her table. "I was. I just went out for some air." She replied and Prof. Lee arched a brow, looking like she didn't believe her for a minute, before returning her eyes to the piece, before her.
"It doesn't look bad but it's not as good as I expected."
Tahti's head slowly but calmly jerked up to see Prof. Lee was looking down at her.
"Don't you have two assistants? Where is the other one?"
"He's working part-time right now."
"And are you getting lots of help from them?" She asked.
Honestly, she had been avoiding working alone with Demir most times,so she had suspended work until late at night when she was sure that Demir would have left school, and that had resulted in the delay of the project.
"Yeah. They're helping out a lot." She lied.
"Is that so?" The professor asked and turned back to scrutinize the piece.
"I thought you would make a great piece if you worked together..." She stopped to look at the both of them. "But it seems you have not figured out each other's strong point."
The Prof. sighed as she turned to Tahti.
"Tahti, I've told you this before. You really have talent but I can't feel your emotions in your piece. It's not about finishing it. You have to inspire others with your work."
"Yes ma'am."
Prof. Lee folded her arms. "Are you passionate about this piece?"
"Of course, ma'am."
This was what determined if she would graduate or be stuck in school for another six months. She would just be another Mason. "I'm sure you would feel upset about me saying this when you worked hard. You may think it's nonsense but I think you can do better. I feel you can make an amazing piece, that's what I wanted to you to learn from Demir."
The professor had wanted her to work Demir, she wondered but pushed the thought out of her mind immediately. That wasn't important, she decided as she turned back to her piece. How was she supposed to portray her emotions in just an empty piece of clay?
