One Night

Chapter 32

Audrey & Third Person

Audrey’s POV

The classroom was mostly quiet, save for the low murmur of conversation and the scratching of pencils on paper. At the front of the room was a model sitting in the nude on a velvet stool, posing with one arm draped theatrically over her head.

With one last final stroke of my pencil, I leaned back from my sketchbook and held it up to the light. I pressed my lips together as I turned it this way and that, noticing tiny details that needed fixing on the intricate figure drawing.

“Are you all finished, Audrey?” Professor Daniels, a woman with long, curly dark hair and warm brown eyes, said as she swept over to me.

I nodded and shrugged at the same time. “Yes. No. I don’t know, actually…”

Professor Daniels chuckled, her skirts rustling as she walked up to my easel. “May I?” she asked and pointed to my sketchbook with a finger that wore several rings.

“Of course.” I handed her my drawing. She inspected it for a moment just as I had, turning it this way and that in the light. Slowly, her eyes widened and she pushed a dark curl out of her eyes.

“What’s wrong?” I blurted out, growing a bit worried. “Is it the head? I was having some trouble with the proportions

“No, no, nothing’s wrong,” the professor said. “This is lovely, Audrey. Truly. You have quite a gift for figure drawing.” “Really?” I breathed.

She nodded hastily. Before I could protest, she was suddenly turning to the rest of the class with my sketchbook still in hand. “Everyone, I’d like you all to take a look at your classmate’s work,” she called out, holding the sketch over her head. “This is the sort of work I’m looking for.”

My face flushed hot. I sank a little further down into my chair, shielding my eyes with my hand, as a ripple of murmurs worked its way around the room. But I could only shield myself from so much; and there was one person in particular who there was no hiding from.

Across the room, seated at another easel, was Linda.

I could practically feel her dark eyes burning twin holes into my skull, her seething hatred a palpable force even from where I was sitting. She despised me–every inch of me. And now that the professor was showcasing my work, she despised me even more.

“No need to hide your face, dear,” Professor Daniels said, her sing–song voice pulling me out of my reverie. “You should be proud. Your work is excellent.”

“Th–Thank you,” was all I could manage, still carefully avoiding Linda’s gaze.

The professor smiled. “May I keep this sketch?” she asked. “I’d like to hang it up as a demonstration piece for some of my lower–level classes.”

“Oh, uh…” I swallowed, glancing around nervously; all eyes were on me, even the model’s. And all the while, Linda was practically growling at her seat. Even though I didn’t look directly at her, I could see her hand trembling with fury out of my peripheral vision.

“You can have it back at the end of the semester,” the professor added gently, completely ignorant to my inner turmoil.

After a moment of hesitation, I finally nodded and let out a small breath. “Sure. That would be fine.”

Chapter 32

With that, the professor beamed and tore my sketch out of my notebook, handing my notebook back to me. She swept away to pin the drawing up on the wall, and all the while, Linda’s eyes burned deeper and deeper into my head.

I was just glad to gather my things and leave early now that I had finished today’s assignment.

Third Person POV

Linda was furious.

No; more than furious, if that was even possible. She was seething from head to toe, her blood boiling just beneath the surface of her skin, her hairs standing on end, her toes curling and her fingernails digging into her palms.

How dare that little human bitch. How dare Audrey strut around like a cock in a henhouse after what she had put Linda through. How dare that good–for–nothing phony get her drawing showcased to the entire class. It wasn’t even good! It was mediocre at best, and that was only if Linda closed one eye, squinted the other, took ten steps back, and hit her head against the wall.

But the drawing wasn’t the only reason why Linda was so full of anger. No, this went far deeper than that.

Just last weekend, Linda was this close to signing a contract with Claudia Klein. The papers were already laid out on the table, and Linda just had to pick up the pen. All the fame and glory of working for one of the greatest fashion designers of all time would have been hers.

But of course Audrey had shown up just in time, with none other than Professor Brooks on her tail. She had likely used her body to convince him to vouch for her, and now Audrey was the one with the contract.

And that wasn’t even the worst of it.

“Linda?”

The sound of her friend’s voice caused her to snap her head up, grinding her teeth together. Maggie, Avis’s replacement, looked like a rabbit with her giant, stupid, wet eyes and her two front teeth bigger than all the rest. “What do you want?” Linda snapped.

Maggie gulped and pointed at the clock. “Class is over,” she said. It was only then that Linda noticed that the other students were already getting prepared to leave. Audrey, of course, had scampered out nearly a half hour early thanks to her star drawing.

With a huff, Linda rose and snapped her fingers for Maggie to gather her things. Maggie scurried to stuff Linda’s notebook, pen, and other things into her bag while Linda checked her nails.

“Are you still going to talk to the dean?” Maggie asked, knowing well enough not to look Linda in the eyes.

Linda scoffed and tossed a lock of hair over her shoulder as she strutted out of the room. “Not yet,” she cooed. “I’m still brewing.”

As Maggie scurried after her with both of their bags on her shoulders, Linda grit her teeth. Her chest still burned from her meeting with the student council this morning; thanks to Audrey’s little performance over the weekend, Linda was expelled from the student council.

And for what? Because she had borrowed Audrey’s work? Maybe Linda would have given her some credit, if she had only shut her slutty little mouth.

But no. Audrey just had to go and tell Claudia that the design didn’t belong to Linda, and Claudia had informed the school. Now, Linda had not only lost her spot on the student council, but was also on thin ice academically.

Just the thought of it made a growl rumble in the back of Linda’s throat. Audrey should have known better, she was a human, lower than dirt, and should have been ecstatic that someone like Linda would use her designs. She should have been grateful.

2/3

7:40 PM O

Chapter 32

It was an honor, after all.

But now Linda was the one paying the price.

And she wanted revenge.