I Analyzed this Play and All I got was a Headache

[gambit508†]

(Chris Davidson continued from Le Cafe)


Chris wiped his brow as he rushed into class, he had spent all last night reading the play up to the part they were at, though he had to explain to his dad it was for a grade. It was rather hard moving to a new place. Chris shuddered as he thought about if he read the wrong play. He took a seat in front as he grinned, tapping his desk in anticipation of what the teacher was going to say. He turned to the person next to him as he grinned. "Hi! I'm Chris"

[Moth†]

((Gloria Benson from A Proper Dinner))

Gloria had been hunched over her desk, drawing in the corner of her notes. She'd began with random circles, but that had evolved into a face eventually. Gloria frowned very slightly, tongue poking out from between her lips as she added more shading and definition to the cheeks. She'd have to highlight the hair eventually, but for the time being she wanted to focus more on flesh areas. Those were always harder...

She was so absorbed in her sketching that she didn't notice as someone sat down next to her. She did however, hear the person speak. "Hi! I'm Chris."

"Ah!" Gloria squeaked in surprise, jumping a little and frantically covering her paper. She turned to the boy next to her, eyes wide and nervous behind her glasses, praying that the boy wouldn't make fun of her for that...or see her drawing. She looked down at her paper for a moment, shifting it so it was impossible for him to see the doodle. "Uhm...'m...I'm Gloria," she whispered. "My f-friends call me 'Glory.'"

[gambit508†]

Chris frowned a bit as the person seemed startled, quickly moving to hide something from him. Wonder what could be, probaly a diary or something. Chris listened as she said her name, apparently her name was Gloria, or Glory for short. She seemed nice, though her choice of footwear was a bit odd. Chris grinned again as he nodded. "So Gloria, nice name." he said before turning back to her, "What's up!"

[Moth†]

He was still speaking to her? The quiet voice and...well, her shyness in general, wasn't putting him off? Gloria blinked in surprise, staring at him for a few moments before nodding her head.

"N-Nothing really," she mumbled. "I was just...doodling." She looked down at the paper in front of her. Would he laugh at it? Part of her wondered why she'd hidden it; didn't artists want to share their art with the world? Or at least the guy sitting next to them? Swallowing nervously, Gloria pushed her paper towards the other side of her desk, towards Mike. The sketch was now uncovered, and Gloria felt her face heating in embarrassment. "I...like drawing," she whispered.

"A-And thank you...about my nickname. M-My dad gave it to me."

[gambit508†]

Chris grinned as he looked at the drawining. "I think it looks nice, you should enter a contest or something, I wish I could draw that good" he said as he brushed some of his hair from his eyes.

Chris pulled out his notebook. "So Gloria, did you understand the play?" he asked as he opened it to his notes, they were small and almost unreadable.

[Moth†]

"A--a contest. N-No...I d-don't think so," she mumbled quietly, shaking her head and pulling her drawing away again. Gloria turned her gaze back to her desk, lifting her shoulders/lowering her head like a turtle as she fell silent again. Her, enter a contest? Not likely...she'd only lose. Competing wasn't her forte.

"So Gloria, did you understand the play?"

There was a pause, then Gloria slowly lifted her head again. "U-Uhm... I knew what they were saying," she whispered. "Didn't..Didn't try to analyze it though...I just read it to enjoy it." She hadn't known where to begin an analysis, so Gloria had decided not to do this one assignment. She had a good grade in this class, one assignment wouldn't hurt it. And if she at least offered up a sentence in discussion, that would count some. But no more than three comments, she decided. She just couldn't do that! "Oh, s-sorry...were y-you hoping I could h-h-help?" she asked, feeling a bit guilty.

[gambit508†]

Chris shook his head. "No, I got most of it. " he said as he tapped his fingers. They still had a few minutes before class started. "So what do you do for fun?" he asked, as he smiled at her. He tapped his book as he looked at her. She was nice enough, and her name was nice. Gloria, it was like a name an angel would be given. In fact, wasn't that one of the angel's on that show his mom used to watch named Gloria. Chris frowned a bit as he thought about his mom. It had barely been a few months since her death and it stll affeceted him.

[Moth†]

Gloria blushed a little at the attention, surprised he was still speaking to her. He wasn't giving up, was he...? Maybe he was lonely, or desperate, to talk to her. She wasn't exactly one's first choice in a friend, now was she? Too quiet and boring, right? "I...I uhm..." she whispered before clearing her throat and trying again. "I draw...paint...and I like to go hiking."

At the word "hiking," Gloria visibly brightened, sitting up a little straighter in her chair and smiling a little bit. "It's...fun," she whispered, though in a slightly louder voice than before. "The trees, and birds are nice especially...I like hearing them sing. Gloria suddenly linked, fearing she'd said too much. Oh, dear, she'd started rambling, hadn't she? No one was interested in things like that!

Picking up her notebook again, Gloria hunched her shoulders like a turtle again, holding the book up to cover the lower half of her face. "I-I'm sorry..." she whispered. "Sorry...Uhm...W-What do you like to do?"

[gambit508†]

Chris grinned as Gloria started talking. She apparently liked hiking, which was interesting. Chris had never gone hiking before, but he had read about it, it seemed like fun. "Cool, I usually just read, though hiking sounds like fun." he said as the bell for class to start rang.

The teacher went to the front as he put his hands down, watching the group with his predatory intrest caused by his small bird-like eyes. "Okay, now who can tell me one connection between the Seagull and Hamlet?"

Some other student raised his hand as the teacher pointed at him. "Um yes, Treplyov seeking to win his mother back, is simlair to Hamlet trying to win Queen Gertrude back"

The teacher nodded as he continued talking, writing stuff down which Chris started putting in his notes.

[Moth†]

Gloria couldn't help breathing a sigh relief, leaning over her desk again. At least the teacher hadn't asked her anything...Talking to another person was bad enough by itself, but what about speaking for the entire class to hear? Gloria would die!

Trying to take notes as quietly and inconspicuously as possible, she bowed her head again, arm covering her notes, as if afraid someone would copy them. Not that she really had to worry, did she? No one wanted to copy notes off of her, and even if they did, then it wasn't a bad thing. A test was another story...Gloria flushed a little, finding that her mind had wandered from her notes so easily. That kind of thought pattern wouldn't help her in college at all!

Suddenly, the lead on her pencil snapped, breaking off and making it utterly impossible to write with. Gloria let out a small squeal, covering her mouth and looking around to see if anyone had heard her. She didn't see anyone looking at her, so she must have been safe. Checking her backpack, and to her horror, discovering she had forgotten to bring her sharpener, Gloria shut her eyes tight and swallowed. Then she leaned over towards Chris, tapping his arm so lightly she would've been surprised if he even felt it. "Uhm...excuse me..." she whispered. "B-But could I...C-could I have a sharpener? O-Or a spa-spare pencils, please?"

[gambit508†]

Uhm...excuse me.... B-But could I...C-could I have a sharpener? O-Or a spa-spare pencils, please?

Chris nodded, handing her a pencil as the teacher kept talking before pausing, glancing at the room. He sighed before speaking, "Okay class, you will be split into two to talk about your views on the plays, it helps to have discussion, so partner up with whoever you're next to" he said as Chris turned to Gloria.

"I guess that's us right?" he asked, unsure

[Moth†]

"M-Maybe...?" Gloria whispered behind her notebook, face heating up again. They were beside each other...but what about-- Gloria turned to look to her other side, spotting an empty desk. Oh. Well, the only person next to her then was Chris, so it looked like they really were partners. At least the teacher hadn't told them to choose a partner. That'd been awful, and Gloria would never have been able to ask someone.

"I-I guess..." she added, noticing everyone else pairing off. They seemed to be going to other areas of the room, though, so perhaps Gloria didn't have to move... "Sh-should we s-st-stay here?" she whispered again, clearing her throat quietly and repeating the question louder. Her partner would probably get irritated if she kept speaking so softly...

"I...liked the play," she whispered. That was the only way she knew how to start the discussion, saying she liked the material.

((Gloria Benson continued in The Dance Must go on!))