The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School(32)

“I can draw white people, bro,” David says to Hunter, who looks disappointed.

“Okay, cool.” Hunter turns to David and they get to work.

Bo grins at me. I blush and get started.

The thing about art that no one tells you is that almost anyone can do it. There are rules, and as long as you follow them, you can fake skill until you actually have it. Regardless of skill level, drawing every inch of Bo’s face makes it really hard not to get caught up admiring her, so I take my time drawing the lines and circles that make up every generic face before I finally have to really look at her. She’s giving me a straight face, which is smart so her facial muscles won’t get tired while I draw. She’s not wearing any makeup, but she doesn’t have dark circles under her eyes like I do. I imagine her sleeping peacefully for a full eight hours. She probably wears rainbow pajamas. I wonder if she puts her hair up to sleep. She would look so cute in a messy bedtime bun.

Focus.

I move on to Bo’s eyes, framed by short, straight lashes that almost make it look like she’s wearing eyeliner. Maybe I’ll draw her eyes later. I probably look too dreamy drawing those. Her lips aren’t any easier, though. Too smoochy.

Whew, I feel like I’m sweating.

I end up rushing the drawing so no one can see my heart eyes.

“Can I keep it?” Bo asks when I’m done. I nod, but I want to disappear. For once I’m grateful not to be an expert at drawing. That way the portrait won’t quite give away how cute I think she is.

Bo takes much longer to do her portrait of me. She keeps asking me to look at her. I don’t know what it is about eye contact that makes me feel like I’m completely naked and on display. I guess she’s not really looking into my eyes, though. Just trying to draw them. Somehow that’s worse?

“Don’t look, it’s not done yet!” Bo scolds when I try to sneak a glance at her page. She’s hyperaware of every bit of my face right now. I just want to know what she thinks I look like.

“Don’t make my nose too big, okay?” I didn’t know I was self-conscious about my nose until now. Or my wide-set eyes, or big mouth, or squarish jaw.

“Trust me, okay? I’ll do your face all the justice it deserves.”

What does that even mean? “Okay, just make me look good. My life is in your hands.”

“No pressure, though,” David adds from across the table as he grins and scratches his chin patch while studying Hunter’s face.

“You’ll show me as soon as you’re done, right?” I ask.

Bo grins. “There’s a student art show in March. Maybe you’ll see it then.”

Well, that was cryptic as shit.

Three guys come into the room, stealing Bo’s attention and everyone else’s. They’re singing a cappella. Some song they clearly made up specifically to ask someone to homecoming. The one in the middle has roses in his hand. He gets down on one knee.

“Sarah, I’m on my knees, will you go to homecoming with me, please?” he sings.

She takes the roses and they kiss. Bleh.

Ms. Felix doesn’t let them soak up the moment too long. The boys go back to whatever class they’re supposed to be in, and Sarah gushes to her friends about what just happened.

“I would die if someone tried that with me. It’s so embarrassing,” I say.

“Are you kidding? That was so cute!” Bo stops drawing to comment.

“I don’t like the idea of asking someone publicly. Then you’re trapped into saying yes, or you look like an asshole.” I can’t imagine if Hunter had asked me publicly instead of just in front of Bo and Amber. I would have spontaneously combusted on the spot.

“Yeah, that’d be pretty embarrassing for everyone,” Hunter says, rubbing his neck like he read my thoughts.

“I don’t know, I feel like that’s what makes it a big romantic gesture, right? Putting yourself on the spot. It’s like ‘I like you so much I’m willing to get publicly embarrassed for you,’” David adds, almost defensively.

“But you’re not just embarrassing yourself, you’re embarrassing the person you’re asking, too,” I say.

Bo nods. “I think you’re right if it’s not a sure thing. But Sarah and Ryan are together, so obviously she’d say yes. I think it’s cute, but only if you’re sure the person would already want to go, you know?”

“Oh . . . I never thought of that.” David looks way too bummed out for what the situation calls for.

“Wait, were you planning on asking Amber?” Hunter asks.

My eyes shoot to David. I didn’t even put together that that’s why he was stressing it, and now I feel kind of bad.

“Well, now I’m not. I don’t want to embarrass her.” David slumps his shoulders.

“As her best friend, trust me on this. She won’t be embarrassed.” Bo winks at David, and his cheeks get darker. Knowing I’m not the only one she winks at is somehow both a relief and a disappointment.

Bo doesn’t make any sense to me. She usually ditches school dances, so I figured they weren’t her thing. And that made me think she wasn’t much of a romantic, or someone who would even want to go to a dance. But she’s apparently a fan of the public proposals. Maybe she would want to go, if she had someone to go with. . . .