Pt 1
The birds chirped wildly in the tree next to me. I sat down on the back steps of the art store, organizing my purchases into my beat up leather bag: a thick, absorbent book of watercolor paper, a long metal ruler, guache tubs, and a new metal palete. As I violently shook my new supplies into place, the sun beamed into my eyes and I began to overheat. I had overdressed – I didn’t get out much. Peeling my knitted yellow sweater over my head, I started to feel like I was being watched. I quickly ripped off the mass of yarn and pulled my purple t-shirt down with anxious force. My head flitted around, cheeks flushed, underarms damp. My smooth, androgynous chest heaved with stress from being so exposed. As I caught my breath, I noticed someone looking at me curiously from the patio across the street.