"Janna and Janet, History and Art" "Good day, class." Only a few girls greeted Janna Raulson as she came into the classroom, and those had been the ones who went through Miss Madsen's hour. The rest just nodded or waved, or at worst, made no acknowledgment whatsoever. Janna was unaffected by the tepid response; she came to teach history, not manners. She sat at her desk and began taking silent roll. Victoria Grissom, Zane Klein, Vai Knox, Usha Krishnan, Ana Lu, Corona Marcos, Jocelyn McKeough, Nomi Nakatori, May and June Tramble, Mira van Dijk, Amina Washim, Ancelin Yi, and Rai Zanders—check! "With introductions over," she began, "it is time we begin our studies. History is relevant no matter what field you choose to go into. Looking into the precedents of yesteryear help us better understand how today's standards were formed. Knowing who and what came ahead of us gives us the knowledge to further learn, and we begin to value and understand the sacrifices and mistakes people have made. Besides, sometimes it can even be fun. "I'm not a student of religion and I've devoted myself to no particular faith, and I agree with the right of freedom in regards to this matter, so do not think we will study anything involving any spiritual belief; I am simply here to look at facts. I have given each of you a textbook yesterday; would you please turn it to the third page? If you do not have one, I must deduct points from your grade." Everyone did, and discovered that they were led into the very early civilizations of Oriental culture. Raulson asked a random student to read aloud the first three paragraphs, then went into a very basic discussion of the old culture, emphasizing the struggle of the then-king to unite all of China; then explained how he went about building the Great Wall of China, which still stood to that day. A few movie-loving students immediately knew what she was talking about, and commented as such. "They told this story in Hero, Miss Raulson," said Ana. Janna wasn't quite the buff on films, so she asked the blonde to explain. "Well, um, I dunno if it's out on DVD yet, but Hero is this movie about this guy who has no name, and he tries to kill the king of old China, but first he has to get rid of these assassins—" "Ana," stated Rai sharply, interrupting her. Ana Lu squeaked and realized she had been babbling. "Uh, whoops. Anyway, it's sorta like what you're talking about." "I see." Raulson probably didn't see, but it was best to make a neutral answer like that. "Well, I'm glad a few of you know the material. Now, may I resume, Ana?" "Oh, uh, sorry there." Raulson accepted her apologetic smile and resumed. Ana began to wonder if she could bring Hero in for the class to watch, but seeing how indifferent her teacher acted towards it, it wasn't likely to happen. Raulson resumed her discussion, taking breaks once in awhile as she asked her students to read and share their thoughts. She freely admitted that although that section of the textbook involved history from ages ago in another part of the world, it was still relevant and needed examination. American history (or even the histories of the countries many of the girls there originated from) would probably not be studied until after the holiday break, so everyone would have to sit and bear it. Once the chapter had been dissected and digested, Janna made two promises to her class before issuing their homework. First, she guaranteed a kind of follow-up test for each chapter, but there would also be plenty of time to study and plenty of smaller pieces of work to go through beforehand. Second, she promised that the whole class would go through at least one activity involving the material discussed—not a test, but something that involved everyone and their creativity. "If we are efficient," she said, "we can get through one chapter per week. The first day of each week, I will introduce the new material and we will have readings and discussions, as we've had today. The following day we shall get into the material more deeply, and have our first paper on it. The third day will be a study day; the fourth, activities, and by the fifth day, you should be prepared for a test. In the event that our weeks are shortened, I will try and squeeze some of the activities together. Any questions?" "What sort of activities do you mean for us to have?" asked Usha. "Good question. As a matter of fact, I think it would be best if I told you the first day of the week so you have time to prepare. Each week, your activity should reflect the chapter being studied. This week, I would like for everyone to be split up into groups and create something relevant to old Oriental culture. It could be a piece of art, a written work, a musical score, even a drama. Just as long as it's relevant and a group effort..." At this, most of the girls brightened with enthusiasm. Those in Elspeth Post's drama class were already elated at the notion of making their own production, but having even more freedom over their studies was nothing short of exciting. Raulson wisely brought them back down to earth, though, with an added note. "Now this doesn't mean you can do anything," she said. "This week I'll let you off easy, but from now on, I'll have a list of activities for you to choose from. Groups can choose any activity they want, although I may give extra credit if you pick something nobody else has done. Any other questions?" "Uh, what're we going to do on study days?" asked Nomi. Raulson smiled. "Let's put it this way: you all have seen ‘Jeopardy', right? It'll be just like that. You'll be divided into three teams, and each answer, or question, or whatever, will count for some points. You keep all the points you accumulate, so naturally, you'll want more points." "So nobody loses any points?" "Only if you get it wrong. Any more?" Nobody else had anything to ask, so Raulson wrapped up her class and sent everyone home without any work—for the time. As each girl walked off to her next class, most banded together to talk or slip inside a restroom. Ana immediately clung to Rai, who looked like she didn't want company. "Sounds pretty cool, huh? So whaddya wanna do?" "One at a time." "Oh, uh, okay. So does it sound cool or what?" Ana's bubbly smile was more infectious than a plague; even Zanders couldn't contain her frosty stoicism, and smiled. "I guess. Creativity's always been my forte. I don't like having too much freedom, though." "Why not?" "Well, I need guidelines so I know where I can and can't go. Too much freedom can be overwhelming; too much of anything's not good." "What about too much love?" she whispered hopefully, eyes aflutter. Zanders turned pink and sighed. Ana quickly gave her a kiss on the cheek and giggled softly in her ear. "Don't," whispered Rai softly. "Don't what?" "Don't tease me." "You like that?" Rai couldn't answer, at least not confidently. She could barely even talk. Ana was her polar opposite and someone who she believed she'd distance herself from as often as possible, yet the perky girl was like a barnacle—a very happy, entertaining, cute barnacle. She gave Rai the shivers and made her question herself a lot—more than she ever had wanted to question herself. "Stop," she managed, pushing the smaller girl away. Ana just giggled and attached herself to her so-called girlfriend again. "Aw, you like it! So what're we gonna do, huh? You got some plans for this activity of hers?" "Not really. I was just thinking of writing something, like a song or something." "Oh, cool. I want in." Rai shrugged. Why not? She'd just bug her anyway, and Ana could give good inspiration at times. "Okay. ...Don't hold me so tight; I'll lose my balance." Ana just laughed mischievously, and loosened up just enough so she wouldn't look like an octopus. "So, wanna go in the ladies' room and make out?" she whispered. A stab of eroticism plunged into Rai's chest, giving her a shock. Had Ana really said that? Was she serious? ...Was she ever serious? Rai had to wonder—and hadn't she been attracted to men only when they first met? "You're crazy," she managed, shoving the smaller girl away. Ana, as serious as a clown, giggled and tagged Zanders on the shoulder. "Aw, come on! You mean you don't want to?" "That's gross," she grumbled. "What, kissing or doing it in the bathroom?" Rai wanted to say "both", but she knew Ana would be crushed, so she just snorted. "You know I was just kidding," said the blonde in remedy. "But seriously, we can go smooch somewhere else if—" "I'd rather not," stated Zanders stuffily. Ana chuckled and walked around her self-proclaimed girlfriend (they certainly weren't an official pair, not really, not even after a year of being "friends") like an overactive dog. "Oh, look at the grumpy woman in the morning," she crooned. "Maybe a little hug will cheer her up." "I think you've—" "GLOMP!!!" "Oof! ...Hugged me enough." "Nonsense," squeaked Lu happily, embracing Rai tightly. "You can never get enough hugs! Hug, hug, hug!" Rai's face turned red and blue from anger and suffocation, but since she didn't want to hurt Ana more than necessary, she just pried her off and shoved her away. "Leave me alone. I need to get to class." "So you wanna eat together at lunch? Or come over to my house?" Zanders just huffed away, leaving poor Ana in her dust. Not one to take such rejection so seriously, Ana just cast it aside, called out a farewell, and ducked inside her next class—ironically, two minutes early. ............ Some of the girls in Janna Raulson's history class also shared Janet Keys' art class. Keys was older and more, perhaps, conservative than the more strict Raulson, probably because the class she taught leaned more to the creative side rather than the academic. Many of the students thought they were both very pretty, but Janet was more well-liked because of how she related to her students. In spite of being one of the older teachers there, though she didn't look it, she understood the younger generation well and often acted as their confidante and friend, even during class hours. Keys had no particular great ambition or plan for her class to follow, at least not during that year. She had been very good about taking one great trip abroad every few years, perhaps to the Smithsonian or even the Louvre, but nothing like that would happen that year—maybe the next. In fact, she had no big projects planned at all, only a series of smaller ones meant to chip at the women's rough edges and make them understand, if not appreciate, the world of arts. (And for the record, she had only hosted one nude modeling class her whole career, and was asked quite nicely not to occur again, without any hard feelings being expressed. So for those girls who had their hopes, they would be disappointed, although Janet encouraged drawings and sketches of all other kinds) On one of those seemingly-minor days, Janet Keys gathered all her students around on one big table and told them what she had planned for the future. Most everyone was still new to the concept of coloring and construction, so she would devote much of her time going over the basics so that everyone would understand and have, at least, an elementary grasp of things. By the end of that week, she hoped that everyone would at least be able to paint something more complex than a blotch or stick figure. She went as far as explaining her schedule for the whole month, but didn't like to plan any further since, as she liked to profess, the future was uncertain and anything could happen. After going over the basics, the girls would go into their first major project: they were asked to think of a nice song or musical composition that would fit well with art, and bring it in. The class's songs would be burned on one disk, and as a group, the students would paint a picture depicting what they "felt" in their song. "To put it simply," Keys told them, "it'll be just like Fantasia, the Disney movie, except this will be only one scene—unless you truly feel the need to make many." And of course, to assist those in need, Keys permitted the girls to watch Fantasia so they could get a good idea of what was to come. Coincidentally, the music teacher (Sarah Johansson) would also use the Disney film in her class, opting to teach upon the other side of the marriage between visual and audio art. Their very first day, the girls were asked to construct personalized nametags for their work stations so Keys could identify them and take silent roll. These tags, mere construction paper folded in half to make a crude triangle, could have any decoration as long as it had their name (or a nickname) and nothing offensive. As her class came in, they picked out their nametags from a pile and placed them wherever they sat, which was completely up to them since Keys didn't have arranged seating. Besides, the girls worked best wherever they were most comfortable; her class was fortunate to have many windows in it. Alexandra Blair (she had written "Furious Hail" on her tag), Olivia Johnson, Farrah Kwong, Hero Love, Ana Lu, Corona Marcos, Lilian Nachtheim, Gabrielle O'Shannon, May Tramble, Amina Washim, Ancelin Yi, Rai Zanders: they all had made one according to their own taste, although some were definitely more "interesting" to look at than others. Once they were seated and quiet, Keys spoke up—she also worked at the same large table the girls did. She had specially ordered several rectangular tables and had them arranged in a large square that took up half of the large room, so everyone could sit and work and have a good view of the room while still having space. "How is everyone today?" she asked, and she meant it. Her class answered in lukewarm fashion, though if anyone wanted to, they could speak up and spill their guts. "Well, it seems enthusiasm's here enough. I would like for everyone, today, to not go for any supplies or any paper: no pencils, pens, brushes, or anything. Just sit. Today I would like for everyone to participate and work together to try and demonstrate art without supplies. Can people express themselves without a paper and a brush?" "Sure," answered Corona, "in music." "Ah, but doesn't music have its supplies as well?" Corona nodded in silent reluctance. "In... drama?" guessed Hero. "Are you asking me or telling me?" Nearly everyone rolled their eyes. Only the newcomers weren't aware of Keys' favorite counter-remark; everyone knew her because of it, and tried hard to avoid it. Hero tried rephrasing her question. "Uh, I am asking you if it's possible to find art in drama." "Yes, but even then you need supplies." "Not all the time. And singing... you don't need anything to sing." "Good, good. Anyone else?" "Love," spoke Ana quietly. Keys looked impressed. "Ah, but is love an expression of one's self—is it art? Can love be art?" She spoke rhetorically, letting her pupils decide the answers for themselves, whether mentally or out loud. "Sometimes." "In what way?" She encouraged Ana's thought with a smile. These girls were obviously onto something good and needed stimulants to keep it going, but even something silly had the potential to grow. Discouraging something was not Janet's forte; she wanted her students to think of all possibilities, even if they didn't seem right. "Well... love can cause people to create things in new ways—like they can make stuff and write songs or love letters, and I guess in that sense it's art. Oh, wait—that involves supplies, doesn't it?" "Yes, but you're going somewhere with that idea. Would anyone like to continue, or share something new? Where can you see art without supplies?" "Through actions," said Farrah. "Like for example: if art's nothing more than self-expression, can't people express themselves through actions? Like if I was angry, I'd paint a violent picture or create a piece of broken pottery, but I could also show my anger through my actions. Would that count?" "It's a very interesting point," admitted Keys. "I think you and Ana are onto something. Yes?" She pointed to a raised hand, although it was not a prerequisite in Keys' class to raise a hand for attention. "Um... would speech count as art?" "What do you mean?" Amina took a nervous breath. "The spoken word. I guess this goes along with what was said about drama, only you don't need anything to talk except a voice. If you say something, like a speech or a poem, or a song, would that count?" Janet Keys smiled and tapped her fingers against her cheek. "That's a very interesting perspective. Would anyone else like to try?" "Sex?" guessed Olivia. Most of the girls laughed, even Olivia, who hadn't meant that seriously. Keys smiled, but in thought. "Well... that could be true..." "You might need supplies for it!" cackled Farrah, and the girls hooted even louder. Keys' laugh was restrained, and she called order to her students after awhile. "All right, all right, settle down. Olivia has a very good point; sexual activities could be considered a form of art, if done right." "Well since you're on that tangent, may I say something?" "Certainly, Miss Yi." "Just Ancelin." Farrah couldn't help but smile a bit as Ancelin spoke up. She had heard enough about the tall brunette (from Ivory) to fill a library. She didn't condone what her friend did or where her preferences were, and she had made plain her beliefs more than once, but Ancelin seemed like a sweet girl, although probably not the kind to go for anyone as wild as Ivory. "You said that if done right, sex could be an art," she stated, and Keys nodded. "Then would it be true that anything good would be considered art? Everything that's been said here, whether it was love or action or sex, has some good to it, and it occurred to me that these things probably wouldn't be art if there was something bad to it." "Well, that's a good point, but many wicked things have been seen as art." "I really don't believe that," replied Ancelin gravely. "The truly bad things in life cannot be seen as art; it must be what good is concealed within the bad that... uh... art comes from." "What do you mean?" "Uh..." Ancelin floundered for an answer for a few seconds before coming up with one. "Take... the human body. There's such thing as modesty, but there's also such thing as beauty. Uh... or death. It's sad and tragic, but it's also truth, and much good may come of it, even if a good person dies." "I see." "I guess what I'm saying is that the... uh... existence of something can be art. You don't have to make it for it to be there. I mean, when I was a kid, I used to think of all sorts of things when I looked up at the sky. You know, cloud art. But if that's art, all it really takes is imagination." "Very good," said Keys, and she left the compliment at that. "Well, you are all correct in a sense: art does not need supplies to be art. It can be expressed through feelings, or love, or sex, or goodness, or even imagination—just as long as you include originality and personality. And personality goes a long way." ............ "You wouldn't believe me if I told you." "Try me." "It's a real doozy of a love triangle." Corona's mouth twitched into a smile. Farrah continued with, "Well, if you really must know, she has a thing for my best friend, Ivory. Ivory's more gay than fifteen Ellens and Ethridges, but we go back a long way so she doesn't think of me as more than a buddy. Thank God, too. Anyway, I know she's got her eye on Ive, but that poor girl's just wasting her time. Ivory only uses her for sex as far as I know; her true objective is Ancelin, that brunette girl that talked about art and imagination earlier." "So your friend likes Ancelin, not Alexandra?" "Well..." Farrah trailed off and began to go flush. "Likes is an understatement. More like obsesses." "But she's not interested in Alexandra?" "No," sighed Kwong sadly, "she's not. And that girl's gonna go nuts when she finds out. Why do you wanna know?" Corona gave a little shrug. "No reason."
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