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Excuse the mistakes

dedicated to sanlana, who made the awesome banner on the side! (edit: it's not showing up, and I don't know why, so I'm working on that)

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How exactly do you ask someone if you can draw them?

"Hey there... Can I borrow your body to pose for a sketch?"

"Yo, bro, can you, like, model for me?" 

"Can I draw you like my French girls?"

See? Any way you put it, me asking someone to draw them is just awkward and creepy. This posed a problem, since my final submissions for the art competition were due pretty soon, and the only thing that had really inspired me in the past couple weeks was the class where Duke had had his impromptu modeling gig. I knew that if I wanted a really solid piece, I was going to need his help.

It was Saturday morning, and I had been lying in bed for a good half hour, debating how I would ask Duke to come to the studio with me so that I could draw him again. I'd been pleased with the initial piece I had done with Duke as a subject, but I wanted to try again, this time with less of a rush and more time to smooth things out. If a piece of mine was rough at the edges, I wanted to make sure it was on purpose. 

Still, it was embarrassing, and I didn't want to ask. 

"Don't be such a pussy," I muttered to myself, and then I sighed and rolled over on my bed so that I was on my back. It was time; I was going to have to suck it up and go downstairs to Duke. 

Duke no longer lived in the room next to mine. As soon as my parents got home, my mom could tell something had changed, and, since I'm crap at hiding things from her, my mom found out about Duke and I going out on a date. Obviously, she wasn't going to let us live close enough to the point where we were sharing a bathroom. However, she also obviously couldn't kick Duke out on the street. 

So, my mom had Duke move down to our basement. Luckily, there was a futon down there in case loads of my family decided to visit, so Duke didn't have to sleep on a cot or couch. She let him leave his clothes in the guest room, and she had my dad mess around with the bathroom so that it wouldn't open on Duke's end, from the outside or inside.

There were also new rules. We couldn't be in each other's rooms past nine on school nights, and eleven on weekends. When we were in each other's rooms, the doors had to be all the way open, and my mom said she reserved the right to pop in whenever she wanted and with zero warning. If any of these rules were broken, she said she would move one of use into the tool shed in the backyard.

I couldn't tell if she was serious or kidding, and it was unnerving.

I sat up in bed and swung my legs over the side. Then, with a yawn, I stood up and walked into the bathroom. I decided that it would be better to ask Duke after a shower, but that was probably me just trying to rationalize stalling. 

I turned on the shower, and then stepped inside. I shivered at the water, which was colder than usual, but instead of adjusting it, I just washed my body and hair faster. Perhaps it was the world telling me to move my shit along. If that was the message, I heard it loud and clear, and I climbed out of the shower after making sure I had rinsed my hair completely. 

I wrapped my body in a towel and wiped the mirror of the slight condensation. I combed through my wet hair, doing my best with all the snarls, and then I pulled it back in a loose French braid. I brushed my teeth, gave makeup a fleeting thought, and then decided against it because I felt lazy.  Plus, I thought I was having a good skin day today. 

I ambled back into my room and finished drying off. Then, I changed into some underwear and searched through my drawers for something to wear. When I worked, I like to feel comfortable and unrestricted, so I settled on a pair of black leggings and green t-shirt I'd gotten from a lumberjack show when I had gone to a family reunion in Maine last year.

I pulled on a baggy Maple Leafs sweatshirt, since I was feeling cold, and I grabbed my purse and cell phone. I also grabbed some of my art supplies, like my charcoal, that it was thinking about using. I shoved my feet in some flip flops, which probably didn't make sense with the sweatshirt and coldness thing, and I walked out of my bedroom. I padded down the stairs and then knocked on the door to the basement. 

"Yeah?" 

"It's me," I called, opening the basement door a crack, "Can I come down?"

"Sure," Duke replied, "Just let me pull on some pants."

"Brilliant," I whispered under my breath. I gave Duke a moment, and then I opened the basement door and walked slowly down the stairs. "Morning."

"Morning," Duke echoed, smiling. He was sitting on the unfolded futon, and the basement TV was on, quietly recounting some sports game I didn't care about. He had successfully pulled on some pants, but he was still sans shirt. I didn't have a problem with that. Not at all.

"Where are you off to?"

"What?" I asked, coming out of my ab-induced trance. 

"Where are you off to?" Duke repeated, and he gestured towards me with his hand. "It's a Saturday morning and you actually dressed instead of still in your pajamas."

"Oh. Right," I said, tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear. You came here with a mission, Harper, so get on with it! "I'm actually heading to the studio, and I wanted to know if you would come with me." 

"To hang out?" Duke asked, cocking his head to the side. "Are you sure I wouldn't distract you?"

As long as you have a shirt on, I can retain some focus, I thought, and I had to refrain from giggling. 

"Well yeah," I replied, and then I quickly added, "I was also hoping that you would do my a big favor and sit for me."

"Sit for you?" Duke said, a look of confusion very evident on his face. Oh c'mon, Duke, don't make this harder than it needs to be. 

"Sit for me. As in, sit there and let me draw you," I explained, deciding not to dance around the awkwardness any longer. 

"Oh," was all Duke said, and he leaned back on the futon. It was silent between us for a moment, and then Duke shrugged. "Sure, why not!" 

"Really?" I blurted before I could control myself.

"Yeah," Duke replied, and he stood up. "I've got nothing to do today. Plus, isn't it supposed to be a compliment when an artist asks you that? At least, that's what movies and books have taught me. So, I'm flattered."

"Good," was the only response I could muster up, as I was taken aback by how easy that had been, and how Duke was flattered to be my subject. Maybe I had over complicated things in my head a bit. 

"I've just got to finish getting dressed," Duke said, and I nodded. 

"I'll just wait upstairs," I stated, and then I turned and returned to the first floor of the house. 

While I waited for Duke, I decided to go into the kitchen to get something to eat. I flicked on the Keurig and pulled some peppermint tea and my travel mug out of the cupboard, and when it was ready, I used the Keurig for hot water. As the tea steeped, I rummaged around in the fridge until I came across some leftover pizza from last night.

Cold pizza and tea; the breakfast of champions. 

"Ready to go?"

Mid-chomp, I turned towards the doorway and saw Duke standing there. I was very much aware that I had been wolfing down my piece of pizza in the least graceful way, and he had probably seen me doing it, but I decided to try and  just act cool about it. 

"Yes sir!" I replied, and I gave a mock salute only to smack my hand on the side of the counter after swinging it down. Hey, I said I would try and act cool. I didn't say it would work!

I grabbed my travel mug and threw out the tea bag. I added my sugar, and then I followed Duke out of the kitchen. As he reached for his set of car keys, I shook my head. "I'll drive," I said, pulling my keys out of my purse, "I know how to get there, and parking can be tricky."

Duke looked offended that I had questioned his parking skills,but he backed away and opened the front door. I stepped out into the crisp, cool morning air, and Duke followed behind me as I reached our car. I ducked into the driver's side, and simultaneously turned on the car and buckled my seatbelt. 

I let Duke fiddle with the radio as I pulled out of the driveway, and while I started towards the studio, he settled on a radio station currently playing the Killers. We sat in a pleasant silence as Brandon Flowers sang us the words of "Heart of a Girl", and I let on of my hands fall down to rest on the center console, since I could easily drive with one hand. Suddenly, I felt Duke's hand wrap around mine, and a small smile crept across my mouth. 

It didn't take long to get to the studio, and the only times I let go of Duke's hand was when I had to make a turn. However, as soon as we were driving smoothly again, our hands would once again find each other. Let me tell you; holding hands with a guy you like is one of the best ways to feel tons of happiness. 

I parked in my usual spot, and after grabbing all of my stuff out of the backseat, I exited the car. Duke and I walked side by side up to the front door of the studio, and I reached for my key. Ruby had given me a key about a year ago, so that I could let myself in on mornings when she wasn’t there or if it was an emergency. I felt really honored by her trust and guarded that key with my life. 

"Is anyone here?" Duke asked as I unlocked the door and we walked in.

"It's really a hit or miss with Ruby," I replied, shutting the door behind us. "Sometimes she gets up in the morning, and other times, she sleeps in until the afternoon. I'm guessing today is one of the afternoon days."

"So we're alone?" Duke said, and he raised an eyebrow and smirked. 

"Yeah, but don't get any ideas, mister!" I said with a laugh. "We're here to work, and I really need to get this piece done. I want to submit it for the art competition, and the due date is coming up soon."

"Soon?" Duke asked as I found the light switches and flicked them all on. "How soon?"

"Two days..." I replied, my voice trailing off. I had been procrastinating. It was one of my greatest skills.

"You do realize that's kinda really bad, right?" Duke said, giving me an incredulous look. 

"I am aware," I stated, knowing full well that I was under an extreme time crunch, and I pushed the door of the private studio open. Ruby kept one of her studios private for artists to rent so that they could leave their artwork out and keep their personal art supplies there. She let me use it whenever no one else was, rent free, as long as I cleaned up after myself. I preferred this studio because of the light, as well as the calm atmosphere. 

"Alright," Duke said as he walked into the room, "tell me what to do, oh art goddess."

"Nice," I replied with a laugh, and I pointed to a space that was somewhat close to a window. "Grab a stool and sit there. I'm going to get my stuff setup, so just make yourself comfortable."

Duke nodded and went about his task, and I grabbed a easel and unfolded it.  I took one of the pieces of mounted paper I had stored in the studio, and after setting it down on the easel, I pulled out my charcoal. 

"Do you need to pose me?" Duke asked as I plugged my phone into the studio's iHome. 

"I might," I replied, and then I dialed up some Lorde music. There is something eerie about her sound, and it gave me a really cool vibe. I liked working to it. 

I turned around, and as I approached my easel, I spotted an abandoned book sitting on one of the counters. An inkling of an idea started to swirl around in my head, and I looked from the book to Duke. 

"Let me try something," I said quietly, and I retrieved the book, which turned out to be a copy of Hamlet. I walked over to Duke and handed it to him. "Read this," I commanded gently. 

"Yes ma'am," Duke replied, and he cracked open the book. He had one foot on the floor and on foot resting on one of the metal crossbars on the stool. He held the play in one hand, and he rested the other on his knee.

I receded to my easel and picked up a piece of charcoal. After a moment of hesitation, I began to lightly block out Duke's body. When I was happy with that, I went in and started adding detail. My hands slowly turned black as the charcoal rubbed off on my fingers, but it didn't care. A piece was starting to form beneath my fingertips, and I was completely focused on that. 

I didn't know how much time had passed when I finally sat back from the paper and set down the charcoal. I gazed at my piece with a critical eye, and after a few, quick scrubs here and there with my eraser, I was happy with what I currently had.

The edges of this piece were sharper than the edges of the sketch I had done of Duke in pencil, but there were still places I had smudged up a little bit to break up the stiffness. Also, like the previous piece I had of Duke, I had left the face blank, with only a faint gray smudge where his eyes would be. 

However, I felt like there was something missing. 

”Hey Harper?"

I jumped at the sudden interruption of my thoughts, and I looked around the canvas to see Duke looking at me. "Yeah?" 

"Can I get up and move around?" Duke asked, and he lifted up the play in his hands. "Hamlet is great and everything, but I've been sitting her for two and a half acts, and I'm starting to get cramps."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" I replied, standing up, "Yeah, go ahead!" 

Duke breathed out a sigh of relief, and he stood up and dropped Hamlet on his stool. Then, he walked over to where I was standing and wordlessly started studying what I had done so far. I felt myself tense up as Duke frowned and raised his hand to his chin in thought. Criticism was part of the life of someone who worked in a creative field, but that didn't mean I liked it. 

"Harper," Duke said finally, and he looked over at me. A smile spread across his face as he said, "This is really cool!"

"Yeah?" I replied, instantly relaxing. Duke nodded, and I grinned. "Thanks! It's not done, though. I feel like there needs to be more, but I'm not sure what that more is yet." Duke's gaze returned to the paper, and after a moment, he cocked his head to the side. 

"Color?"

With Duke's suggestion, everything clicked. I was filled with excitement as my piece came together fully, and I knew exactly what supplies I needed to get done what I needed. Inspiration was sometimes hard to get, but when it overtook you, nothing could stop you. 

"I need pastels," I declared, and I rushed over to the supplies closet and started rummaging around. If I had been thinking, I would've brought mine from home. However, I knew that Ruby kept some really nice ones in here, and I knew she wouldn't mind that I used them. Derek and I were some of the few that Ruby let use pretty much anything she had here. 

"Hey, can I ask you something?" Duke called after me. 

"Was that it?" I replied with a laugh, and I opened a drawer and found the pastels. 

"Harper, c'mon," Duke said, and when I glanced over at him, I was surprised to see Duke looking incredibly uncomfortable. Whatever he wanted to ask me seemed serious, and I felt bad for joking around.

"Sorry," I replied genuinely, and I walked out of the small supply room. "Ask away."

"I was wondering if you-" 

"Hello my !" 

The door of the studio banged open,interrupting Duke, and Ruby made her grand entrance with a box of Dominoes pizza in her hands. "I come bearing thin crust, and there is also a 2 liter of root beer sitting in my office!"

"Hi Ruby," Duke said, giving her a small wave while trying to hide his annoyance. 

"Hello Duke!" Ruby said happily, "you're welcome to pizza, of course." She knew that I was going to ask Duke to come sit for me today, and knowing Ruby, that may have been another reason for her to come in late, other than the fact that she cherished her sleep. 

"Hey," I replied, and I set the box of pastels down next to my easel. I loved seeing Ruby, but I was still thinking about what Duke wanted to ask me.

Ruby smiled at each of us and then shook the box of pizza gently. "So? Food?"

"I would love some," I replied, grinning at her, "but can you just give us a second?"

"Fuck," Ruby said, and she looked from me to Duke. "I interrupted something, didn't I? Sorry , didn't mean to have my head up my ass. I'll just go to my office and ignore paperwork. Come get pizza whenever you're done!"

Ruby shot me an apologetic look before retreating as quickly as she could. The door closed behind her, leaving Duke and I alone once again. Duke shifted awkwardly on his feet, and I suddenly felt nervous. However, before I could do anything, Duke spoke. 

"Alright, let's try this again," Duke said, and he let out a deep breath and ran a hand through his hair. "I was wondering if you wanted to be my girlfriend."

I was wondering if you wanted to be my girlfriend. 

"Yes!" I blurted, not even giving myself a chance to think. 

"Really?" Duke asked, looking genuinely surprised. 

"Really," I confirmed with a grin, and I walked closer to Duke and draped my arms around his neck. "I would love to be your girlfriend." 

Then, I pressed my lips against his in a light kiss. Duke wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me closer, and I let myself get lost in the kiss for a few moments. Then, I broke the kiss and looked up at Duke. 

"So, boyfriend," I said, enjoying the feeling of that word on my tongue, "how about some pizza?" Duke laughed, and with my hand in his, we walked out of the studio and to Ruby's office, where she didn't hesitate to give me a curious look. 

After we are, Duke and I returned to the studio. He didn't have to pose again, since I had finished his body, but he refused to take the car and go home and then pick me up later. He claimed that it was his boyfriend duty to keep me company.So with Duke by my side, sometimes just watching, and other times reading me quotes from Hamlet, I pushed to finish my piece. 

With a pale blue pastel, I shaded in the book that Duke was holding. Then, with vibrant blues, greens, purples, and pinks, I created a bright chaos of abstract curves and lines that stemmed out for the top of Duke's head and went up to the top of the page. When I felt done, like I had left it all on the paper, I sat back and put the pastel I was holding away. 

What I had created, or tried to create at least, was Duke and his love of reading. I tried to project the feeling of excitement and passion that comes with reading a book you truly love. Sure, I liked to read fine, but I had noticed that Duke seemed to rarely be without a book. I thought I had gotten my concept across, but that's because I knew what I was trying to say. It might not actually translate to anyone but me. 

"It's me," Duke remarked, bringing me out of my mind. "That's really me," he said after another moment, and he gripped my hand and grinned broadly. "You're amazing."

"Thanks," I said, blushing. "Let's just hope the judges think so."

”Speaking of the judges," Duke replied, nodding towards the piece, "What's next?"

"I sign it, and then give it to Ruby, who's sponsoring me," I stated. Duke nodded, and I then I reached down and grabbed a piece of charcoal. On the corner of the piece of paper, I placed my insignia, which was a simple "H" and "L" interlocked. Then, I stood up and picked up my piece. 

"I'll be right back," I said to Duke, and then I walked out of the studio, my head held up a little higher than usual out of pride. I knocked on the door of Ruby's office and then walked in. Without a word, I present my piece and watched as Ruby looked it over.

"I love it," she said, nodding in approval. "Leave it in the studio and I'll take it over tomorrow morning with the paperwork."

"Awesome," I replied, grinning broadly. Ruby was an amazing artist, who had art displayed in various galaxies, and who had also sold plenty of pieces, so to have her approval was a definite confidence booster. 

"You should be proud of yourself," Ruby stated, smiling. 

I did feel proud. In fact, I had never felt prouder.

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So they're officially official! woooo! Just so you know, I wrote this chapter while having no wifi, so it's way longer than usual. Please know that most chapters won't be this long. I wrote about 1500 words extra.

So, big news. For the past week, I was in Maine. While I was there, my new laptop for college arrived. I got home today and immediately started playing with the thing, and this is the first chapter of not his girl that I am uploading from my new MacBook! (it's my first mac ever). We shall see how this goes :)

Also, I just want to say something to you guys. Just because my characters have an opinion on something doesn't mean that I have the same one. They are fictional charaters. For example, I actually think learning history is really important, despite Harper not seeing it as necessary. But there are other times when a character's opinon doesn't reflect mine (Sorry; still hate JB. That's my opinion). So, to the people who like to comment and lecture me, just know, I don't always feel the same way as my characters. Also, no one likes people who lecture strangers. 

I leave for college on friday (August 15th)!!!!!!!!!!!

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