Mine, Mine, Mine!!!
Penny launched herself on the bed.
"Well it's not so bad," she said. "All you need is some shading and a bit of definition."
Dana smirked at her picture. She had thought it was her best work, and now her best friend was mocking it.
"I guess I should have worked with pencil instead," Dana murmured. She glanced at Penny who was flipping through one of her old torn Rolling Stone magazines. Who was Penny to judge her art work anyway? Dana had been busying herself with the subject her whole life and now this newbie, Penny, was telling her what to do?! Of all things!
"Listen, Dana, I have a ton of homework at home," Penny said tossing the magazine aside.
Dana grabbed her keys and headed for the door, Penny just behind her.
They didn't talk much on the drive to Penny's house, a few blocks off. Dana's mind was too occupied with the thoughts of her work and how she was going to finish it by tomorrow.
The screeching of Dana's brakes sounded their arrival to Penny's house.
Penny patted her shoulder.
"Don't worry, I'm sure Mr. Harrison will give you full credit for your effort."
Dana stared in shock at Penny's back as she got out of the car. The door slammed on her blinking eyes.
Dana and Penny had been best friends since kindergarten, when Dana had mistakenly been placed in the wrong class and Penny volunteered to take her to her new one. Dana had always been the spontaneous artist and Penny the brainy teacher's pet. Yet, this year they were having problems. Penny was finding herself into art and Dana was at the top of the science class.
Her project given up, Dana laid down on her bed, arms behind her head. She saw herself acing the Chem final and poor sobbing Penny drowned in her sketches of fruit with a floating F on her forehead.
She slept.
The following day was the art show. She had worked hard for this. One of her major acrylics was hanging just in the opening of the little room. It was of desert landscape filled of cacti. She saw Penny, with a glowing face, hand a framed work to Mr. Harrison.
"Thank you, Penelope, I'll hang this right away..." was all she heard.
Her friend turned just to catch a glimpse of Dana. She waved .to Dana. Dana caught in her escape, waved back.
In chemistry, Ms. Mendoza passed out the exams to the panic-stricken students. Dana hummed as he passed by her and Penny.
"I'm really lost on this one, Dan," Penny whispered behind her hand.
"Oh?" Dana said in mock disbelief.
"I stayed up ‘til three on the phone with Taylor," she whispered back.
"I'm sorry, Penny. Maybe Ms. Mendoza will give you credit for effort," Dana mimicked.
Penny pushed away from Dana in disbelief, but Dana had already started on her own test.
After class, Dana rushed to the lunch room for a good place in line. Startled she saw Penny already there a couple places from the first. She was chatting up some friends, Becca and Hugh. Her eyes turned towards Dana and then turned to Becca, who whispered something that made the whole group laugh. Dana found herself alone in the back of the line.
The art show was a huge success. Students brought works from still life to ceramics. The awards had been given out, placed around the room in a chaotic order.
Dana rushed to her piece, crossing her fingers. There, next to her work, was a frail white ribbon. Honorable Mention! She had worked so hard on her piece and for who, for what? Honorable Mention, indeed! She snorted at the ribbon and turned aside.
She glimpsed a crowd just to the side of her vision. Her legs trembled in grief as she slowly made her way to the best of show spot. She knew what she'd see, yet hoped it wasn't there, a framed painting of that ever lasting fruit. Her eyes were blinded, it was there and yet she did not see it. Off to the side was Penny, ever smiling and thanking the congratulating faces before her. Without a word, Dana rushed out of the show, and stumbled home in a frenzy of tears.
That night she had all but forgotten the pain from the day. Her feet tossed up on the table, she flipped through the channels.
Abruptly the phone broke her attention. She picked it up with an occupied ‘Hello'.
She could barely make out the sobbing voice of her friend, Penny.
"Pen, what's wrong?"
" I'm sssorry.......Dddana," came the voice on the other end.
"What? Penny, you didn't do anything."
"But.....but the show...and....and...the test."
"Penny just stay right there, I'll be right over."
The phone clamped down on the receiver and Dana made her way out the door.
By the time she had reached Penny's house, her friend was a sobbing mess on the bed.
Dana immediately threw her arm over Penny, patting her quivering body.
"It's ok Penny. It wasn't you. You deserved to win that show. It's me that should be sorry. I could have worked harder on my piece. Besides, we all know that Mr. Harrison has a quirk for still life."
Her friend grinned up at her.
"He does, doesn't he? Hey Dan, I'm sorry I assumed that you would let me copy your Chem exam. I was being pretty lazy last night."
"Good, now could you show me what I did wrong on my piece?"
"Dana, I told you! It's all about shading and definition!"
