“I’d like to challenge you on the inclusion of a witch, in general,” Chloe adds trepidatiously and flips through my sketches. “Witches can be extremely powerful feminist symbols, but it does feel as if you’re relying a bit on sexist, puritanical stereotypes, at least in your renderings here.”

My face heats. She’s right. “Damn. I can’t believe I didn’t realize that.”

“Don’t beat yourself up,” Chloe says. “Instead, ask, ‘What can I do about it?’ ”

I’ve been thinking about the Witch in a very one-dimensional, Rumpelstiltskin-y villain sort of way—the frustrating pot-stirrer who visually represents evil, but why? Is she actually evil? I glance up and find myself staring at Leila for longer than I should.

There’s always more than what’s on the surface.

It’s time to let go and redesign my thoughts about her. The Witch, I mean. Obviously.

“What if she’s a drag queen?” The suggestion tumbles off my tongue.

“Ooooh,” Sofía says. “Talk to us about that.”

“Thinking about why she sought to destroy Thunder and Lightning … maybe it’s not because she’s jealous of what they have, but rather she longs to be seen and revered the way they are.” I think about how I feel when I look in the mirror some days. “The People Below the Skies see her as less than because she exists outside gender norms. It’s not exactly where my head was at when I came up with the idea, but it could work.”

Chloe and Sofía exchange a knowing, satisfied smile.

“What?”

Chloe hands me her phone, and I immediately recognize what’s on her screen: my Knight short from high school. “Sof and I were watching this last night. Have you thought about making the Knight in the short we’re working on the same character? Sort of a continuation of this video?”

I sit back, considering. The old animation is pretty good, but I’ve grown so much in the past year that it feels like a lifetime removed.

“They have a point,” Professor McPherson says, appearing from nowhere. I hate when teachers do that.

“Think about it,” Sofía adds.

“Also of note,” Professor McPherson continues. “I see some improvement in the way you draw the human form. But I’ve been conferring with your figure drawing professor, and we both agree that you need to log some extra hours in that department. Especially with your proportions, the posture, and hands specifically.”

“Yeah, fingers have always been my personal kryptonite,” I say.

“Be sure to work on that. Add it to your task list. You have incredible potential, Gray, but I need you to push yourself,” she says before sashaying to the next group.

My head swells with the ever-expanding list of shit I need to do for this short.

“She’s right …” Chloe begins, launching into another lecture.

Rapid-fire texts blow up my phone: