Round Robin Part III

Sunday again? Wow, March is flying by. On with it!

***

"I'm sure." Cole was even more sure when the mist changed to real rain and there was an ominous rumble of thunder. "Come on, I'm freezing."

Matthew darted one more look around and then hunched his shoulders against the weather. "Yeah, all right. At least until the rain stops."

Glad to have made some progress, even a bit, Cole turned and headed back down the street with Matthew in tow. They reached his small art supply shop in no time. Cole fumbled with the keys and got the door open, hustling both of them in out of the rain.

He watched as Matthew's gaze traveled over the various paints, brushes, pencils, and canvases that lined the walls of the little store.

"Do you draw?" the boy asked. "Or paint, or something?"

Cole nodded. "Mostly I just sketch, but once in a while the urge to paint strikes me." He thought of all the hidden pages of the comic book he'd been working on for months.

"Oh. Cool." Matthew's voice was soft and Cole noticed that his shirt was overly damp and sticking to his thin shoulders.

"I have a dry shirt," Cole offered. "No dry pants, though. But at least you'd be warmer." He bent down behind the register and dug out an old, soft sweatshirt. "Want to put this on?"

Matthew nibbled his lower lip a bit before reaching out a hand to take the shirt. "Um, yeah. Thanks." He stepped back again and stripped his t-shirt off, letting it fall to the floor in a sad little heap.

Cole's eyes widened. Matthew had a thin red scar that ran from chest to waist. It was nearly white in some spots, so it couldn't have been a recent injury, but it was startling enough for Cole to blurt out, "Where'd that come from?"

He kicked himself a moment later for it, but the words were out there and Matthew was looking at him warily.

***

Next!