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Max was dancing to the music coming from the speakers in her rooms as she drew on her canvas
Cadis was sprawled on her bed sketching with coal on a large piece of paper that he clipped on a wooden board they used in art class
He drew quick erratic lines
Max stopped for a second her corse of painting with acrylics to catch a glimpse of what was Cadis sketching and she grimaced
“That’s a shitty job. The shading is poorly made. Are you planning on taking exams with those skills?”
“Shut up”
He mouthed. Max knew Cadis had no inspiration and no drive to draw. He drew because he couldn’t do anything else. Because he needed art school
But That wasn’t Max concern. Max was good. She was one of the best. So wether Cadis could or couldn’t catch up didn’t matter to her
She tugged at her jean shorts pulling them upwards and let go of the messy bun she made out of her cropped hair
“At least your technique is good”
She offered a praise and he just shrugged “always were. I have a good eye”
“And a shitty brain. But that’s another topic”
Cadis opened the window of her room to light up a cigarette and took a break from drawing
“Good thing after school activities start from tomorrow”
He said and Max gave another nod he didn’t notice
Max phone rang and she picked it up leaving the room right away to hide in the bathroom soundproof walls
Cadis didn’t question her secrecy. He was used to it.
+++
Talon walked down the hallways heading to a section that as Kevin said was the bathroom no one used but smokers
Students like Talon in other words. He walked inside the tormented bathroom with the broken walls and foggy mirrors sitting down and crossing his legs
He rested his back on the light blue wooden doors of the toilets and rolled a cigarette. Packets weren’t as convenient now that he paid for everything considering he lived alone
He lit up the stick and inhaled death. Yes death is what cigarettes really tasted like
He let his thoughts wander everywhere all to end up to Christopher. Today he would have his first sessions with the man
The door knob rattled and Talon froze not sure if it were a student or a teacher. He hid the cigarette behind his back waiting as a black dressed figured walked in
Cadis Etrama. He looked surprised to see Talon sitting there on the floor all curled up.
Wrapped in leather with a cigarette in his hands he took a seat beside the boy
“So we meet after bumping into each other by coincidence alone”
“Just like now….”
Whispered Talon. He compared Cadis grey eyes to Dax. They were the same.
He felt bad
“First day with Christopher ?”
Talon nod slowly
“You don’t seem very excited “
“I….don’t know what to expect…”
He mumbled and Cadis nod
“Why do you like been an outcast?”
Asked Talon. The fact that Cadis didn’t answer could mean two things. One he hadn’t heard him. Two, he didn’t want to
But eventually he spoke
“I’m not an outcast. Max is my friend”
“The girl…with the cropped hair?”
“Yes her. She is enough?”
“Do you like her?”
“I’m gay”
“Oh”
Silence again. Talon turned and opened his bag and searched for the blue fish origami he made and passed it to Cadis.
Cadis carefully held the small thin between his fingers looking at it from all angels
“A fish? It’s cute”
“It’s a gift”
“A gift?”
Talon nod. A gift for the trade they made. For the switch.
“That’s nice of you. But why a fish? Do I look like one?”
Talon quickly shook his head his locks going back and forth
“No. You just smell like the ocean. Not in the summer. But in winter when you can feel the faint scent of salt and when the waters are like an endless grey and green”
Cadis wanted to correct the colors he used to described the winter sea. But he frowned and thought of how he had just addressed him as.
As an ocean. As a man of the seas. He once was. Side by side with his father and uncle.
But then his uncle disappeared and the ocean wasn’t as magnificent. The colors weren’t vibrant and the sea was just water.
Along that time he found the scent of sulfur and burning coals more fitting
“It’s been years since I last visited the ocean”
“I used to live by the sea”
Talon remarked
“How come I still have the scent of it? Perfume doesn’t last more then a day. So why would the scent of nature linger?”
Talon smile and finally looked up to meet the grey clouded eyes that looked back at him
“Because the ocean was a part of you. And that part lingers”
He said and threw his cigarette in the trash bin getting up and leaving Cadis alone
“How did you know that?”
He asked and talon merely nudged his shoulder motioning Cadis to look down on the dirty floor
A card laid there.
A black tarot card. Ha picked it up with a frown and turned it over.
Man of the sea
Cadis head snapped up but Talon was gone. All color was drenched from his already pale face and he felt cold sweat beginning to gather at his neck
“No, he can’t be”
+++
Talon wasn’t lying when he said Cadis smelled like the ocean. But he wondered why. People usually had the scent of the clothes they wore. The shampoo they used or other chemical fragrances
Never did he meet a man that was like the ocean lived within him. But then he met Cadis
And while Cadis was lost in his own little wonderland talon had picked a card from his deck.
The card said enough
Christopher Ross was sitting on top of his desk legs crossed as he drank his third black coffee while reading a thick book
He re adjusted his glasses and looked at the time. Cadis Etrama would soon appear.
He closed his book and slid it in one of the old wooden drawers and rolled up the sleeves of his white lab coat
He didn’t have to wear a lab coat.
He was a psychiatrist
But he liked the fabric and the image it gave him. So he kept it on his shoulders
Soon the bell rang indicating the end of lectures and he pulled out a clip board to see what was Cadis accused for
” severe depression
Addiction to drugs?”
The second phrase was circled with a red marker and had a question mark. It seemed like the parents of the child weren’t sure themselves what was wrong
“Self destructive tendencies”
Self harming perhaps
The therapist thought and brought his knuckles to his lips thinking
The door of his office creaked as it opened and the shut.
Christopher looked up from his board to see a short boy standing there. The boy with the blue hair
“You must be Cadis Etrama?”
Talon wanted to say no out of reflex but he quickly nod to prevent himself from saying anything stupid
The blonde teacher turned out to be the therapist. The therapist whose voice was like a cello.
What a nice coincidence
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