I cast him an exasperated side eye, not wanting him to see how much I was affected. I took out my paint supplies. It took less than a minute to set up. I had all sorts of colours. Plus, I knew exactly what colours it would take to make the ones I didn't have and exactly what proportions it needed. I sat in my bench and started dabbing at the canvas with a towel, absorbing most of the water and waiting for it to air dry so I could mend the picture. It went against every one of my instincts to turn my back on him, but he wasn't there. At least that's what I told myself. I settled myself closer to the edge, where there was a steep dip in the ground that probably would hurt if you fell. He's not there. He is *not* there. Or he wasn't until he settled himself beside me, about a metre away. I sighed and gave up. I turned my head to meet his bright green eyes. I'd never seen such a shade before. In the dim light, his eyes seemed to glow with a radiance I couldn't comprehend. They didn't literally glow, but his eyes shouldn't have been so detailed in the dim lighting. The sun was going down and so was the temperature. I sighed, knowing that I wouldn't last long with my drenched clothes even if it wasn't very cold. I knew I'd have to fix my painting tomorrow. I got up at the same time as the boy. "My parents are probably looking for me. Well, see you around, Evelyn!" As he dashed into the trees, I marvelled at how he'd spoken my name so casually, like we were the best of buds. Thankfully, I remembered to put my paint supplies under my tarp along with the bench. Unlike my arrival, I was in no hurry to get home. I walked slowly. Only when I began to shiver did I pick up my pace. It wasn't until after getting dressed into a cozy hoodie and sweatpants did I flop onto my bed, surprised to find how exhausted I was. I hadn't done much besides zone out today. I thought of that strange boy's face as I fell into a deep sleep. I drifted. I heard my sister screaming at me to stop. There was panic. I was hurting her, but I didn't know how. I didn't know how to stop. She was begging, crying, *pleading* for me to stop from somewhere far away. But there was something I needed. I *couldn't* stop, even as my heart splintered and cracked. I sifted through thoughts, memories. They all had one thing in common. If I could just figure out what that was… the scene shifted. A blue breeze washed through my mind. *Calm,* it seemed to say. There was something soothing about the breeze. Like it wanted me to relax. To drift with it. So I did. I didn't dream again.
