13the 'magical' falling of ice crystals. It was just rain, except frozen. Bright colours splashed across the watercolour paper.
Red, neon green, blue, little details all made there way onto the page. Every once and a while I glanced upwards at my
subject. He fidgeted and sighed, impatient for the moment he could-
"Alright, I'm done. You can move now." A loud sigh of relief escaped him.
"Thank god." I peeled the tape off of the edges of the paper that held it down to the forever stained desk. "Can I see it?" I
pulled a calligraphy pen out of my back pocket and signed it quickly.
"Sure." I showed him the imperfect painting. He examined it, his eyes skating and digging and analyzing the work.
"So this is what I look like?"
"Yeah. More or less. It's impossible to get that shade of red on paper with watercolour paints. And I didn't quite get the
angles of the right side of your face right either. Almost, but not quite."
"If you don't like it, I can try to re-paint it better."
"I... I'm sexy." I scoffed, a smirk slowly spreading across my face.
"Of course you would think that. You already thought you were."
"Yeah, but now I'm certain!" A grin was slapped on his face from ear to ear. "Any woman would love me!"
"If women could see you..."
"Touche, my friend." He 'patted' me on the shoulder. The smile slowly faded as silence ensued. He stopped looking at the portrait and at me instead. "20 questions."
"Really?"
"Really."
"What is one thing I probably don't know about you?"
"Question number uno. I hate my 'artwork.'"
"You shouldn't, you're too talented to hate on yourself. Okay... shit. I can't think of one... Has there ever been anyone you
liked and didn't tell me?"
"Question two. Of course not. You've been right next to me since day one. How could I not have accidentally told you?"
"True. Umm... I can probably guess, but who is your 'favorite' person here?"
"Question three. Stupid. You."
"I meant besides me!" He let out an exasperated noise.
"Question four. Uh... I guess Aerith. She's nice enough."
"That shouldn't count as another question."
"It does."
"Up yours."
"Hmm... How long do you think I'll be around...?"
"..."
"...Question five. I'm already sixteen. I don't think you'll be leaving any time soon if you didn't after all this time."
"...People will start thinking you're crazy."
"Cause it looks like I'm talking to myself? Psh, whatever. They can suck it."
"I can't think of any more questions."
"Okay, then it's my turn. And I get all of the questions you didn't use." He wasn't pleased, but switched spots with me on my
bed anyway. I now sat atop my lifeless, flat pillows and gathered the shabby quilt on top of my lap. I was finally starting
to feel the cold.
"Question one. What is your name?"
"I don't know."
"Question two. How old are you?"
"... At least eighteen."
"Question three. Why are you here?"
"Okay, I guess if you don't want me here I can try to leave... But no, seriously, I don't even know."
"Question four. Who are your parents?"
"I don't know, just like you don't know yours."
"Question five. When did you get your lip pierced?"
"My lip is pierced?" I snorted.
"Question six. Have you ever crushed on someone even though you know you can't really meet them?"
"No."
"Question seven. Do you think you ever will?"
"No. I'm not quite that stupid."
"Question eight. So does that mean you don't think you'll ever love?"
"No."
"Question nine. Do you have favorite music?"
"Yes. Your favorite music, seeing as that's all you really listen to."
"True. Question ten. Do you ever sleep?"
"... Sort of. I don't ever feel tired, but at some point during the night I black out for a couple of hours and end up somewhere different, but always within twenty feet of you..."
"Question eleven. Why do you think that is?"
"I have no idea. Stop asking the same question in a different form and expect me not to notice."
"Question twelve. What question do you think I keep asking?"
"Why I'm here."
"Is that all of your questions?"
"Yeah. I'm getting tired." I stretched, popping my back repeatedly.
"Night."
"Night... Axel."