Forged Bonds (BxB)

CHAPTER 28

I was only able to see Jeovanni the next day, and I skipped school to do so, simply because I couldn't wait any longer. As soon as Danielle told me that I could visit him today, I forgot about all my classes and rushed to his house.

Who answered the door when I rang the bell was a tall brunette woman. She resembled Mark, and it didn't take a genius to figure out that she was their mother. It also didn't take a genius to figure out that she was tired. I could tell only by looking at her face.

"Hi," I cleared my throat "I'm Jack. Jeovanni's friend. I'm here to see how he's doing. I told Mark I'd come"

My explanation caused her to smile in realization.

"Oh, yes, come on in" She stepped aside to let me in their house "I think he's still asleep, but you can go upstairs. Just- Please don't wake him up. He needs to rest"

"Oh, yeah, of course" I quickly agreed. I felt so nervous around her and I had absolutely no idea why.

"Vanni talks a lot about you" She mentioned.

I gave her a hesitant smile. Was that a good thing?

"Don't worry, nothing embarrassing" She chuckled, as if she had realized her sentence had made me feel unsure.

"Oh, no, I- I wasn't thinking that, I just-" I stumbled on my own words "Never mind" What is wrong with me?

She just smiled at me, thankfully ignoring my awkward behavior.

"It's actually great that you stopped by" She said "I really need to get some sleep. Do you think you can keep an eye on him while I take a nap, please? In case you need anything, you can just go into my room, I don't mind. If that's not too much trouble, of course"

"Yeah, sure" I nodded "I mean, sure I can keep an eye on him. Not sure it's too much. I mean-" I took a deep breath "Yes, I can keep an eye on him while you sleep, Mrs. Hernandez"

"Please, call me Marie" One more time, she ignored how I was embarrassing myself every time I opened my mouth.

I just nodded, because apparently I wasn't being capable of talking like a normal human being around her.

Marie gave me one last smile before going upstairs to her room. I followed after her, but went inside Jeovanni's room instead, closing the door behind me.

Jeovanni laid on his bed with his eyes closed, facing the wall, with a hand under the pillow and the other close to his heart, his blanket almost covering him whole. I eyed him for a moment, thinking about how he looked so unsettled and confused yesterday, and how he looked so peaceful now.

I also took a look around his room, and walked a few steps so I'd look at his drawings more clearly. It was a lot different seeing his room after finding out about what was going on. And it was crazy realizing that everything Jeovanni drew, he actually saw. He had seen it all by himself. These horrifying, inhuman figures. They freak me out too, Jeovanni had told me the first time I was in his room and pointed out his scary drawings. It must suck facing monsters alone.

And, almost completely covered by those monsters, there were beautiful landscapes. It seemed like, with time, Jeovanni forgot how to draw pretty things. He forgot to remember there were pretty things. But he still kept them on his wall, even if hidden. He still kept a glimpse of how he used to see the world.

A new drawing caught my attention as it was on the wall next to his bed, the wall he was facing right now, a wall that barely contained any paintings. The corner of my lips twitched in a smile when I saw the drawing of the junkyard, the same one he was working on at Mr. Hatch's class.