Some Secrets Should Stay Secrets

Chapter 4

"Hello you must be Fresh Fukai!" A slightly smaller skeleton asked, smiling cheerfully. 

"Yes, that's me, Miss." 

"It's Mr. Ink, but I'll let it slide as you're new to the town and school." The artist gave a small glare at the new kid, but it was more friendly than threatening. 

"Sorry," The plaid wearing skeleton gave a sheepish smile, rubbing the back of his neck. 

"It's alright! Now, I want you to sit next to PJ, please." Mr. Ink pointed at a seat next to the jock. 

The nerd messed with his sunglasses, nervous. After the lunch fiasco, he was a little more than nervous to see what the jock would do to him.

Even with this fear, he sat next to the taller skeleton. His soul pounded as he sweated lightly. 

"You got to be fucking kidding me." He heard from the monster next to him. 

Fresh flinched at the curse word, but looked to his side anyway. 

PJ held an angered expression as he glared at the nervous monster. Whatever bravo he had, was clearly gone as the smaller skeleton shook. 

"P-ple-please d-do-don't c-cur-curse." 

The taller teen raised an eyebrow. He never heard someone ask him not to do something like that... And why was the kid stuttering as bad as he was? 

"Why are you sitting here?" He hissed at the other.

"M-Mr. Ink told me to sit here..." 

The jock sighed and gave a grunt of disapproval. He didn't want to sit next to the nerd!

"Alright, since it's the first day back to school after Spring Break, I want to know what you all did!" The cheerful monster called over the low rumble of talking. 

The entire class went silent, waiting for the teacher to go on. 

"And since this is Art class, why not have you all to draw a picture of you and your family did! The catch is, you still have to draw them in everyday life!" 

PJ quietly groaned. His mom knew what he did all Spring Break! Well, most of it, but still!

Sighing, he started his work. He wasn't as good as his mother, but it was better than most people his age. 

Glancing over, he saw  Fresh just drawing himself... sitting in a chair... The area surrounding him was pitch black... The darkness reaching out to swallow him whole...

"Wow." PJ couldn't stop himself. The picture, even though mostly simple, was so beautiful and mysterious... Full of darkness and fear. 

Fresh turned his head to the monster next to him, blushing. Then... The blush fade into fear.

"I-It's not-nothing..." He took the paper and crumbled it in his hand. 

With speedy work, he started to draw him and two other skeletons. 

One of them had bandages around one of his eyes as the other was darkly colored. 

The one with the bandages was reading a book on a soft brown couch. The dark one was sitting in an old rocking chair, knitting a doll. Fresh was doing tricks on a colorful skateboard... The same one from this morning... He was still using it. 

It seemed they all were in a bland room with few possesions. The walls were colored a pale cream as the floor was just old wooden planks.

"Very nice, Fresh." Ink gazed at the detailed drawing in wonder. 

"Th-Thank yo-you, Mr. Ink." Fresh's voice was distant as he thought about his family. About what they had once stood for.

"Who are they?' 

PJ turned comepletly to his partner, now interested. The two other skeletons looked so... familiar... Like he's seen them before. 

"... It's not important... They're just distant memories..." The nerd's voice was guarded, like he was told not to tell. 

Ink gave a sad looking smile. Fresh probably wasn't that close to his family then...

PJ turned back to his unfinished picture. Maybe he can try something else...