Match

47: Nightmare

Cole lays on the foam bed in Jonah's room. He scrolls through a feed for the tenth time in the last few minutes. Both him and Jonah just got back. He decided to stay over the night, despite the lingering morning after when he has to go back to work. A sudden notification pops up on his phone, signalling it's under 20% battery.

Shit, he thinks. I forgot to bring my charger. From across the hallway, Jonah exits the bathroom with damp hair. He pats it dry with a towel, entering the room.

"You good?"

Jonah's voice jolts him out of his panic. "Yeah, why?"

"Just now, you looked mad," he laughs.

"Huh? Oh, no, I uh... forgot to bring my charger."

"Oh, you can use mine," he points to it sitting on the desk.

"Oh..." Cole looks towards it. "Uh, thanks."

He strolls over to the charger and picks it up. From behind, he can hear some shuffling noises and Jonah leaning against something, but he pays no mind. He plugs the charger in, but as he's about to put his phone down, he receives a text.

Hayden:

yo u not coming home for dinner? i accidentally ordered a huge ass pizza

He rolls his eyes, resisting the urge to sigh loudly, and taps away.

Cole:

ill eat some if it doesn't have mushrooms in it. staying over at someones for the night.

He wants to avert his eyes from the screen, but the ding is instant.

Hayden:

who??

His lips press tightly together.

Cole:

someone from soccer

He almost slams his phone down before he realizes it's still connected to the cable. Instead he sets it down gently, ignoring the screen lighting up again and shutting the ringer to silent. His focus shifts to Jonah, situated in a weird position against the wall. He's holding a sketchbook.

"What're you doing?"

Jonah stops scribbling. "Trying to design a poster."

He lifts an eyebrow. "You're gonna make your own?"

"Yeah," he puts the pencil down to show Cole the drawing.

It's covered in graphite markings that are quickly shaded, but the darker outlines show a city. His eyes widen.

"Holy shit, you just drew that?"

Jonah shrugs. "I mean, yeah. I'm kinda rusty though. Haven't drawn anything properly in a while."

"Well, it's better than what I can do."

"Really?" He smirks, holding the sketchbook out to Cole. "Draw me, then."

"Draw you?" He blinks, pushing the sketchbook away. "No man. I'll make you look like, like an ugly, dried up prune."

"Eh, art doesn't need to be all Renaissance format. If it's drawn by you, I'll accept it as a gift!"

Cole rolls his eyes, smiling a little. "Jeez. Hey, shouldn't you put up the posters you do have?"

He perks up. "Oh yeah."

In one swift motion he slides to the edge of his bed, retrieving the posters. They are rolled up in tight cylinders. He also pulls out the empty plaque, and places it on his desk. Cole watches him, then turns his attention to the posters.