[He doesn’t know what to make of all of this. He feels vaguely panicked in ways unrelated to Alec’s own concerns, the kind of underlying shock that goes hand-in-hand with discovering something new and uneasy.
Henry doesn’t reply to Alec. Any words would stick in his throat, anyway, and he gathers up his sketchbook and holds it close to his chest as though that too might go flying away. In fact, he doesn’t even look up as the other boy departs, the eventual sound of a car rumbling away indicating his departure. He just sits there for a minute or two, finally deciding to gather himself up to move back to the bench, only to be interrupted by another brake-squeak of an approaching car.
He knows the low rumble of that engine. Glancing up, it looks like his dad’s already arrived. By the time Henry crosses over to the large family sedan, shuffling into the passenger seat and closing the door, he’s already put his sketchbook away and is expecting the same question as usual.
Hey, sport. How was school today?
He always gets the same reply, or some variation thereof:]
Fine.
[Minutes later, and they’re well on their way home.]
no subject
Henry doesn’t reply to Alec. Any words would stick in his throat, anyway, and he gathers up his sketchbook and holds it close to his chest as though that too might go flying away. In fact, he doesn’t even look up as the other boy departs, the eventual sound of a car rumbling away indicating his departure. He just sits there for a minute or two, finally deciding to gather himself up to move back to the bench, only to be interrupted by another brake-squeak of an approaching car.
He knows the low rumble of that engine. Glancing up, it looks like his dad’s already arrived. By the time Henry crosses over to the large family sedan, shuffling into the passenger seat and closing the door, he’s already put his sketchbook away and is expecting the same question as usual.
Hey, sport. How was school today?
He always gets the same reply, or some variation thereof:]
Fine.
[Minutes later, and they’re well on their way home.]