He would play and play with the dog until it was late in the evening and he had to go to bed.He would play and play with the dog until it was late in the evening and he had to go to bed. Rafael drew in pencil, making fine lines for the long golden hair of the dog and easily capturing the sad dark eyes. The eyes were always strangely mysterious, almost sensuous like his own dark liquid eyes. He looked up suddenly as Grant flopped down on his bed. "Aren't you done yet?" Grant asked. Rafael shrugged, still sketching, his hand moving quickly as he shaded the dog's ear. "Kinda,... I can't do the sums properly,... I'm tired anyway," he added. Grant grinned, "He's good. I wish I could draw like you, Raf," and then added, "that's really beautiful you know." Rafael pushed the notebook away and looked at the other boy, "You done your teeth yet?" he asked. Grant shook his head. "Last one in the bathroom 's got bad breath," the smaller boy yelled and darted to the door, his head down as he barreled past his friend. He ran quickly and dodged past two older black boys in the corridor. He heard them yell something 'foul' behind him, then even louder as Grant came past in pursuit. Rafael pivoted around the bathroom doorway and ducked back out of sight. A second later Grant charged in and braked to a stop. For a second he looked for his best friend, then he screeched as Rafael grabbed him around the waist. They wrestled playfully, locking arms around each other's bodies as each tried to lift the other boy up. That was something that Rafael could not do, but which Grant found relatively easy. They giggled hysterically, then quieted quickly as the house master, Mr. Edwards, yelled out, "Lights out in five minutes, in bed now!" Hurriedly the two boys brushed their teeth then scampered back to their bedroom. They undressed quickly though only down to their underpants. They tossed their clothes onto the floor like any boy does and pulled their pajamas on just moments before the lights went out in the dormitory. They had been friends for four days and neither boy had seen the other naked largely because they had yet to shower at the same time and the opportunity had never presented itself in the privacy of their bedroom. The bedroom was dark. The only light entered through the window since the door was closed. As Rafael slid under the cool sheets and lay back on his pillow he heard Grant yawn sleepily. |