Obvious

It's Time To Dance With The Devil

****still in Nate's POV****

Friday was a mix of crazy. Everyone was excited, and then all the girls were talking nonstop about the dance tomorrow. Jack had gotten his grade went up after many long nights of desperately trying to explain Trigonometry to a man who barely understood algebra II. We had actually become good friends, so good that he invited Abby and I to tag along to the dance with him.

I had never gone to the game or the dance, but Abby had begged me until I gave in just to get her to be quiet. So that included getting me dragged into going to the game. I hated to admit it, but I had actually never been to a football game before tonight. My parents had even asked if I was feeling okay when I told them I was going tonight.

It was actually pretty good, and we won by 20 points. Abby left halfway through the second quarter because her mom needed her to watch her niece, and I didn't feel like leaving yet so I sat there by myself, drawing in my sketchbook and definitely not thinking about Jack.

The game was over at ten, and I stayed underneath the bleachers for awhile, not quite ready to go home and have another lonely night. I wasn't sure how long I sat there for, but it wasn't until someone's shadow stepped into my light before I realized that I should probably get going.

"Nate?" Jack asked in a concerned voice. Crouching down, he walked over and sat down next to me. He gave me that warm smile that I had only seen him give to his mother and father, and I leaned towards him, bumping his shoulder.

"What are you doing out here, Mr. Football Champ?" I looked at Jack, studying his profile as he stared out into the dark. "Left my sweatshirt up here. I could ask you the same thing, Nerd King."

I shrugged. "Just didn't feel like leaving." A breeze cut through my shirt and I shivered. I was stupid to have forgotten my sweatshirt and was only wearing a thin t-shirt. "Ya cold?"

I shrugged. "I was an idiot and forgot to grab a sweatshirt before I left my house." Jack bumped my shoulder and said, " I'll trade you. I'll let you have my sweatshirt if I get to look at your sketchbook."

I surprised by his request. "You wanna look at my sketchbook?"

"Well, yeah. I wanna see what you draw in it because every time I see you, you're always working in it." He handed me his sweatshirt and I reluctantly gave him my sketchbook. His sweatshirt dwarfed me, but it smelled so amazing, like Jack.

"You draw me?" Jack asked, and I blushed. "I'm sorry if that bothers you," I said quietly. Jack looked at him with furrowed brows.

"Sorry? Why are you sorry? These are amazing, Nate! I mean, this one, the one where I'm sitting on my bed, biting my lip as I read, the way you drew it is....it's beautiful, Nate."

I blushed. "Thanks. I kind of drew that one half-zoned out. I didn't even notice it was you until I was finished."

"Well, it's amazing." He paused. "The way you draw me, it's...it's like you made me look tender, gentle. Almost as if I were your lover. Like you drew your love right into the picture."

I leaned over to look at the picture. "Oh, yeah. I just, I guess I like drawing you. I mean, you're so....I guess you're just kinda beautiful, in my eyes. Sorry if it sounds weird, but as an artist, it's just how I see you." I looked up to find him watching me, our faces so close. I quickly pulled back.

"Wow. Nate, that was...wow. And this is full of drawings of me?" I shrugged. "Not entirely. I draw other people too. Some are of my parents and close friends, others are of people from school or strangers I see. Sometimes I'll go to the mall and just draw for hours."

"Are you in art?" I nodded. "Yeah. But I wish we got to use actual models. It's so hard to just draw someone from a wooden figure."

"Wait, you get people to pose for you?" Jack kept flipping through the sketchbook as we talked. "Sometimes, but not very often. I, uh, I'd love to try nude figures, but I've always too afraid to ask someone."

Jack raised his eyebrows. "Nude? Huh. That's something I'd never thought I'd hear you say."

I poked his cheek. "Yeah. Most people think I've never even seen a naked body."
"So, have you? Seen a nude body, that is."

I blushed. What was it about him always making me blush?
"Besides my own body, no, I haven't."

"Would it be weird if I asked you if you wanted to draw me?" I looked at him, surprised.
"Are you serious? Wouldn't you be uncomfortable?"
Jack shrugged. "I wouldn't mind if it was you. I just want to see how you'd draw all of me." He paused, his blue eyes meeting my green ones. "Could, you, uh, do it tonight?"