The Publicist's Plight (Book I in The Harrison Inc. Series) | ✓

Chapter Thirty Four: All That Glitters

**

"My name is Katie," the little girl says, looking up at Sebastian in her seated position on the ground.

"Katie? That's a pretty name," Sebastian smiles, slowly sitting down across from her. "I'm Sebastian."

"Sebastian," Katie repeats with her lisp, making it almost sound like The-bath-an.

"Yeah," Sebastian laughs at her pronunciation.

I back up against the wall to avoid the possibility of getting caught; that is the last thing I want to happen right now, because the emptiness of the room with these two human beings inside of it is more fulfilling than the crowd of people we were with an hour ago.

There are no tables in the area they are at; they are all pushed to the edges of the room, probably for an event they had a while ago. So Katie and Sebastian sit on the ground, Katie's hospital grown consuming her small body in its pale shades of pastel blue and white. With eyes the color of creamed coffee, a much brighter shade than my dark brown eyes, she stares at Sebastian and shifts side to side excitedly, like she is eager to ask something more.

"Why are you here by yourself, Katie?" Sebastian asks

"Because it's quiet," she answers.

"You don't like...painting with the kids in the fun room?"

She shakes her head.

"Why not?"

"I like being by myself," she rubs her small hands back and forth on her gown. "It's fun."

"Yeah, I feel you on that."

It's quiet for a moment. I take a sip of my coffee and wait for a response.

"Are you...allowed to be in here alone?"

Katie shrugs, "I come in here when I feel better some days, so I guess it's okay."

Sebastian nods slowly, knowing that the subject will be one not to visit again, and lets a reassuring smile come across his face.

"Do you wanna draw with me?" Katie suddenly asks.

"Um...sure," Sebastian chuckles. "We can always go back and draw in your room with the nurses?"

Katie gets up and walks to a corner. When she comes back, there is a small beat up pink box, decorated with stickers and glitter in her hand. Sebastian laughs at her preparedness.

"No. I'd rather draw here. See? I already have my things," she says as she sits down and opens the box, filled with old colored pencils, crayons and blank pieces of paper. When Sebastian reaches for a sheet, she smiles widely and takes one for herself.

"What are you going to draw?" he asks.

"You!" she exclaims with excitement in her voice. The first thing she does is reach for a light green crayon, and while squinting her eyes, begins to draw two big green circles on the paper.

"These are your eyes," she explains.

"Yeah, I kind of guessed that," he chuckles.

Then it is silent, minus Katie's giggling when she finishes a piece of her artistic accomplishment in progress. Eventually she lays on her stomach and kicks her feet as she continues to draw her new companion. Sebastian doesn't say anything, not even when she looks up at him for reference to her drawing. He just stares at the colors scribbled onto the paper.

"Done!" she finally says when she drops the red crayon in her hand. She holds up the paper, and Sebastian laughs at the adorable drawing.

"Wow, this is awesome!" He says, taking the paper and marveling at the messy brown lines for hair and the long red c-shape on his face that is supposed to be his grin. I can't help but smile myself; it's definitely better than anything I can do.