My Sickly Mate

Chapter 6: Oh, no.

When I was content with the amount of scrubbing I had done, I placed my hands under the lukewarm water, washed the soap off, and then turned the faucet off. I flicked my hands towards the sink a little to get some of the excess water off and then turned around. I stepped over to the bronze colored metal rack mounted onto the cream wall that held up a clean towel. 

While grabbing the towel and drying my hands off, I glanced to the left, outside the bathroom door and into my room, and was surprised to see my brother inside. Exactly how I was earlier, Elliot was staring at my mural with wide eyes and mouth open, utterly speechless. 

I let go of the towel quickly, wiped the remaining water on the back of my shirt, and left the bathroom while flicking the light back off, forgetting about the rag on the sink. I left the bathroom door open and crossed the hallway, into my room in wonder of what Elliot wanted.

I could see Elliot's expression better know. He looked a little, I don't really now if I could have explained it, kind of confused and alarmed with amazement mixed in a bit. I paused right next to my white sketch filled door and knocked on it, announcing my presence to him.

My brother acknowledged me by glancing at my face, but then looked back at the wolf painting. I frowned and walked all the way into my bedroom to stand next to Elliot. I stood right in front of the painting, but did not get onto the paint covered tarp directly under the mural. I looked up at it, glanced at my brother, and then back at it again.

I was confused. He has never done this before. Did he not like it? Usually he comments on them, like wether he liked it or not as well as if it could use some improvements, but he was silent this time.

Noticing my radio was still playing, I left Elliot's side, going behind him, and walked over to the right side of my bed where the the radio was placed onto the side table. I pushed the power button and turned back around to face Elliot. His head was turned towards me and he was watching me with curious eyes.

I slanted my head to the side in suspicion.

"What? Do you not like it?" I questioned aloud.

I slide my eyes over to the wolf and then back to Elliot. Did he really not?

Elliot just shook his head in answer, making his strawberry blond hair fall a bit into his teal eyes that matched mine. He then turned his head to look at my painting for a second, then looked back at me.

He bit his lip, his habit when he was nervous, and squinted his eyes at me for a second. He was thinking.

"Is there something you don't like?" I asked him again while lifting my left hand up a bit to gesture towards the wolf. Elliot just shook his head again.

"No, no. I like it actually. A lot," he finally said," but, um, why a wolf,  Ava?" 

After saying that, he folded his arms in front of his body and turned fully towards me.

"What made you want to paint a wolf?" he repeated more clear on his question.

I didn't know the answer myself. That's why I was very surprised when I had realized I finished it. I had only seen pictures of wolves in books from the library before and I had only seen a real one in the woods that day in the woods after my hospital visit. I had never had the urge to paint animals before, just to draw them.

"I don't know," I answered back plainly while turning my back to him, walking to my queen sized bed, and sitting down at the edge," I didn't even realize I was painting a wolf until it was already done."

Elliot seemed highly surprised by my words. His eyes widened and he had a slight stunned look marring his face. He turned his body towards where I was seated and stepped closer to the bed a little while looking at me in my sitting position.