The Boy in the Gray Hoodie

18...

            “I’m just trying to give you my coat!” James cried.

            Roy swallowed nervously, coming to a halt in his retreat. “Oh,” he said, steadying.

            “What did you think I was going to do?” James demanded, his brow knit together in confusion.

            “I’m sorry,” Roy replied quickly, shaking his head. “I’m sorry James,” he repeated, coming forward with his head held low.

            “Just take this,” James grunted, roughly wrapping the coat around the boy’s shoulders. “Stop shivering and ask me some questions.”

            Roy nodded, pulling the coat tightly around him until his shivering subsided a bit. “Okay,” he said, and then went back to being silent.

            James let out a frustrated sigh, shaking his head. What was with this kid? Didn’t he know to accept a good offer when it presented itself? James was trying to do something nice. For once, he had put aside his responsibilities and tried to reward this boy with the thing that he’d always wanted—to go outside and ask a million questions.

Roy had always been curious, and it was a part of his personality that James had found exceptionally irritating at times. But right now, all he wanted was for Roy to enjoy himself. The boy had earned it. But for whatever reason, he refused to accept the gift of patience that James was attempting to offer.

“Alright, fine. Never mind,” James snapped, clomping down the path in his heavy boots, his limp agitating him to no end. His leg was healing from the crash, but it would take time. Time that James didn’t want to waste by being a cripple.

He needed to get back to normal—to heal up and be able to drive again. Until then, he would be stuck here with Pam and Lisa. Neither of them knew what was really going on with Roy, and James intended to keep it that way. But keeping a secret from those two would be like hiding bones from an x-ray machine. They saw through everything.

Still, James couldn’t let anything slip. Roy’s identity and origins had to remain a secret. No one could know about him or his past. If anyone found out, James would run the risk of losing everything he had worked towards for the last twenty years. He’d already risked everything by coming here. One risk per decade was enough.

“It’s time to go back.” James said as he turned around on the path. They had only walked about a mile into the woods, but it was all his injured leg could take.

The rubber bottoms of Roy’s shoes squeaked against the wet forest floor as he traipsed down the path, back toward the house. His straight, square-tipped nose was red, snot running down his upper lip as he glanced up at James and smiled.

“What?” James asked, confused by the genial expression.

“Thank you, James.” Roy replied, rubbing his nose with the back of his pale hand. “Thank you for this.” He shifted and tossed his arms toward the sky, looking up at the trees and the ash colored clouds blocking out the thin November sun.

After a moment of staring, James shook his head and carried on. They needed to get back. He had a phone call to make.  

“James,” Roy’s voice sounded hesitant.

Raising an eyebrow, James halted and turned to glance at the boy. “What?” he asked.

“I have a q-question,” Roy said.

“Well?” James blinked, waiting. Finally, some sign that the boy was back on track.

“C-can I…” Roy stopped to glance down at his shuffling feet. “I-I want…I want to…”