The Boy in the Gray Hoodie

29...

            “Hot or warm?” Lisa asked, pointing to one of two silver handles.

            I shrugged.

            She pressed the handle. Water poured down, and steam soon began rising into the air. After a moment, she pushed the other handle downward, and reached her hand under the downpour to check the temperature.

“How is that?” she asked me.

            I slowly stretched out my hand to touch the water. It was warm enough. The orderlies weren’t usually careful about water temperature for my disinfections most of the time. I was used to bathing in ice water, or scalding liquid. I nodded to Lisa, and reached down to take off my shirt.

            “Wait a second,” she said, digging through the clothes Marley had left. After a moment, she pulled out a dark blue long-sleeved shirt and a pair of thick, blue pants. I reached out to touch them, never having seen that sort of material before. “Jeans and a turtle-neck. You’ll look like a southern librarian,” she snorted handing them to me.

I took them from her and set them down next to the sink, once again reaching for the hem of my shirt. Pausing, I waited for Lisa to go back into the bedroom. I didn’t want to undress in front of her. But she wasn’t going anywhere.

“Let me take your clothes. I’ll wash them while you’re in there.” She offered, holding out her hand.

I let my arms drop, shaking my head. “I don’t want you to wash this,” I said, tugging on the shirt.

“It’s covered in pine needles and mud, Roy.” She responded with raised brows.

“But it…it still…” I didn’t want to say it.

“Oh,” Lisa breathed. “It still smells like me, right?”

Feeling awkward, I nodded and examined the tan colored tiles at my feet. The heat from the shower was already starting to fill the room and fog over the shiny silver handles on the sink. I waited for Lisa to say something else, to tell me I was being stupid. Instead, I felt arms around my neck and lifted my gaze to find her smiling at me.

“You don’t need my shirt,” she said reassuringly. “You have me.” standing on her tip-toes, she kissed my cheek gently and then pulled away. “Just don’t smell me in public. Other people might not understand,” she chuckled.

I nodded, “Okay,” I said eagerly, pulling off the shirt and handing it to her. The way that she looked at me should have made me uncomfortable. I’d never liked it when people saw me without clothes on. But with Lisa, it was different. I think I…I liked it that she was looking.

I smiled, chewing the inside of my cheek in silence.

“So, now that you aren’t trapped in that room anymore…” Lisa raised her eyebrow. “Can I bring you with me to the beach? You know, show you off?”

I blinked. “Show me off?” I repeated.

“Yeah, you know, make all the pretty girls jealous of me?” she said, grinning.

“Jealous?” I was confused.

Lisa rolled her eyes. “You really have no idea…” she wiped her forehead with the back of her wrist. The bathroom was getting warm because of all the steam, but something else had heat rising to her cheeks.

I nibbled my lip, waiting for her to explain. I wished that I knew what she was thinking. That way, I wouldn’t have to ask her any questions, or feel stupid for asking them.

She smiled, bundling up the shirt and holding it in front of her waist. “I’ll get your pants later,” she said, reaching for the knob.

I didn’t say anything as she pushed open the door and left, closing it behind her. After a second, I turned and pushed open the shower door, eyeing the rubber ducky still sitting on the shelf. I wondered what it was for, but decided to ask later.