Orange Roses - REVAMPED

Chapter Three: Boys with Scars

"What are you doing here?" I asked Eloy.

Oracle clapped me on the back and I nearly jumped out of my skin. I almost forgot about them. I looked. Oracle smiled.

"I invited them out to help me paint. It doesn't hurt to invite other artists. Good publicity too." Oracle said. Well no one can call Oracle a idiot. 

"Eloy, you can't just hug random people," Cassandra said as she came up in paint drenched overalls. I almost laughed at the sight, but kept my mouth shut. She spotted me and looked a bit confused. "Matty, you're the photographer?"

Is no one going to talk about the guy with the same scars as-

Eloy was looking at Ari. Now intensely. He frowned and looked between the two of us. Something came across his face.

"And you are?" Eloy said.

"This is Ari," Drake said. He slid his body between Ari and me. It was obviously a shield.

Ari laughed at the sight of Drake's annoyance. 

"I didn't know cutie here had someone," Ari said with a slight tug on his mouth.

"Ari, don't be so brash." Oracle said.

Ari laughed and his free hand rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, what can I say? It's not everyday where someone has scars like me." He straightened up. I'm glad someone mentioned it. "Kind of a miracle, don't you think?"

"It's odd," Oracle said, frowning slightly. The tone of his voice didn't say odd. Oracle's face didn't say confused, but more like this wasn't a big deal.

"Ah well, Matty, I think you got the photos you needed, right?" Drake asked. He wore a tight grin and the tendons in his hand flex.

I shook my head. I wasn't having this conversation with Drake.

"I was thinking we could get some photos outside. Ari, do you know of a good place?" I said, directing my attention. I'm not going to run away. I needed to know what was going on. 

"Of course," Ari said.

"I can get some things together then," Oracle said. "I could paint outside if that would help?"

"Yes," I said.

Drake's jaw locked. He looked down at me.

"You have to trust me," I said in a whisper.

Drake's eyes narrowed.

"Back off, Dragon," Eloy said in a low voice. At least someone trusted me. 

"Come on," Ari said. I followed him out and he led me to a tiny door that led to outside. The warm sun calmed me down. I could breathe. Ari looked back at me and smirked. Oh this is a bad boy. Unfortunately for this guy, I was so used to this crap from Erasmus, Eloy, and kind of from Antonio that it didn't faze me much. Hell, I've seen Lowell try to pull off the bad boy crap when he was super into a girl.

With his free hand, Ari pointed at his scar eye and then at me.

"Looks like we got some stuff to talk about," Ari said with a grin. "I'm assuming since you brought him and how comfortable you were with the singer, I'm assuming you see what I see."

He only mentioned Eloy. Not Drake. 

"What are Drake's eye color?"

Ari straightened up a little, looking a bit put off. "What?"