“You said before you’re an artist. What sort of things do you draw?” I asked, changing the subject. Bastian gave me a look that was too piercing. Too perceptive. But he allowed me to move us past the moment we had been having.
“I’m an ink guy. I like drawing people. And weird fantasy art I guess. But I dabbled in anime last year. A buddy of mine talked me into helping me create a manga series. It was total shit, but I had fun doing it. It was something different for me.”
“Manga?” I asked, not understanding.
“Japanese comics. It’s drawn in a particular style. Have you never seen any anime? It’s been popular for years. Sailor Moon? Come on, you have to know Yu-Gi-Oh! or Ben 10.”
I snapped my fingers. “Wait, I do know Yu-Gi-Oh! I had a neighbor when I was a little kid that was obsessed with that show! His name was Tyler.” I hadn’t thought about Tyler in years. I couldn’t believe I remembered his love of Yu-Gi-Oh! at all. I was ridiculously pleased to be able to contribute to the conversation. I was growing tired of him making me feel completely ignorant. “So that’s called anime?”
Bastian’s eyes sparkled. “Yeah, that’s anime. My friend Eric had this stupid idea for a comic that involved a warrior rabbit and his best friend who was a girl with purple spiked hair named Dona. It was like some weird acid trip. Absolutely ridiculous.”
I didn’t know what he meant by an acid trip but I laughed anyway. “I think I’d like to read this comic. Sounds funny.”
Bastian seemed pleased with my reaction. “Yeah? Well it sucked. Trust me.” He said it almost wistfully.
“You miss being there, don’t you?” I deduced. I was pretty adept at reading people. You become competent in understanding the nonverbal hints others gave away when you lived a life mostly in silence. And Bastian wasn’t very good at hiding his emotions. He hadn’t learned that particular skill yet.
And I realized that I didn’t want him to.
It was refreshing being around someone that displayed their feelings so openly.
Even if it wasn’t in his best interest to do so.
Bastian shrugged. “I’m here, so it doesn’t matter.”
He sounded sad. It tugged at a part of me that cared what he felt.
“What’s it like? Going to college?” I was curious. I hadn’t allowed myself to think about what going to college would be like. It was a useless waste of energy. That’s not where my head needed to be. But being around Bastian, someone who had lived that particular life, brought out an interest I never knew I had.
Bastian dug another hole in the ground. “I don’t know. It’s like going to high school but without living with your parents and having to do your own grocery shopping. And there’s way more homework.”
I didn’t bother pointing out that I didn’t even know what going to high school was like.
“Sounds difficult,” I commented, keeping my eyes on the ground. My fingers in the dirt.
“It is and it isn’t. Living on your own takes some adjustment. You have to figure out how to take care of yourself and get your work done while not dying of alcohol poisoning in the process.”
“Is it hard? Not dying of alcohol poisoning?” It sounded awful.
Bastian snorted. “Harder for some than others.”
“I’ve never had any alcohol,” I admitted. I felt immature. Naïve. Bastian seemed so worldly. I wanted to hear everything he had to say while simultaneously wishing he’d shut up.
Bastian didn’t seem surprised. “Figured as much.”
“There’s some here though,” I admitted in a hushed voice, looking to Vince and Miriam in case I was overheard. I felt as though I were sinning. As if I were sharing something I shouldn’t.
But…
Bastian’s eyes widened. “Really? No way.” He sounded as though he didn’t believe me.
“We do. Pastor Carter keeps some here to remind us of the temptations we face in life. To reinforce our will. To remind us that a pure, faithful path is better than sin.”
Bastian rolled his eyes. “Come on. That sounds like some prohibition crap. It’s not 1920, you know.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I replied testily.
“What I mean is enjoying yourself isn’t a sin. If you keep things in moderation and not let it take over your life, a beer now and then isn’t the end of the world.”
