CANVAS BLUES
Vignettes Regarding the Artwork of Brendon Kotes

XXXII: Present

Jennifer Craugh walked them out and stood on her doorstep to watch them leave. Her head remained cocked as if she attempted to solve the question of what Orion Livesey had truly wanted. Brendon stared at her in the side mirror as Orion pulled away, out into the summer morning and through the young neighborhood with its just-planted trees and too many roses.

“She’s been in those woods,” said Orion.

“You can’t be sure. Not when you frame your questions about dreams.”

“You can’t be sure. I can.”

Brendon shot him an annoyed glare, but Orion didn’t react.

“Aren’t you worried those wolves might tear her apart?” Continue reading →

CANVAS BLUES
Vignettes Regarding the Artwork of Brendon Kotes

XXXI: Yesteryears

Brendon met Donna Pierceman through Mr. Wexler, his art teacher bringing her in one afternoon to speak to all his students. Donna wore a flowery dress that flowed and flowed about her curves as she nervously shifted during her presentation. Her hair—brown and bunned—wisped around her face in escaping curls. Her eyes held the same critical estimation as Mr. Wexlar’s and Aunt Laurel’s.

“The Bayscape focuses on local artists. We feature collections occasionally, but more often than not we do themed displays. We also have a section for students, from elementary to college, to give young men and women, such as yourselves, a chance to showcase your own work.”

Brendon didn’t raise his hands during the question and answer section at the end. Instead, he sat through fifteen minutes of Dylan asking things like, “What if you break a piece of art?” and “What if you hate what someone’s designed?” and “So anyone can put pieces on display in your gallery?”

“Not anyone. We expect quality, but we want to help motivate young artists who are stepping into the field.” Donna cocked her head in a such a manner that made Brendon think Dylan would never have anything on display inside The Bayscape.

After, Brendon lingered, fingers working over the straps of his book bag. Donna didn’t notice, a lot of her nervous bravado sluicing off her back as she checked her phone in a spare moment of relaxation. But Mr. Wexlar did. Continue reading →

CANVAS BLUES
Vignettes Regarding the Artwork of Brendon Kotes

XXX: Yesteryears

Tori Kel didn’t happen all at once, these things never do. Robbie looked first, furtive glances, shy smiles, quiet conversations after classes that Brendon shared with him but Casey didn’t. So Brendon got to see Tori Kel bend down and hand a dropped pencil back to Robbie and say, “Like your Batman folder, man.”

And Brendon got to see Robbie huff and fumble over his words even though those words were only, “Thank you.”

Because Brendon shared that English class, he also got to see Robbie linger at his desk every day, puttering when he should have been packing up. Got to see Robbie smile and bravely say “Hi,” one morning and, “Did you do the homework?” another.

Got to see Robbie swallow, broken voice uneven as puberty had snuck up on them all, and lean forward like he wanted to go ask Tori Kel whether she wanted to go to the dance together on Friday. That was Monday. Tuesday, Robbie breached that ocean of distance and asked, but Brendon wasn’t there to see.

Casey’s response didn’t happen all at once either.

Denial made him cranky and at first, Brendon thought, there went that rubber band again, springing Casey away from Robbie through whatever argument they’d had.

He’d say things like, “She won’t last,” and “She’s not even pretty,” and “You don’t think she’s pretty, right, Bren?”

And Brendon would nod along, because he agreed, Tori Kel wasn’t the sort of person he thought about at night. Plus Casey liked that answer and would give an approving nod and sidle closer with conspiratorial murmurs, the smell of him overwhelming Brendon’s world for those few precious moments.

~~~~~~~~~

Next Chapter: XXXI