Tyler looked at Jesse who fiddled with the plastic knife. "Tired?" asked
Letty, leaning over to grab the duck sauce.
"Yeah. A little."
"So where were you and Jesse this morning?" asked Dom, trying not to pry but still wanting to know what exactly was going on, straight from the sources' mouth.
"Coffee run," said Jesse, his mouth full of chicken lo mein.
"And you don't bring any back for us?" said Mia, swatting Brian's hand away from her crispy noodles.
"Nope. We're java whores." Jesse rethought what he said a moment too late, shot a glance at Tyler, as did everyone. Tyler chose to grab another egg roll and say nothing, acting as if he hadn't heard.
"So that's it?" said Vince, attempting to change the subject.
"We drove around a bit," said Tyler softly. "And that's it then."
"Oh. So Tyler, have any sketches of art jobs for those cars?" Brian made a slightly better job at changing the subject, Jesse noted.
"Yea, a few, hold on," Tyler got up to rummage through his stained gray messenger bag, pulling out a black sketchpad. Walking back to the table he flipped to the last few pages, catching bits of loose paper and shoving them back in haphazardly. He handed the pad to Brian, everyone crowding over his shoulder to stare at the various designs, some in pencil, some in paints and one or two in marker. Tyler sat and twiddled his thumbs for a moment, played with the knife and then picked up his fork and shoved a mouthful of rice and chicken into his mouth.
"You did all this in 2 days?"
"Uh huh," Tyler swallowed. "Any good?"
"Yeah, most of them. But this one," Dom held up a blue and grey crayon profile of an older woman, crying and intertwining her hands in a curtain, "this is phenomenal. It's not, not." Tyler reached up, over and snatched the picture from Don's hands, folding it carefully.
"You weren't supposed to see that."
"Sorry." Dom handed the sketchbook back. "Jesse can show you how to scan the ones we should have seen and did and then we'll email them off."
"Right." And another cold silence where all involved waited for the subject to change. "My mom."
"What?" Jesse knew he had ADHD and all, and even he seemed to keep a topic, a conversation, running longer than Tyler.
"That's who the picture of."
"Oh." Mia leaned over and touched Tyler's hair for a minute. She grabbed the empty cartons and began to clear off the table. Tyler stood and began to help her, putting his sketchpad back in his bag. Jesse and Letty followed suit, Vince, Dom and Brian going to begin working on the latest car.
"Hey, Ty?" asked Jesse, coming over.
"Ty?"
"Yeah. Tyler just takes too damn long."
"K. Cool."
"Yeah, but when was the last time you saw your mom?"
"When I went to JuV. That's when they put her away."
"Oh. Sorry."
"Not your fault! K, just drop it. K?"
"Yeah, ok. Lemme show you how to work the scanner now. K?"
"Yea."
"Yeah. A little."
"So where were you and Jesse this morning?" asked Dom, trying not to pry but still wanting to know what exactly was going on, straight from the sources' mouth.
"Coffee run," said Jesse, his mouth full of chicken lo mein.
"And you don't bring any back for us?" said Mia, swatting Brian's hand away from her crispy noodles.
"Nope. We're java whores." Jesse rethought what he said a moment too late, shot a glance at Tyler, as did everyone. Tyler chose to grab another egg roll and say nothing, acting as if he hadn't heard.
"So that's it?" said Vince, attempting to change the subject.
"We drove around a bit," said Tyler softly. "And that's it then."
"Oh. So Tyler, have any sketches of art jobs for those cars?" Brian made a slightly better job at changing the subject, Jesse noted.
"Yea, a few, hold on," Tyler got up to rummage through his stained gray messenger bag, pulling out a black sketchpad. Walking back to the table he flipped to the last few pages, catching bits of loose paper and shoving them back in haphazardly. He handed the pad to Brian, everyone crowding over his shoulder to stare at the various designs, some in pencil, some in paints and one or two in marker. Tyler sat and twiddled his thumbs for a moment, played with the knife and then picked up his fork and shoved a mouthful of rice and chicken into his mouth.
"You did all this in 2 days?"
"Uh huh," Tyler swallowed. "Any good?"
"Yeah, most of them. But this one," Dom held up a blue and grey crayon profile of an older woman, crying and intertwining her hands in a curtain, "this is phenomenal. It's not, not." Tyler reached up, over and snatched the picture from Don's hands, folding it carefully.
"You weren't supposed to see that."
"Sorry." Dom handed the sketchbook back. "Jesse can show you how to scan the ones we should have seen and did and then we'll email them off."
"Right." And another cold silence where all involved waited for the subject to change. "My mom."
"What?" Jesse knew he had ADHD and all, and even he seemed to keep a topic, a conversation, running longer than Tyler.
"That's who the picture of."
"Oh." Mia leaned over and touched Tyler's hair for a minute. She grabbed the empty cartons and began to clear off the table. Tyler stood and began to help her, putting his sketchpad back in his bag. Jesse and Letty followed suit, Vince, Dom and Brian going to begin working on the latest car.
"Hey, Ty?" asked Jesse, coming over.
"Ty?"
"Yeah. Tyler just takes too damn long."
"K. Cool."
"Yeah, but when was the last time you saw your mom?"
"When I went to JuV. That's when they put her away."
"Oh. Sorry."
"Not your fault! K, just drop it. K?"
"Yeah, ok. Lemme show you how to work the scanner now. K?"
"Yea."