Page 53 of Possibly Texas

“Where are your,” I tried to think of the right words, “usual clothes?”

“This is how I wanted to dress today.”

“It doesn’t really suit you.”

“How would you know what suits me?”

I ignored the jab.

“You’re a cheerful guy.” I shrugged. “Those aren’t very cheerful clothes. I like it when you’re cheerful.”

The corner of his mouth turned up, though he tried to hide it from me. Auggie turned his head to the side, looking away from me, so I was left to look at the back of his head. It kind of bothered me that I couldn’t see the white diamond on his forehead and in his hair.

“What’s the, uh, white thing?” I decided to ask. “On your forehead and in your hair?”

Auggie didn’t look back over at me. Hopefully, he was still trying to hide a smile from me.

“It’s kind of cool,” I said. “Like a superhero mark or something.”

“Oh, come on,” He was suddenly looking at me, grinning ear to ear. “You’re just trying to get on my good side to make up for being a jerk.”

“Nah, man.” I laughed. “It’s kind of cool. I mean, I’ve never seen someone with that before, but, it’s cool.”

Auggie pushed off from the table and crossed his arms over his chest again, but the smile didn’t leave his face.

“It’s poliosis,” he said. “A few things can cause it, but I have an inherited defect in melanisation.”

My eyes grew wide and I ran a hand over my head as I made a “whoosh” sound.

Auggie laughed.

“Melanin? The stuff that determines the shade of skin and hair? I have a genetic defect where the melanin there is kind of…I guess, absent? It’s not contagious. It doesn’t hurt or anything. It’s just—”

I waited.

“—weird.” He laughed.

I smiled at him.

“I’ve had it forever,” he said with a shrug. “As long as I can remember. I used to be embarrassed by it. I’m not embarrassed by much anymore.”

His words were like knives, though I knew he didn’t mean to be spiteful.

“I’ll try really hard to learn that skill,” I said.

Auggie nodded at me and his hands slipped down to his sides, no longer aggressively protecting himself from me.

“Okay,” he said.

“Can I help you with your art, then?” I asked.

Auggie sighed. “I really do like working alone. I’m not still upset or anything. It’s just…it’s kind of a personal thing for me, you know? It’s meditative and gives me time to just be with myself and my thoughts. It’s not that I don’t want you to help, but—”

“No.” I stopped him. “I get it. I really do. I think. No hurt feelings. But can we maybe hang out later? Or tomorrow?”

Auggie was smiling again. “I’d like that. Later would be cool. After lunch?”

Then I was smiling as widely as him. “Hells yeah.”