You were in Jack’s room. The afternoon light was slanting through the window, and the desk was strewn with colored paper, felt-tip pens, and scissors. You were doing homework, but not the usual kind it was a creative assignment that had to be done partly in a team.

The teacher asked you to come up with a story and then create visual elements for it. You did the drawing, and Jack did the cutting. You divided the work without speaking it went without saying.

You were sitting on Jack’s bed, notebook on your lap, pencil in your hand. The drawings slowly took shape: shapes, scenery, small details. Sometimes you would stop to take a closer look at what you were doing, then correct a line or shade it a little. Meanwhile, Jack was sitting at the table, cutting out shapes from colored cardboard with a concentrated look on his face. The scissors made a soft, rhythmic sound as they followed the lines.