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Chapter 7: Half Your Heart Fell
When do you think he'll wake up?
Whenever the Force decides that it's time for him to see the light of day.
Amen, bro'.
You're all retarded. Let's try slpashing water on him.
No! I'm not getting my couch wet. It'll get moldy...
BARK!
Can I pway wif him?
Surely Chris.
It's Panda.
Right.
Hold on a sec', I think he's coming to!
Will? Can you hear me? It's Matt.
What if he forgot who I am?
You care Ryan?
Hehe. Mush Kobey! MUSH.
"The fuck....?"
BARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yeah I care! I want him to remember who I am so then he'll know why he has bruised ribs.
That was really dick of you to kick him while he was knocked uncncious.
"HE KICKED ME!?"
He deserves it.
He saved your son!
"Why is it so goddamn loud?"
Yeah no thanks to YOU.
THE FORCE IS NOT PLEASED.
"Ugh....shut up will you? My head is killin' me." I murmur, finally finding my voice.
"You woke him up!" I hear a voice scold. I'm pretty sure it's DiCo.
"No. You did with your stupid Force talk." And that one...I can't quite put a face to.
"Hey! Don't make fun of my beliefs." I peek one eye open and suddenly I'm greeted with the familiar faces of three men.
"DUDE! YOU'RE ALIVE!" exclaims my old, dear friend Matthew Hottinger. He grins down at me. "How're ya feelin'? Sorry for almost killin' ya."
"It's alright. Although, it feels like someone shot me in the ribcage RYAN." I moan whilst gripping my side. Ryan smirks at his damage.
"You deserved it." Ryan replies coldly.
"Would you stop saying that Ryan? Will never hurt you physically." Alex says, sticking up for me. My heart swells with happiness that someone's on my side for the first time in years.
"Yes he did! He stabbed me in the back." Ryan folds his arms and glances sideways at me. Kobear whines in the background.
"Oh, get over yourself." DiCo growls at him.
"I still think he deserved it." Hottinger and Alex groan in unison. Matt sits in a nearby chair and rolls his eyes.
"I give up." Alex shouts to no-one in particular, throwing his hands up in the air and walks over to the dog and his "playmate" to supervise. Panda was sitting ontop of Kobear as if he was ontop of a horse.
"You know what? I'd say I deserved that if I didn't put myself in the middle of a New York City street to rescue Chris while you stood there like a moron." I shoot back finally.
"You don't think I was going to save him?"
"Ryan, you FROZE." I recall. Ryan glares daggers at me. If looks could kill...
"Are you calling me an uncaring parent?" "Don't you DARE put words in my mouth!" I shout, sitting up. The pain came all too quickly. "OW." I lay back down hugging my torso in hope that it'd ease the shooting pains.
"Admit it Ryan, you may be his watcher-overer or whatever he calls you, but you have no ablity to spring into action during his time of need."
"You didn't have to do that." Ryan mutters, not looking at me in the eyes.
"Yeah, but I did. Imagine what would've happened if I didn't?" The room went silent at the thought of a mangled child's body underneath a truck tire. His lifeless eyes staring at all who loomed over him. Ryan, holding him in his arms, with the guilt spreading over his body like wildfire...
Ryan says nothing.
"I think we're just about even now." I sigh leaning back against the pillow. I hold my arm out to Ryan. "Can we start over?"
He stares at my hand and bites his cheek, contemplating his next action. If he didn't accept my offer, he'd be a major asshole but if he did, it might hurt his stupid pride.
"Thanks for saving Chris." he says, brushing past my outstretched arm. "See you at the party." And with that said, he walks over to Chris/Panda who was giving Kobear a bellyrub, oblivious to what had been happening.
"Chris? I gotta walk you home now buddy." Ryan says. Chris nods and waves to all of us as him and Ryan leave the apartment together.
"So...does that mean you two a best friends again or what?" Hottie inquires after a few moment of silence. I stare at the door with a blank look on my face and then shut my eyes.
"I don't know."
Kobear wags his cute little self over to me and rests his head on my arm. I give him a small smile and pat his head while he closes his eyes in bliss. Alex walks over to the door and locks it before coming back to the couch.
"Well now that we know Chris is safe and Ryan is on his way to forgive you, I need to know if you're going to Liana's party. I'm going over to see her tonight so I can help her set it up for tomorrow," he informs us. Hottinger snickers.
"You still want her." I bust out laughing even though it hurts like hell. DiCo glares.
"No I don't! She's just a wonderful ally." He pauses. "And besides, she's still with Jimmy."
"Some things never change." I say with a grin. Kobear licks my face. "God, I missed you guys." The two full grown men chuckle and then through our laughter, my stomach growls.
"I'm assuming you're staying for dinner?" he asks. I smile stupidly at him.
"Yeah. If you don't mind." Alex sighs at me.
"You live here Will. I was asking Hottinger."
"You're not gonna cook are you DiCo?" Matt says, cutting in. "I have a giant truck FILLED with some good shit."
"Oooh! Like what?" I eaggerly ask, practically drooling.
"Teriyaki chicken on sticks, coconut shrimp with marmalade sauce, pigs in a blanket, sweet potato fritters and lamb with horseradish sauce." He rattles off. Suddenly, something feels wet on my hand. Kobear was drooling enough for the both of us.
"But isn't that other people's food?" DiCo says with wide eyes.
"I got my good friend Joey to get his truck over there since I had to look over Will to make sure he was ok."
"Bullshit. You just didn't want to get arrested for hitting someone."
"Well...there's a little bit of both." he shyly admits. Same ol' Hottie.
"But I have to ask. Matt, how come you aren't mad?" He blinks at me through his thick rimmed glasses.
"You mean at you?"
"Yeah."
"Well, to be honest, I was prepared for it." I look at him stunned from shock.
"Really?"
"Yeah. My parents always told me that our high school friends may not always stick around in our lives. Obviously I was pissed for a long time because you never said goodbye but then I moved on and hoped that you would try and find me." He turns to look at me. "And here you are. Except I sorta found you." His explanation took some weight off of my shoulders. I thought he was definately gonna take it the hardest. We were closer than close.
It was the Four Amigos: Ryan, Matt, Mike and I. Always getting into trouble but having the greatest adventures. Road trips, band practices, running from cops...well maybe not the last one, but I missed those days of my youth.
Smoking cigars on the roof of our cars at the end of a hot summer day; racing each other to work; talking about how awful/amazing our girlfriends were nd not to mention that I always kicked Mike's ass in beer pong. What I would give to just challenge that numbskull one more time...
That reminds me...
"So what happened to Mike?" I suddenly spurt out. Matt seemed caught of guard because he was lost in the memories as well.
"Well THAT was off-topic. He's in Michigan."
"Still?" DiCo responds with slight confusion. Hottinger nods.
"You bet. He's taking over his dad's company but he wants to set it up in different locations."
I guess I'll never make up with him. Maybe one day I'll grab the remaining Amigos to crash his office. I can just imagine the look on his face...
~
The small dining table in DiCo's kitchenette was filled with h'ordeuvres and good eating. Our stomachs were stuffed from the food and our cheeks ached from the light conversation of our childhood. I wrapped my chest in bandages to keep myself from hurting my ribs too much. Laughing though, didn't help.
"Once again, Will. Are. You. Going. To. The. God. Forsaken. Party?" Alex says with a mouthful of lamb. The accidental dinner provided by Hottinger was the best I've had in awhile. To think he actually cooked it himself too!
"Yeah I am." I finally admit.
"You're not worried about what could happen to you?"
"Surprisingly...no. I thought Hottinger was gonna be even more upset than Ryan was and I was DEFINITIELY waiting for him to shoot me in the face. I got off easy with bruised ribs." Alex suddenly cheers.
"Woohoo!! I better go tell Liana!" Alex says getting up to put his dirty dish in the sink.
"Ooh. I guess you wanna start headin' over to Lee's apartment huh?" pushes Mattie, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. Alex grabs his jacket and the bags of decorations he bought from Party City from the previous week.
"S-shut-up. It's getting late."
"It's only 8:30," I say, leaning back in my dinner chair and chewing a toothpick. I swear Kobear just snickered at his owner.
"Well there's no way she set up for the party by herself!" he assures us through a flushed face. I chuckle as I watch Matt slip something into his back pocket and pats it for good luck.
"Use a condom my friend." The look on Alex's face is PRICELESS as he mutters something neither of us could understand and bounds out of the apartment. We stare at the door after him and listen to his footsteps run hurriedly the stairs to the outside streets of NYC.
"Now what?" I ask, folding my arms. Matt strokes his chin hairs and ponders for a moment before answering.
"Hm. I guess we can get a drink or something. How does that sound?" I nod in agreement.
"Ruff!" Kobear barks and then wags his tail. His tongue hangs out on the side of his mouth in excitement. I give him a puzzled look and look to Matt.
"Should we bring the dog?" he asks. Kobear trots over to us with his red leash and looks at his with his puppy dog eyes. I smile.
"I don't see why not," I answer, taking the leash from his mouth and attatching it to his collar. I shut the lights off in the miniature house and lock the door, leaving with a human-like canine, an old friend and memories of how I used to be. It's funny how much we didn't change and how much we could've.
After locking up the Collecter's Universe and putting the key in the secret sidewalk, we start by taking a left down 43rd hoping we'd pass by a bar or a pub. The cold November wind blows through my hair and make my cheeks turn a slight shade of pink.
I glance at the men at their little stands while they beg others to buy their scarves. Every New Yorker passes by without even acknowledging a presence and it makes my heart ache that we can be so callous as human beings. But that's how it is. You gotta make a living somehow.
Then I start to notice people staring at us. What the...?
"Hey, have you noticed the looks we've been getting from everyone?" I ask Matt as Kobear decides to pee over the sewer. Smart dog.
"Yeah. It's kinda weird." I agree and take a deep breath of winter air. "It's so nice at this time of year isn't it?"
"Mhm." Matt nods his head and we stop at the crosswalk. All the cars zing by while some impatient people try to sneak their way to the other side.
"I can't believe I'm here. It feels so freakin' great." I say, noticing how my bitterness is slowly leaving me.
"What's so great? The feeling of smog entering your lungs or the stench of nasty burnt pretzels?" he states, scrunching his nose at the thought of it.
"That, and it's my home. New York is my state. It's fucking bullshit adjusting to the south when you've lived in the north for so long," I complain.
"It was all by choice ya know? You could've came back whenever you wanted."
"And here I am. Happy as pie." The lights turns green and we start to cross over.
"Especially now that we've found each other again. Merry Christmas! Santa came early!" Matt says stupidly.
"Aw how sweet!" I hear suddenly as we pass by a lesbian couple. They give us a thumbs up and continue walking.
"Oh. THAT'S why we've been getting stared at." I confirm. Matt starts getting defensive.
"CAN'T TWO GUYS WALK THEIR FRIENDS DOG TOGETHER WITHOUT BEING ACCUSED OF BEING GAY!?" he shouts to no one in particular.
"I guess not." I shrug and continue walking when Kobear finishes his business. "So what've you been doing these past decade?"
"Well I know what YOU'VE been doing. I heard your single on the radio. That's farther than I've ever gotten with a band." he says with a sigh. I remembered how it's always been Hottinger's dream to be known in the musical world. He's one of the greatest drummers I've ever known. I turn red.
"It's not even that great..." I say looking up at the skyscrapers above me. When's it gonna snow?
"Oh, stop being so modest Will," he gives me look. "It's wonderful and you know it." Then I get an idea.
"How could you like to be my drummer next time I do a show in New York?" I suggest innocently. He stops short .
"SERIOUSLY? BRO! THAT'S AMAZING! YOU'RE DOING ME A GIANT SOLID." he screams, doing some sort of odd happy dance.
Before I can give him a grin, I spot Doughty's Drinks on the corner of 43rd and 9th.
What're the odds?
The golden letters that rested atop the store's brick exterior was incredibly subtle. It was nestled right in between a giant Victoria's Secret and a restaurant called Salty's Spitoon. It looked so out of place but so perfect.
God knows I needed a drink.
I place my hand on the grip of the glass doors and swing them open revealing the interior of the place. The floor is covered in black shiny tiles and the walls hold five old fashioned lamps on each side making the whole bar hauntingly dim. A television is set up in the upper left corner; it is currently not turned on. Table's are lined against the wall with peanuts in bowls on each one. I can even hear the faint sound of a jazz singer pouring her heart out into the airwaves keeping the atmosphere calm. Red, cushioned stools line the bar with only one occupant on the end of it. A woman with her head faced down on the bar making odd noises.
"Ungh.....Minister....Magic..."
Like that.
There's only one worker from what we can see and she's cleaning the inside of a martini glass with a wet rag with her back facing us. Her frizzy brown hair is pulled back into a ponytail making it poof out even more and she's singing something. Badly. That's when we notice the ear phones embedded in her ears.
"IM NOT GONNA WRITE YOU NO LOVE SONG. CAUSE YOU ASKED FOR IT."
We sit at the opposite end of the bar and wait for her to come over to us and get our orders. When she makes no indication that she even noticed we walked in, Matt says 'Hello?', hoping it'd get her attention. It doesn't.
She starts to move her hips to the beat of her iPod and we watch as she stands on a step stool to hang the Martini glass upside down on a rack with all the others. I can't believe how short she was.
"Excuse me?" Matt says a little louder.
Still nothing. Kobear
"Alright. You wanna play hard to get? Fine. Ahem." He clears his throat and I cover my ears. "EXCU-"
"AVADA KADABRA!" shouts the mystery woman from the end of the bar. The short woman from behind the bar falls off the stool from shock, shreiking in the process. ;angind with a thud, we cuiously peer over the bar to see her panting heavily and putting a hand over her heart to slow it down.
"She scared the bejeezers out of me!" she exclaims to us, finally noticing that we're alive.
"What did Andre say about screaming random spells in front of the customers?" she scolds the woman after dusting herself off. The woman stares at her blankly and then puts her head back down on the granite that lines the long strip of bar.
"Ugh. I'm so sorry about that. What can I get you boys?" she says, finally turning to face. Her chocolate eyes twinkle with innocence. She's so fucking cute.
"I'll have a-" I start to say, but Matt cuts me off.
"Hold on a second. Are you Rebecca Frank?!" she stares at us with wide eyes.
"OHMYFUCKINGGOD IS IT REALLY YOU MATT? AND WILL!?! ARE YOU HERE FOR THE PARTY? I KEEP SEEING EVERYONE. I EVEN SAW MEG AND ANDRE'S GONNA BE SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU. I JUST STARTED WORKING A FEW WEEKS AGO AND AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!" she screams jumping up and down.
Thus, knocking over a vodka bottle.
"Oops. I can fix it!" she says with confidence. Matt's eye starts to twitch.
"How do you propose on fixing a broken glass bottle?" I curiously ask.
"That's what I'd like to know." says a deep voice from the back of us. Becca's eyes suddenly widen to the size of dinner plates.
"I'm so sorry Andre! It was an accident!" she pleads. The tall black man in a white button down shirt rolls his eyes as he walks towards us. He looks as if he's the epitome of suave taking off his hat and slinging his peacoat over his arm.
"Nothing we can do now. Just make sure you don't slice your foot when you're cleaning it up." he then turns to us and raises an eyebrow. "You two look oddly familiar..."
"Sure thing. I'll be right back!" she says as she scurries away to grab a broom.
"This has GOT to be the weirdest two days of my life!" I exasperate.
"Oh honey...you haven't seen NOTHING yet."
And then before I know it, Trevor's standing behind Andre in nothing but a sparkly pink speedo and a feather boa.
"Oh. My. God." |
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