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- 09/24/2012
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- 11 Comments
Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
One of These Days - 1. Chapter 1 - Memories and Lies
“You're talkin' such bullshit!”
“Come on Harvey just give in.”
“Never! Not for as long as I live will I ever give into you, and admit you’re right!”
“Come on… you know you want to. You’re weak and your political viewpoints are predicated on weakness… just admit it.”
“Bitch! If you're gonna talk smack to me, at least back your assertion with facts!”
Will laughed.
“What do I need facts for? Anyone can see you're just a bleeding heart liberal.”
Harvey raised an eyebrow.
“Well you would say that – I can't back this up for sure, but I'm pretty sure you conservatives are born without a heart. And I KNOW you were born without a brain.”
“You callin' me stupid?”
“Yeah... duh... see what I mean? Stupid.”
Will grinned his devilish grin. Harvey was alarmed.
“No! Will... please don't! I'm sorry – I'm sorry! I take it back!”
Will wiggled his eyebrows lasciviously.
“Too little... too late, my vertically challenged friend.”
Will made to get up. Harvey fled.
Will laughed as he launched himself after him. Harvey slammed down the staircase and made for the kitchen, hoping that Will's mom was there. Will was in hot pursuit.
Just as Harvey burst into the lounge room, Will tackled him side-on and threw him on the couch.
Harvey huffed, frustrated. He looked up at Will, who was standing there, hands on hips, looking down at Harvey triumphantly, as if for all the world, Harvey were a prize.
“How do you do that! It doesn't matter how fast I run or which way I run, you always catch me!”
“You ain’t gonna escape me in my own house,” Will said, laughing, “and I'm bigger, stronger and faster than you. I'm also willing to bet I'm a lot smarter than you.”
“You're so not smarter than me! That's my one competitive advantage.”
“Hate to break it to ya', sonny boy, but if I say I'm smarter than you, then I'm smarter than you. Tell me I'm smarter.”
“Why should I? It ain't the truth.”
“You better say it, or you're gonna regret it.” Will said in a singsong voice.
“Is that right?”
“It sure is. Now say it.”
“No... You know this is so typical of you people. Dishonesty must be ingrained in your psyche. I blame FOX!”
Fine. One.”
Will advanced on Harvey arms outstretched, and fingers positioned threateningly.
Harvey’s nerve held. He shook his head but his lip trembled.
Will grinned.
“Two.”
Harvey made a run for it. But Will easily caught him and threw him back on the couch. This time he held Harvey down.
“Three.”
“Noooooo!”
Harvey shrieked with laughter.
Will's mom yelled,
“Vilhelmi Oskar Häkkonen! You leave Harvey alone!”
Will immediately stopped tickle-torturing Harvey, and his head jerked up. When his mom called him his full, Finnish, name, Will knew he was in trouble.
“But Mom! He called me stupid!”
“Mrs Häkkonen! I swear that is not the full context of the conversation in which I may have labelled your son intellectually challenged!”
Will said quietly,
“I'll get you for that.”
Harvey got a wet noogie for his troubles.
“Ewwww! Gross, Will!”
Mrs Häkkonen came into the lounge room and her glare nailed Will to the wall.
“Will I insist you stop! Why you don't you pick on someone you're own size?”
“Because being invincible is so much more fun!”
“Will!” his mom said warningly.
“Ok, ok!”
Will let Harvey go, and he immediately ran to take cover near Mrs Häkkonen, who had ever been his protector from Will's nefarious antics. Will smiled, confident that once his mom left, Harvey would suffer his due punishment.
“Now apologise Will.”
“Mooom… he’s fine!”
“Do you want me to break out your suomalaisia perintö again?”
When Will continued giving her his appraising look, Mrs Häkkonen pursed her lips.
“Geez take a chill pill Mom!”
“Vilhelmi-”
“Ok! Ok… I’m sorry I’m stronger than you Harvey.”
The withering looks that both his mom and Harvey gave him, made Will laugh.
“Well then I’m sorry I’m smarter than you Will!” Harvey snarked.
Will fake laughed, but his mom just said,
“He’s got you beat there, my little poro.”
“Mom don’t call me that! I’m nearly sixteen!”
“Well then don’t tease Harvey and we’ve got ourselves a deal.”
Mrs Häkkonen smiled, knowing that Will would never agree to that.
Now have you taken the trash out?” his mom asked.
Will stared hard at his mother. It appeared that she was now openly taking sides in the perennial battle of wills between Will and Harvey. Harvey smiled smugly.
“Yeah, Will... have you taken the trash out?”
Will's eyes narrowed, and Harvey giggled.
“Uh, no Mom... and Harvey. I haven't taken the trash out.”
Mrs Häkkonen smiled mischievously.
Oh ok... well why don't you go help Will do that, Harvey?”
Harvey’s eyes widened in alarm, while Will grinned. Will could see Harvey’s brain begin to whirr at a million miles an hour.
“Oh no, Mrs. H, I don't think Will would like that. Will believes that everyone has their own role in life and that to upset that balance is revolutionary… criminal! Besides he's determined to pull himself up by his own boot-straps and make his own way in life. He couldn't bear to get help from another person.”
“Harv my one true friend, I think I can make a sacrifice for you. I know your pink-eyed socialist mind is dying to tell me how to take the trash out. It'll probably be the most inefficient and expensive way possible too. But charity is an important conservative value, and I'm feeling charitable towards you at this moment.”
“Oh, but wouldn't that make you a welfare queen? After all, you have all this stuff,” Harvey said, pointing a finger at the flat-screen TV, the bookcase of DVDs and the Xbox, “and yet you still feel that others should help you in life?” That you should rely on others rather than yourself?”
Will, knowing that he had the upper hand, just grinned.
Harvey’s eyebrows furrowed in consternation.
Mrs. Häkkonen, who had been watching on in amusement, decided she'd better withdraw.
“Well, why don't you boys... my goodness but you're men now... why don't you guys sort this out yourself? You're old enough and mature enough to do that, aren't you?”
Will nodded firmly. Harvey shook his just as firmly.
Mrs Häkkonen laughed and went back to the kitchen.
Will made for Harvey but he backed away.
“Uh, Mrs H, could you teach me how to bake? I really love your brownies!”
Mrs Häkkonen, whose one blind spot was compliments to her cooking, gladly agreed.
Will had to chuckle as he bowed his head to concede this one. Until next time.
Harvey sighed in relief.
________________________________________________________________________________
Harvey Dwyer stared forward, biting his fingernails.His shoulders slumped and his dark brown eyes watered. He wondered when things had started to go wrong. Tonight was an unmitigated disaster and Will was going to tear into him. Harvey sighed and shrugged his shoulders, not caring. He really wished he hadn’t come to this party. Harvey hated these kind of parties, but seeing as it was the last semester of senior year of high school, he felt like he should at least make an effort. But they didn’t want him here. Karen didn’t want him here… Will didn’t want him here. That last one hurt. Harvey thought about leaving, but then remembered that Jess was his ride home. And she was currently lip-locked with that ass Carl Van den Heuvel. That made him scowl.
“I really screwed up.” He said to himself.
The door slammed open. Harvey spun around in alarm to see Will's imposing form storming towards him. He grabbed Harvey by the shoulders and shook him. Hard.
“What the hell was that, Harv?” Will thundered.
He was very angry. And, Harvey couldn't help but think, very handsome. His perfect face somehow made more perfect in his dark temper. His green eyes flashed and his mouth was a thin line. Static electricity seemed to spark from the tips of his blond hair… nope that was definitely his imagination, Harvey thought. Harvey knew what he'd done was wrong, but, in that moment, he didn't really care. He felt a little guilty, but seeing Will again, here, so close, made Harvey feel flustered. Why had Will called him by his old nickname? Will hadn't called him that for years and Harvey couldn't help but smile a little.
Will frowned in confusion.
“Why are you smiling?”
Harvey glanced up to Will, and the smile disappeared.
“I-I dunno.”
Harvey’s eyes flicked away after a second, and this pissed Will off. Harvey could barely look at him these days. He hadn’t seen much of his best friend in months. He wondered, as he often did, why that was.
“So, you wanna tell me why you called my girlfriend a slut?”
Harvey looked down and sniffled, and Will's anger gave way to concern. Will hadn't seen normally placid Harvey this upset in... well, years.
Harvey noticed that Will's hands, which only seconds before had been gripping him hard and angry, were now soft and comforting. He remembered a time when those hands, already larger than his own, had been on him all the time. Not in the way he had wanted, even then as now. But Will had seemed to take fiendish delight in torturing him into a writhing mess. One of these hands that Harvey loved moved from his shoulders to his chin, gently but firmly lifting it so Will could look down into his eyes.
Will stared deeply, trying to see what was wrong. But he was even more confused, because Harvey didn't look sad... but happy. And he could've sworn, that when he saw Harvey standing at the window, he’d looked devastated.
“What's going on Harvey?”
I -”
Will's eyebrows rose.
“And don't try and avoid answering... you know I'll get it out of you.”
Harvey swallowed a chuckle, covering it with a cough, but Will didn't miss a trick. He grinned.
Will waited for an answer. When none was forthcoming, Will opened his mouth to speak. But before he could, Harvey surged forward and brought his lips to Will's.
At first Will's lips resisted. They gradually softened and for one long second, Harvey felt as if he were flying. Will's arms came around him, and Harvey sank into the embrace. Their lips were electric.
But Harvey felt the moment Will fully realised what was happening. He felt the panic grip him. He saw Will’s eyes go wide, a manic look flaring in them. And he certainly felt the shove. Harvey tripped over his feet and began to fall, and he felt sadness wash over him. This was his lot in life. To be shoved. Shoved by Karen. Shoved by Max. Shoved by Will.
Incredibly, unexpectedly, he felt Will pull him back. But his grip was no longer gentle.
“I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! Please don't hate me!” Harvey cried. Fear gripped him as it never had before, and tears welled. More than anything, he was afraid he'd ruined his friendship with the most important person in his life... and deep down, Harvey was afraid that Will might snap, like he had a long time ago. Soft tears rolled down his cheek. Will was shocked. For as feeble and in need of protection he seemed, for all the taunts and shoves he'd got at school, Will had never seen Harvey cry. Will could recall one time when Harvey had looked a little teary… when they watched Homeward Bound, and he thought Shadow really was dead. Will had never been able to understand that.
Harvey tried to pull away, but Will, fighting his panic, pulled him closer into his arms. Hugging him to his body.
“No.”
“But Will -”
“Harv,” Will chastised, “I said no.”
Will looked at him obstinately, his chin jutting forward, and Harvey had to laugh.
“Fine then.”
Will nodded.
“I'm sorry I kissed you , Will. I don't know what I was thinking.”
“I'm not sorry.”
Harvey pulled away and his eyes snapped to Will's.
“What?”
“I said, I'm not sor-”
“I know what you said! I meant what did you mean?”
Will grinned. Harvey scowled.
“I hate it when you do that!”
“I know. That's why I do it.”
Harvey sighed.
“So, were you just feeling a little curious and decided to make out with your incredibly hot best friend? Or… is there something else that you want to tell me?”
Harvey was decidedly uncomfortable. Will recognised this and decided to press his advantage.
“Come on Harvey, you can talk to me. The reason I’m glad you kissed me is because now you can be honest with me about who you are. So... there something you want to tell me?”
Harvey jerked uneasily and didn't answer. Instead he looked down.
“It's gonna be like that , huh? So why did you kiss me, then?” Will asked roughly.
“Um... like I said, I dunno.”
“Bullshit! You never do anything unless you've thought about it carefully and analysed it from every angle.”
“Except when it comes to you... you've always been able to drive me to do crazy things.”
Will realised this was true. Many of the things they had done together were greatly out of character for Harvey.
“Harvey... look at me.”
When Harvey refused, Will grasped Harvey’s cheeks and firmly lifted until he could see into Harvey’s eyes. Harvey closed his eyes in order to avoid contact. Will sighed in frustration.
“Look at me!” Will said forcefully.
Harvey looked up.
“I care about you Harv. I don't want you to think I'm gonna be an asshole and drop you if you like guys... you have to understand, I don't care if you're gay. I'm not, but you're my best friend and you're like family to me. I'd sooner cut off my arm than cut you out of my life.”
Every instinct in Harvey’s body and mind told him to take the acceptance that Will was offering… but a niggling voice in the back of his head told him that it wasn’t real. And the threat came rushing back to his head. Harvey just couldn’t bring himself to trust Will like that. And there was no doubt that if he told Will that he was gay everything else would come out too. And there was no way Harvey was letting that happen. Besides, as soon as they were back at school, Will would drop him. He’d heard Will joking with his jock friends with their gay jokes and their oh-so-sophisticated and occasionally illogical “he’s such a fag”. He remembered that one time when one of Will’s friends had found out his girlfriend was cheating on him with a guy on the baseball team. The dopey footballer had described the team as being made up of nothing but “pansies and fags”. A fine example of jock logic, Harvey thought.
He realised that he’d been sidetracked, and noticed Will was looking at him expectantly.
“Look Will, I’ve had too much to drink and everything that’s happening with Mom and Dad has got me confused and emotional. I'm scared about school finishing and I haven't heard from Columbia yet. I hate the way Karen treats you, and I think you deserve better. Anyway, I don’t know what I was thinking when I kissed you... But I do know I’m not gay.”
When Will looked at Harvey sceptically, he felt the need to reinforce the lie.
“I’m not! I swear!”
Harvey was confused by the look of annoyance and even disappointment on Will’s face. He had no idea what that could mean.
Will was reluctant to let go of the issue but he saw that Harvey was on edge and so… he let it go.
“Fine. I’ll drop it. At least for now.”
“Gee thanks…”
Will clipped Harvey on the ear and wagged his finger at him,
“Don’t get smart with me.”
“Will, you know how much that creeps me out!”
Will rolled his eyes and grinned, but before he could say it, Harvey said it for him,
“Yeah I know! That’s why you do it. God I hate you sometimes.”
“Nah you don’t. You love me!”
Harvey sighed. If only - nope, Harvey wasn't going there.
He sat on the bed and Will sat next to him.
Will thought back to what Harvey had said about Karen, and he admitted to himself he was confused. He wondered what Harvey had meant when he said Will deserved better. He thought back over the years and realised that this had always been how Harvey thought of him. Whenever Will had messed up and his dad had been particularly mean, and Will went hiding, Harvey had always been the one to come find him and raise his spirits. “You didn’t deserve that” he’d say, even when it had been justified. He recalled one time when his mom tore strips off him for something or other, and Harvey had been outraged – well what passed for outrage in Harvey, which was pursed lips and a grim sense of determination. He’d pulled the chest of drawers in front of Will’s bedroom door, and told Will’s mom that unless she apologized for being mean, they weren’t coming out. Will laughed at the memory. He turned to Harvey and looked at him with fondness.
“Harv… you know you’re my best friend, right?”
Harvey looked at him. He smiled sadly and slowly nodded.
“Yeah Will… I do.”
________________
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Stories posted in this category are works of fiction. Names, places, characters, events, and incidents are created by the authors' imaginations or are used fictitiously. Any resemblances to actual persons (living or dead), organizations, companies, events, or locales are entirely coincidental.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
Note: While authors are asked to place warnings on their stories for some moderated content, everyone has different thresholds, and it is your responsibility as a reader to avoid stories or stop reading if something bothers you.
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