"Why do you keep doing that?"
"I keep doing that because you keep being an idiot. Now stop. You all are overreacting, this is nothing," he said, pointing at his eye. "It'll be gone in a week or so, no harm done."
Garret rolled his eyes, and lightly poked a spot right below Andy's eye, causing Andy to yelp loudly, the low snickering of the class audible in his ears. "Tch, yup, definitely no harm done. You're always like this. Something bad happens to you and you always go to blame yourself."
"I didn't hear you complain when I forgave you. So it's fine if I forgive you off a whim, but if I forgive him, it's stupid." Andy glowered at him, and to his surprise, Garret actually backed down.
"Brian," Corey whispered, "what's wrong? You look like you just saw a ghost. And that Garret guy was giving you a really evil look. Did you do that?"
"Later, Corey. Just, later, okay? I don't want to talk about it right now, here."
Corey held his tongue, but he was silently happy that things weren't going all that well between Brian and Andy. It made his job that much easier.
--
"You're still dating Brian, right?" A high pitched voice asked. "I mean, we don't really see you hanging out with him too much anymore."
Christine was currently in a bathroom stall, but the question caught her immediate attention.
"Alana, simple Alana. But of course I still am. We're the perfect picture of happiness, but we're both oh so busy," said a voice that was unmistakably Abigail Sinclair's.
"Busy with what?" Piped up Debbie's quiet voice.
"Oh, you know, Daddy's been cracking down on my grades, so I actually, like, have to work hard. And Brian's been keeping up a super intense workout schedule with Corey Towers."
"Oh, that's so hot," Alana said, practically squeaking with joy.
Abigail looked at her darkly. "What do you mean by that?"
"Oh, nothing, just that, you know, they're both like, so amazingly hot, and like, spending all day working out together, I'd love to be there just to watch," she laughed, quickly changing the subject to avoid Abigail's anger. "So, do you guys know about the school's new premiere gay couple. Talk about hot, right?"
"You're so stupid, Alana," joked Debbie, "everyone knows they broke it off. I even heard that Garret's going out with that O'Hara girl now. Talk about gross. He should be going out with me. Dallas is being such a loser right now."
"Haha, I already dumped James like, ten billion years ago. What do you think, Abigail?"
"it won't last five minutes. If there's anyone who can convince a guy to go back to being gay, it's that bitch."
Christine stopped listening from there, trying her best not to somehow catch their attention. It took all of her self control to not bust of the stall then and there and bring some pain to Abigail. But she was starting to lose herself in her own thoughts. Thoughts of Andy, and Brian, and Garret.
'Maybe she has a point… five minutes. I feel so bad for what I did to Brian and especially Andy. Our last date didn't exactly go the way I thought it should have anyway…'
"Christine, is there something wrong?" Garret asked, smiling too sweetly, dressed too well. The seafood restaurant they were at was too nice, the food was too good, and Garret even insisted that he pay for everything.
"No, nothing, the food is wonderful," Christine said, smiling back weakly, enjoying her food too much. 'It's all too much. He's outdone himself; I can't possibly deserve this treatment. Did Andy get this all the time? How could he handle it? He'd never ask me to get any more physical than I would want to, but damn, I feel like I have to sleep with him, maybe to even half repay him for this night.'
"Did I go overboard? I'm sorry, I just wanted to make up for whatever you must be going through."
"You promised, the whole not reading my thoughts thing."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It's nice that someone cares enough to even try prying into my thoughts. Really, thanks, I appreciate what you're trying to do, but I can't help but feel like-"
"You don't deserve it? Now you know what it felt like being in a relationship with Andy for over a month."
"You're doing it again…"
"Do you actually want me to stop?"
"No," she said, laughing. 'It's not just a feeling. I know I don't deserve this. I feel like absolute crap for enjoying myself right now.'
The rest of the night was a blur in her memory, albeit a really erotic blur. She would rather etch-a-sketch that particular part of the night though, or she'd be swimming in guilt for sleeping with him so soon.
'I have no shame…' she thought to herself as she emerged from the stall into the now empty bathroom. 'I can't believe that I can't wait for our next date…'
--
With Andy and Brian occupied at their new jobs at Starbucks, Christine reasoned that today was as good as any other day to fulfill her promise to introduce Helga to Lee.
"Hey, Helga, would you like to come over today? I'm having Lee over to play some video games. You may find that he's a bit, eccentric, but don't let anything he says bother you. He's sweet somewhere on the inside."
"Don't worry about me, Christine, thank you for following through. Spending my youth around Finnish boys, I feel I am prepared for anything now."
"If you say so…" Christine said, looking over at Andy, who was pretending to ignore their conversation. He was probably still sore that Helga insulted his appearance. "Meet me at my car after school? I'll give you both a ride there."
--
"Christine! Are you ready for an afternoon of getting your ass kicked! Oh god, what the fuck is THAT!" Lee yelled, pointing directly at Helga, who could only raise her eyebrows, appreciating the smaller boy from up close.
Helga tried a tactic that usually worked to quiet the more audacious boys, and towered over him, giving him a glare that would make puppies cry. Lee scoffed, easily standing his ground, waving her off.
"You don't scare me, Big Bertha. I have enough whoop-ass for you and Christine. Name the game. So Christine, you didn't answer my question, what is it?"
"Lee, you're so rude. She is Helga Frederickson, Andy and I met her in Art, and she wanted to come over and hang out after school."
"Her, with us? Ha, no thanks, I'll find my own way home, catch you later!" He waved goodbye, walking around to harass people for a ride home.
Christine shook her head, looking over at Helga, who didn't look like what a girl who was just plainly insulted should have. "I'm sorry about him; he has too much sugar… or something in his system."
"He did not get intimidated. He did not even flinch. He is definitely fascinating. I would like to ask your advice, to get him to like me."
"Getting Lee's attention away from video games, enough to like a girl. That's a challenge. But I think I know just the person who can help you out there. Get in the car, we're going for coffee."
"Coffee?" She asked, confused.
"You'll see. You might even see a familiar face there."
--
"Hey, Brian," Andy called, busying himself with cleaning containers out of boredom. Business at that Starbucks was slow that early in the afternoon. "Isn't that Christine's car? I wonder if she brought Lee and Helga here too."
"Yeah, it is. I don't see Lee, but shit, who is that with her? Is that a 'Helga'? Is that a girl or a rhinoceros?"
"I wonder what's up," Andy asked, not exactly enjoying the prospect of having to deal with that bizarre woman again.
The door opened, letting the two in, Christine's bright smile juxtaposed against Helga's grimace, her nose wrinkling at the smell of the store.
"At least she has good taste in coffee," Brian joked quietly to Andy. "What can I do for you… ladies? Lady?"
Helga repeated her trusty intimidation tactic, and smiled, seeing that it had the expected effect on Brian, who instantly lost the mocking grin on his face, replaced with quiet fear.
"So, Christine, I take it this is Helga?" Brian continued, more carefully this time.
"What can I do you for? Crap, not what I meant to say, you know what I meant."
"You're always so funny, Brian, how could I ever live without you?" Christine mocked back. "Helga here has a question that I'm confident that you can answer best."
"Shoot," Brian said, flinching softly, expecting bodily injury to follow, but relaxing when he saw what some might describe as a hospitable smile forming on Helga's face.
"Christine explained to me that you and Lee are especially close. So you know him well, correct?"
"There's not much to know. I've used blenders that are more complicated than he is," Brian said frankly. To everyone's surprise, his telltale sarcasm was actually absent from that statement.
"How do I get him to like me?"
"Oh, psh, that's all? Christine, you dragged this poor girl all the way to this place to ask me that? It's not like you don't know Lee."
"Get on with it," Christine stated, impatiently.
"One way to Lee's heart is by playing video games with him, but that's an infuriating experience all on its own. Instead, I recommend that you buy him a game," Brian said, writing a few titles and their respective systems on a napkin, handing the list to Helga. "Those are just a few titles that I know he's had his eyes on. He'll flip out if you get him any of those. Hell, if you get him all of those, he might even propose."
She raised her eyebrows, not sure how literally to take his words. Brian had that effect on a lot of people. He was sarcastic so often that none of his words could be taken at face value.
"Trust me, he's done weirder. You're tough, but you have no idea what you're getting yourself into. One last piece of advice… keep him away from booze."
Christine smiled, examining Brian's list herself, before guiding Helga back to her car so they could go shopping. "Thanks for actually being a good sport, Brian. She really appreciates your help."
"Are you kidding? I'm loving this. I don't know who I feel sorrier for, Lee, or her. While you're here though, I'm supposed to actually, you know, be selling coffee, if you can believe it. Want anything?"
"Can I have a drink for free?"
"No."
"Can I use your discount?"
"No."
"Bye, you two!" Christine yelled, laughing, running to catch up with Helga, who was waiting by the car.
Watching the car roll away, Andy gave Brian an inquisitive look. "Would it really have been so bad to just spot her a free drink?"
"She tries that crap all the time with me. I'm not her bitch."
"Sensitive much?" Andy replied, knowing full well that Brian liked Christine more than just as a friend.
"Hey, lay off, I'm your manager, I could fire your ass."
"But you won't. You love me, come on, admit it," Andy teased.
"Whatever," Brian said, smiling. "You know, I really do owe you though. Working here is so much more bearable with a good friend. I'm just miffed that you're leaving in a few hours, and I'm stuck here until tonight."
"I thought you said something a while back about wanting to quit?"
"I was going to, especially if Christine actually said yes, I'd have had real reason to then. But she didn't, and then I got offered a raise with the manager position, and then you decided to work here. I guess fate really wants me to stay here."
"It's kind of funny how life works like that sometimes. When life gives you lemons… make coffee!"
Brian laughed awkwardly at the awful joke. "You know, with Lee and Helga bound to hit it off, and Christine too occupied recently with Garret, I'm kind of severely lacking in the friends department."
"They're just busier, that's all. They're still friends. If it helps, I'm in the same boat. At least you don't have half the school with a vendetta against you. My ability to make more friends at this school is kind of limited."
"My mouth kind of has the same effect on people. But, hey, why complain, the friends I've got are the best in the world, who could ask for more than that?"
"Damned straight," Andy agreed, getting each of them a 'tall' latte to toast with. "A toast to friends that… uh… lend a helping hand when you get your face beat into the pavement."
"A toast to friends who work in a coffee hell-hole so they can so they can spend time with someone of my wonderful charisma and sense of humor."
They clinked paper cups, downing as much of the hot drink as they could without burning themselves.
--
"Brian, Andy, you guys have tonight off, right?" Christine asked hopefully, a childish gleam in her eyes.
"What if we don't…" Brian asked coyly, stopping when he saw a lethal look flash across her face. "Fine, we do. Why?"
"Oh, I'm so glad! Garret managed to find us a gig to sing at a local club. Nothing huge, he's agreed to accompany me on his guitar for a few songs, and you two can get in for free!"
Andy face fell, but nodded, accepting Christine's offer. "It sounds like a blast. We'll be there."
"Thank you!" She yelled, jumping with excitement. "I keep trying to tell myself that it's no big deal, but fuck that, it's a big deal to me!"
"it sounds like a blast," Brian mocked, once Christine was out of earshot. "I guess she didn't see the look on your face. What's wrong?"
"Oh, it's nothing, I guess I still can't help but be a little bit jealous. Garret used to sing with me."
Brian laughed, slapping his new friend on the back. "If we're lucky, they'll suck together. I don't think I could stomach anything that would make them even more lovey-dovey than they already are."
"Sorry to disappoint you. I've never heard Christine sing, but Garret can play anything with strings on it, and his voice…" Andy sighed, wiping the useless memories from the front of his thoughts. "Don't let me spoil it for you though, you'll hear it tonight. Christine must be really good, I remember Garret talking about her from chorus, way back when."
A few hours and a change of clothes later, the pair were sitting at a table right in front of the small stage, waiting for their friends to start. The couple approached the stage, Christine looking nervous at first, but seeing her friends there supporting her quickly calmed her down.
A single song crushed any doubt that the duo would do badly. Her voice started clearly and unwavering, emboldened by Garret's guitar and vocal accompaniment. The song finished, a resounding applause filling Christine with confidence. Brian and Andy gave Christine a hug after the night was over, practically covering her with words of praise.
"Guys, no, really, you should be cheering for Garret. This entire thing was his idea; he set it up, everything. I just sang."
Brian smiled. He had to hand it to Garret, he was almost okay with this arrangement. Seeing Christine this happy almost made it worth it. He looked over at Andy, looking straight through his strained smile. Andy never was any good at hiding his emotions. He looked to be getting more uncomfortable with each passing minute.
"Guys, I think I need to be taking Andy home, congratulations again Christine, Garret, we'll see you guys soon."
--
"Corey, I'm back early!" Brian yelled happily, locking the door behind him. He was ecstatic that his obligatory date with Abigail had to be cancelled. She claimed that she had to study, but he knew that it was more likely that she just didn't want to have anything to do with him out of the public eye. Which suited Brian just fine.
Brian raised an eyebrow, hearing an unfamiliar melody on what sounded like an acoustic guitar. It was too organic to be coming from a recording, it had to be live. He took a quick peek into the main kitchen before heading upstairs, the sound of the guitar getting stronger with each step he took towards Corey's room.
He peeked in, pleasantly surprised to see that Corey was relaxed on the couch, lazily playing a tune that Brian didn't recognize, but sounded familiar nevertheless.
"You suck at sneaking," Corey called, despite the fact that his back was to the door. "Get in here."
"Since when could you play? You're not bad," Brian said, closing the door behind him before taking a
spot on the opposite side of the couch, watching Corey's fingers move.
"Honestly? A few years, maybe, I don't really remember. Ha, I only learned how to play so I could get the more… musically inclined girls in my bed easier. You'd be surprised how many girls'll drop their underwear over a song I supposedly wrote just for them," he quipped, not really paying attention, still focused on the song he was playing from memory.
Brian grimaced, hating it when Corey brought up his less than savory past. He didn't like talking about the past, neither of theirs. But he did relish the honesty between them. "You wrote that song? Does it have a name?"
"It had plenty over the months I used it. Depended on the girl. I usually just named it after them. Wait, there was one guy that I played this for last summer. He was a bigger slut than I was though. It didn't take much coaxing. Probably wanted it a lot more than I did. They usually do."
Brian frowned. He knew that Corey wasn't playing his song or bringing up his past to gloat. He was doing it so that he could come to terms with it. He got up off the couch, and plucked the guitar from Corey's arms, causing him to utter a short "hey" in surprise. Brian put it carefully down on the floor beside them and pulled Corey in for an embrace. There was nothing sexual about the gesture; he just wanted to show that he was there for him, no matter what.
Corey relaxed into his arms, his face nestled into Brian's neck. Brian could feel a wet spot forming through his shirt, and he sat them both down on the couch, still locked in an embrace, and he did his best to calm him down. He knew there were only a few things that could get Corey to break down like this. Actually, there was only one thing, or person, rather. Him.
"Brian…" Corey whispered, looking up to face him, his eyes red and his voice raspy from the short crying spell. He pushed himself out of the embrace so that he could comfortably rest on top of him, using Brian's chest like a pillow. "I'm sorry for being like this right now. I always get like this whenever you're away with Abigail, but you usually get home later, I'm better by then."
Freak Page 17