Pleasantries - Chapter 3, Part 2
Navigation
I ndex
Chapter 2
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Chapter 3
Part 2
Part 3
Part 4
Part 5
Part 6
Part 7
* * *
If you haven't already please read: The Future Of Pleasantries
Continued from Part 1
Everyone remembers the warnings right? Good ...
Pleasantries - Chapter 3 - Grunt Work- Part 2
3:05 AM Sunday, April 13
Tapping at the window roused Lilith from a sound sleep. She sat up blinking, not quite believing she was seeing what she thought she was.
A few moments later she turned back from closing the window glaring at her visitor. “What the hell Dustin?”
“Whoa! Truce!” Dustin held up his hands to ward off her anger, “I didn’t know who else to go to.”
Lilith considered him for a moment before giving a resigned sigh.
“Explain,” she insisted, sinking down on the bed.
“It’s kind of a long story,” Dustin admitted, “but I was sort of hoping you could help me understand what goes on around here. Help me see things from Ang’s point of view.”
Lilith snorted, “That is also a long story. What happened?”
“I’m losing her, Lil.” he said miserably sinking down on the bed beside her.
“Serious?”
Dustin nodded, “Officially on a break.”
They sat in silence for a moment before Lilith spoke again, “You know I hate you right?”
“You aren’t my favourite person either.”
“You work tomorrow?”
“Yeah,” Dustin nodded.
“When is your next day off?”
“Thursday.”
“Meet me for coffee Thursday after school and we’ll talk,” Lilith sighed, “Maybe by then I will have figured out why I am even thinking about helping you.”
“Thanks, Lil,” Dustin smiled, getting to his feet and heading back toward the window, “You’re the best.”
“I still hate you,” Lilith countered, “Plus, I’m tired and will agree to just about anything to get you out of my room.”
“I know.”
* * *
8:30 AM Sunday, April 13
Ripp stood, fidgeting anxiously, in front of the mall. It had finally happened. He was sure of it. The more he thought about it the more certain he was. He had gone completely mental and he was happy about it.
His first clue had been staying awake all night staring at the ceiling planning out how to follow his father’s orders to the letter in a way that was sure to be exactly the opposite of what the man was expecting. Following that up by calling Telesto and asking to meet him here as soon as it had been a reasonable hour to make the call had just cinched the deal.
“You summoned and here I am,” Telesto announced.
Spinning around, startled, Ripp realized too late the Alien was closer than he’d thought. He hadn’t heard the other boy approaching.
“Hi,” he managed his voice a breathless squeak. Well shit. No one had any business looking that kissable this early on a Sunday.
“What’s up?” Telesto asked with a small smile.
Ripp took a step back, his gaze shifting to the sidewalk, “I need your help … again.”
“Sure!” Telesto agreed immediately, “What are we doing?”
Ripp snapped his head up. He hadn’t expected Tel to agree that easily, at least not without knowing what he was agreeing to.
“I got into a fight with my Dad last night,” Ripp explained hesitantly.
“Because you were late getting home?”
Ripp nodded.
“Shit,” Telesto sighed, “I’m sorry.”
“Nah,” Ripp shrugged, “Don’t worry about it. He got bitchy and now he says I need to get a hair cut.”
Telesto continued to stare at him for a moment before answering, “What did you have in mind?”
“Knowing my Dad,” Ripp hesitated. This was the big step, the point where there was no going back, “he’s thinking buzz-cut or really short at least but he didn’t actually say it …”
“And you are thinking something else entirely.” Telesto grinned.
Ripp nodded, “I am. So can you help?”
“Parental defiance,” Telesto chuckled, “I can definitely help with that.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, Ripp smiled, “Thanks.”
“Hey, that’s what friends are for right?” Telesto shrugged, leading the way toward the mall entrance.
“Are they also, maybe, for shopping?” Ripp asked hopefully falling into step beside the Alien.
“Shopping?”
Ripp nodded, “While I am pissing him off I might as well go all the way.”
Telesto gave him a quick once over, “Not your style then?”
“Not really, no.”
“I’m kind of excited to find out what is.”
Ripp shrugged, “So am I.”
* * *
10:30 AM Sunday, April 13
Drumming his fingers against the wall of the phone booth Nate scowled. He didn’t need this. He was doing just fine. All things considered he was doing better than fine.
The man behind the counter shot him a suspicious look again, “You alright over there?”
“I’m fine,” Nate snapped.
Glancing down at his shaking hands he swore softly. He wasn’t fine. He wasn’t fine and Anto had seen it. Anto had seen it before Nate even knew it himself.
His scowl intensifying he reached for the phone, cursing his trembling hand as he lifted the receiver.
Fucking Anto.
He didn’t need to dig into his pocket for the number. He’d spent the last two days staring at the slip of paper. He’d been staring at it since Anto gave it to him, clinging to it like the life line he knew it was.
God damn Anto.
He took a deep breath as the line was answered on the second ring. He missed the greeting, not that it would have mattered, he wouldn’t have remembered the name of the place anyway.
“Yeah, uh, I was told to call you,” he stammered out, pausing again to get his unsteady voice under control, “Anto told me to call you. Anto Nakai.”
* * *
12:00 PM Sunday, April 13
With a soft rustle of plastic and a faint satisfying thump the bag containing his former clothes landed in the bottom of the trash can.
Ripp smiled. That had felt good. Also a little scary, actually a lot scary. No way Buzz was going to be happy about this. He wasn’t going to change his mind now though, not after Tel had been so awesome about the whole thing.
Tel really had been awesome, he mused, his smile widening as he made his way out of the washroom. The Alien had made suggestions and offered input, but only when Ripp had asked him. The rest of the time he’d merely sat back beaming happily and nodding encouragement. Ripp appreciated that, he wasn’t used to making his own choices, deciding things for himself. It would have been so very easy to just turn all the decisions over to Telesto, trusting that the other boy knew what he was doing. He’d even tried to do just that once or twice.
Telesto hadn’t let him.
“Holy shit!”
Ripp stopped short just outside the door at the sound of Telesto’s startled exclamation.
“What?” he asked glancing nervously down at himself. Nothing was on inside out, everything was buttoned up. Maybe the colour was wrong? Tel would notice something like that.
“Turn around,” Telesto insisted pushing off from the wall.
Ripp turned, frowning, “Tel? What’s wrong?”
“Not a thing.”
Ripp turned back around to meet sparkling eyes caught somewhere between blue and green with just a hint of purple as well. He marvelled at that for a moment. How was it he had never noticed Telesto’s eyes changed colour like that? He’d noticed when they seemed to glow, but the colour was new. It was also incredibly, ridiculously, amazingly hot.
“Except if I’d known that was what you were hiding under those horrible jeans and hideous t-shirt,” Telesto smirked snapping Ripp out of his musing, “I would have removed you from them a long time ago.”
Ripp’s eyes went wide. Innuendo was bad. Unintentional innuendo was worse. Not that he would object, but he really doubted Tel actually wanted to remove his clothes. The images that idea conjured up were well worth pursuing though. At a later time, a much later, not so public time.
“You really needed a wardrobe change, my friend,” Telesto went on, oblivious to Ripp’s internal struggle, “Not that I am looking forward to the competition, but I wouldn’t deny the girls their eye candy either.”
Ripp snorted at that, “Wow. Ego.”
Telesto shrugged, “Hey, I know I’m pretty.”
Ripp cocked his head, “That’s funny. Tank said the same thing last night.”
“Tank said I was pretty?” Telesto asked barely managing to hide a shudder, “As in your brother? The brainless wonder?”
“That would be the one.”
Telesto’s brows shot up, “Is he gay?”
Ripp shook his head, “Nah, he was trying to piss me off.”
“Why would that piss you off?” Telesto wondered.
“That’s kind of hard to explain. You hungry?”
“Kind of, yeah.”
“Come on,” Ripp urged, leading the way to the food court, “I think I at least owe you lunch by now.”
“You don’t owe me lunch,” Telesto countered, “I had fun.”
“Tel, you could have fun at an insurance seminar.”
“I could! All part of my charm, it goes with being pretty.”
“If you say so.”
“What is that supposed to mean?” Telesto demanded.
Ripp turned, grinning, still walking backward through the mall, “It means there are two bottles of conditioner and a hair dryer on your dresser and a stack of fashion magazines sitting on your desk. You work very hard at being pretty.”
Telesto’s mouth fell open in shock.
“I watch,” Ripp shrugged, “You figured that out yourself. So you like to look good and you work at it, big deal. At worst that means you are egotistical and a little cocky. That is part of your charm.”
Telesto shook his head, still stunned, “Now you do owe me lunch,” he said taking a few cautious steps to catch up with the other boy, “Pizza.”
“I can do Pizza,” Ripp nodded falling back into step with the Alien once he’d caught up.
They walked in silence for a moment before Telesto spoke again, “Egotistical? Really?”
Ripp nodded, “Part of your charm.”
Telesto shook his head, puzzled, “Weird.”
“So is confidence,” Ripp added, “Don’t go losing that on me.”
“I’ll do my best, but you have to stop using that noticing shit thing against me. It’s creepy.”
* * *
2:00 PM Sunday, April 13
Ripp had barely made it through the door when Tank stopped him.
“What the fuck are you wearing?” Tank demanded.
Rolling his eyes Ripp shook his head, “They are called clothes.”
“You think you’re pretty funny,” Tank snarled, “Won’t be so funny when Dad finds out will it?”
“When I find out what?” Buzz asked joining them from the kitchen.
“You’re in shit now,” Tank smirked stepping out of the way of Buzz’s view of Ripp.
Ripp stood frozen as his father slowly advanced toward him, face expressionless.
“Explain yourself,” Buzz said quietly coming to a stop before Ripp.
Ripp swallowed a wave of fear, “I went shopping, Sir.”
“And what exactly happened to your head?”
“Hair cut, Sir, like you told me.”
Buzz pinned him with a cold stare, “That is not acceptable.”
Ripp started to nod agreement, opening his mouth to apologize and promise to immediately fix his mistake when the image of sparkling blue-green eyes regarding him approvingly flashed through his mind.
“Not to you,” he countered.
“I beg your pardon?” Buzz looked slightly stunned.
“I said; not to you,” Ripp repeated slowly, carefully enunciating each word, “It is not your choice to make though is it? … Sir.”
Buzz clenched his hands into fists at his sides, a cold smile curling his lips, “I’m curious,” he hissed, “Who’s choice do you believe it is?”
Inwardly Ripp was trembling. He refused to back down though. Not this time.
“Mine,” he stated emphatically, “And I made it.”
“Wrong answer,” Buzz smiled his tone icy.
Catching sight of Buzz raising his arm Ripp closed his eyes, bracing himself. This was going to be bad.
* * *
On to Part 3.
Yeah, eventually. I need to reinstall the game and possibly take my computer in to get the motherboard replaced which it desperately needs (I am kind of trying to avoid that because they will take FOREVER! But you know, warranty ...) And I have some other projects that I need to get out of the way (I am told that there is desperate need for whipped and beaten Sims in the very near future ... this intrigues me). So while I am hoping it won't be too long, it might be. Keep your fingers crossed for my motherboard.
Oh also, credit I forgot in the last update. This chapter wouldn't even exist without this song. Seriously. You have no idea.