I'm a Johnny Depp fan. Can you tell? No? No matter, then. Onto the story.

Lip Balm

…

Endora. Describing Endora is like dancing to no music. It's a town where nothing much ever happens and nothing much ever will. Endora is just Endora now, shrinking in the horizon.

Gilbert Grape sat comfortably on the leathery surface of the chairs, staring intently out of the dirt smudged windows as the vehicle jerked on the gritty road. There was Endora. There was Amy, and Ellen, Tucker and Mr. Lamson. There was Momma, all of them shrinking in the distance. All specks of dust that matched the dirt road and the gravel. He raised a hand, hesitating before waving it good bye.

Endora. Endora.

"No, not good bye, Gilbert," Arnie said next to him, patting Gilbert on the back with that familiar lopsided grin. "It's good night. Goodnight Endora."

…

One year later…

I'm happy here, Gilbert thought to himself, settling down comfortably on the grass. Arnie sat a few feet away from him, digging happily into a plate of potato salad. My brother Arnie is about to turn twenty. Twenty…I think he's happy here. I can hear him laughing in the background, chasing the butterflies and climbing the trees. His birthday is coming around soon, and Becky and I are planning on a surprise party. Becky…she's so beautiful."

"Gilbert," Becky said, interrupting his thoughts with a slight grin. "Gilbert, are you there?"

Gilbert Grape twisted his head around, nodding and smiling reassuringly. He saw Arnie run towards a gnarled tree, climbing it in a nimble fashion, and sitting comfortably on a large branch. His face was smudged with forgotten marks of dirt and dust, an ant crawled up from the bark of the tree onto his hand.

"Are you thinking about something?" Becky asked. Again that smile. "What was it?"

"Endora," Gilbert said simply, and then paused before continuing. "Arnie. Birthdays…You."

Gilbert gazed at her for a second, blinking as the flies buzzed lazily around his eyes and ears. Jumping out of his thoughts once more, he lied back, resting his elbows on the soil underneath him. He felt a twig snap below his weight and looked up once more at Becky. Again, that smile.

"Tell me what you want as fast as it comes to you," Becky asked. Gilbert remembered this question quite clearly in his head, the question that had troubled his mind. He didn't want anything. He didn't want nothing. He wanted everything, nothing. Nothing. Everything. Nothing. Everything. So much it was so little. Nothing. Nothing. EVERYTHING.

"I…I want a good party for Arnie. I want…I want to buy you that new summer dress you wanted. I want Endora," Gilbert said quickly, avoiding eye contact. Peeking up from the grass blade that looked ever so interesting only a few moments ago, he met Becky's gaze. "I want Arnie's party to be in Endora."

Becky opened her mouth to speak and clamped it shut again. Without a word, she bobbed her head and pointed towards the sky as if it were to answer.

Paints of violets and gold cascaded and melted down to the earth like a mass of shooting stars, and hit the soil and the glistening lake in a matter of minutes. The sunset was magnificent, as it always was on the open road.

"We should probably start cleaning up," Becky said, picking up the scattered crumbs on the red picnic table and throwing them on the ground for the ants to feast.

"Where's Arnie?" a voice echoed from behind them. "Say it, where's Arnie?"

Becky and Gilbert exchanged smiles as they placed a hand over their eyes and looked in the opposite direction of the gnarled tree. Shrieks of happiness echoed from behind them, and following came a few loud claps.

"I wonder where he could be."

…

Review, please. :] Next chapter soon. I am only updating two stories as of current times.