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Author's Notes and The Like for Chapter 2: Wow, it's been almost a year since I've added on to this. x_o.; I have the basic ideas for this story, but I can't connect the different parts. -_-.; Anyway, this part's really short because I still have horrible writer's block. And because I'm tired. x_x.;
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WARNINGS: Same as Chapter 1 for the most part. This one starts to deal with Joey's sexuality, and there's also a little couch humor to make up for how stupidly serious I've been trying to make this. Vinyl couches are satanic.
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It was early, about 7:00 in the morning, and no one else was up yet. Joey picked up the old phone in the kitchen, and slowly dialed the number for the place where his mother worked. He wasn't sure of exactly what the company she worked for did, but that didn't seem to matter. He waited as the phone went on ringing at the other end. After the eleventh ring, he was ready to hang up, but just then someone picked it up.
"Hello?" came the voice over the phone.
"Oh!" He cleared his throat. "Could I speak to Virginia Murdock, please?"
"Who is this?"
"Joey."
"Oh." The voice sounded a little disgusted by the memory of him. "Please hold for a minute."
Several of the stated minutes went by. Joey started to wonder if she'd even gone to get his mother, or if she'd just decided to leave him on hold. He chewed on his thumbnail. Damn, he needed a smoke.
He heard the phone pick up. There was a cough (apparently she'd been having the same thoughts), then, "Joey?"
"Yeah. Hey, Mom, I don't know if you noticed I wasn't home last night or the night before..." He trailed off, hoping for an answer. Pause. "....Mom?"
"Oh! I'm sorry, honey, I didn't realize you wanted an answer....." She sounded very tired. "No, it.. I've been getting home pretty late..."
- even though i know -
He sighed. "Okay, well, I'm going to be staying with a friend for a while, all right? Like.... I don't know. A while. I thought you'd like to know. In case you were worried or anything."
There was another long pause. "What did he do to you this time?"
"Don't worry about it. Just... yeah. I'm... I'm gonna go now."
"All right..." There was a sigh. "Well, thank you for calling."
Joey frowned to himself as he hung up. He didn't really have any idea what he was going to do. Besides, he couldn't stay here forever. It's not like they had invited him there in the first place. Looking up, he saw T.K. standing in the doorway. "Oh... hi."
"Hey," she said, yawning. "You're up a little earlier than usual, huh?"
Joey nodded. "Yeah, I had to make a phone call..."
"Yep, that's generally what using the phone means." T.K. smiled and sat down on the vinyl couch. "Sooo, how long have you had a crush on my brother?"
Joey choked. "What?!"
T.K. tilted her head to the side. "Anyone with any insight can tell... You're fairly obvious, dear. Always following him around, doing whatever he wants, gazing at him and hanging on his every word..."
- i suppose i'll show -
"I... damn it." Joey shook his head violently; he could tell he was blushing. This was a subject he tried to think about as little as possible. "Harley... he doesn't... he doesn't know, does he?"
"I said anyone with any insight," T.K. laughed. "Of course he doesn't." She yawned and stretched her arms. "You two would be the cutest couple!"
Joey blinked. "Do you think I'd actually have a chance?"
"Well, to be honest...." she hesitated. "No." She poked at a hole from which the couch's innards were protruding. She knew that Harley didn't really approve of that kind of relationship. "I guess it probably wouldn't happen. But... well, there's sure to be other guys out there, eh?"
"Well, yeah, I guess." He wasn't really enjoying this conversation topic, as it made him feel rather awkward. He was always trying to ignore his feelings, rather than try to accept what he knew he was. (Although he had sort of known it since elementary school.) It wasn't anything to be proud of, that was for sure. In an attempt to change the subject, he asked (out of nowhere, it seemed), "So how old are you now?"
T.K. looked at him oddly. "Well, I'll be fourteen tomorrow." She didn't sound overly happy about it.
"Wow, fourteen already, huh? Heh, I remember back when I first met you! You had just turned eight!"
She looked away, frowning to herself. "Yeah, yeah, I remember it too." Turning back with a smile, she said, "Well, I guess we should get some breakfast, hmm?"
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Harley was disgusted. Oh, it wasn't like he'd meant to listen in on that, but being in the next room (which they apparently didn't know), he couldn't really help overhearing. Voices did carry, after all. But he really wished he hadn't heard. The thought of a guy liking him-- and not just any guy, but JOEY -- it was appalling. He wasn't sure who he was more disgusted with, Joey for being gay, or himself for being appealing to him. Whatever the case, he certainly wouldn't be sleeping in the same room with Joey again.
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Sixteen and a half hours later, Harley announced that he was going to go to bed, and when Joey started to follow him, he said that if Joey planned on staying longer, he'd really appreciate it if he would go change in the bathroom or something, and sleep in another room. Preferably on the couch. Yes, the vinyl one.
- all my cool and cold -
"...Oh! Yeah, sure, that's... that's fine." Joey forced a smile and one of his trademark horrible rat laughs, which he noticed made Harley cringe and turn away. Hell. Apparently, Harley wasn't as oblivious at they'd thought. Or else he'd heard their conversation. That was more likely. Joey hated himself. He always had been unnecessarily loud.
Harley opened the door of the hallway closet and pulled out an old Superman sheet from sometime in the late seventies, then tossed it to Joey. "There. There should be a pillow on the couch."
Hopelessly lost in the sheet which had landed on his head, Joey again started on a pointless spiel that no one wanted to hear. "Okay, thanks, Harley. You know, I don't really mind couches that much. And if you want me to leave, I understand that, and I mean, it's really nice of you to be letting me stay here in the first place, since I know we were never really that good of friends. This could be good for--" Finally finding the dim light at the end of the sheet, he realized that no one was there listening to him anyway.
Now that he rightfully felt like a moron (which wasn't anything new), Joey decided to try and get some sleep. He stared at the couch for a while, wondering if it was one of those couches that folded out into beds. Stare. No, it wasn't. There wasn't a pillow, either. The armrest would have to do. He was still in his clothes, too. He was afraid to ask Harley for that T-shirt again. Whatever. He was tired; it didn't really matter. He sighed to himself and sank down into the couch's torn vinyl cushions.
And REALLY sank. "Ack!" Joey tried to grab onto the armrest and pull himself out of the cushions of doom, while the couch was still dead set on engulfing him. His foot still stuck deep within the couch's organs, he managed to sort of squirm into a pathetic lying-down position. After a few minutes, the couch seemed to give up, and released his foot. Joey warily reached down and picked up the Superman sheet, then covered himself with it and moved to a more comfortable position to sleep. He laughed inwardly. He'd beaten the couch. Yes, indeed.
An hour or so later, Joey had begun to drift off to sleep. Hell, this old couch wasn't so bad once you tamed it.
Suddenly, the couch collapsed and he fell into its clutches again.
It was going to be a long night.
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// End notes: // And it's also going to be a long before I try to update again. x_x.; Though if I can ever get through T.K.'s birthday, it should be a lot easier after that. ^^. That means drunkenness and bad memories in the next episode. Whoo. -_-.; Review if you like, don't bother flaming.
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Author's Notes and The Like for Chapter 2: Wow, it's been almost a year since I've added on to this. x_o.; I have the basic ideas for this story, but I can't connect the different parts. -_-.; Anyway, this part's really short because I still have horrible writer's block. And because I'm tired. x_x.;
-------------------------------------------
WARNINGS: Same as Chapter 1 for the most part. This one starts to deal with Joey's sexuality, and there's also a little couch humor to make up for how stupidly serious I've been trying to make this. Vinyl couches are satanic.
-------------------------------------------
It was early, about 7:00 in the morning, and no one else was up yet. Joey picked up the old phone in the kitchen, and slowly dialed the number for the place where his mother worked. He wasn't sure of exactly what the company she worked for did, but that didn't seem to matter. He waited as the phone went on ringing at the other end. After the eleventh ring, he was ready to hang up, but just then someone picked it up.
"Hello?" came the voice over the phone.
"Oh!" He cleared his throat. "Could I speak to Virginia Murdock, please?"
"Who is this?"
"Joey."
"Oh." The voice sounded a little disgusted by the memory of him. "Please hold for a minute."
Several of the stated minutes went by. Joey started to wonder if she'd even gone to get his mother, or if she'd just decided to leave him on hold. He chewed on his thumbnail. Damn, he needed a smoke.
He heard the phone pick up. There was a cough (apparently she'd been having the same thoughts), then, "Joey?"
"Yeah. Hey, Mom, I don't know if you noticed I wasn't home last night or the night before..." He trailed off, hoping for an answer. Pause. "....Mom?"
"Oh! I'm sorry, honey, I didn't realize you wanted an answer....." She sounded very tired. "No, it.. I've been getting home pretty late..."
- even though i know -
He sighed. "Okay, well, I'm going to be staying with a friend for a while, all right? Like.... I don't know. A while. I thought you'd like to know. In case you were worried or anything."
There was another long pause. "What did he do to you this time?"
"Don't worry about it. Just... yeah. I'm... I'm gonna go now."
"All right..." There was a sigh. "Well, thank you for calling."
Joey frowned to himself as he hung up. He didn't really have any idea what he was going to do. Besides, he couldn't stay here forever. It's not like they had invited him there in the first place. Looking up, he saw T.K. standing in the doorway. "Oh... hi."
"Hey," she said, yawning. "You're up a little earlier than usual, huh?"
Joey nodded. "Yeah, I had to make a phone call..."
"Yep, that's generally what using the phone means." T.K. smiled and sat down on the vinyl couch. "Sooo, how long have you had a crush on my brother?"
Joey choked. "What?!"
T.K. tilted her head to the side. "Anyone with any insight can tell... You're fairly obvious, dear. Always following him around, doing whatever he wants, gazing at him and hanging on his every word..."
- i suppose i'll show -
"I... damn it." Joey shook his head violently; he could tell he was blushing. This was a subject he tried to think about as little as possible. "Harley... he doesn't... he doesn't know, does he?"
"I said anyone with any insight," T.K. laughed. "Of course he doesn't." She yawned and stretched her arms. "You two would be the cutest couple!"
Joey blinked. "Do you think I'd actually have a chance?"
"Well, to be honest...." she hesitated. "No." She poked at a hole from which the couch's innards were protruding. She knew that Harley didn't really approve of that kind of relationship. "I guess it probably wouldn't happen. But... well, there's sure to be other guys out there, eh?"
"Well, yeah, I guess." He wasn't really enjoying this conversation topic, as it made him feel rather awkward. He was always trying to ignore his feelings, rather than try to accept what he knew he was. (Although he had sort of known it since elementary school.) It wasn't anything to be proud of, that was for sure. In an attempt to change the subject, he asked (out of nowhere, it seemed), "So how old are you now?"
T.K. looked at him oddly. "Well, I'll be fourteen tomorrow." She didn't sound overly happy about it.
"Wow, fourteen already, huh? Heh, I remember back when I first met you! You had just turned eight!"
She looked away, frowning to herself. "Yeah, yeah, I remember it too." Turning back with a smile, she said, "Well, I guess we should get some breakfast, hmm?"
-------------------------------------------
Harley was disgusted. Oh, it wasn't like he'd meant to listen in on that, but being in the next room (which they apparently didn't know), he couldn't really help overhearing. Voices did carry, after all. But he really wished he hadn't heard. The thought of a guy liking him-- and not just any guy, but JOEY -- it was appalling. He wasn't sure who he was more disgusted with, Joey for being gay, or himself for being appealing to him. Whatever the case, he certainly wouldn't be sleeping in the same room with Joey again.
-------------------------------------------
Sixteen and a half hours later, Harley announced that he was going to go to bed, and when Joey started to follow him, he said that if Joey planned on staying longer, he'd really appreciate it if he would go change in the bathroom or something, and sleep in another room. Preferably on the couch. Yes, the vinyl one.
- all my cool and cold -
"...Oh! Yeah, sure, that's... that's fine." Joey forced a smile and one of his trademark horrible rat laughs, which he noticed made Harley cringe and turn away. Hell. Apparently, Harley wasn't as oblivious at they'd thought. Or else he'd heard their conversation. That was more likely. Joey hated himself. He always had been unnecessarily loud.
Harley opened the door of the hallway closet and pulled out an old Superman sheet from sometime in the late seventies, then tossed it to Joey. "There. There should be a pillow on the couch."
Hopelessly lost in the sheet which had landed on his head, Joey again started on a pointless spiel that no one wanted to hear. "Okay, thanks, Harley. You know, I don't really mind couches that much. And if you want me to leave, I understand that, and I mean, it's really nice of you to be letting me stay here in the first place, since I know we were never really that good of friends. This could be good for--" Finally finding the dim light at the end of the sheet, he realized that no one was there listening to him anyway.
Now that he rightfully felt like a moron (which wasn't anything new), Joey decided to try and get some sleep. He stared at the couch for a while, wondering if it was one of those couches that folded out into beds. Stare. No, it wasn't. There wasn't a pillow, either. The armrest would have to do. He was still in his clothes, too. He was afraid to ask Harley for that T-shirt again. Whatever. He was tired; it didn't really matter. He sighed to himself and sank down into the couch's torn vinyl cushions.
And REALLY sank. "Ack!" Joey tried to grab onto the armrest and pull himself out of the cushions of doom, while the couch was still dead set on engulfing him. His foot still stuck deep within the couch's organs, he managed to sort of squirm into a pathetic lying-down position. After a few minutes, the couch seemed to give up, and released his foot. Joey warily reached down and picked up the Superman sheet, then covered himself with it and moved to a more comfortable position to sleep. He laughed inwardly. He'd beaten the couch. Yes, indeed.
An hour or so later, Joey had begun to drift off to sleep. Hell, this old couch wasn't so bad once you tamed it.
Suddenly, the couch collapsed and he fell into its clutches again.
It was going to be a long night.
-------------------------------------------
// End notes: // And it's also going to be a long before I try to update again. x_x.; Though if I can ever get through T.K.'s birthday, it should be a lot easier after that. ^^. That means drunkenness and bad memories in the next episode. Whoo. -_-.; Review if you like, don't bother flaming.
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