Bind
It’s Christmas morning, and we’re all making a ruckus in the cabin.
Well, everyone except my grandma.
She’s currently spiking her apple juice with whiskey, smiling away to herself.
“Merry Christmas!” She tells us.
Everyone else look at her.
“Mom, isn’t it a little early to drink?”
“Early for who, pussycat? I have to spend the rest of the day with you yahoos and my favorite grandchild!” My grandma says.
That stroke really made her into a feisty feistier old woman, and I love it.
I hope I can be as feisty as her, without having a stroke.
“Okay.” My mom says slowly, dismissing the thought. “Everyone, here’s the schedule for today. Flash and Gwen will be in the kitchen with me, babe, we need some firewood, so could you please-”
“On it!” My daddy says.
“Thanks.” She says as she pecks his cheek as he leaves the kitchen. “Mom.”
My grandma looks up from her drink.
“Do whatever you want.” My mom says waving her off.
Delores simply scoffs and walks away.
“Harry and Max?”
“Yes, mom?”
“I left some warms jackets and stuff by the back door, so you two, get out of here and have some fun for a little bit.”
“Awesome. Thanks!” Peter exclaims.
“Presents are at 4 and dinner as at 7.” My mom concludes.
We all scurry off.
♂
“Peter?”
“Yeah?” Peter responds as he puts on a thick winter coat.
“I’m sorry if I got all personal on you last night. That wasn’t my intention at all.” I tell him as I put my jacket on. “I-”
He isn’t paying attention.
I turn around and see something interesting.
More like someone doing something interesting.
It’s Flash doing some yoga moves that he most likely learned from Gwen, and Peter is actually checking him out.
Well damn!
I didn’t expect that at all.
“Peter.” I say, snapping him out of his daydream.
“What?” Peter says, completely distracted.
“Nothing.”
“What?” Peter asks, confused.
“Nothing. You’re checking out my friend, which is interesting.” I say. “He’s flexible from what I’ve seen, he’s in shape and he’s a fun loving guy.”
“Limber he is.” Peter agrees in a sensual tone.
I only sigh.
“Wait, are you jealous?”
“Why would I have to be jealous?” I ask him.
“Because you sound jealous.” He says.
“Am not.” I tell him.
♂
“Are too!” He says as we are trudging through the snow.
“Am not!”
“Are too!”
“Am not!” I say as we are crossing a small wooden bridge that led to our patio in the back.
♂
We are currently playing hockey, but our hockey sticks keep on hitting each other instead of the puck.
“Do rich kids even play hockey?” He asks me sassily.
“I played my fair share.” I respond.
“Well, I played with one of my next door neighbors, and I am proud to admit that I wiped the floor with her.”
He finally gets the puck in his possession, but I quickly regain the puck and shoot it in the net.
This goes on for a good half an hour or so, and I won the game.
“I gotta hand it to you, Pete. You’re pretty scrappy.” I sass.
“You know what? I think you’ve had enough hockey for today.” He says, skating away.
I simply laugh at him as I spot him pouting.
♂
“So, what do you do for fun?” Peter asks me as we are walking around in the snow.
“Fun?”
“Yeah. Fun?”
“I really love to paint.” I tell him.
“What kind of paint?”
“Portraits mostly.” I say as we are now walking around the compound. “I love the post-impressionists, which is a-”
“I know what it is.” He chuckles.
He doesn’t sound offended.
Thank God I didn’t offend him.
“So is your technique like Cezanne or Alice Neel?”
We stop walking and we turn to face each other.
“I LOVE Alice Neel!” I exclaim. “You know Alice Neel?!”
He leans forward.
I thought that he was going to kiss me because he was so close.
“You shouldn’t jump to conclusions.” He tells me before we start walking again.
“So what do you do besides research all things science?” I ask him.
“Study more science.” He tells me. “That’s all I ever wanted to do. I sucked at sports-”
“Obviously.” I tease.
He chuckles.
“I didn’t have a lot of friends. It was….a challenge.”
“What about your parents? How did they take it when you told them that you wanted to study science?”
“They would have been happy with it, especially my dad. Sadly they never got to see it happen. My parents died when I was little.” Peter tells me.
I stop walking.
“Wow!” I exclaim. “I am so, deeply sorry for your loss.” I say. “But I thought that you said that your parent’s bought you your first house?”
“No, that was you.” He reminds me.
Damn.
I guess I did assume things.
“I ended up living with my aunt May and uncle Ben. Now, it’s just aunt May and I that keep in touch with each other since my uncle Ben died years ago.”
“I am sorry for your loss.” I tell him again.
Poor fellow can’t catch a break.
First his parents, then his uncle?
That must have been rough!
“Thanks.” He tells me. “I learned at a certain age that we we're on our own. I had to work my way through college to keep my scholarships, and it wasn’t easy. I had to do it for myself and for my aunt May. I hope my parents and uncle are proud of me.”
I take his hand in mine.
Whoa!
I actually felt electricity run through my body!!!
“Wherever they are, I assure you that they are very proud of you.” I tell him.
“How do you know?” He asks me.
“Because you are living out your dreams, on you own terms, with you aunt May pushing you to do your best.”
“Thanks, Harry.”
♂
We are currently in one of the warm rooms back at the cabin, playing chess.
Peter is waiting as I make a move.
“Would you go please?” He asks impatiently as I still haven’t made a move yet.
“Don’t rush me, Brown Eyes.” I sass.
I move a pawn forward, then move it back.
I am about to move another piece but then I put it back.
“Oh, for the love of God!” He says impatiently.
I finally move a piece.
He moves one of his pieces.
“Checkmate!” He says.
I’m in shock.
Someone other than my parents actually beat me in chess.
“Aww, that’s too bad. Making a move like that must be killing you.” He taunts.
I’m about to grab my piece back when he grabs my wrist.
“Oops!” He says as he is causing me to whack my own self with my hand.
“Why are you hitting yourself? Why you hitting yourself?” He asks playfully before grabbing my hand, this time making me hit my own cheeks. “Harry, I think you should stop hitting yourself.”
“Stop it!” I laugh loudly.
“Oh my gosh, Harry! I think your going nuts!” He teases as I am laughing my head off.
“You two are gonna work up a big appetite if you don't stop soon!” My daddy tells out from somewhere.
Peter lets go of my hands.
“Peter, I didn’t mean to do that.” I say, still laughing.
“But you did it!” He argues with a smile on his face. “It’s done.”
“It was a mistake.” I tell him.
“You can’t take something back once it’s already done.”
I stare at him and give him my best puppy dog look.
“Even when you realize right away that you were dead wrong and you’re truly sorry about it?”
He simply looks at me and tries not to laugh as I am still sporting my puppy dog look.
“Fine.” He relents, smiling at me. “But just know, you’re a cheater.”
I smile and take the chess piece from his hand.
“Cheater.” He says with a smile in his voice.
I smile at him.
And for an added bonus to my move, I grab an Oreo from a plate and purposefully twist it.
“Ohh, the humanity! Twisting an Oreo!” He says “dramatically” as he looks at me. “I’m gonna go get some more milk for these.”
“Ok, Brown Eyes.”