Love and War

Chapter Fourteen: Invisible Boys

Friday March the 19th

Ryan Gabriel Tramblay

      It was the last Friday before March break. After this Hunter and I could finally sleep for a whole week without worrying about Brett and his horrible friends.

      "We should buy some Sweet Chili heat Doritos to celebrate!" Hunter cheered. He grabbed my shoulder and squeezed it tightly as if the extreme pressure he was exerting on my shoulder was an indicter of the extreme happiness that he was feeling. "A week without Brett? Count me in!"

     "I actually like Sweet Chili Heat Doritos. I thought it was a stupid combination but it was soo good. It has the perfect balance of spiciness and flavour." I said with a smile. “Well actually, it sets my mouth on fire but it’s worth it.”

      It was the end of the day and Hunter and I were making our way toward the portables where Holiday's math class was. "See? Mixes are good!" Hunter cried. "Like Canadians and Egyptians," Hunter said with a smirk. "Or like French people and Germans. Or like Nadia and me."

     "You like Nadia El Hassar? Isn't she a little-" I circled the air around my ear with my index finger and Hunter giggled like a nine year old girl. Nadia liked to put her hair into buns, wear fuschia lipstick and wear crazy clothes.

      "I like freaky girls. The freaky ones are the best." Hunter swivelled his head around on his neck like a girl with sass. We both laughed.

      Holiday exited the portable and my heartbeat sped up. He looked so good in his black Bench. jacket, his cyan hair messed artfully, and one snakebite dotting his lip. He turned to me and smiled brightly at me.

      "Is this the guy you're dating?" Hunter whispered. I nodded vigorously like a bobble head on the dashboard of a jolty car.

      "Hey Ryan. Hello Ryan's friend," Holiday said.

      "This is Hunter, my best friend." I hadn't even thought about the words when I said it. Hunter was my only friend anyway, and when you only have one friend to concentrate on instead of two, you become friends faster. It’s like painting one picture instead of two. “Hunter, this is Holiday. My special friend.” When I said that we all giggled.

      Hunter held out his hand and did a complicated but awesome handshake with Holiday that I wondered how they both knew. They did a high five with their hands laid out horizontally and then slid their hands across each other. Just when their hands were about to come apart they bent their fingers and locked their hands together. Then they released their hands.    

      “You’re Archer’s little brother aren’t you?” Holiday said sizing up Hunter. “I would have never guessed it but you two have the same nose,” said Holiday. He had a rather high nose with a pinched bridge.

     “I never pegged you for the multi-coloured hair type, Ryan,” Hunter said with a chuckle.

     “I never knew you guys could handshake like that,” I countered.

     “Do you guys want a ride? I don’t mind,” Holiday offered kindly. He pressed a button on his car keys and the trunk of the car popped open. Gladly Hunter and I threw our bags into the gaping maw of the trunk and then we slid into the backseat. I would have sat with Holiday in the front seat, but I didn’t want to make Hunter feel like a third wheel.

      “Hunter, are you the friend that was there when Ryan bombed that Brett guy?” Holiday asked s he cruised through the parking lot. He turned on the radio and a Metric’s song Stadium Love wafted through the car.