The roles in their friendship were pretty defined. Edward was the one who got people more, he was the one with more practical life skills - especially since shucking corn and whatever the hell 'haying' was certainly wasn't something that had a lot of application in the city - and he was the one who kept an eye on the time when they were in the library, because Jonathan forgot the world around him when he had a book.
Unfortunately, Edward had been working on a computer programme, making some real progress, and so he had lost track himself. It was darker than it should be by the time he realised and then he had to find Jonathan, not surprised to see him curled up on the floor, leaning against a bookcase. He crouched down next to his friend, shaking his shoulder. "Jon. Jon, come on. Getting late."
"What? It's not that late. Is it?" Jonathan frowned and looked up from his book, reluctant to move from where he was. He was very comfortable, he was in a safe little ball and no one had been down these aisle for a long time - it was basically ideal. He'd live here if he could. Gazing out of the window at the dark sky, Jonathan sighed reluctantly and debated how much they had to get going.
It was cold, dark and rainy and he was so comfortable. "When does the library even close?" Couldn't they just stay longer? His dad would be pissed but like he cared, he would rather be anywhere else.
"It closes at eight. Now get your bony butt off the ground, I'm not getting into trouble over this." Damn. Edward hated when it showed so clearly that the fear he had of his father and the inevitably beatings stopped him from doing what he'd want to do. Made him feel weak, pathetic. One day he'd not be afraid of him any more. One day he'd actually be as defiant as he pretended to be when mouthing off to him. It was all a matter of mind over emotions.
He pushed the thought aside for now, holding a hand out to help Jonathan up. "Come on. I may be able to get us some dinner on the way back."
"You're scared to be late. Intriguing." Jonathan always found it interesting when Edward got panicked or scared, it was just a part of his life and it was always fun to see it in the outside world. He took Edward's hand and hauled himself up, reluctantly putting his book back because he didn't fancy trying to lug it home in the rain. He'd just finish it next time. "Is it a want to be punctual or is it something more simple - something like what is lurking at home."
A feeling he knew all too well. Only he would rather the consequences, it didn't vary much on if he was good or bad so he didn't have fear for staying out. "My parents never seem to notice until they need me."
"Well, I'm the errand boy, so he notices when the booze runs out or he's hungry." So, generally speaking 'dinner time' was a good goal for being home. Not that he wanted to be home. "You know what it is, Jon. Don't act obtuse."
It didn't freak him out when Jonathan got like this, although he understood why it bothered others, but it did annoy him. For the simple reason that he hated his own weakness when it came to how he felt about his father and he didn't need it rubbed in. "I like to save myself some trouble at times. Sue me. Come on, let's get going."
"Fine, let's go." Jonathan walked alongside Edward, resisting the urge to push more. He knew Edward didn't take his crap so he might just get mad and storm off but either way, it was tempting. "We can definitely get back in time, don't worry yourself. It just gets darker earlier in winter, doesn't mean it's late." They wouldn't be out too long anyway, they lived close and ate fast - they'd be fine.
"My dad is doing some ... fieldwork today, I think, so that means I probably won't see him. Might actually be an alright evening." Maybe he could sit in his room and read without disturbance.
"My old man doesn't leave the place much these days. Between jobs." Or whatever. He was sure eventually he'd have some scumbag friend come knocking with a hare-brained scheme, bur for now it just meant having to suffer the drunk fool at all hours whenever he was home.
What Jonathan's father got up to, that was a lot more intriguing. Edward connected all the information he got about that, like pieces of a puzzle, slowly putting it together. "Your father will stay out all night then?"
"Probably. I know when he needs a sample and some data collection, he's got one thing on his mind so I doubt he's going to be around until he has it." He said he wanted ten new subjects to respond to his treatment today and Jonathan had a horrible feeling in his stomach, just remembering what it was like to take it. He had it two days ago and he was still a bit jittery insane - he couldn't seem to shift the anxiety. He looked at Edward and met his eyes, coming to a slow stop. "Don't go out tonight, Ed. No matter what. After you get the stuff for your dad, lock the doors."
He didn't want to tell Edward what was going on, he never really said much about himself but the very idea of his father stumbling upon Edward... that was scary. He would ruin Edward. "It's gonna be bad weather so... stay in."
"...I do hate when it rains through my door, so sure. I'll lock it." Huh. This was the biggest hint he had gotten yet. Damn, he wished he had the money for any kind of equipment to track or watch Jonathan's father. But he saw the fear in Jonathan's eyes, saw how serious it was to him, and the reassuring smile came to Edward's lips easily enough. He knew how to play, after all. Especially with someone as socially awkward as Jonathan, it was easy. "I need to get ready for school tonight. I have a presentation in English Literature."
Not that he wasn't well over-prepared for that already. Whatever, he could distract Jonathan from any suspicion over his curiosity. "I hear our school's team won something or other, so I'm sure there'll be a lot of unnecessary hero worship of the usual suspects tomorrow."
"I really need to finish my presentation. I hate public speaking, especially here." Whenever he so much as opened his mouth at school, some very dedicated bullies liked to mock his accent and do shitty impressions of him. It really didn't make him thrilled to speak, it was just so very tedious. "Doesn't matter what we do or how smart we are, we ain't playing any sports. Gotta be willing to break some bones and get brain damage if you want to be popular."
Jonathan felt if he ever tried to play sports, he'd just end up dead. A bloody smush on the floor. "I think it's like ... hockey season? I dunno. Really don't."
"Of course it matters how smart we are, Jonny. If we weren't smart, we'd stand out a lot less. Not that I have ever found myself wishing for less than I have anyway. I can't help it. I think I make for a good genius." He flashed another smile, then shrugged. "Not that sports are an option. Unless I could just be paired with Oswald Cobblepot, then I might not be entirely outclassed, purely size-wise."
One day he'd have to grow, right? His father was quite tall. Surely genetics couldn't have screwed him entirely. "I think it's football. Harvey Dent is on that and they mention him a lot."
"Deny is the boy that all the girls fawn over, isn't he? I've hear people jabbering away about him. I don't know him well, seems like an idiot to me. All he does is sports. I think people who do sports like football can't be ambitious or want a long life, given the head trauma." It didn't seem worth it to him. Then again, he assumed most people didn't give that much of a shit over their heads. They didn't have anything to protect.
"Can't say I know him but I never pay attention to who is shoving me in lockers or beating me up. I just came to accept it happens."
"Dent doesn't do that. The bullying, I mean. I don't know him well either, but I guess he has other things to focus on." Sports or whatever. "He's not rich though, just handsome and sporty enough to be popular anyway." That was something, at least. Made him different from a lot of the popular kids. "I doubt it's worth it. I'd not want to bother tossing a ball around and getting tackled, just to have some idiotic girls tell me I'm attractive."
Not that it was an option. "I'd think there ought to be less painful ways to get girls. In theory."
"Hell if I know. My dad accidentally got my mom pregnant so that's how he landed her. Perhaps it's either football or accidental pregnancy that does it?" Jonathan wasn't being serious but he felt it was funny regardless. He really had no dating advise to offer, he just knew that girls were confusing and he really didn't get them.
"Maybe you should ask Dent some time." With a tease smirk, he playfully gave Edward a light shove. "You know so much about him, it's cute."
"I know more about you and I'm not picking out our matching homecoming dresses yet, so don't hold your breath." It wasn't as if he didn't also know a lot about, say, Oswald. Or Bruce Wayne. Any number of people at their school honestly. He noticed things, he liked to know things. Even if he doubted much of this would be overly relevant past high school. "Anyway, I assume to get someone pregnant, you'd have to do some kind of seduction first. Or just a lot of alcohol. I imagine that's how I happened."
"Same. I think getting a girl drunk has some very dubious qualities but if we all get drunk, I assume it's more acceptable. My assumption is, however, that girls want to date people who don't have sex with them when they are intoxicated." He shrugged his shoulders and walked outside, pulling up the hood on his coat as it was spitting with rain. Again. His coat wasn't water proof but it was another layer and allowed for some flimsy protect. That was something.
"Well. I don't intend to have sex with any girl in any state of intoxication, so there shouldn't be anything to worry about there. I can't foresee myself having the urge." Certainly didn't seem overly appealing from where he was standing.
Ed glanced up at the sky, then just moved close to Jonathan and considered, going over the current sad state of his finances. "I can afford sandwiches from that one place. The one with the not mouldy bread."
"I'm up for it. I would chip in but I don't get to go near any sort of money. My father isn't generous." And his mother had no access either. If he wanted stuff, he would have to ask and then it'd turn into a task or an experiment. He didn't like to ask for things. The last thing he asked for was a bike and he was still not over it. "Maybe we should start a homework service and charge those idiots to do their work for them. Statistically speaking, someone has to pay and not just beat us up."
Not that he was wholly confident of that theory but what else could they do. "I suppose we could deal drugs. I have access to quite the supply."
"I'm good at budgeting." And his father gave him money, given the aforementioned errand boy status. Not that he was thrilled with that role, but there was that bonus. And, yes, he also had some other things he liked to do to get some bonus cash, but that wasn't unusual for a kid who grew up in the Narrows. He supposed Jonathan wouldn't be as well versed in these matters.
"The problem with dealing drugs is that mobsters don't like when you do it outside the system." Safer not to bother, in his experience. He'd seen a lot of people vanish.
"The drugs here are all very hard drugs and stupidly expensive. You know how cheap weed is in Georgia? It's ridiculous in Gotham. Everything is overpriced." He blamed the gangsters for his sobriety, honestly. He hated when they did these kind of things and jacked up the price, it meant he had to find a new hobby. Lately he had taken with experiment with his father's stash.
"I don't like hard drugs, I trip bad." And yes, he had tried them. Some of them. Usually in trials. Not by his own choice but he had a good idea of how a lot of the hard drugs would effect him.
"Look at that. Jon-boy knows how to party." Edward made fun of him, mainly because he actually felt a little insecure over that. He didn't like the idea of being so much less experienced than anyone, especially not Jonathan. Jonathan was new to the city, but he supposed in Georgia people had nothing better to do than get stoned. "I'm saving my drugged up phase for my twenties, just for the hell of it."
How was any of that fair? "They say these things stunt growth. Why are you so damn tall?"
"Genetics. I was tall before I started smoking pot so I guess I'll just be shorter than I could have been. Given how tall I'm shooting up, not a bad thing." Jonathan smiled playfully at Edward, amused by how annoyed Edward was by his height, it was always so cute. "All the things they say stunt your growth, I've done. Drugs, drinking, coffee. It doesn't really seem to do much to me. Though coffee keeps me awake on boring days, I can't deny it."
It just didn't make him any smaller. He assumed. And if so, good! He would have been a freak otherwise. "When you enter your drug phase, come to me. We'll have some fun."
"Who says that we won't be living together by then? You'll need a roommate or you'll just live inside a library and never come out." Edward felt he had a point there. He grinned at Jonathan from the side, then gave him a slight shove. "Shop's at the corner there. You know what you wanna order? Don't think they've got any weed on offer, but I like the ham sandwich."
"God, we're gonna live in a shit hole. I guess as long we save, it won't be so bad. Let's just make sure we don't end up above a meth lab." He had a feeling they'd never sleep otherwise. "I'll order the same as you, genius. Nice joke, real funny." Rolling his eyes, he pushed Edward inside the shop and huffed, watching as Edward ordered for them.
As the guy went off to make their stuff, Jonathan checked out the kitchen from the side and then leaned into Ed. "There's three generations of grime in there."
"You don't want to know when they've last cleaned. This is why I want gloves." Edward made a face as he looked around, but it wasn't as if he wasn't used to it. "What do you want to do after high school, Jonny?"
Edward actually wasn't sure whether he could predict that. "I'm sure you'll be a man of vision. My plan is to fit into my clothes." They were all too big.
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icebergloungers2021-01-31 12:59 pm
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Unfortunately, Edward had been working on a computer programme, making some real progress, and so he had lost track himself. It was darker than it should be by the time he realised and then he had to find Jonathan, not surprised to see him curled up on the floor, leaning against a bookcase. He crouched down next to his friend, shaking his shoulder. "Jon. Jon, come on. Getting late."
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It was cold, dark and rainy and he was so comfortable. "When does the library even close?" Couldn't they just stay longer? His dad would be pissed but like he cared, he would rather be anywhere else.
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He pushed the thought aside for now, holding a hand out to help Jonathan up. "Come on. I may be able to get us some dinner on the way back."
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A feeling he knew all too well. Only he would rather the consequences, it didn't vary much on if he was good or bad so he didn't have fear for staying out. "My parents never seem to notice until they need me."
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It didn't freak him out when Jonathan got like this, although he understood why it bothered others, but it did annoy him. For the simple reason that he hated his own weakness when it came to how he felt about his father and he didn't need it rubbed in. "I like to save myself some trouble at times. Sue me. Come on, let's get going."
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"My dad is doing some ... fieldwork today, I think, so that means I probably won't see him. Might actually be an alright evening." Maybe he could sit in his room and read without disturbance.
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What Jonathan's father got up to, that was a lot more intriguing. Edward connected all the information he got about that, like pieces of a puzzle, slowly putting it together. "Your father will stay out all night then?"
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He didn't want to tell Edward what was going on, he never really said much about himself but the very idea of his father stumbling upon Edward... that was scary. He would ruin Edward. "It's gonna be bad weather so... stay in."
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Not that he wasn't well over-prepared for that already. Whatever, he could distract Jonathan from any suspicion over his curiosity. "I hear our school's team won something or other, so I'm sure there'll be a lot of unnecessary hero worship of the usual suspects tomorrow."
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Jonathan felt if he ever tried to play sports, he'd just end up dead. A bloody smush on the floor. "I think it's like ... hockey season? I dunno. Really don't."
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One day he'd have to grow, right? His father was quite tall. Surely genetics couldn't have screwed him entirely. "I think it's football. Harvey Dent is on that and they mention him a lot."
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"Can't say I know him but I never pay attention to who is shoving me in lockers or beating me up. I just came to accept it happens."
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Not that it was an option. "I'd think there ought to be less painful ways to get girls. In theory."
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"Maybe you should ask Dent some time." With a tease smirk, he playfully gave Edward a light shove. "You know so much about him, it's cute."
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"Where are we getting good?"
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Ed glanced up at the sky, then just moved close to Jonathan and considered, going over the current sad state of his finances. "I can afford sandwiches from that one place. The one with the not mouldy bread."
So, there was that.
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Not that he was wholly confident of that theory but what else could they do. "I suppose we could deal drugs. I have access to quite the supply."
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"The problem with dealing drugs is that mobsters don't like when you do it outside the system." Safer not to bother, in his experience. He'd seen a lot of people vanish.
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"I don't like hard drugs, I trip bad." And yes, he had tried them. Some of them. Usually in trials. Not by his own choice but he had a good idea of how a lot of the hard drugs would effect him.
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How was any of that fair? "They say these things stunt growth. Why are you so damn tall?"
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It just didn't make him any smaller. He assumed. And if so, good! He would have been a freak otherwise. "When you enter your drug phase, come to me. We'll have some fun."
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As the guy went off to make their stuff, Jonathan checked out the kitchen from the side and then leaned into Ed. "There's three generations of grime in there."
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Edward actually wasn't sure whether he could predict that. "I'm sure you'll be a man of vision. My plan is to fit into my clothes." They were all too big.
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