JUST DO IT
"Just do it!" Hobbes exclaimed as Darien began walking away.
"You're nuts!"
"I am not! I just need you to do this one thing for me. Just this one!"
"Oh, right Hobbes. Like this is the easiest thing in the world to do."
"I never said it wouldn't be a challenge."
"You didn't say it was gonna be anything! As I recall, you said 'Get in the car'…..Um…yeah...that was it!" Darien closed in on his friend who stood his place stoically. "Forget it. I'm goin' home."
"Fawkes, come on!"
"No way!"
"Fawkes! What…you lost your touch? Cause it seems to me…"
"I haven't lost my touch," Darien hissed whirling back around and butting chests with his
partner. "I just don't wanna do it."
Bobby Hobbes stood staring up at his partner as Darien glanced up at the building in front of him. There was a gleam in his eye that Hobbes was sure Darien was unaware of. It called to him. He couldn't hear it, but he was sure his partner could.
"Yeah, you've lost it," he continued trying to goad him on.
Darien took a small step back, eyes still on the building. "What floor?"
"There he is," Hobbes answered with a beaming smile and a pat on the back. "That's the Fawkes we all know and love."
"Cut it out, Hobbes. What floor is it?"
"Fifth."
"Uh huh…" he trailed off as his gaze moved to the lawn and hedges surrounding the base of the wall. He could already taste it. "Okay. What time do we got?"
"None."
"None?!"
"Nada."
"Oh, come on Hobbes. i usually have a little time..."
"You gonna do it or not?" Hobbes asked pleadingly. "Come on…you said you were gonna…"
"Alright, alright…god Hobbes…stop…." Darien slowly began walking towards the wall in front of him.
Chuckling to himself, Hobbes made his way to the sidewalk where their van was parked and stood there silently watching his partner do what he did best.
"Alright…you can do this." Darien took a deep breath and turned his head slowly to take a quick look at his partner who seemed all to intent to watch him break his neck. He turned his attention back to the brick wall in front of him and placed his hand in a nook, lifting his body a few feet off the ground.
"You're a good friend," called Hobbes from behind him. Darien turned to receive the reassuring wink and nod before he grasped another brick and vaulted higher.
"You know, Hobbes," Darien started as he moved a few inches higher, watching his foot placements. "This isn't exactly on my job description."
"Well, you see. I'm thinking you're officially off the clock right now."
"Oh, there's a clock now?"
"There's always a clock, my friend."
"I'm gonna clock you," Darien said in hushed tones as he moved another foot higher.
"What was that?" Hobbes called stretching his neck to hear.
"I said…!" he replied turning his head to yell, "They've got a great view!"
"Oh, alright. Keep it up, pal. You're almost there."
Darien made sure his foot was secure and leaned his head back. Looking straight up into the night sky, he could see the fifth story window only about 20 feet above him now. He looked to his left and right, trying to assess his next best move. The brick wall ended about five feet from his position.
"Ooookay…here we go." He jockeyed his way to his left where he found the beginning of a drainpipe that slid its way from the ground up to about 3 feet under the window he aimed for. It ran the width of the building and seemed secure with something like a bolt every 3 feet holding it to the stucco.
Holding onto the wall with his right hand, Darien used his left hand to undo his belt and slipped it from around his waist with a quick "zip". He quickly placed the leather strap in his teeth as he reached for the wall to secure his position. Eyeing the window above him as he shifted his feet, Darien shook his head.
"What the hell are you doing?" he asked himself.
Taking the belt from his mouth he steadied himself and leaned his weight up against the bricks. He released both hands from the wall slowly as he checked his balance.
"Careful, Fawkes," he heard his partner call from below.
"Uh-huh," he answered sarcastically as he stared at the wall in front of his face.
Carefully, he stretched the belt to its full length and grabbed an end with each hand. Stretching to his left and slightly upward, he placed one end through the small opening that showed sky between the pipe and the wall. Sliding the leather over the metal of the pipe, he connected the ends with one hand and grabbed hold of the bricks with the other.
"Very cool…" Hobbes said quietly from the sidewalk.
Darien heard it but made no response. He knew it was. And he laughed inwardly at the praise.
"Let's do it," he said out loud as he held onto the belt with his left hand and made his way up the rest of the bricks.
Reaching the end of his climb, Darien reached out and slid the belt loop easily up the drain pipe and halted as he used that leverage to put his foot on top of the last row of bricks. Quickly righting himself and stretching with everything he had to reach the pipe with his hands, Darien grasped hold of the metal and slid the belt loop free.
"Way to go, buddy!" called Hobbes from the sidewalk with a quick whistle and applause.
"Aw, shucks, ain't nothin!" Darien called back down with a smile on his face.
Bringing the belt back to his side, he stretched it out again and with one hand looped the strap back around the pipe. He heard the Mission Impossible beat begin drumming in the back of his mind as he grabbed hold of the belt with both hands and began repelling up the wall.
Reaching the end of his belt leverage, Darien eyed the window above him quickly, giving his lips a quick lick. He placed a foot on the pipe, keeping the other directly on the wall below it. Letting loose of the belt completely, Darien lunged forward toward the wall, and grabbed at the windowsill above.
His fingers easily held onto the wooden ledge as he pulled himself up to the glass, both feet now resting on the pipe below. He slid the window open with ease and pulled himself through.
"Ah crap…" he swore as he smashed his foot into a box of leftover pizza Hobbes had left on the kitchen counter. "Slob…" he muttered as he turned and poked his head back out the window. He sent a quick wave down to his partner who was already heading for the door.
*****
"Took you long enough," Hobbes said shortly as Darien exited the front doors of Hobbes's apartment building, keys dangling in his hands.
"That's not much of a thank you."
With a quick roll of the eyes and a casual adjustment of the jacket, Hobbes grunted "Thank you."
"Hey, not a problem," Darien easily replied as he dropped Hobbes' keys into his waiting hand. "I'm just gonna go back home and go back to bed now if you don't mind."
"Good night," Hobbes said as he made his way through the now unlocked lobby doors. "Oh, and Fawkes…"
"Yeah…"
"Not a word. I mean it."
"I wouldn't even dream it, Hobbes," Darien answered laughing.
"Just do it!" Hobbes exclaimed as Darien began walking away.
"You're nuts!"
"I am not! I just need you to do this one thing for me. Just this one!"
"Oh, right Hobbes. Like this is the easiest thing in the world to do."
"I never said it wouldn't be a challenge."
"You didn't say it was gonna be anything! As I recall, you said 'Get in the car'…..Um…yeah...that was it!" Darien closed in on his friend who stood his place stoically. "Forget it. I'm goin' home."
"Fawkes, come on!"
"No way!"
"Fawkes! What…you lost your touch? Cause it seems to me…"
"I haven't lost my touch," Darien hissed whirling back around and butting chests with his
partner. "I just don't wanna do it."
Bobby Hobbes stood staring up at his partner as Darien glanced up at the building in front of him. There was a gleam in his eye that Hobbes was sure Darien was unaware of. It called to him. He couldn't hear it, but he was sure his partner could.
"Yeah, you've lost it," he continued trying to goad him on.
Darien took a small step back, eyes still on the building. "What floor?"
"There he is," Hobbes answered with a beaming smile and a pat on the back. "That's the Fawkes we all know and love."
"Cut it out, Hobbes. What floor is it?"
"Fifth."
"Uh huh…" he trailed off as his gaze moved to the lawn and hedges surrounding the base of the wall. He could already taste it. "Okay. What time do we got?"
"None."
"None?!"
"Nada."
"Oh, come on Hobbes. i usually have a little time..."
"You gonna do it or not?" Hobbes asked pleadingly. "Come on…you said you were gonna…"
"Alright, alright…god Hobbes…stop…." Darien slowly began walking towards the wall in front of him.
Chuckling to himself, Hobbes made his way to the sidewalk where their van was parked and stood there silently watching his partner do what he did best.
"Alright…you can do this." Darien took a deep breath and turned his head slowly to take a quick look at his partner who seemed all to intent to watch him break his neck. He turned his attention back to the brick wall in front of him and placed his hand in a nook, lifting his body a few feet off the ground.
"You're a good friend," called Hobbes from behind him. Darien turned to receive the reassuring wink and nod before he grasped another brick and vaulted higher.
"You know, Hobbes," Darien started as he moved a few inches higher, watching his foot placements. "This isn't exactly on my job description."
"Well, you see. I'm thinking you're officially off the clock right now."
"Oh, there's a clock now?"
"There's always a clock, my friend."
"I'm gonna clock you," Darien said in hushed tones as he moved another foot higher.
"What was that?" Hobbes called stretching his neck to hear.
"I said…!" he replied turning his head to yell, "They've got a great view!"
"Oh, alright. Keep it up, pal. You're almost there."
Darien made sure his foot was secure and leaned his head back. Looking straight up into the night sky, he could see the fifth story window only about 20 feet above him now. He looked to his left and right, trying to assess his next best move. The brick wall ended about five feet from his position.
"Ooookay…here we go." He jockeyed his way to his left where he found the beginning of a drainpipe that slid its way from the ground up to about 3 feet under the window he aimed for. It ran the width of the building and seemed secure with something like a bolt every 3 feet holding it to the stucco.
Holding onto the wall with his right hand, Darien used his left hand to undo his belt and slipped it from around his waist with a quick "zip". He quickly placed the leather strap in his teeth as he reached for the wall to secure his position. Eyeing the window above him as he shifted his feet, Darien shook his head.
"What the hell are you doing?" he asked himself.
Taking the belt from his mouth he steadied himself and leaned his weight up against the bricks. He released both hands from the wall slowly as he checked his balance.
"Careful, Fawkes," he heard his partner call from below.
"Uh-huh," he answered sarcastically as he stared at the wall in front of his face.
Carefully, he stretched the belt to its full length and grabbed an end with each hand. Stretching to his left and slightly upward, he placed one end through the small opening that showed sky between the pipe and the wall. Sliding the leather over the metal of the pipe, he connected the ends with one hand and grabbed hold of the bricks with the other.
"Very cool…" Hobbes said quietly from the sidewalk.
Darien heard it but made no response. He knew it was. And he laughed inwardly at the praise.
"Let's do it," he said out loud as he held onto the belt with his left hand and made his way up the rest of the bricks.
Reaching the end of his climb, Darien reached out and slid the belt loop easily up the drain pipe and halted as he used that leverage to put his foot on top of the last row of bricks. Quickly righting himself and stretching with everything he had to reach the pipe with his hands, Darien grasped hold of the metal and slid the belt loop free.
"Way to go, buddy!" called Hobbes from the sidewalk with a quick whistle and applause.
"Aw, shucks, ain't nothin!" Darien called back down with a smile on his face.
Bringing the belt back to his side, he stretched it out again and with one hand looped the strap back around the pipe. He heard the Mission Impossible beat begin drumming in the back of his mind as he grabbed hold of the belt with both hands and began repelling up the wall.
Reaching the end of his belt leverage, Darien eyed the window above him quickly, giving his lips a quick lick. He placed a foot on the pipe, keeping the other directly on the wall below it. Letting loose of the belt completely, Darien lunged forward toward the wall, and grabbed at the windowsill above.
His fingers easily held onto the wooden ledge as he pulled himself up to the glass, both feet now resting on the pipe below. He slid the window open with ease and pulled himself through.
"Ah crap…" he swore as he smashed his foot into a box of leftover pizza Hobbes had left on the kitchen counter. "Slob…" he muttered as he turned and poked his head back out the window. He sent a quick wave down to his partner who was already heading for the door.
*****
"Took you long enough," Hobbes said shortly as Darien exited the front doors of Hobbes's apartment building, keys dangling in his hands.
"That's not much of a thank you."
With a quick roll of the eyes and a casual adjustment of the jacket, Hobbes grunted "Thank you."
"Hey, not a problem," Darien easily replied as he dropped Hobbes' keys into his waiting hand. "I'm just gonna go back home and go back to bed now if you don't mind."
"Good night," Hobbes said as he made his way through the now unlocked lobby doors. "Oh, and Fawkes…"
"Yeah…"
"Not a word. I mean it."
"I wouldn't even dream it, Hobbes," Darien answered laughing.