He was the only other person House could consider a friend besides Wilson. Sure his mother had told him he would make friends during their various moves, but he soon realized these would become more like acquaintances than friends. He was seven years old when him and his mother arrived to Athens, Greece. Greg was used to moving but still didn't find it enjoyable. Like every other move his mother said to him,"You'll be fine Greg honey, you'll learn new things and make new friends." The "learning new things" he knew was true but the "making new friends" most likely wasn't.
They had moved in their new house with John carrying the boxes and his mother un-packing them and Greg doing what his father told him all the time, "Stay out of the way!" That consisted of Greg sitting on a rock outside of the house.
When a tall man, and a medium sized women and a small boy carrying a basket. Came into the fenced yard. Greg had yelled from the rock,"Dad!"
"Greg, What did I te- Oh!"
"Colonel Emry nice to see you."
"Same to you John."
"And is this your son I've heard about?"
"Yes. Greg say Hello."
"Hello Colonel."
"And this is our son Barris." Pushing the small boy towards Greg, so he could get a better look.
"Hello Greg."
"Barris is seven also."
Barris had given John the basket he was holding.
"This is for you and your family for being new in the neighdorhood." Inside was an assortment of cookies and muffins.
"Why thank you Barris. Greg thank Barris for your dessert this evening."
"Thank you Barris."
"Well we best be going. See you later John. Nice to meet you Greg."
The next time Greg had seen Barris was a couple of days after he had met him. He was wearing a funny hat and was wearing nice clothes. Their parents were talking about coming back from a Temple. Greg could see Barris' father was also wearing a funny hat but was wearing a suit. Then it just came out.
"Why are you wearing that funny hat?"
"It's not funny it's the hat a wear every time I go to temple."
"Oh. What's it called?
"Yarmulke."
"Ya-ma-ka. Hhm?"
"Yes."
"Come on Barris we gonna get you out of those clothes and you can come back and play with Greg." Barris' mother told him.
The two boys grinned at each other. The type of grin that would put the Chesire cat to shame.
Barris came and for the first time Greg had been in Greece he was smiling and having fun. Barris liked playing the vilian instead of the hero. Greg liked that he was usually stuck playing the villan. Greg the good cop, Barris the bad robber. Greg the good cowboy, Barris the outlawed indian.
They would soon go to school together. Greg wasn't scared of the learning part but the socializing and people part. Barris had already taught Greg some Greek. And had assured Greg he would be with him the whole time. It was also in school where they would make trouble in thier classroom and would be punished together also.
Barris had showed Greg the wonderful world of music. Barris had his own piano in his house. Greg had admired it and asked Barris if he could teach him how to play. That day Greg had learned "The Entertainer" After that Greg had begged his parents to get him his own piano.
His mother thought it was a great idea, his father not so much, his father wanted a football quarterback in instead of a piano-playing-pansy.
To be honest Barris was the first inspiration of his Cuddy's Serenade the Jewish melody had been for Barris and not her.
Six years later Greg had met Barris in the street and had given Greg an envelope. Greg cocked his eyebrow. "What's this?"
"Well open it and you'll see."
"You are invited to the Bar Mitzvah of Barris Emry. Hm?"
"You don't really need to R.S.V.P. because I know your coming."
"And you have to wear a suit Greg."
"Why?"
"Because when I have my Bar Mitzvah I'm a man and men wear suits Greg it's a party for men."
"Ok." Greg replied with a shrug.
"Now should we be off to the stupidest place in the world."
"Ha! What should we do today Barris?"
"Clock?"
"Brilliant."
Greg and Barris had stolen the clock of the Science teacher's room and now were just trying to find some place to hide it. Then their infamous Chesire cat grin came over both of them. They went to Home Economics class and took a needle and thread slipped into the principle's office. Undid the stitching of his chair and proceeded to shove the clock in the seat and sew the chair up again. Another amazing feat by Barris and Greg.
When Greg moved from Athens and had gotten older and did some of the same tricks him and Barris did and new ones. He swore Barris was a horrible influence on him. But Greg was always secretly jealous of Barris in some ways. Barris' parents didn't care what he did. His father Harry was a juvenile delinquent who was forced into the army and stayed because he didn't know how to do anything else. Barris' family didn't expect him to join the army like Greg's family did. He was responsible to keep alive family legacy of war heroes. Barris' when he was of age was gonna be in a band hoping to have Greg in it too he said, "We will tour you and me Greg."
Greg had gotten his first suit he was 13 years old medium height. slender and lush head of brown hair. It fit perfectly his mother went with him to get it she fawned over the way he would look in it for two days. Until John had told her to stop. It was a plain Black suit with a red tie. The red added for Greg's rebellious nature.
Barris had gotten his first suit soon to be 13 years old short, slender and wavy curls of blonde hair covered his head. His was a nicer more expensive suit than Greg. But his was a Navy blue with a red tie. A tip he had taken from Greg when he got his suit.
One week before Barris' Bar Mitzvah Greg had learned that not only do you wear suits to Bar Mitzvah's but also to funerals. The suit intended to worn for Barris' Bar Mitzvah was instead worn for Barris' funeral.
The Rabbi spoke to the packed room of the funeral parlor. Teachers, friends, family and Greg's family filled the room. The Rabbi was speaking of how he died which Greg knew already. Riding on his bike in the mountianous regions of Greece and slipped and fell to his death. It was now time to say the last good byes to Barris.
Greg had heard of funerals and his mom and dad went to numerous one's for the soldiers who had died but he never went to them because he didn't know them. But this time Greg knew everything about Barris. That he hates that he's short, he wishes he would never had to part from Greg. He hates the Grecian cuisine. That he had actually envied Greg for his smarts but had fun with him anyway. They were brothers a bond that take tremendous force and still not break.
His best friends body would be the first dead body he would ever see. Barris has stayed with Greg for his whole was the last one to say goodbye and the longest. He had never told anyone but he stole the red tie Barris was wearing in his casket. He had kept it and every anniversary of his death Greg sleeps with it. Wilson had found it while they were moving into their condo. Wilson asked why he had it because it was clearly to small for him. All he said was,"It was from when I was a kid."
Barris was the inspiration for his High School Composition he wrote and played for the brain damaged man. It was on an anniversary and Greg had been upset. Tonight was the anniversary of Barris' death but tonight he couldn't do what he usually do, get drunk, play the piano cry, and get his red tie out. Barris had been the reason for his starting dependency of alchohol. After he died he had tried it and it numbed the pain. Soon after Greg moved back to the states never to return to Greece again.
He had lost his best friend but coming through the door just then another best friend. Wilson was shocked to see dried up tear tracks on his usually thick-skinned friend. "Wilson your my best friend right?"
"Of course House." With that said Wilson enveloped House in his arms with nice gentle but firm hug.
Wilson thought House had never had a friend before me. But he was wrong. House always thinks that if Barris was still alive He Wilson and Barris would be great friends. And with a grin on their faces that the Chesire cat would loathe.
Woo! Hoped you liked that took forever. Barris is named after Robert Downey Jr.'s character in "A Scanner Darkly" Clock stealing was inspired by a friend of mine who stole the clock but instead smashed it and put it in a vacant locker somewhere.