Title Something Familiar
Summary Harper returns to Waverly Place after visiting her parents in Pittsburgh.
Spoilers for "Western Show," "Dude Looks Like Shakira" and "Alex's Logo."
Completed.
Harper found herself wishing the cab had dropped her off a bit closer to the sub shop as her metallic silver flats sloshed in the rain. She walked down the dimly-lit Waverly Place, rainbow umbrella gripped in one hand and, with a bit of struggling, her suitcase in the other.
In fact, the weight of the suitcase caused her to walk a bit lopsided, allowing the rain (and accompanying wind) to hit her at an angle. Loose strands of her red hair were damp and stuck to the side of her face, the rest pulled back in a tight curly ponytail. She was afraid her eye makeup had started to run, but it was the least of her worries.
She just needed to concentrate on getting home.
Home. It was a funny word, really. In this case she was referring to the loft above the Waverly Sub Shop, where her best friend Alex Russo's family had taken her in. Her parents moved to Pittsburgh, but Harper had spent the past month visiting them in a house Harper could not call 'home.'
She had never been there before. Her bedroom did not have her headless mannequins or fabric swatches. A bedroom without fabric swatches can hardly be called a bedroom at all.
It was nice to be back on Waverly Place. She had grown up here, hanging out with her best friend. It was the place of slumber parties, street fairs and, of course, magic.
Even though water was creeping into her shoes, Harper Finkle decided she never wanted to leave Waverly Place again. It was the reason she came home early, and the reason the Russos didn't know they needed to pick her up from bus station.
It was a juggling act entering the sub shop. She placed the suitcase on the concrete, pulled open the door, closed the umbrella, shook it, grabbed the suitcase and walked in, dropping everything once she made it inside.
All of the commotion scared the few remaining customers, but Harper didn't seem to care. The commotion was part of the restaurant's appeal. There was constantly something going on, usually resulting in (or the result of) magic. Harper couldn't want to find out what she missed while she was gone.
Theresa came in from the kitchen area, expecting to see a last-minute customer but instead finding a damp Harper. A small smile pulled onto the young girl's lips as she brushed her hair behind her ear.
"Harper!" Theresa said loudly, rushing quickly across the shop to meet the girl. She quickly pulled her into a hug, not caring that her apron and shirt were getting wet in the process. "What are you doing here, mija? You weren't supposed to come back until tomorrow." She paused, her hand smoothing Harper's hair back before she pulled from the hug. "Not that I'm not glad to see you, of course. Even if you are making a puddle."
Harper grinned as she heard it: mija. Harper wasn't Theresa's biological daughter, but both Russo parents treated the Finkle like she was one of their own.
But, as she noticed the puddle below her feet, Harper frowned.
"Sorry," she said. "I'll clean it up."
Theresa shook her head, picking up Harper's suitcase. "Don't worry about it. That's what we have Max for." Harper picked up her umbrella, following Theresa across the sub shop as the Russo mother called for her son to come downstairs.
It was as if he was waiting to be called, running down the stairs with an excited look on his face. Harper wasn't sure what he was expecting - she rarely knew what was going on in Max's brain. He clearly hadn't expected to see Harper, but he did grin as he noticed her appearance.
"Hey, Harper, I'm so glad you're back!"
Harper raised her eyebrows, a smile forming on her lips as she placed a hand over her heart. "You are? Wow, Max, that's so sweet."
Max nodded, slapping Harper on the back. "Yeah, it's your night to do dishes. Have fun!"
She couldn't even be upset. Max was the closest thing to a younger brother she'd ever had, and while she enjoyed teasing him, he'd also been there for her during fights with Alex. She should have expected this sort of greeting.
"Maxi, grab the mop and clean the floor," Theresa requested, fingers ruffling his curly brown hair before she placed a kiss on his forehead. "Thanks." She then turned back to Harper. "What brings you back early?"
Harper glanced around, noticing Jerry in the kitchen. He noticed her, too, offering her an enthusiastic wave before turning back to his work. She noticed Max, grumpily dragging the mop behind him to get the puddle. And, just barely audible, only because she was listening for it, she heard Alex and Justin fighting upstairs. It sounded like it was over the remote.
"I just missed home," she said, offering Theresa a smile.
Things had been better with her parents, but it hadn't felt right. The location was new, and her parents seemed to act differently than they did before. Not different in a good way, either - just...different. Harper just wanted something familiar, and something familiar was sibling rivalries and a subpar sandwich shop.
After changing into her pajamas, Harper went upstairs to get some leftover dinner and to let her best friend know she was home. She couldn't wait to find out what she had missed while she was gone. It seemed like Alex was getting into a wacky situation at least once a week, so she was sure there would be stories.
"Hey guys," she said as she entered the living room. Justin sat in the chair, arms crossed as he watched TV. It was one of those trashy shows where somebody's the father of somebody's kid but the first somebody totally denies it. Clearly Alex had won the fight.
"Harper, look, this guy is totally dancing because he found out he's not the dad," Alex said through a mouthful of popcorn. She then started giggling as she pointed at the screen. "Classic!"
Alex acted as if Harper hadn't been gone for a few weeks, and while it might seem strange to some, Harper loved that about her. It wasn't that Alex didn't notice or care she was gone - it was that they were so comfortable with each other that it took no time to fall back in sync.
"I'd be happy, too," Harper said, reaching over the couch to grab a few pieces of popcorn from the bowl in Alex's lap. "I don't usually insult children, but that is one ugly baby."
That only caused Alex to laugh more, almost tossing the bowl from her lap in excitement. "That's what I said!" She then glanced over at Justin, narrowing her eyes. "See, Justin? I told you it was an ugly baby." Her attention span was short, eyes quickly darting back to Harper. "He totally tried to argue with me. 'It's just a baby, how can a baby be ugly?' I personally think the baby kind of looks like Justin."
Harper just rolled her eyes, choosing to ignore Alex's jab at her brother. Justin chose to ignore it, too, instead looking up toward Harper.
"You're back early," he said. He was positive he hadn't mixed up dates. He had a schedule for everything, and the schedule clearly said she was coming back tomorrow, not today. "Is everything all right?"
Harper nodded, walking around the couch and taking a seat next to Alex. She grabbed another bit of popcorn - dinner could wait. She wanted to catch up now. "Everything's okay," she promised. She tossed a piece up in the air and caught it. She tried to do it again, only to find Alex lean over her to snatch it from mid-air. She was like a dog.
Harper just laughed, making a mental note to not mention the canine comparison, just in case the Mason thing was still a sensitive subject.
"I just couldn't wait to find out what I missed here. Anything interesting?"
Justin thought it over before using his fingers to help prepare his answer.
"Mr. Laritate got fired," he said as he counted on his index finger. Seeing the expression on Harper's face, Justin quickly clarified. "Don't worry, he's back now. There was this whole thing with Alex turning the sub shop into the Old West and it worked out in the end." He held up his next finger. "We met Shakira, but spoiler warning, Uncle Kelbo is Shakira. We still got you an autograph, though."
While she had been worried about the first item on the agenda, she was completely confused by the second.
"How is Shakira your uncle?" she asked, eyebrows raised. "Like, was he just pretending to be her?"
Justin shook his head. "That's what I thought, too, but no - he actually is her. He made her up. It's completely against the rules so don't spread it around because I'm not getting my hands broke by dragons on account of him."
Harper nodded slowly, the gears in her brain working quickly to figure out what it was he had said. Sometimes things were too weird, even for her, so it was best to not ask questions.
Justin held up another finger as he continued. "Oh, and Alex won the citizenship award at school."
This was also too weird. Harper glanced over at her best friend, surprised to find that Alex was glaring at Justin. "Yeah," Alex said, "and Justin made the whole school hate me."
"I said I was sorry," Justin said quickly, eyes wide as he tried to defend himself.
"No you didn't!" she yelled back, but calmed herself when she realized she was spitting bits of popcorn on her best friend. "It worked out in the end, but I really could've used my best friend around. I had to hang out with Laritate."
Alex wrapped her arms around Harper, giving her a squeeze as she rested her head upon her shoulder. "I'm glad you're home," she mumbled. Alex wasn't always one for sentimental moments, but Harper brought them out in her more than anyone.
"I'm glad I'm home, too," Harper replied.
Even though she was still insanely confused by what she had missed, it was nice to be back on that bright orange couch, hanging out with her best friend. Words couldn't express how right it felt. She could do this forever.
"Well, I'm gonna go shower," Alex said quickly, moving the popcorn bowl to the table and standing up. "Hey, after you finish dinner and the dishes come hang out in my room. I'll show you the stuff I stole from Justin while you were gone." With a final glare toward Justin, Alex rushed off up the spiral staircase.
"You don't have to do the dishes," Justin told Harper as he stood up, walking across the living room toward the kitchen area. "It's technically your night, but Max was supposed to do them because you weren't going to be here. He kept saying, 'Nah, it's Harper's night' - like he knew you were going to be here. Anyway, I've already done most of them, and I can handle the rest while you get something for dinner. Leftovers are in a white bowl on the bottom shelf. Don't grab the blue bowl - that's something of Max's but none of us are brave enough to question what it is."
Harper stood, too, taking a seat at the counter instead of going after the food. She liked talking to Justin, especially with no one else around. They had a lot in common, and they seemed to have the same sense of humor about things.
Admittedly, sometimes they only liked the same things because Harper purposefully made herself like what Justin liked, but she had found they had genuine shared interests, too. She liked the genuine ones more.
"So," she began, fingers drumming on the counter, "you made the whole school hate Alex?"
"Truth spell," he explained as he washed a plate. He glanced over his shoulder, eyebrows raised knowingly. "Let's just say she had a lot to say to the student body."
Harper shook her head disapprovingly. Magic got in the way so often in this house, Harper found it hard to imagine what their lives would be like without it. Would Alex and Justin fight as much as they did? She wasn't sure. It seemed impossible to picture.
"And you haven't said you're sorry?"
"I...I thought I did, but I guess not." Justin placed the plate down, soapy hands defensively moving to his hips. "But how many times does she say sorry for the stuff she does to me, huh? This is one time that I've done anything to her. Don't make me feel guilty for not apologizing in a proper, timely manner."
Harper didn't say anything. She knew she didn't have to make him feel anything - he'd feel it on his own.
"And...and I didn't mean to," he said after another moment. "I forgot I left the spell on her, and then when I remembered...it just seemed too tempting to pass on."
Harper simply blinked, taking in his words. She knew that being quiet would only freak him out more than her creepy stare or disapproving words could do.
"And maybe it was a mistake, okay? I admit that. I wasn't thinking about her as my sister, but instead as the girl who makes my life miserable most of the time." Justin sighed, unable to concentrate on properly washing the dishes. "Fine. You're right. I took it too far. I'll apologize later."
Harper smiled. It wasn't one of gloating, but rather accomplishment. She felt good when she helped fix the Russos' mistakes. It was amazing how she could fix their lives yet never managed, in the 16 years of her life, to fix the Finkles' flaws. Fixing the Russos just came natural to her.
"Thanks," Justin said, taking a seat next to her. He placed his arm around her shoulder, giving her a half-hug. "It's nice to have you back."
A few years before, Harper Finkle would have melted onto the kitchen floor. Max would've had to mop her up, too, probably complaining the whole time. Justin Russo had his arm around her, and instead of giggling or screaming or fainting, Harper just smiled.
It was no secret that she had a crush on Justin. Some even called it creepy, though Harper maintained there was nothing creepy about making a hair out of sweater or watching him sleep.
Harper didn't love Justin, but she loved her crush on Justin. It, along with her eccentric fashion choices, defined who she was. She was the girl who liked him. He was the boy she could never have, and she was the girl who would never stop trying to convince him otherwise.
It was safe, her crush on Justin. She knew he would never feel the same way, so rather than face rejection from someone new, she experienced the predicted-rejection from Justin. It was easy.
When he put his arm around her during her fight with Alex, Harper was convinced it only didn't make her happy because she was so upset with Alex. That had to be the only reason she didn't get butterflies and warm fuzzy feelings in her tummy.
But now, as his arm gently squeezed her shoulder, she felt no fuzzy feelings. No butterflies. No racing heartbeat or nervous sweaty palms.
Still, the feeling was something familiar. It was the same feeling she got when Theresa hugged her in the sub shop. It was the feeling she longed for from her own family, but had only received in the comfort of Waverly Place.
"It's nice to be back," Harper finally said, head turning so her eyes could meet Justin's. "You know, I always thought I would be a part of this family one day, but I figured it was because we'd get married." Justin started to lift his arm off Harper's shoulder, but Harper reached up to stop him. "Let me finish my thought, okay?" He nodded, though she could sense a bit of fear in his eyes.
Boys and the m-word: go figure.
"I didn't think I'd be living with you all, or that your mom and dad would feel more like parents than my own parents." She paused, shrugging a bit, but careful to not knock his arm away. "But I am, and they do. And Alex is my sister, that one constant I've always had around to get me through the day, and Max is the little brother I avoid but still enjoy having around in small doses. Very small doses."
She paused once again, lifting his arm from her shoulder, only to gently grip his hand in hers. "Somewhere along the way you became my brother, Justin. I...I don't like you anymore. I mean, I like you still, but not in the way I did before. I don't dream about dating you anymore, and I guess I haven't in a while."
Justin raised his eyebrows. "But not long ago you tried to get me to kiss you," he argued. It almost sounded as if was trying to convince her she still liked him, so he quickly added, "Not that I'm complaining about you not liking me, because frankly you're more tolerable when you're not acting crazy or creepy."
"Not crazy or creepy, just...devoted," she argued, letting a quiet laugh escape from her lips. "But yeah, I don't know. It was easy to keep liking you because I felt like I had to. That was the role I was meant to fill, you know? You expected it from me. Everyone did. Sometimes it's easier to keep going with something familiar than to try anything new. And I knew you weren't going to kiss me. I never expected you to, just like you always expected me to ask."
He nodded. While he was unsure where all of this was coming from, it was a nice moment. He appreciated her honesty, and he almost felt bad that he could never return the red-haired girl's affections. She was cute, and probably one of the nicest people he'd ever met, but that spark wasn't there. They both knew it.
"So, are you going to start treating me like Alex does now?" he asked, eyebrows raising. "Because I don't think I can handle that."
Harper shook her head, finally letting go of his hand. "How about I just treat you like a friend?"
"I'd like that."
Justin leaned over, placing a kiss on Harper's forehead before standing up, ready to return to the dishes. She remained silent, resting her chin upon her palm as she watched him move. It felt good to get that off her mind. It'd been on her mind a lot while she was gone, so she felt like she needed to come clean now that she was home.
Another plate washed, Justin turned to catch her eyes.
"Hey, Harper?" She raised her eyebrows. "Do you think, now that we're friends and all, you can try to get my stuff back from Alex?"
Harper just laughed, shaking her head. "Not a chance, bud. Not a chance."