Section 51: Child's Play

"Milord, I propose a game."

Thomas eyes Henry with a mixture of curiosity and caution. Despite spending a considerable amount of time with the twins over the past few months, Thomas had failed to form a strong connection with either one of them. Of their characters he knew very little. His knowledge of Henry was restricted to the perception that he was fickle and tactless. And though it pleased his vanity to hear them happily adopt the titles used by the Hitachiins, he couldn't help but cringe at the scornful way 'milord' was normally applied.

Still, he desired to be friends with all of his club members, and a friendship with Henry was especially attractive to him, given his new friendship with Hilary. So with cheerful expectation, Thomas deigned to respond, "What sort of game?"

"It's called 'the laughing game.' Keith and I used to play it when we were kids."

"Okay. So what are the rules."

"The rules are very simple. Whoever makes Hilary laugh more over the course of the day is the winner."

Thomas smiled. He already felt he had the advantage over Henry. Being Hilary's friend for a few years now gave him the benefit of experience. He knew just what to do to make her laugh.

"Well then what does the winner get?"

"That's not how it works. When I'd play with Keith, the winner never won anything. It was always the loser who lost something instead."

Thomas paled slightly. Fear of loss had always been a bigger motivator for him than love of gain. For the first time he balked at Henry's proposal.

"Then what are we betting on, here?"

Henry thought about that, "Well, it has to be something important, or else the game is no fun, right? How about dignity?"

"Dignity? How are we supposed to bet with that?"

"I was thinking streaking through the commons at school would do the trick."

Thomas blanched, "Are you serious? You could get expelled for a stupid stunt like that!"

"That just increases the stakes doesn't it? Are you in or aren't you?"

Thomas really didn't want a part of this game. Henry's methods of play seemed a little too malicious. "I don't know Henry… Maybe we could do something else?"

Henry shrugged, "Whatever, milord. If you don't want to hang with me you can just say so. I'm probably just a third wheel here anyway… Maybe I should just go and leave you guys alone."

"That's not what I meant!" Thomas cried. He didn't even realize Henry was playing him. "I definitely want you to stay, and I'm sure Hilary would say the same. I'm just nervous, but I'll play."

Henry grinned. Phase one, "nab the sucker" complete. Now all he had to do was win the game.

"We start now," he told Thomas, just as Hilary rejoined their small group. She handed each of the boys a small fruit smoothie, keeping one for herself and taking a sip. He nibbled on the plastic tip of the straw and looked first from one boy to the other.

"So, what do you guys want to do now?"

"Toy store." Henry said instantly. Hilary and Thomas both looked at him curiously. Henry smiled, "I always go to the toy store when I'm downtown with Keith. I want to get him something while I'm here."

Hilary agreed to the plan with a smile. Her look indicated that she thought this was really sweet of Henry. Thomas was more wary. A bunch of teenagers in a kids' toy store? Henry was definitely up to something.

No sooner than they had entered the store did Henry take off at full speed, dragging Hilary along with him. He was quick to show her all of his favorite attractions: the action figures, the bouncy balls, the remote controlled cars. He kept up a steady stream of laughter on his side, in an obvious effort to get Hilary laughing too. But although Hilary smiled at the figurines and the Hotwheel tracks, she was not laughing.

"Hilary! Check out this squishy thing!" Henry placed the flexible rubber ball in front of his face, clamping his hand around one end as soon as Hilary had turned around. The result looked as if Henry had sprouted a bulbous, slightly transparent purple nose. Hilary smiled at him, but still she wasn't laughing.

Thomas was not to be shown up by Henry's antics. While Henry tried bombarding Hilary with ridiculousness, Thomas's tactic was to appeal to shared interests and inside jokes between them.

He had wandered over to a display of dress-up items. Selecting a particularly hideous grey wig, he shoved it over his blond hair and went in search of Hilary.

"Hilary! Doesn't this remind you of Mr. Fredrickson from seventh grade?" Here Thomas struck a pose, his hands resting authoritatively on his hips. In a high pitched, nasally sort of voice he mimicked, "Now kids, I don't think you really appreciate just how elusive a beaver can be!"

Henry didn't even know what Thomas was talking about, but even he burst out laughing when he saw the grey wig. Hilary, however, smiled appreciatively. "Wow, Tom, you do a really good impression of him! I'd almost forgotten about that."

"Hey Hilary check this out!"

With more than a little difficulty, Henry rolled his way over to Hilary mounted on a tricycle meant for someone a third his age. Somehow he managed to steer it right up to her side, then stopped with a short of awkward swagger. "Like my new wheels? Let's you and me take a ride on this bad boy."

Hilary smiled, but not even a chuckle escaped her lips. Henry struggled to crawl off of the trike and promptly tipped himself and his ride onto the floor.

"Oh, Henry! Are you alright?"

"Yeah… Ow…"

Hilary was preparing to help him to his feet when suddenly, a pink rabbit popped its head over a rack of shelves next to her shoulder. "Oh my! Miss, you are sooo pretty!" it said it a voice that sounded suspiciously like Thomas.

To this strange puppet Hilary also offered a smile, "Why, thank you little guy."

"I'm a girl."

"Oh, I do beg your pardon! It's just very difficult to tell…"

Hilary hooker a finger underneath the bottom of the puppet. The rabbit responded by pushing it's paws down to cover the small bit of exposed wrist, exclaiming with a girly wail, "You ruffian! Please respect my privacy!"

To this Hilary finally giggled slightly. Thomas jumped up from his hiding place behind the shelves and pointed to Henry with the had that was still encased in the rabbit puppet.

"That counts, Henry!"

"Does not! That was barely a chuckle!"

"What are you guys talking about?"

"Um… Nothing, nothing…"

And so the afternoon progressed, with neither boy gaining a significant lead over the other. Hilary didn't seem willing to let loose with a real bout of laughter at all. In fact, to both Thomas and Henry she seemed preoccupied with something else.

"I'm bored," Henry said after Hilary had excused herself from their group again, "Do you want to just call off this stupid game?"

"But it was your idea to play in the first place! You only want to back out now because I'm winning."

"As if. You're sucking at this as much as I am. Besides, Hilary isn't feeling it. The game isn't any fun unless she's laughing."

Thomas thought about it and sighed, "You're right."

"Here she comes," Henry said just as Hilary approached them again. She offered them a tired smile and said, "Are you guys about ready to call it a day?"

"Sure, I'll walk you home."

"Actually Tom, I was thinking I'd go with Henry. Is that okay?"

Thomas checked his surprise just in time. He'd almost gaped at Hilary. Instead he shrugged off his curiosity and simply said, "Sure. But I'll see you tomorrow?"

Hilary did look tired, but she also looked happy and content when she said, "Of course."

Section 52: Endgame

Henry had only been walking by Hilary's side for a few blocks, enjoying the comfortable silence between them, but still wary. He was wary because he knew the silence must end soon, and he really didn't want to have the conversation that followed.

"Henry, I asked Tom to let you take me home because I wanted to talk to you alone," Hilary began, fulfilling Henry's prediction to the letter.

Henry steeled his nerves and prepared for disappointment, "I figured as much."

"It's just… I feel guilty."

"Well, don't worry about it! Problem solved!"

"I'm serious, Henry. You know I like Tom."

Henry winced, "Yeah, I know. But why do you have to go and bring it up?"

"It isn't fair to you. I can't keep leading you on when I have feelings for someone else."

"I really don't mind; I like spending time with you."

Henry tried to take Hilary's hand but she shook her head and pulled away. They stopped walking, somewhere near a park by Hilary's house. It was the same park where Kyle had taken pictures of the group not long ago. Henry wondered if Hilary still had the one of him.

"I like spending time with you, too," Hilary admitted after another prolonged silence, "But I think we should just be friends, if that's okay."

It was Henry's turn to shake his head in negation. "It's not okay. I like you too much to be put in the friend zone, Hill. I knew you liked mil… Tom from the very beginning, and that's fine. Just don't ask me to give up on you."

Hilary looked at him with wide-eyed surprise, then she stared at her feet. Henry couldn't tell if she was embarrassed or feeling even more guilty. He hadn't meant to upset her, but he had to speak his mind. Still, the possibility that he might be making an ass of himself also crossed his mind.

"I'll back off," he said, tilting Hilary's face up with his forefinger so he could look her in the eye, "I'll wait and see how things pan out for you and Tom. But… He might already like someone else."

Hilary held her eyes closed for a few moments. When she opened them again she said the name that had been on Henry's mind, but that he'd been too afraid to say, "Freya."

"… Yeah. And if he doesn't, you know, return your feelings, I'm not holding back any more. If he's too stupid to see what he has in you, then that's all the better for me. But seriously, don't expect me to be just a friend until then."

"Okay."

"No seriously. Look at me. See how serious I am right now. You don't get this side of me everyday, you know."

Hilary laughed - the kind of laugh that comes out as a choked sob of relief before turning into giddy mirth. Henry smiled too and reached for her hand again. This time she didn't pull away.

"Looks like I won the game after all."