My Best Friend's Promise

Chapter 2

That first day, but also all the other days they had spent together, never left Heero's mind as he thought of them almost everyday. Wishing he could go back to that time where they all had been happy friends... so happy... so close. Nothing could break them apart they always believed. Who would have known that something as stupid a puberty could ruin what they had? Puberty. It made people do the craziest things. It was a time full of hearts that would be broken.

Heero looked out of the window sadly. It rained outside, like it had been for the last four days straight. And each and everyday they had said on TV that TOMORROW it will be better. Yeah, right. Everyone could see that this wasn't just a spring rain that would pass. It kept going on and on and on. Trapping people in their houses, like Heero.

'Wow! What are YOU doing here!'

Heero turned around slowly, already knowing who it was. 'Duo, I live here.'

Duo rubbed his eyes and looked at him again 'Oh it is you, thought you were some leftover from the 'get-together' I had last night.'

'get-together'... how could he say that with so much ease? Heero had been in the library till late at night and when he came home a 'get-together' was the LAST thing he had found. His friend was practically having an ORGY in their apartment. But it was to be expected since Duo had told him he would throw a party that evening and Duo's parties always ended up smelling like alcohol and sex.

He looked at his friend who said at the dinner table. Wincing every now and then, drinking a steaming cup of coffee. He had a hangover, a pretty bad one. Heero found himself wondering if he had used drugs... everyone seemed so out of it when he got home yesterday. Grinding their bodies together on the beat of the music but looking like they weren't even THERE. Like their minds had left the room hours ago.

But soon those parties wouldn't be 'bothering' him anymore. Duo had practically used them as an excuse to move out. They had been rooming together for two years and every single day Heero had cooked, cleaned and did their laundry and this was Duo's way of showing his gratitude. Moving out. Leaving him all alone. But it didn't really matter. The Duo he had befriended when he was eight left him YEARS ago. There was nothing left of that sweet boy ever since he had gone to middle school. And it had got even worse when he went to high school. Life passed Duo Maxwell by in a blur and he didn't even make an effort to take it back.

'Think you can help me pack today buddy?'

Buddy? Why did he even bothered? They haven't been buddies in a long time. Roommates were all they were nowadays. And once Duo would move out... they'll lose even that connection. But Heero still nodded his head and offered a smile, but it wasn't even noticed. Maybe Duo wasn't even asking him for his help, but more like telling him. For he must know by now Heero would do anything for him.

'You don't have to move out.' Heero tried one last time, desperate. He didn't want the braided boy to leave him... making him having to watch him through those cold bars again. If only duo knew how much he loved him. But then again, it was better he didn't. He would have laughed or spit him in the face if he would hear that his Japanese friend was a faggot. He say Duo beating the crap out of 'his kind' before at school. Duo was a popular guy and was part of some sort of 'gang' at school. Everyone submitted to them, letting them rule over them, letting them beat the living crap out of everything the leader, Camden, didn't like. Like homosexuals. And foreigners.

They had tried to get Heero once too, since he was Japanese. He looked right into those crazy, light blue, eyes of Camben and excepted what would happen and he would let it. Licking his wounds afterwards like he always did when someone hurt him. But mostly that was emotionally.

But Duo had gotten in between. Stopping Camben right before he could plant his fist in Heero's gut. Now you would think that duo was a night in shining armor. Not even close. He had said, with these exact words: 'Don't beat him...' he had looked almost disgusted at Heero, 'he ain't worth it.'

He had thought Duo had only sad that to save his own reputation but when he came home the American had said with a mocking laugh: 'Heero, you are really a sissy, you know that? You're lucky I saw that teacher walk by otherwise you have been pulp!'

No, they weren't best friends anymore. And he was afraid that he was beginning to hate the object of his affection. Because what was there not to hate? He was arrogant. Almost always drunk. Violent. The last nice thing he said was right before he left primary school... eight years ago. He had treated Heero, not as his friend, but as his maid. An unpaid maid that is. And he hated that! And still he loved him for he couldn't get the picture of Duo smiling at him out of head! And. It. Was. Frustrating!

Ebven more frustrating was that recently he was having dreams about the day they had met and what duo had told him that day. And he found himself dreaming... wishing, that duo would keep his promise. Why? Because he wasn't in his right mind! That was the only way he could explain it. He was going crazy from loneliness and rejection... Maybe... maybe after Duo left he should go back to live with his parent...

Ew! No! What was he thinking! He shook his head and Duo looked at him funny. No, more like... bothered. It probably wouldn't look good on his record if 'the gang' knew with what kind of crazy dude he lived with. That was probably the thing that was going through his mind right now as he looked at Heero. Ha! The braided boy would experience heart failure if he ever found out he was housing with a faggot!

... maybe that's why he never thought about telling him? ...

The thought of losing Duo, REALLY losing him seemed so... cruel. The thought that his life had ended at the age of twenty, his whole life up ahead, even if Duo himself didn't seem to notice that and he was throwing his future away.

That afternoon he helped Duo pack his things. Hating the thought that he was leaving tomorrow already, which Duo JUST told him. Yesterday he still was living under the impression that Duo would be his roommate for the following two weeks and then it would be over. But suddenly, the braided boy had decided he wanted to move out faster. He moved into his new place TWO days before the payment for the heating will be received and it will be turned on. So two days in a cold room with only cold water, floors that weren't carpeted yet, grey concrete walls and an opening between the window and the wall, letting in cold air from outside was better then being with Heero for a little while longer? Really? Was he that bad to live with that even in THOSE circumstances life would be better, as long as Heero wasn't there? He must admit, this trick maybe even hurt the most out of the tricks Duo had pulled on him.

No, not the worst. The worst was probably when he caught him by surprise when he was showering, snapped a picture and spread it on the internet on the site: (1). THAT was cruel. He couldn't understand why Duo would do such a thing. He had sneaked into the bathroom, probably knowing that he, foolishly, never closed the shower curtain and took a picture, hoping Heero wouldn't hear. Well, he did and he chased the man till he decided to leave the apartment. He may have been furious but he wouldn't follow him through the hall... in his birthday suit. So he left it at that, even though he had heard duo scream from the hall: I'm sure misses P will be surprised to see you on the net looking like THIS!

Misses P, miss Patrocan, was the librarian and Heero had become 'friends' with her. Always chatting politely with the elder woman as he stepped by and she had once asked him to pose for her, for they needed a new picture of a kid studying for their website. So he did, after she persuade him.

Hell yeah she was surprised. He never talked to her since then... because she was avoiding him...

Thanks Duo...

You're such a good friend...

He smiled as he found a box at the bottom of duo's closet full with old stuff he remembered from the time Duo wasn't so mean to him. He recognised the aeroplane that could be transformed into some kind of human-like robot, called Wing Gundam (2). He pulled it out and inspected it with a smile. He remembered he would always play with Wing and Duo would pick an other robot, called Deathscythe, if he wasn't mistaken. And they would play that they had to save the world in MANY ways. Yes, these were well-used toys and it could be seen. The painting had come of on some places where they had hold them and one horn on Deathscythe head was broken off as well as the tip of Wings left wing. He dove further into the box, recognising more toys they had played with. His eyes lit up to the brightest ever as he found something that warmed his heart to the fullest. He couldn't believe duo had kept it! He pulled out an elastic string with colourful beads. Though the colours had faded a bit.

I was a friendship band Heero had made for Duo when he was nine and a smile spread across his face as he remembered that Duo wore it every single day, proudly showing it to people who asked about it. Until one day, at middle school, someone in a higher class had made a mean comment about it. He immediately stopped wearing it. Heero could remember crying the night he found out. Not understanding why Duo had took it off since he didn't tell him. Quatre had to explain it all to him and it had comforted him a bit...

Suddenly his string of memories was broken apart by duo who ripped the bracelet out of his hand and looked at it for a second before tunring his attention to the box full of memories.

Heero waited expectantly for him to remember stuff. He waited for a smile. A brightening in his eyes. But none of that happened. He simple said: 'I'll take that. Lot's of it is junk that's only good for recycling.' He took the box and put it on the bed but didn't really sort the contents out. He looked through it once and then grabbed a marker and wrote with big red letters on the side of the box: JUNK. And them the box next to two other boxes also named "JUNK". 'I won't bother you with my crap, i'll throw it away in my own appartment so that the dumpster downstairs won't be packed with... this... You know how angry Jacy got with when that happened the first time.'

Maybe he should be grateful Duo spared him a lecture from Jacy, the concierge, by throwing the stuff away somewhere else. But it wasn't really a soothing thought as he looked at the box with the toys and the bracelet. The last existing link to the past and their true friendship they had... was going to be dumped like a worthless piece of... anything...

He wanted to say: 'don't, i like to keep them, if you don't mind.' But he didn't have the guts. Afraid that Duo would keep teasing him about how sappy he is and blow it up. Telling everyone at school, making him look like a complete idiot.

Strange... that is all Duo has been doing lately. Making him look like an idiot while he avoids him more and more...

He MUST be an idiot. For at the beginning of this chapter... he still considered him a friend.

Awwwwww... poor Hee-chan!

No worry... it will be alright... I think.

Tell me if this story is worthy enough to go on -.-

Thanx, love you all!

Signed: Crimson Waterfall