The leaves had slowly begun to turn from vibrant green to golden orange and I was mesmerized every time I so much as looked out a window because I had never experienced fall before. I had spent a lot of time in Fang's room staring out his huge windows at the sea of gold that extended far into the mountains. It had been nearly four weeks since the first week of school, and September was slowly coming to a close.
The school hosted a homecoming dance every year, and this year it was taking place on the 17th of October with the football game and pep rally the night before. I had adamantly refused any sort of social situation in which I was forced into a dress, and Fang despised the vast majority of girls at Harding, so the two of us had made a pact to spend the day doing pretty much anything else. However, Ella and Nudge were both ecstatic about the dance as both of them were pretty, so they had been asked to go with two guys in their year. Unfortunately, I was being dragged to the mall with the two of them to aid in the dress shopping process because apparently my non-existent fashion sense was "absolutely necessary" in finding the perfect dress. According to them at least.
So, that explained why I was roaming the mall on a beautiful Friday afternoon when I could have been running. I had found a really cool path that wound around the outskirts of town and finished near the giant meadow that Fang had challenged me to race him, and I was dying to go back and run through the trees and watch the birds coast across the sky. But, no. I was inside a dingy mall. Ella grabbed my hand and dragged me into a giant Von Maur where there was a whole section dedicated to homecoming dresses. I groaned. Almost all of the dresses were either short, tight, covered in sequence or had large chunks of the dress missing. Nudge chastised me for not knowing that cut-outs were very in this year.
They each grabbed a handful of dresses then hurried into the fitting room and I found a comfortable chair adorned with velvet near the entrance where they could come show me. Nudge came out in a frilly fuschia dress that I immediately vetoed and did the same for Ella's turquoise skin-tight number. They had gone back in to change again when a perfectly groomed blonde head appeared.
"Hi Max!" Dylan said plopping into the chair next to me.
"Hey Dylan." For some reason, Fang was not Dylan's biggest fan and I always noticed Fang's eyes reduced to slits when Dylan would wave to me at lunch or greet me in government. I had never taken up Dylan's offer to sit with him at lunch, much to Fang's likeness, but I always wondered what the big deal was. He seemed like a nice guy and all the girls completely swooned after him.
"What are you doing here? I didn't peg you as the type to shop at Von Maur," he said with a bright grin. Man, he smiled a lot and he had such a pretty smile – it made his eyes twinkle and face light up. Between all the laughs and fair complexion, he was Fang's polar opposite.
"My sister is here with Nudge," I explained. "They're shopping for homecoming dresses and I have the unfortunate job of vetoing each one they come out in. It hasn't been pretty so far."
He laughed, but then his face grew slightly more serious. "I was actually hoping to bump into you somewhere. I was wondering, well hoping, if you would want to go to homecoming with me?" He looked at me, his eyes searching. "As my date," he added.
"Oh," I stumbled. I definitely was not expecting that. "I already have plans to spend the day with Fang." Something flashed in his eyes, and I slowly realized it was hurt. "I'm really sorry, Dylan. It's just that I promised Fang, and well dances aren't really my thing," I added. I did feel bad.
He looked slightly cheered up, and I tried to give him a reassuring smile. "Okay, well I'll see you around, Max. Maybe we can grab coffee or see a movie or something."
"Who was that?" Nudge asked with interest as she emerged in a heinous purple dress that was covered entirely in sequence.
"His name's Dylan. He's in my government class. Also, that dress is hideous."
She looked down and frowned. "What did he want?"
"Oh, nothing. He had just stopped to say hi." I don't know why I didn't tell her the truth, probably because she would make me track him down and tell him I would go.
"Max?" she asked turning her huge brown eyes on me.
I quickly looked at the ground and feigned tying my shoe. I couldn't resist telling the truth when she turned those eyes on me. "Honest, it was nothing."
She nodded, then hurried back to change into her final dress. Ella emerged again and for the first time I didn't immediately veto her outfit. The top half of the dress was white with thick straps and turned to dark mesh for an inch or two baring her midriff and then fell just above her knees in a simple black A-line.
"Ella," I breathed. The dress suited her perfectly. It was simple, but flattering and highlighted her tan skin and long dark hair. "It's perfect."
"I know!" she gushed. "I was going to get it even if you didn't like it." She stuck out her tongue at me.
"So why am I here then?"
"Sisterly bonding, duh." She headed back into the dressing room and I heard Nudge's squeals as they both admired the dress. I heard them discussing how perfect it would look with her hair half up and half down and gold eyeshadow with green undertones. Whatever that meant.
Nudge still hadn't found "the dress" yet because apparently freshman year homecoming is just as important as your wedding day, so I was dragged to yet another dress store. This one was a small boutique that was so full of dresses, that I graciously agreed to wait outside, and they would text me when they wanted my final opinion. I meandered around the mall waiting for something to catch my interest when I noticed a small shop tucked in the corner with the walls covered floor to ceiling in books.
I started browsing the classics section when someone behind me asked, "Are you finding everything alright – Oh, hey Max."
I spun around, "Hi Spencer! I didn't know you worked here."
He nodded. "I've been working here since the summer before freshman year. I mean, you know how much I like to read."
I grinned. He put Fang's bookshelf to shame with the number of books he owned. He was a sophomore, but had already passed out of all the high school English reading classes and calculus, so he was taking second year classes at a nearby college. He was an actual human genius. "Seems like a perfect fit."
He nodded emphatically. "Have you read this?" He pulled a copy of Catcher in the Rye down from the shelf in front of me. I shook my head, but recognized the cover from Fang's bookshelf.
"I haven't, but it's one of Fang's favorites," I said.
Spencer nodded, pushing a few strands of light brown hair back behind his ears. "He's read it a dozen times I bet." I'm sure Spencer had read it at least 20 times. His face lit up, "I have something you would like." He hurried over to a stack of books in the opposite corner of the room next to two hefty leather chairs that I could imagine sinking into and never leaving. I followed him, slightly skeptical. I wasn't much of a reader, but Fang had promised to loan me any of his books on the simple grounds that I read them.
He pulled down a large book, and leafed through it until he found the page he wanted. "It's Shawshank Redemption," he told me eagerly. "Go on," he handed me the book and I read the first few pages, and was instantly intrigued. His smile grew as he watched my eyes continue to scan across the page. "It's an incredibly story written by Stephen King, and was made into a movie with Morgan Freeman and Tim Robbins back in 1994. The movie is ranked as one of the best of all time only after the Godfather, but the book is even better." He began a detailed description of the plot in which he explained how Andy Dufresne was framed for a murder he didn't commit and found himself be sentenced to life in Shawshank Prison with dozens of hardened criminals. But, Andy, who was a brilliant accountant, had found himself a group of friends in jail and began to adjust slowly to life inside the prison. He refused to tell me anymore determined not to leak any secrets of the book.
"But," he added, "it has one of the best lines of all time. 'You can get busy living or get busy dying.'"
I pulled out my wallet ready to pay, but Spencer shook his head. "I'll be right back." He disappeared into the backroom for a few minutes, and I could hear him rummaging through more stacks of books. A few minutes later, he returned carrying a weathered, tattered copy of the same book I was holding. "You can borrow my personal copy. It has the original cover." He pointed to the front which had the title Different Seasons which contrasted with the picture of Tim Robbins holding up his arms to the heavens with an enlarged portrait of Morgan Freeman behind him, almost God-like.
"Thanks!" I stared at the book. "Look, I've got to go. I promised Ella and Nudge I would help them decide on homecoming dresses."
"You're not going either?" He asked, and I shook my head. "I'm spending the day with my brother who will be home from college for Fall Break, so I'm really looking forward to not being shoved in a crowded gym and listening to bad music again."
I started to go when he asked another question, "I saw you talking to Dylan." Okay it was more of a statement than a question. I just nodded. "Did he ask you to the dance?"
My jaw dropped. "How did you know that?"
"And you said no?" He asked again, ignoring my question. I nodded again in response a little rattled. "Because you're spending the day with Fang instead?" He laughed at my startled expression. "I saw him go into Von Maur looking for someone when I was coming back from my break, and I could see someone that I assumed was you. He stormed out looking irritated." He shrugged. "Just some basic body language and common sense. Besides, it's common knowledge that he and Fang aren't the best of friends."
"That's spooky stuff, Spence. You could be one of those FBI profilers. Nudge and Ella didn't even know, and they were just inside the dressing room." He just gave me a sheepish shrug.
I grinned. "Well, thanks again for the book, I'm really excited to read it." I chucked. "Wow, I never thought I would say that."
He laughed and waved as I hurried to go relieve Ella and Nudge's dress efforts. Twenty minutes later, Nudge had decided on a royal blue dress that was fitted, but not overly tight. It was sparkly, but not overbearing – overall, perfect for Nudge.
As soon as we got home, I pulled out the book Spencer had given me, curled up in the window seat in my bedroom and began reading. It was the first time I had ever wanted to spend more time than necessary, and I quickly fell in love with the characters. Ella peaked in twice to discuss jewelry and shoes for her dress, but I ignored her enamored with the thickening plot. I was nearly halfway done by the time dinner was ready.
"So, Max," my mom said with a gentle smile. "You're reading?"
I nodded, "Spencer gave me Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King when I saw him at the mall with Ella and Nudge. It's about Andy Dufresne who is framed for murder when he is sentenced to Shawshank Prison."
My mom nodded, "That movie is incredible. It came out in 1994, and your father and I went to see it in theaters when we both lived in New York before we were married. You should watch in when you finish the book."
"Spencer refuses to watch all movie renditions of books on the premise that it will alter the way he sees the characters in his head. He's probably read this book a dozen times."
My mom chuckled, "Well I'm sure you'll be able to find someone else to watch it with you. Is Fang coming over tonight?"
"Probably," Ella said from across the table. I glared at her, but quickly realized she was right. I was either at Fang's house or he was here almost everyday to work on homework, watch movies or just hang out. We had finally gotten through all the Star Wars original trilogy movies, so we had to embark upon something else now. "Speaking of tonight," Ella said. "I'm going to Nudge's before the football game and we're going over together. We told Liam and Jason that we would go to the game with them."
"Geez, you're practically glowing." I shielded my eyes as if she was too bright to look at, and Ella just rolled her eyes, ignoring me as per usual.
"You should go, Max," my mom chided. "It'll be fun. You need to step out of your comfort zone a little; you're not going to the dance, but you should at least show some school spirit."
"Fine," I sighed. "But I'm not staying for the full game."
Ella squealed, then rushed off to get ready.
After about twenty minutes, I finally convinced Fang to go to the game because I sure as hell wasn't going to go alone. Since I still hadn't been at the school for long, Fang was bringing me a Harding High shirt to wear for the game, so I could at least pretend that I wanted to be there.
"Here," he said when he arrived half an hour later, tossing me a baggy navy shirt. Fang, as per usual, was dressed in all black, and was sporting a Harding High baseball cap. I tossed the shirt on over my long sleeve and wrinkled my nose overwhelmed by the smell of cologne. "What?" he asked with a sideways glance.
"It smells like you."
"And that's bad?"
"It could be worse," I said with a smirk.
We argued the whole walk to school whether or not we would make playoffs this year which then spiraled into an argument about sports teams overall. We finally agreed that neither of us had much experience nor interest in sports, so neither of our arguments were valid.
"Told you," I said to Fang laughing, giving him a friendly shove. Unfortunately, that friendly shove happened to cause him to ram into Lissa causing her to drop her drink. She looked pleased for a second when she saw Fang, but her wide green eyes instantly turned to daggers when she saw me grab his hand to pull him away while he happily followed me.
"Are you going to the dance, Max?" Lissa called after me. I turned around, a little rattled.
"No," I said bluntly. I felt no need to explain my decisions to her.
"Pity no one asked you," she said with another hair toss. "It must be hard, having a boy's name and a boy's personality."
"At least she has a personality," Fang growled next to me. Lissa's eyes widened in shock, clearly taken aback.
"So, you two are an item?" she asked, glaring at us both. Fang smirked, just as he did anyone asked us if we were dating.
"No, Lissa. Unlike you, I have the rare gift of being able to be friends with a guy without sleeping with him. It's a blessing and a curse," I said with mock sincerity. She spluttered and opened her mouth to say something, but I turned and headed towards the bleachers.
We climbed up all the bleachers finally stopping in the top row when we saw Iggy's beaming face. "Look who it is!" He called. "Thanks for the invite guys."
"Iggy you were going to come regardless of if either of us came," I told him half smiling.
"So," he pouted. "An invite would've been nice."
"Don't worry. We weren't planning on coming until 30 minutes ago when Max dragged me out of the house for this," Fang said glaring at me. I gave him a bright smile in return.
"Oh, so you come to the games with Max, but not me?" Fang rolled his eyes at Iggy and gave him a playful shove. A few minutes later, the game started. Soon enough, we were getting crushed. The sun had gone down, and I gave an involuntary shiver as we watched our quarterback throw another interception.
All of sudden, the chill was gone. Fang had taken off his jacket and wrapped it around my shoulders. I looked up at his obsidian eyes, "Thanks, Fang." I wrapped an arm around his waist and leaned against him for a few minutes. He was an incredible guy to have as a friend, let alone best friend.
"You ready?" I asked him after the other team had scored another touchdown.
He nodded, "It's not looking to promising."
We bade the others good bye as we headed off the bleachers to walk back home.
"Spencer!" I called after the familiar shaggy light brown hair walking a few paces ahead of us. He turned around and flashed us both a quick smile. "I was reading Shawshank all day. It's incredible. I'm dying to watch the movie now. How did you know I would like it so much?"
He shrugged. "Maybe just more FBI profiler stuff," he said with a wink. "But I refuse to watch the movie, so you'll be stuck doing that with Fang I'm afraid. I'll see you guys." And with a quick wave, he disappeared into the mass of people ahead of us.
"Shawshank?" Fang asked looking at me quizzically. I quickly filled him in on how I had run into Spencer at the mall and he had loaned me his copy to read since he thought I might like it. "We can watch the movie tonight if you want," Fang said as we began the walk home, leaving the stadium lights and cheering fans behind us.
"Hmm, well I need to finish the book first. But it won't take long," I said as we got to my house.
"Back already?" my mom called from upstairs. "Hi Fang." He was over so often that even my mom could tell when he was here from his footsteps.
I settled in the window seat and bent my knees where Fang's bent knees were directly across from me. "Read to me," I said handing him the book.
"I'm not reading to you, Max," he said rolling his eyes.
"Please," I added in response to his raised eyebrows. "You have a nice reading voice."
"When have you ever heard me reading?"
"Sometimes in government you read to yourself out loud really quietly," he scowled at me, but grabbed the book and flipped open to the bookmark.
"The years went past and Andy brought his wall out to the exercise yard cupful by cupful. He played game after game with administrator after administrator, and they thought it was because he wanted to keep the library going. I have no doubt that was part of it, but the main thing Andy wanted was to keep Cell14 in Cellblock 15 a single occupancy." His voice rolled over me as I paid close attention to each word as he continued reading. I could hear the smile in Fang's voice as he read near the ending, his voice warm and soft contrasting with his occasional sharp demeanor.
"I hope the Pacific is as blue as my dreams. I hope," Fang paused, gazing up at me. "The End."
We sat in silence for a while, neither of us able to put the ending into words. He had read the book before, but this was the first book I had read in a long time.
"When was the last time you read for fun?" Fang asked, reading my mind as per usual.
"Not for a really long time. My dad used to read to me before bed in fourth grade, but after my parents got divorced, I stopped reading. At first, I couldn't read by myself because it just made me so mad whenever I thought about the divorce. But after a while, it just became a burden. They always forced us to read in middle school, and then I just refused to read on principle."
"Typical," Fang said, but he smiled at me – one of his rare smiles that makes the world a little brighter and the causes the Sun to stop in its tracks. I knew he tried to put a lot of unsaid things into that smile; he wasn't one to talk about emotions, and neither was I.