Chapter 109: Kung Pow Dinner
"A friend is someone who will help you move. A real friend is someone who will help you move a body." – Unknown
"My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four. Unless there are three other people." – Orson Welles
She was walking through the hall when she heard the phone ring. She walked over, "Hello?" she said.
"Hey Syd..."
"Hi Will...how's it going?"
"Great...I just called Francie – and I'm gonna leave in a few minutes to go pick her up. Then we'll pick up dinner and be home. What do you want us to pick up?"
"Um...let me ask...oh, and Eric is here too...is it ok with you guys if he stays for dinner?"
"Sure...not a problem..."
Sydney walked out to the living room where Vaughn and Eric were yelling at a referee in none too kind language.
"Uh...guys...I hate to interrupt your little tantrum here...but what do you want for dinner...so Will knows what to pick up?"
Weiss shrugged his shoulders, "Whatever...doesn't matter..."
"Vaughn?" Sydney asked.
"I don't really care either..."
"Ok...well," Sydney said, talking to Will again, "They really don't have a preference. I want Chinese...so that's what we're having..."
Will laughed, "Ok...I know what to get you...what do they want?"
"BOYS!" Sydney shouted after they failed to respond to her calls.
"WHAT?" Eric yelled back.
"WHAT. DO. YOU. WANT. – WILL. IS. PICKING. UP. CHINESE."
Vaughn looked at Syd, "I know what you're getting – I'll have that too..."
Weiss thought a moment, "Hmm...Cashew Chicken."
"Ok, got that Will?"
"Yup," he said, "Ok...I'm gonna go get Fran, then we'll pick up the food and be home."
"Ok, sounds great Will, bye."
"Bye Syd."
She hung up the phone and watched the boys yell at the TV for a few minutes before turning and walking back to her chores.
Will and Francie arrived a short time later; bags of Chinese food in their hands.
"Hey guys..." Will said when he entered, seeing Vaughn and Eric on the couch. He looked to the TV after he set the bags down, "Hey – is this that greatest hits thing that like NO ONE can get?"
Weiss beamed, "YES, it is!"
Vaughn looked over at Will, "I didn't know you watched hockey?"
"Well...occasionally...but I know about this!" he said gesturing towards the television where uniformed players flew across the ice. "How did you get it?"
Weiss smiled, "You don't wanna know..."
Will laughed, "Ok...Hey!" he said looking at Vaughn again, "Haircut..."
"Yeah," Vaughn said smiling.
"How did you get a haircut?"
"Sydney did it..."
"Cool," Will said walking back to the kitchen.
They all congregated in the living room, Will and Francie and Sydney bringing in plates.
"What did you get?" Weiss asked when he looked at Vaughn's plate.
"Sydney's favorite – lo mein..." Vaughn said smiling.
Sydney sat down next to Vaughn on the couch and Will and Francie took residence in the chairs adjacent to the couch.
"Want an eggroll?" Will asked Francie.
"No...you can keep your eggrolls Will," Francie said, "I'll stick with my pal, General Tso and his chicken, thanks."
"Don't know what you're missing," Will said through a mouthful.
"Yes, I do..." Francie retorted, looking over at the three on the couch. Something was different, "Hey!" she said, "Michael...you got a haircut!"
Vaughn laughed, "Yes, I did..."
"Syd, did you do that?" Francie asked.
"Yes, I did," Sydney said proudly, running her hand through Vaughn's hair.
"Great job..." Francie complimented.
Will and Francie cleaned up the dishes, leaving Sydney and Vaughn and Weiss on the couch.
"You wanna watch some more hockey?" Eric asked.
"Uh...sure...but I'm not so sure that the ladies will like that..."
Sydney rolled her eyes, "I love you honey, but I have to agree – I like the live games...and then the after party..."
Vaughn smiled, and Weiss groaned, "Please...don't tell me...I already know too much about what you did before I got here and I really don't even know..."
Sydney laughed at the disgusted look on his face.
"What's so funny?" Francie asked as she and Will reentered the room.
"Eric's pretending he's Will – he doesn't like that Vaughn and I actually engage in–"
"If you finish that..." Weiss said, cutting her off.
Francie joined Sydney in the giggles, as Vaughn cracked a smug smile.
Will just shared a "see what I put up with" look with Weiss, who nodded sympathetically.
"Ok...boys...you watch the players pummeling the shit out of each other, us girls are gonna go do something fun," Francie informed everyone.
"We are?" Sydney asked, looking at Vaughn.
He smiled, letting her know it was ok to leave him.
"YES," Francie said, grabbing Sydney's hand and pulling her off the couch.
She leaned down to kiss Vaughn quickly, "No beer – no junk food – got it?" she asked all of them.
"Yeah, we got it..." Eric mumbled, eyes transfixed on the screen.
Sydney looked slightly apprehensive, but Francie pulled her out anyway, giving her a knowing smile.
"JUST US BOYS!" Weiss shouted when Francie and Sydney left the house. "WOOHOO!"
Vaughn chuckled, as did Will.
"Ok...so what game is this?" Will asked, "Is this the one where they should have thrown the ref like into the goal cause he was such an ass?"
"When are they NOT asses?" Weiss asked, looking over at Will.
"True – but what's that guy's name...um...Sanders?"
"OH GOD!" Weiss shouted, making Vaughn grin.
"You've opened up the biggest can of worms Will...prepare yourself."
"WHAT A MORON!" Weiss started, "I MEAN, FIRST – HE'S LIKE A SHORT, LITTLE ASS OF A MAN...AND HE CAN'T SEE s! I MEAN THEY SHOULD CALL HIM WATCHMAN – BOTH HIS EYES KEEP WATCHING HIS NOSE!"
Will spit out his drink when he heard that fly out of the mouth of the man sitting next to Vaughn.
Vaughn started laughing, knowing that was only the beginning.
"THEY SHOULD CALL HIM TRAINMAN – HE'S PLAIN LOCO AND NO MOTIVE!"
He stopped and then recouped again, "OR YOU COULD CALL HIM SURRENDER – YOU TAKE ONE LOOK AT HIM AND GIVE UP!"
Both Vaughn and Will were crying with laughter, and Weiss just kept going... "THEY SHOULD CALL HIM DRYCLEANER CAUSE HE GETS EVERYONE SO STEAMED UP!"
Sydney looked over at Francie as she was driving, "Where are we going?"
Francie smiled, "Shopping! Where else?"
Sydney laughed, "Ok..."
"Plus, the nail place is open like until 10:00 or something, so we can go have some fun in there too!"
"Great Francie..." Sydney said, but she was thinking about Vaughn.
Francie picked up on this right away of course, "Hey...he'll be ok...and you do need to get out every once in awhile..."
"Yeah...I know...I just...well I don't like leaving him...he can't 'get out.'"
Francie nodded, "He will...but you can't be in the house like every minute."
Sydney looked over at her, "You didn't tell Vaughn that, did you?"
"NO! Of course not...I wouldn't do that," Francie said mildly offended, "Why?"
"He just said something to me...sounded a lot like that..."
"Like what?"
"Like if I was overwhelmed being with him, or if I get frustrated a lot."
"Are you? Do you?" Francie asked softly, looking concernedly at her friend.
Sydney smiled, "No...I don't feel that way...I mean it's not easy...but I love spending time with him, taking care of him. It's not hard...not really...he's got it much rougher than I do..."
"Yeah, but you have to take care of yourself too Sydney..."
"I do...why does everyone assume I don't?"
"Well...I don't mean to piss you off or anything...I just mean, it's got to be trying...you know..."
"I understand Francie, and it's great that you worry about me...but I'm alright...really...I sleep and I eat...I take care of myself..."
"Ok...just have to make sure," Francie said smiling and turning her gaze back to the road.
Francie and Sydney spent a few hours perusing the mall shops, stopping to get their nails done as they had discussed. Sydney was thinking on the way home, she'd had a good time...it was fun to just have a girls' night out...or a part of one anyway...and she went about ten minutes without a Vaughn thought...she understood that they needed time apart, that he needed a wider support group. She knew he was ok with Will and Eric, but that wasn't the point. She liked being with him...and she didn't find anything wrong with the fact that he felt the same...hmm...deep thoughts...
The ride was largely silent, Francie realizing Sydney needed space to think.
They pulled into the driveway and got out with their packages, and laughed about something or another while walking to the house.
The house was dark except for a light they could see from the kitchen and the flashes from the television that was still on.
Sydney felt very ill all of a sudden, and she bolted past Francie.
"What?" Francie asked confused, watching Sydney run towards the house.
She threw open the door and ran over to the couch...what she saw certainly wasn't what she expected to see when they had left...
