like real people do./ arvin russell

0.1

this story has only just begun...

so, here's the beginning.
i hated arvin russell with a passion.

if there was one person in this entire world i could get rid of, with no hesitation it would be arvin russell. we've hated each other since the third grade, arvin thought it would be funny to befriend me and then embarrass me in front of the entire class with a secret i had told him, i wasn't one to hold grudges but ever since i had stopped being friends with him he made my life a living hell, he'd trip me in the hallways when we were still in school, he'd come into the diner really late at night when we were about to close to annoy me and he even tried to get harry to smoke a cigarette. his sister lenora was one of my very close friends, so of course i never complained and put up with him whenever i had too. i was bullied a lot in school for the way i dressed, i never wore dresses or skirts, i just dressed like harry did because our parents never made enough money for my clothes, even my momma had to go around wearing my daddy's clothes whenever her two nice dresses were in the dirty clothes and because of it, arvin and other boys in my class made my school years hell as if i had a choice, i make enough money now to where i can buy my own dresses but it's useless, i've spent so much time in a tomboy era to where i can't get out of it.

currently, i was working on my trucks engine, it was my dad's old truck but he had past it down a few months before he passed. harry was outside on the porch doing schoolwork where i could still see him while working, my daddy taught me everything about cars just incase he passed before he could pass his knowledge onto harry, i never thought anything of it, but now i know why.

"sissy! lenora's here!"

i chuckled at how excited harry had gotten and closed the hood of my truck, i tried to wipe off excess grease but it was no use, so i wiped my face and walked over to where lenora was standing.

"hello lenora"

i tried to hug her but she reminded me that grease stains suck to get out of clothes, i nodded in agreement and looked at her car, i heard it still running which confused me so i looked over, and of course, arvin was sitting in the passenger seat, a smoke hanging out of his mouth. i wasn't much of a smoker but if someone offered i wasn't one to turn it down.

"hope you don't mind me showing up randomly, my grandma just needs a cutting board, her's broke today, i was wonderin if we could borrow one from ya if you had one."

i had two actually, one for meats and one for everything else, my mother always liked to be organized and if it was up to her she'd probably have a separate utensil for everything.

"of course, it's in the kitchen on the counter, it's big you can't miss it, harry'll help ya out."

she smiled and harry got up from his makeshift desk and ran inside immediately. the anxiety i had was building as arvin kept sitting there staring at me, so i jogged back over to my truck and went into the dashboard, my dad always kept a pack of smokes in the dashboard while he was driving and of course, he even left me one when he passed the truck down. i grabbed a smoke and a lighter and walked back over to the door, lighting the cigarette as fast as i could.

"didn't take you for a smoker."

arvin was now sitting on the hood of lenora's car, it took everything for me to not face him but i heard harry and lenora coming back so i looked at the door as a distraction.

"didn't ask."

"you still hate me don't you."

the laughing that was coming from the house seemed to stop as arvin hopped off the hood and walked closer to me.

"lenora told me about your dad.."

there it was.

"i'm sorry about your loss."

"don't be. he's with momma now and i'll be fine watching harry and working as much as i can."

i took his sorry with a grain of salt, arvin was a dickhead who went around getting into fights and missing church just cause he didn't like the preacher, no one really did, but after he left coal creek and we got a new pastor, arvin showed up to church more, which confused me but i never said anything, i didn't like causing trouble when i was around harry, so i didn't.

without another word, arvin walked back to the car and slammed the door as he got in, i took a deep breath and took another hit as lenora and harry came back out laughing like always, lenora said i quick thank you and goodbye and i watched as she drove off.

"how much more schoolwork you got buddy?"

"i just need to finish two problems and then i'll be done sissy"

i was proud of harry, i really was, he was exceptional at school, in everything really, he even did good in football for his age, i wasn't all that good in school but i still passed and graduated like everyone else did but harry? harry was gonna go places in the world with his smarts, i just knew it.

"how about we go down to the diner and get some shakes after i clean up?"

harry agreed right away and finished his two questions quickly before running back inside, i kept the small smile on my face as i looked out to where lenora's car was before throwing my smoke on the ground, putting it our and heading inside to get changed.

harry loved the diner, it was one of his favorite parts of town besides the church, when we had arrived to the diner, he was so excited that he ran in while i was still trying to get out of the truck. of course, we both got the signature chocolate shakes that were to die for and spent the rest of the night talking about random things that were so small but meant so much and i wish i could have all my nights be like this.

...

a/n:

kind of a slow start as we build up to the climax of the story butttt i hope you enjoy! :)