In Session [h.s]

Chapter Fifteen

"'We know what we are, but we know not what we be'." Harry reads the scribbling on the wall, paint roller in his hand and a frustrated grimace on his face. "Isn't that Shakespeare?"

I nod. "I'm pretty sure it's from Hamlet."

Harry shakes his head, "I think I preferred the dick drawings. When did kids start writing philosophical shit on walls?"

"I mean, we are in the drama department, Harry."

He just shakes his head again, painting a fresh coat over the words. He's wearing that same set of paint splattered overalls again, hair pinched up in a little clip.

"You sure you don't want to go home?" He asks me for the third time. "I can do this alone. You should try and get some sleep."

I shake my head. "It's fine, Martin gave me this job. I can hardly leave it to you. And besides, Melissa's got company tonight, it's probably best I'm not in the apartment anyway."

Harry snorts. "Yeah, Archie mentioned he was seeing her tonight."

I pause my painting. "It's Archie?"

Harry looks at me, confused by my surprise. "Yeah?"

"But she saw him like three days ago?"

Harry, still looking clueless, pauses his painting. "I'm missing your point."

"She just never sees guys that often," I muse aloud. "Something weird is going on with her."

"Did you ever consider that she just likes him?"

I shake my head. "Melissa doesn't date guys."

"Maybe she's changed her mind. If there's any guy that could change her mind, it's probably Archie."

I frown in thought. "I guess, maybe. Archie is pretty charming."

Harry leans up against a dry patch of wall, folding his arms with the roller hanging from his hand. He narrows his eyes at me with a smirk.

"Oh, is he now? Just charming? Nothing to do with those big brown eyes of his, Hm?"

Playing along, I smirk back at Harry. "You know, you sound a little jealous there, Styles."

Harry rolls his eyes. "Please don't tell me you fancy my brother. His ego is big enough as it is, without having you and your best friend fighting over him."

Chuckling, I shake my head. "His ego is safe. Melissa is welcome to him." I take a moment to mull over my thoughts, absently painting still. "He is a good guy though? Archie? He'll be good to Liss if it goes that way between them?"

Harry gives me a soft look and nods. "He's annoying as shit, but he's a good guy Ruth. I'll buzz his dreads off myself if he hurts Melissa, okay?"

"Sure. Okay." I chew my lip, wondering over how to word my next question without it sounding totally insulting. "Harry. I was actually wondering, about you and Archie. You're brothers, but, uh..." I trail off, struggling to find the words. "You guys don't really look - well, it's just..."

Harry raises his eyebrows. "You mean how come he's black and I'm white?"

I feel my face warm. "Is it really shitty of me to ask?"

Harry shakes his head. "Nah, we get it all the time. But it's kind of a long story. We, uh...don't have the same parents. But he's my brother all the same."

I think on Harry's words. Were one of them adopted in to the others family? Had they simply grown up together, and bonded like siblings do? I knew too well what it was like, to have someone so close that at times it meant more than blood.