dishonesty // egobang

5. dishonesty

"just do it, dude! he's like, five, he won't remember it." dan's friends egged him on. a cruel, but hesitant smile spread across the teen's face before he approached the small boy. he looked about ten, and he had a pencil and paper in hand. he was drawing.

"hey kid,-" dan began before looking over the boy's shoulder. he'd drawn cartoon characters from a tv show. dan was actually impressed a ten year old could draw better than he could.

the boy turned around and hugged his paper close to his chest before standing and backing up.

"don't take them." he said shortly and quietly. he definitely wasn't a very sociable child, dan thought. his smile faltered as he looked back at his buddies. they waved their hands for dan to continue pestering this boy. dan looked back at the boy, who, despite his short legs, was walking quickly away from the teen.

"what the hell, man? why didn't you kick his ass?" one of his friends asked, agitated. dan stood in front of them and diverted his attention to the road behind his friend.

"he wasn't hurting anybody, i didn't see why he needed an ass-kicking."

"just a minute ago you-"

"yeah, i know what i said a minute ago. now i've scared him off."

"why do you care? oh, right, because little danny avidanny wouldn't hurt a fly. what a wimp he is, eh?"

"i'm not a wimp. he's just a kid, he didn't do anything."

"whatever." the two teens stalked off leaving dan in their wake.

he stood and stared at the boy, who had taken to a safe haven under one of the shallow leaved trees beside the fence by the road. he continued to draw on his notebook paper, pressing it desperately against his legs. his pencil would poke holes in the paper every once in a while and he'd wince.

dan decided against his better judgement and silently approached the boy and sat down beside him. he didn't really know what to do. the boy did the same as before; he hugged his paper and tried to scoot away.

"hey hey hey, hold on a second." dan said, putting a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"i can't talk to strangers. sorry." the boy stood up.

"wait, i like your drawing!" he hesitated, but looked down at dan with no words. instead, he slowly sat back down and let dan see more of what he was drawing.

"those are pretty good. you like beavis and butt-head?" the boy nodded. he continued to sketch. "well that's cool."

that day, dan left the park after the boy did, he didn't bother to learn his name. even after sitting under that same tree for two months, did dan bother to learn the mystery boy's name. until one day, the boy spoke, and dan heard his voice for the first time since the first day they sat together.

"do you draw?" dan was thrown off at the sudden question.

"i uh, i don't. i can't. i don't really want to."

"don't be silly. are you saying you don't want to draw when you want to?"

"yeah, actually."

"that's dumb." dan laughed.

"i'm surprised."

"huh?" the boy's gaze hadn't left his sketchbook paper.

"that after months of not speaking to me, you finally decide to and ridicule me for not drawing." the boy raised his eyebrows.

"whasat mean?"

"i mean like, you decide to make fun of me for not drawing when i want to."

"i'm ten."

"and cocky." the boy laughed.

"i'm daniel. my friends call me dan, or danny. most of my friends use danny."

"i'm arin. my friends call me arin, if i had any. my parents use arin joseph hanson." dan couldn't help but let out a half chuckle.

"i bet you do too have friends." arin looked up at dan.

"i don't. it's just nate, and that's it." dan knit his brows.

"your brother?" he guessed. arin nodded. "well, i don't see how someone wouldn't want to be your friend. you're cocky, artsy, what's not to like?" arin laughed.

"tonsa things if i don't have any."

"hey bud, stop puttin' yourself down. you seem like a nice kid. if worst comes to worst, i'll be your friend. best, even." arin sighed.

"how old are you?"

"eighteen, why?"

"you're a whole eight years older than me. you'd get tired of babysitting me." dan gave arin a side smile.

"i mean, i'll stick around if you're cool. if you're cool, it won't feel like babysitting."

"i guess so."

"so you're officially my friend now. we'll make plans to go out and commit crimes." arin laughed nervously.

"i, uh, i don't... i didn't mean-" dan started laughing and patted arin's head.

"just kidding. i'm not a troublemaker." a car horn signified the arrival of arin's mother. arin stood up and stood in front of dan with his hand out.

"i'll see you tomorrow?" dan stood and put his hand in arin's significantly smaller one, not bothering to shake it yet.

"i've got singing lessons tomorrow, how about saturday?" arin nodded with a smile.

"okay. i'll see you then, friend." dan shook arin's hand and let go as the younger boy walked towards his mother's car.

"see you then, little dude."