By the Laws of Cliché
By Nixosia

Chapter 3

Note: New Chapter. Plot progression (sort of? It's only chapter three, you can't possibly be expecting so much.) Stuff.
R&R please? I want your opinions on this (I'd kind of like to know if anyone at all is reading this, honestly.)
Please and thank you. Enjoy.

"Hey, Will." Trust the cripple to be the one to hunt me down and make sure I'm okay.

Now, I know it's technically politically incorrect to refer to him as a cripple, but he calls himself that and by association that gives me free reign. I don't say it in a mean way either, it's… well, his differences are what endear him to me. They make him more open minded, more accepting. Considering the way I met him was by recovering the crutches that Henry stole from him. We'd all been young, Henry and I were five, William was seven. He hadn't known any better, and while my parents were dually mortified by the behavior the young man had become a lifelong companion to us.

Both of us.

"Henry's being an idiot again?"

"When isn't he being an idiot?"

"Touché."

Next thing I knew Will was swinging his legs up next to me, barely waiting long enough for me to move my arm before leaning against my headboard. It didn't bother me. If he wanted to be there he could be there, at least he'd be able to keep my mind off of things until I needed to get dressed. At least he'd keep me from killing my idiot brother. At… damn it. "Why didn't I invite you?"

"Because I didn't spring to mind."

"But you should have."

"Why should I have been your first choice for a prom date?" the young man asked, turning his head to look at me. He looked so serious that I couldn't help but smile a little bit. "I'm your friend, not your boyfriend, you have no obligation to me Hanners."

"But there's no way you would have ditched me like that."

"So I'd be a date of convenience."

"No! Of course not, Will."

"It's okay that I wasn't your first choice."

"Third choice."

"What?"

"There were two other guys before the guy who's standing me up. You… well, you would have been the third person I tried for."

"I wasn't even your third choice?" He asked quietly. "Now that hurts."

We were both quiet until he started sputtering in an attempt to keep the laughter down. The sound that was coming from his nose due to his attempts got me to start chuckling, and my chuckling finally made him break down into laughter. Within seconds after we were both guffawing and my mood was mysteriously lifted. That's just another reason I keep William around. Even when he's not doing anything funny he makes me laugh, and if it weren't for the fact that the thought of kissing him made me laugh I would probably be dating him.

And that sounded meaner than it was meant to, even in my head.

I laugh at the thought of kissing him not because he's not kissable – because he is. He really is rather attractive for what it's worth. His hair is just curly enough to be adorable, and his eyes are so warm and inviting all the time. He's tan from all the time he spends outside, he's got rather amazing upper body strength, and he's got more talents than anyone else would know what to do with. He would be an amazing boyfriend, if not for the fact that I've known him for so long that he's like a brother to me.

Isn't that always the problem though? The most likely candidates are always closer than family, and therefore any romantic thoughts feel just incestuous enough to be gross. Sometimes it was frustrating to know that the perfect man was right by my side and still just outside my reach, but that's only sometimes. Most of the time I'm okay with it and that overshadows all of the other moments (luckily.)

"What happened to the first two guys?"

"The first one decided he was willing to cough up the money to bring his girlfriend – she doesn't go to school with us. That was okay, didn't bother me so much," I said with a shrug. "The second one decided to be a douche, and so I retracted my offer."

William made a noncommittal noise and started playing with my hair, smiling at the silky texture (I assume.) My hair really was nice when it was professionally done… needless to say I didn't get it professionally done very often. On the rare occasions that I did, it was to be worshipped. I smiled and leaned more firmly against the headboard, maneuvering so my temple was against William's shoulder.

"What am I going to do without you in college?" I whispered, not really expecting an answer but feeling it was necessary to express how I felt. "I'll be so far away. You'll be here. I… I wish you could go with me."

"I concur."

"You shouldn't have to go to a special school," I murmured a complaint I'd been making for two years now. "You're no different from the rest of us."

"The only reason I'm in college at all is because this 'special school' gave me a monster scholarship. You know that Hanners."

"But it's not fair."

"No. It's not fair."

Silence.

"Think you're going to enjoy yourself tonight?"

"No."

"Then just say no. Don't take that Edgar kid."

"And listen to my classmates talking about how much of a prude I am for the rest of the school year? I already get enough of that, thank you very much."

"What they say shouldn't matter Hanners."

"It shouldn't matter. But it does!"

Neither of us said anything after that, but it was worth mentioning that William stopped playing with my hair. I wanted to apologize for snapping at him just so he'd start again, but I found I had too much pride for that. Pride. Goddamned pride, as if it mattered or something. It didn't, except it kind of did matter because I'm a shallow teenage girl.

It's at moments like that when I start to hate myself.

There really shouldn't have been anything wrong, because neither of us had done anything particularly nasty, but… somehow things just weren't right. Suddenly things were awkward, and I pulled into myself a little, wrapping my arms around my chest hoping that maybe I'd be a little more comfortable that way. But I wasn't.

As if sensing my discomfort William said, "Maybe I should go."

"Stay."

And he was playing with my hair again.