Stinky Larry hoodie at the SF concert
this is sooooo rushed but whatever i just needed to write something while doing my laundry...
word count: 1.6k
You were sitting at your desk at Nockfell high, the smell of mold and sweaty teenagers filling the room. Mrs. Packerton was teaching the class about god knows what. you were just focused on the notepad in front of you, sketching little creatures, things you saw in your dreams. The minutes ticked by like snails. Slowly inching, it was almost unbearable. No, it was unbearable. From beside you, you see your best friend Larry. He points to his sketchbook and cringes at the sound of a page tearing out, Mrs. Packerton turns around.
“Mr. Johnson! Stop disrupting my class! This is important.” she huffed before turning back to her whiteboard.
You silently chuckled at him as he slunked down in his seat, a little embarrassed.
After an excruciating 15 more minutes, the bell rang. It was finally time to return home.
The air outside was fresh but somehow still held a sinister tone. It didn't matter to you. “Not my problem..” mumbled as you passed the old church.
Behind you was a set of loud, large footsteps, you didn't peer behind you till they got to close. “Heyyyy shortie.” Larry nudged your shoulder.
“My god you scared me..”
“Sorry, sorry..”
He walked beside you, keeping up with your slow pace. You enjoyed your walk home, watching the trees and the birds. Sure it wasn't the safest town to walk in, but you had some mace and a pocket knife Larry gave you. Keep this on you okay? Don't be afraid to use it, he told you after a girl got kidnapped near the school. He even offered to teach you self defence. Of course you took the offer, a chance to touch and get close to him. Hehe.
“Soooo i tried to pass you a note in class, didn't go well..” he blushed.
“Yeah I saw,” you chuckled, poking his arm “whatcha want?”
“Well, Sal is busy and you're my other best friend. Sanity's Fall has a concert just outside of town, I got two tickets..” he paused “Wanna go with me?”
“I'm your last resort person huh? Ouchy..” you said teasing.
“Nonononononononono, i just didn't know if you were interested in that kind of thing.”
“A concert?”
“A heavy metal concert.”
You were more quiet than Larry, the extremely shy one of the group, not really doing school events or group hangouts. You preferred one-on-one time with Larry.
He stopped in front of the apartment, the smell of mold in despair filling your nose. “You can say no, I can sell the other, or not go I guess and give them both away.”
He looked at his raggedy shoes, kicking a rock on the pavement.
“Ill go, I'd be nice to get out of the house.” as you said it his head perked up and he beamed ear to ear. “Really?!”
“Yeah”
“Dont feel forced.. I-i mean it's okay if you say no i wont be mad.”
“Larry, I wanna go, it will be fun.”
He grabbed your hands, the blood leaving your hands and going to your cheeks, he shook them and was practically about to explode. “I'M SO EXCITED!!”
He held the door as I walked inside and we got in the elevator.
“When is it?”
“Friday, I hope you're free.”
“Oh yeah what else would I have going on?”
“Pouting in your room.”
“I don't pout!”
“Mhmm surreeeee.”
The elevator beeped for your floor, you hop out and shoot Larry a smile.
“Ill see you soon” he grins and presses the button for the basement, blowing you a little kiss, before you could react, the elevator doors shut.
Friday came as fast as lighting, you were in your room trying to find a suitable outfit for the occasion, you landed on the classic combo.
Jeanshorts and tights, and to tie it all together, a hoodie Larry let you borrow. Definition of borrow in this situation.
He gave it but you let him forget about it, and you never washed it, for the 6 months you've had it. It lost its smell, so maybe if you give this one back, he’ll give you a new one. Freshly stinky. You heard a knock on your front door, “I'M COMING!! ONE SECOND!!” you shouted while tying your shoes.
After the second tie was laced you opened the door to see long haired Larry.
“Hey pretty lady. Ready to go?” he smiled looking at your outfit before landing on the hoodie. “Hey wait a second-”
“Ill give it back if i can get a new one”
“Hmm ill think about the offer.”
He leads you outside and into his car, a van with paint chipping off of it, he tries to paint the outside of it. It didn't end well.
In the car he played his music at a fair volume so he could still talk to you.
“If you get uncomfortable just tell me and we can go.” he looked over at you before returning to the road, he was a surprisingly good driver.
“I'll be fine, I've been to concerts before..”
“Okay, just making sure. You got your knife?”
“They won't let me bring that in! I have my mace though.”
“Atta girl!” he smiled at you proudly before pulling into the venue parking lot.
He got out and opened your door for you
“Mlady.”
“Thanks..”
Before entering the swamp of people, he reached out and took your hand.
“Dont want you to get lost.”
“I won't! I'm not a child.”
“I know, I know.”
The two of you walked inside and were greeted by the smell of alcohol and cigarettes, maybe a faint stench of pot.
You and Larry found a space off to the side but still close to the stage, you were too short to really see above the people in front of you but you didn't mind. Larry poked you on the arm before holding out what looked like two gummy bears.
“Want one?”
“Are these real gummy bears?” “Yeah?”
“I mean like, normal, normal ingredients?”
“Uhhh, no.”
You take the red one on the right, and plop it in your mouth. It tasted kinda gross but was heavily masked by the flavoring, you didn't even wanna think about how much dye was in these, or what drugs were in them.
After a few minutes of you chitchatting and the effects of the drug kicking in, it was pot, you felt airy and light, not caring about the people around you anymore. The band came on stage, Larry was having the time of his life and you were just dancing like this was any normal concert. Larry started laughing at your dancing, and you just rolled your eyes. “Whatr you looking at??” you yelled above the music
“You.”
“Why”
“You look cute when you're dancing, and stoned, stoned dancing.”
You rolled your bloodshot eyes again.
“You suck”
“You swallow."
That was a comeback you used a lot, now it was used against you, you pushed him and he grabbed your wrist and had you dance with him.
While other people were headbanging and moshing, you two were dancing like fools to the loud music of Sanity's Fall.
As the night went on you two decided to leave a little early to avoid the swarm of people trying to leave at the same time, Larry nodded his head towards the door and took your hand again, weaving through the hoard of people.
“Woo! That place was a little stuffy, huh?” Larry exclaimed as you too hit the fresh air of the outside world. Despite there being no more crowd he still held onto your hand, slightly hoping you didn't notice, but of course you did, you noticed everything he did.
You swung your hands a little as you two walked to his car, he chuckled as he opened your passenger side door.
“You're a riot you know that?” he said as you climbed inside, the car had a faint smell of pine needles and Mcdonalds fries.
“Did you have fun?” he looks at you as he climbs in his seat, buckling your seatbelt for you before doing his own.
“Yeah! Not my type of crowd but I still had fun, cuz I was with you.” you smiled and he couldn't help take his eyes off the road to glance at you and smile back.
The drive back to the apartments was smooth, you guys left early enough to beat the traffic jam and drunkards staggering out of the building looking for a fight.
The two of you got out and walked into the apartments, of course Larry held the door for you.
“I can open my own doors!”
“I know but I like to do it.”
As you both enter the elevator he clicks the button to go to the basement, “moms been talking about you, she'd love to see you..if she's still awake.” he chuckles before adding “i owe you a kew hoodie dont i?”
He steps out of the elevator and puts in the keys to his apartment. You step in and the place feels as homely as usual, it faintly smells of mold, like the rest of the apartment, and a little bit of bleach.
He walks into his room and starts digging through a pile of laundry on the floor, while you wait for him to finish his hunt, you look at his easel. A fresh painting of a woman with your hair color inserted.
“This one's really pretty, who is it?” you observe the painting, its still in its baby stages so it's a tiny bit hard to make out. He walks over with a hoodie in his hands, “uhhhhhh.”
He mumbles while standing there with the new freshly stinky Larry hoodie. You take it from his hands and look at him.
“What? Is it mee?” you tease him.
“Maybe”
“Maybe? What do you mean maybe? You're the painter.”
“It just.. came out, i wasn't thinking about what i was painting.”
“So I'm looming in your subconscious?”
He finally looks at you, “maybe..”
