holes fanfics

in Between pt 3

Being with Twitch and Magnet’s dog helped Hector’s mood. It was a big, fluffy golden labrador, very friendly and very sheddy. His name was Ram.

He explained to them slowly about his weird feelings surrounding Stanley, and how he hasn’t told anyone else, since he doesn’t really know what it means. To his surprise, both of them were able to sit still and listen intently the whole time, even when Hector had to take a moment to collect his thoughts. Twitch was only kind of fidgety.

“Damn, Zee,” Magnet said once he was done, referring to Hector’s name from camp: Zero.

“I mean, it sounds like you already know how you’re feeling.”

“What is it?” Asked Hector.

“You like him, man.”

Hector blinked at him once, with the stare that saw through people.

“Like, more than a friend,” Twitch explained.

“I do,” Said Hector, as if it was obvious.

The other two looked at each other with uncertainty.

“You know what a boyfriend is, right?”

“Stanley told me.”

“Como no,” Magnet muttered, “That’s what we mean. You wanna be his boyfriend.”

“Magnet,” Twitch said, urging him to be gentler.

“And no matter what anyone says,” The other continued, “It’s not weird. Not any weirder than a black man and a white woman, not any weirder than a man that was once a woman. If anyone says otherwise, you don’t give them any bit of your time.”

Hector immediately thought: What if Stanley says otherwise? Magnet seemed very passionate about this. Hector had never heard of a man that was once a woman.

“I wanna be Stanley’s boyfriend.” Hector was seeing how it felt in his mouth.

Just then, a car horn honked outside the van. The dog, who had curled up for a nap, lifted his head and barked.

Hector hurried out, recognizing the familiar horn sound.

“How do you know it’s him?” His mother had asked one time.

He just knew.

Stanley came out of the car in his blue polo and khaki pants. His parents said he looked nice, but Hector likes him in comfier clothes; It seems more like Stanley.

“Hey, Peaches,” Stanley smiled, his eyes sparkling, “I see Mag and Twitch are early.”

Hector composed himself and nodded. “Peaches” was a much nicer nickname that Stanley had started calling him when they found out the main ingredient in both the sploosh from Camp Green Lake and, well, Sploosh.

Magnet’s trilling shout came from the van, “Heyy, there’s the big onion man!”

“Hey Stanley!” Twitch shouted after him.

“Why’re you in my yard? I’m a busy man!” Stanley teasingly shouted back.

Magnet had come running out of the van, his dog following his heels. “It’s dinnertime, my guy! I’m thinking… Mexican?” He offered, as if they ever went anywhere else.

“One day, I swear, I’ll convince you all to get Greek instead,” Twitch rolled his eyes as he walked over.

“Alright, we can go now, just let me get changed, yeah?”

“Sure thing, you look as stiff as a tree, Stanley.”

The two of them walked back to the van and the dog followed after sniffing Stanley’s hand.

Instead of heading back to the house, he turned to Hector.

“You alright, Peach?” His tone turned soft and worried.

Hector looked up at him, into the deep greenish-blue of his eyes.

Those eyes drooped when Hector didn’t respond after a moment’s waiting. Sometimes he’s still not a big fan of answering questions. Especially emotional ones.

He couldn’t even give his best friend a reassuring smile.

Just a small, “I’m fine.”

Stanley didn’t believe it. Because, of course he didn’t. It wasn’t nearly the whole truth, and it left a bad taste in Hector’s mouth.

Still, Stanley smiled weakly. “I’ll go get changed.”

Hector waited there, standing in the grass, unmoving, until Stanley came back out the front door.