The Back Harlow Road • Stand By Me

Chapter Ten "Let's Find Ray"

A/N This is another super, super, really long chapter. Sorry :(

Friendships are like tea.

The first step is the most important. If you mess up this stage, it all turns out wrong. If you overheat it, or add too much sugar, it won't taste good. Just like if you say something wrong, or don't treat them well, it won't grow and prosper.

However, sometimes some teas just aren't for a specific person. You can be the best green tea in the world, but there is just some people who prefer black. No matter how well you brew it, or if you add just the right amount of cream and sugar, it's just not meant to be, even if you try.

If you try to add too much filler and sweetener and cream to a tea that's not meant to be, it's barely tea anymore. It's just something that got too much effort put into it, and while it's not bad, it's just not the same as an authentic, simple, perfect tea, and it'll just get dumped or drank until you can't do it anymore.

If you brew it right, and you like the flavor, you get to drink the tea. The tea can last as long as you want. Sometimes it's perfect until the last sip.

Friendships go through the same cycle. You can make them last and last, but there will probably be some little gaps where the tea is running out.

Or you finish it, it was great, but you don't keep it going. You don't have to. It lasted a while, it was great, but you've moved on.

Sometimes you'll drink the tea, and it'll taste great, but you'll get tired. You'll let it get cold before you finish. Occasionally, it can be reheated and kept going, but often times no one is willing to put in the effort.

Or if you do really like the tea and you want to keep it going, you'll just pour more water into it. It loses it's flavor, but it keeps going, because you're lazy and not willing to brew some more.

No matter how you brew your friendships, sometimes things end, and it's not always bad.

I understood that now and I'm starting to think that maybe these friendships didn't come into my life for me to keep forever. Maybe they came into my life so I could learn from them.

I came home this day, a wallet and keys are thrown in the exact same spot it'll be found every morning, and a slammed door muffles the street noise.

I smelt like a cigarette that was never mine to smoke, but now a burning candle replaces the ash. My black boots hit the foot of the bed and an oversized watch is peeled off.

Potted plants are watered from a glass bottle, which once held alcohol that I hadn't wanted anyone to drink. But that's how my dad forgets my mothers infidelity.

I'm wearing pyjamas I couldn't be seen in outside of my room. I spent my whole day being a person I wasn't, and now that the door is closed and the sun is set, I can be whoever I want.

I sat at Ray's small desk, I came in here often to write. I sat with my pencil in hand staring at the paper trying to think of something to write.

"What are you afraid of?" I titled the page, and I started letting the words flow. Our real fears, are those unspoken.

I suddenly put down the pen when I heard an unfamiliar voice downstairs, I crept out of the room and looked down the hallway.

Gordie stood talking to my mom, I'm not sure what about. "She's upstairs," my mother said and he nodded. I rushed back to my room and sat on my bed.

He knocked on the door. "Come in," I said as he entered nervously.

"Uh, hi," he said and I looked at him confused.