by Jerry Cole
The key now was to come up with something clever and funny to say once they were out of sight of Kai and his friends. Roman wanted to impress Bryce, to show him that he could take care of himself and wasn’t a complete loser. But as they walked, Roman failed to come up with anything. All he could do was smile – which he did -- and hope that Bryce didn’t see it and flee for his own safety and personal reputation, like so many other kids his age would.
Chapter Three
“So... that was fun.” Bryce didn’t really know what to say... or do, for that matter. His rescue attempt had been an act of pure spontaneity, brought on by his hatred of bullies. First though, he removed his arm from around the kid’s shoulder. That was starting to feel a little too familiar.
“Huh?” the Goth kid didn’t seem to be paying attention. He rubbed at his arms nervously and kept glancing back over his shoulder as if worried that the bullies would suddenly charge them.
“Don’t worry about them,” Bryce assured him. “They’re all talk and no bite. Trust me.” He didn’t know why he was feeling so confident, he just was.
“Okay.” The Goth kid tried a smile and then looked down at his boots as the two walked for a few moments in silence.
Bryce couldn’t explain what had come over him. He’d been sitting by the water, legs dangling over the dock as he stared out past the horizon while trying to keep himself from descending into complete misery. That was when he’d heard the bullies picking on the Goth kid. The kid was probably around his age, but he was smaller than the bullies were, plus he was outnumbered.
If Bryce had been with his friends having a good time, he might have just walked right on past. But as it had stood, and with his mood the way it had been, he’d needed to do something. Even if it meant getting his ass kicked.
Thank God that hadn’t happened. But now he was walking next to this kid he didn’t know, he had nothing else to say and was starting to wonder if it was worth just shaking his hand and moving on. Surely, that was fine?
“Thanks,” the Goth kid suddenly spoke; he talked into his chest in a way that suggested a lack of confidence. “You didn’t have to...”
“Not a problem.” The two came to a stop, as if both recognizing that this was where they parted. “I saw what was going on and... I just fucking hate douchebags like that. Right?”
The Goth kid nodded. “Yeah... total douches.” He dared a glance at Bryce, a small smile breaking across his thin lips. His eyes were dark brown and where his posture was withdrawn, there was a fire behind his eyes that Bryce couldn’t help but notice.
Another silence now. Bryce nodded his head while the Goth kid sort of glanced this way and that. Both looked ready to leave, but for some reason neither seemed to want to.
“I haven’t seen you around,” the Goth kid said suddenly.
“You wouldn’t have,” Bryce quickly answered. He was relieved for the conversational route that was given him and, always a talker, it was all Bryce needed. “I’m from up north – you ever heard of Woolgoolga?”
The Goth kid looked at Bryce like he’d spoken another language. “Wool... what did you just say?”
Bryce threw his head back and laughed. “We call it Woopi. Just a small beach town like nine hours north of here. I’m with my school on an excursion – first time ever in Sydney, if you believe that. But you’re from here? That must be wild.”
The Goth kid shrugged. “It’s all right. To be honest, I think it’d be cooler to be where you’re from.” He looked across the water and sneered as if at the city itself.
“We’ll have to agree to disagree on that one,” Bryce laughed. “Fuck, I’d love to live here. How could you not? There’s so much to...” Bryce trailed off as he indicated around Darling Harbour, only to suddenly notice his best friend, Alan and his girlfriend Michelle some two hundred feet away. They were holding hands as they walked and looking like they were having just the best time together.
“What?” the Goth kid asked. “So much to what?”
“Ah... nothing – say, do you know anywhere good to eat around here? I’m starving.” Bryce turned a little so his back was to Alan. The last thing he wanted was to have to deal with that right now.
Lucky, the Goth kid didn’t seem to notice. He thought for a moment and then nodded to himself. “I do... but it’s a bit of a walk.”
“What’s a bit of a walk? Like five minutes?”
This time, the Goth kid laughed. It might have actually been the first time he had. “Try like thirty – but it’s worth it. Trust me.”
“Thirty?” Bryce balked. “Is that still in Darling Harbour?”
The expression on the Goth kids’ faces suggested that Bryce had asked if they’d need to fly to get there. “What? No. It’s in Ultimo.”
“Ultimo. Where’s that?”
The Goth kid beamed. “I can show you... if you want – like you don’t have to but it is kind of cool – like you might like it. I don’t know.” He shrugged and looked away nervously.
Bryce thought for a minute. He wasn’t meant to leave Darling Harbour, Mr. Scrivner had been very clear on that. If he did leave, and someone found out, or worse, he missed the bus, then he’d be in so much trouble. Bryce didn’t consider himself a nerd or anything like that, but he didn’t like breaking the rules either.
But then again... as he tried to decide what to do, he eyed Alan and Michelle, watching them as they walked and joined Zac and his girlfriend Imogen. The four stood in a circle, laughing it up, looking like they didn’t care at all that Bryce wasn’t with them. And that was because they didn’t.
And then there was this kid. From the way he was dressed – the all-black clothes and shaved head -- to how he was acting, made him unlike anyone that Bryce had ever met before. All the kids he knew were either surfers or football-players, and none would ever wear such ridiculous boots or wrap a chain around their belt. He was different, that much was true. But Bryce kind of liked that.
“All right,” Bryce agreed suddenly. “Let’s do it – but you have to promise to bring me back right after, Okay?”
“Can do.” The Goth kid beamed his delight, and even seemed to stand a little taller. “It’s this way,” he indicated in the opposite direction of where Bryce’s friends were. “Come on.”
“Wait, one more thing.” Bryce grabbed him on the shoulder and turned him back around. “I’m Bryce... Bryce Taylor.” He held his hand out to shake.
The Goth kid eyed the hand with confusion... even worry. He then seemed to come to a decision in his head and took the hand. “I’m Roman Nowak – and don’t say it. I know Nowak is a weird name.”
“Nowak?” Bryce frowned. “I was going to say Roman is a weird-ass name. But I like it,” he smiled.
Roman looked like he was about to be offended, but then suddenly changed his mind and smiled back. “Tell me about it,” he laughed. “Now come on. Let’s go.” He spun on his heel and powered away from Darling Harbour.
Bryce dared a glance back toward the harbor and his friends. None had seen him there, and none would miss him if he were gone. Besides, worst case scenario to his leaving was that he might get a good meal out of it. And who knows, maybe he’d even make a new friend?
***
There was something that Bryce really liked about Roman, something that he just couldn’t put his finger on. Maybe it was how eager he was to impress Bryce? Maybe it was how different he was to everyone else that Bryce had ever met? Maybe it was because he was from Sydney and thus Bryce associated him with the iconic city? Or maybe it was just that he was a nice guy? Whatever it was, it took Bryce all of five minutes to decide he’d made the right decision in helping him.
“The spot is called Spice Alley,” Roman explained eagerly as he led Bryce through the city and toward where they were going to eat... this ‘Spice Alley.’ “It’s like this little alleyway made up of all different Asian foods – Chinese, Vietnamese, Sri Lankan, Malaysian – you get the idea,” he hurried when he realized he was spe
aking a lot. “Do you have anything like that where you’re from?”
Bryce was only half paying attention. They’d left Darling Harbour and were now walking through the city proper... and Bryce had never seen anything like it. It was the people that caught him by surprise, and how many there were, and how busy they were, and angry and loud and everything. And then there was the traffic, and the buildings, and the smell of smoke and smog and car fumes. Roman walked through it all like it was nothing. Bryce couldn’t stop himself from gawking.
“Huh?” Bryce asked when he noticed Roman eyeing him.
“I was saying, do you have anything like that back where you’re from – like a food court for Asian food?”
“In Woopi?” Bryce scoffed. “Na, mate. We have one Chinese restaurant and it’s shit.”
“One?” Roman gawked like he couldn't believe it. “I don’t... how is there only one?”
“I don’t fucking know,” Bryce laughed. “But that’s all there is.”
“What do you do if you want something else though?”
“You don’t.”
Roman frowned so heavily that the creases in his forehead developed their own creases. The kid may as well have been from a different planet. In a way, he almost was.
“Why do you dress like that?” Bryce asked after about fifteen minutes of walking. It was a rude question, but he was starting to feel more comfortable around Roman now. And besides, he had to know.
“Like what?” Roman asked defensively. As he did, he pulled his black coat in tighter to his body and fiddled with the chains hanging off his belt.
“Like you’re about to go and raise Satan from the dead or something,” Bryce laughed. “I’ve never seen anyone wear so much black.”
“Never?”
“Na, mate. Most kids I know wear boardies and bikinis. It’s warmer up there now too -- so right now, anyone wearing a jacket would have to have rocks in their head.”
“I don’t know,” Roman shrugged. “I like it.”
“Fair enough.” Bryce didn’t really vibe with how Roman was dressed, but he liked the idea of doing what he felt like. It was unique to him and made Roman even more interesting.
Indeed, as the two boys spoke, Bryce began to realize that Roman really was unlike anyone from his hometown. And it wasn’t just how he dressed either. It was the things he said, and the way he acted. He told Bryce that he didn’t go to school because his future lay outside academia. He explained to Bryce that he couldn’t wait to leave Sydney and travel overseas. He talked about movies and art and books in a way that Bryce had never heard before. He was a complete anomaly.
“You’re smart though, huh?” Roman pressed once he was done explaining how he wanted to go down a more artistic path than modern day education offered.
“I guess,” Bryce shrugged. For him it had never really been about being smart. It was just... school was just what you did. There was no other option as far as he knew. He worked hard so he could get into a good university and then get a good job. Being smart had nothing to do with it.
“You must be.”
“How’s that?”
“I can just tell,” Roman shrugged. “Not that it’s a bad thing.”
“Gee, thanks,” Bryce chuckled.
Spice Alley was pretty much exactly what Roman had said it would be; a narrow alleyway made up of about ten small kitchens all serving a different type of Asian food. Out the front of these kitchens were cheap lawn chairs and tables. The two boys grabbed one and then Roman helped Bryce order.
“I can’t believe you’ve never had Vietnamese food!” Roman howled with laughter as if it were the funniest thing he’d ever heard. “I just want to make sure. You’ve heard of pizza haven’t you —”
“Fuck you,” Bryce pretended to be angry.
“All right, all right,” Roman smiled. “I’ll order for you – trust me.”
“If I die of food poisoning though, my parents will hold you personally responsible.”
“I’ll take the risk.” Roman winked and shuffled off to order the mysterious Vietnamese food that was apparently the best thing ever.
Bryce watched Roman as he ordered, seeing a completely different kid to the one he had rescued some thirty minutes ago. This Roman, in his element was confident and cocky in a way he hadn’t been before. This was the real Roman, Bryce was realizing.
The Vietnamese meal that Roman bought for them was something called Vermicelli noodles and although it wasn’t ‘the best thing ever’ it was definitely good, and totally worth the thirty-minute walk. What was even more entertaining was trying to use chopsticks for the first time, which Roman again had to show Bryce.
“Why don’t you just use a fork?” Bryce complained when he failed to get the concept behind the chopstick. He threw them on the ground in feigned anger.
“Cause we ain’t savages,” Roman laughed. “Now come on, pick ‘em up and we’ll try again.”
Bryce did try again. And again, and again. By the end he sort of got it... maybe. But he didn’t care. He was having too good of a time.
In fact, that was probably Bryce’s biggest take away from his little lunch adventure. Even with this being the first time he’d ever walked the streets of Sydney, and his first time ever eating Vietnamese food, what he had enjoyed the most by far was his time spent with Roman. The kid was just different... but in a good way.
The way he dressed freaked Bryce out a little. And he was short, and skinny and definitely odd. But none of that really bothered him. In fact, Bryce might have even said he liked it. If Roman lived back in Woolgoolga, Bryce was sure they’d be friends. He became even more certain of this when they finished their food and the threat of having to head back to Darling Harbour reared its ugly head.
“So... we headed back?” Roman asked, sounding as despondent about the idea as Bryce felt.
“Yeah... I guess,” he sighed. He didn’t want to go back.
“Sounds like you ain’t keen?” Roman asked, with just a touch of hope in his tone.
“Well... I mean... I don’t have to be back until six or something.” Bryce told himself he didn’t want to go back because he didn’t want to see his friends hanging out with their girlfriends, but for some reason this felt like a lie. Really, he just wanted to hang out with Roman more.
Roman smirked as he quickly thought. “Want to see something cool?”
“Always,” Bryce hurried.
“Cool. Let’s do it.” Roman pushed his chair back and stood up. “If you don’t mind walking a little bit more?”
Bryce smirked and hoped it looked cool. “I think I can handle it – but remember, I’ve got to be back by six.”
“I’ll have you back even before six o’clock.”
“Perfect!”
The day had started out about as terribly as a day could. But that was hours ago. Since then, Bryce had made a new friend, tried a new meal and was gearing up for what he hoped to be a sort of mini adventure. Roman was by no means cool. But Bryce didn’t care. As far as he was concerned, Roman was the most interesting person he’d ever met, way cooler than any girlfriend could be. Of that, he was certain.
Chapter Four
During their lunch, Bryce had told Roman how much he loved cricket. “It’s the greatest game on earth,” he had claimed emphatically. Hearing Bryce say this had given Roman an idea...
Now personally, Roman didn’t really give a shit about cricket. He thought it was boring. He thought it was confusing. He thought it was overly long and a little pointless. But none of that seemed to matter now. All Roman really cared about in the moment was impressing Bryce.
He told himself that he owed Bryce because he kind of did. The guy had shown up out of nowhere and literally saved his skin. He had been so fearless too, so confident in himself that he just walked right into the middle of Kai and his friends and talked them out of beating Roman to a pulp. It was incredible.
But there was more to it than that.
As Roman and B
ryce made the walk from Spice Alley to the surprise location that he could not wait to show Bryce, Roman tried to figure out why he was so fucking eager to please this guy. Yes, there was the savior complex. But it was something else... and Roman was pretty sure he knew what it was, even if he refused to admit it just yet.
“This place better be awesome,” Bryce joked as the two trudged through the city and toward the outskirts.
“Why? Scared you might be late for the bus?” Roman teased. He felt comfortable to do so too, like he and Bryce had known each other for years rather than hours.
“Obviously!” Bryce exclaimed jokingly. “Plus, my legs hurt.”
“Oh no,” Roman pretended to mock. “Do you want me to carry you?”
Bryce blew through his lips. “As if you could.”
“I could!”
Bryce raised an eyebrow at Roman. Roman raised both of his back.
“Fine,” Bryce agreed. “Carry me.” He stopped dead and crossed his arms.
“All right.” Roman flipped his backpack so it straddled his front, then he walked right up to Bryce, getting as close as he could. He came up to about Bryce’s shoulders but didn’t let that concern him. Instead, he turned around and indicated for Bryce to jump on.
Roman could hear Bryce’s withheld laughter. “Ready?” Bryce asked as his hands rested on Roman’s shoulder.
The feel of Bryce’s hands on his shoulders was comforting and warm. “Born ready,” Roman assured him.
“Let’s go!” And then Bryce jumped up on Roman’s back and wrapped his legs around his waist.
Bryce should have been too heavy for Roman. He should have sent Roman crashing down to his knees, face in the dirt, more embarrassed than he’d been his entire life. But he didn’t.
To Roman, Bryce felt as light as a feather. There was just something so natural about having this man on his back, his chest pressed into him, his chin rested on his shoulder as his warm breath whisked across his ear and onto his face. It felt... somehow, it felt right.
