Friendship (half nelson fanfic)

[Ciuty80]

so yeah this is mrshrek´s second story, enjoy all!

(this takes place after the movie ended :3 )

Friendship

Part 1

Rubbing his forehead, Daniel Dunne opened his eyes. Barely, because the intense pain in his head is killing him. Hangover, he thought. It was another night like the usual; after hitting the pub, he took a girl whom he met at the bar, went to a motel, had some nice sex and nice shit he bought on the street, and went home. He tried not to use that stuff as often as before, after all, he sort of made a promise with Drey. Starring at his crack-filled white ceiling, he sat up, thinking that he should get dressed and get ready for school. Wincing at the pain coming from his back, he blinked his eyes painfully, realized that he slept on the floor last night. He dragged a hand over his face, walked into his bathroom. Looking at his reflection in the mirror, the mustache he shaved a while ago is growing back, his face, well, pale as usual, the dark circles under his eyes well…can be explained he was not home till…3 o’clock in the morning, he thinks. Washed his face, brushed his teeth, after getting dressed properly so he doesn’t look like a I-was-out-partying-last-night teacher, he grabbed his sunglasses and went out.

***************************

“ …….All right, everybody got that? Understand what I mean? “ Rubbed a finger to his nose, Daniel looked at his entire class.

“Yeah, Mr. D we got it. “ His students replied. He smiled. Seeing the students, teaching them what he has learned, what he wanted to teach them, keeping him sane, is it what wakes him up in the morning, not the alarm clock.

“ All right, I want you all to finish the assignment I gave you earlier when the class started, okay?” As he finished his sentence, the bell rang. “ See you tomorrow. “ He said as the kids got up from their chairs, walked out the classroom. He walked over to his desk which is not far from the blackboard, and sighed; his headache was not getting any better, it should have been by now. He closed his eyes and sat down.

“ Late night last night?” A familiar voice appeared. He opened his eyes, and saw Drey standing in front of his desk.

“ Yeah, not really.” He tried to smile, noticed his voice is a bit hoarse than usual.

“ Yeah right; you smoked that stuff again huh?” Drey continued, “ be careful a’right? Your eyes is telling on ya. “ She gave a slight punch on the teacher’s shoulder.

“ Okay.”

“ So, see you at practice later?”

“ Yeah.”

“ ‘kay.”

After Drey walked away, Daniel found his lips are carved upwards. Despite what people think, he and Drey are friends; despite people think he’s a base head, Drey treats him like a friend. It’s something he didn’t expect in his teaching carrier. Starring at the clock on the wall, there is still may more hours until the afternoon practice of the girls’ basketball team. Hours. His head aches with the passing second.

“Damn. “ Maybe he’ll try to take some aspirins later.

Part 2

“ You see when your teammate is open, you can’t just pass the ball to her; you have to keep an eye on your opponent too, that way your ball won’t be easily taken. “ During the basketball team practice, Daniel demonstrates the techniques to the girls. He kept dribbling the ball, walking around , partly because he’s head is slightly spinning so he had to keep himself moving that he wouldn’t feel the spinning going on in his head when he’s standing still. “ Now split up and practice. “ He gave the ball to one of the girls, clapped his hands, walked over the bench by the ball court and sat down. He tried to focus his attention on the girls, but he find that harder than usual; besides his now throbbing and spinning head ( he has no idea how that can happen at the same time), he find he’s getting harder to breathe through his nose. It feels like someone has stuffed it with cement; his breathing is getting to have the whistle sound everything time he inhale and exhale. He signed, blinked his attention back to the girls on the court , “ Hey hey hey Lisa, keep an eye on the opponent ! “ pointed out the mistake a girl just made. “ It’s alright, start again. “ He watched as the girls started a new round. Man, his eyes are so tired, maybe he should just go straight home after the practice……

“ Hey coach, is there anything else we should practice?” He was snapped back to reality when he heard a student calling him. Gave a quick look to his watch, it’s ten minutes until the practice is over, well, it’s only ten minutes, wouldn’t hurt, right ?

“Um…no, that’s all for today. Thank you all ladies, great job today. “ Calling it a day, he got up and gave each of the girls a high-five, it’s what he always does at the end of practice. “ Remember what we practiced a’right? “ He said as the girls walked out the gym . He exhaled heavily; he felt tired, really tired.

“ Mr.Dunne.”

A voice called from his back.

“ Yes, miss Drey ? “ Recognized the voice, he said without turning back; he didn’t want his student to see him this way , feeling tired and all, although she’s seen worse.

“ You um, alright in there?” Drey starred at her coach’s back, for some reason he’s…not really himself today.

“ Yes, Drey. I’m fine.” Rubbed a hand to his face, he tried to rub off the tiredness, but he guessed it didn’t work too well because when he turned to face Drey, he could see a light glimpse of concern flew pass her face.

“ ‘Kay. Bye Mr. Dunne. “ Finished her sentence, she turned around for the gym door.

“ Wait. “ Daniel called out, a little bit surprised that his voice cracked as he spoke. “ you’re riding your bike home today? “

“Yeah. “ Drey replied; smiling at how funny the teacher’s voice sounded.

“ And your keys, you got them right? “ He asked, because of the experience they had before.

“ Yeah I got them. You don’t get to worry ‘bout me, I’m cool. “ Drey answered, slightly smiling at her teacher’s concern. “ See you tomorrow Mr. Dunne.”

He watched his young student walk out the gym door, disappear in his sight. “ Yeah, see you tomorrow. “ He murmured to himself.

**********************

By the time he opened his apartment door, the night sky already turned solid black. Turning on the lamp beside his couch, he sunked into his couch right after that. He didn’t know what happened, well actually he knows, after the practice he fell asleep in his car. He . fell. Asleep. In. his. Car. Damn, was he really that tired? He dragged a hand through his face; this time he found he couldn’t breathe through his nose at all. It’s clogged, officially. He rubbed fiercely at his nose, hoping it would clear the stuffiness, but it didn’t work, instead the rubbing caused him to--- “ Heh-iigist! “ sneeze. Surprised by what just happened, Daniel wiped his nose with the back of his wrist. It’s not a good sign; he hardly ever sneeze, when he does, it’s usually the sign of him getting sick. Well, usually when he starts sneezing, there’s a 90% chance that he gets sick the next day. Groaning, he buried his face into his hands; this is just not a good time. Reaching into his trousers’ pocket, he pulled out the pack of cigarettes. Taking the lighter under his couch pillow, he lit it up and inhaled the smoke. This action didn’t bother him before, but that inhale of smoke just make him started coughing, made his throat to hurt. Signing, he put the cigarette on his left ear, took out the notebook of the children’s book his working on. Looking back to where he has stopped, he turned to a blank page. He picked up a pencil, when he was about the start drawing his nose spoke on its own, “ Heh-isshoo! Huh-mmphh-choo” ! He barely turned away from the notebook in time. Sniffing, he took the cigarette from his ear, then started to work on his paintings.

**************************

He woke up in a startle. He shot up from the couch, his notebook laying on his chest, apparently he fell asleep during his work last night. He looked at the time on his watch, thankfully he was not late for school, but he’s about to be. Putting the notebook and other things aside, he rose up, and almost fell back on the couch for how dizzy he feels after he got up. Putting a hand on his still-aching forehead, blinked his tired-sored eyes, he slumped into the bathroom. As if all these weren’t enough, his nose tricked on him yet again, “ ah-huhissh! Hah-ecshoo!” Groaning, he sniffed hardly, then because the wash his face.

Edited January 27, 2012 by Ciuty80