RotW&AofS Issue #1 – Welcome to Halpin Hope: Two

The following a work of fiction. All names, characters and incident's contained herein are fictional, resemblances to actual persons alive or dead are purely coincidental. The character Kibu is the creation of the artist Sladerang and is used with his permission. All other characters were created by the author.

Contact can be made through tumblr at Welcome to Halpin Hope

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Welcome to Halpin Hope (Doyer X Kibu)

Two

He could have slept longer but the smell of bacon drifting into his room acted like a morning alarm - waking Doyler from his rest. He looked over at the clock on his bedside table: 7.45 am. It was only when stretching his legs and arms across the bed that he noticed the absence of Kibu. Doyler startled for a moment, wondering if he'd dreamed last night but the map still lay unfolded on the floor beside the bed where it fell. He also remembered that for the first time in nearly a year he had only woken up once during the night - and not in a panic with his body covered in sweat or because his brother Colton was shaking him awake from a night-time screaming fit but because the boy beside him had kicked his leg while sleeping - caught up in his own dream. Kibu's arm had fallen across Doyler's torso as they slept - the smell of his brothers tea tree mint shampoo in the boy's hair. No. Last night was not a dream. Doyler swung his legs over the bed - stretched again and yawned.

Padding barefoot from his room he stopped in the living area and smiled: Kibu sat at the breakfast bar, still dressed in Doyler's camo green boxer-briefs and pale pink tank top - Howard the cat was sitting on the counter watching intently as Kibu spoke while his brother Colton stood over the small gas oven, spatula in hand as he scrambled eggs in a frying pan.

"And it was all like BANG! KAPOW! SMERSH! and... and... glass was flying everywhere but I ran and hid under some tarpaulin and the coast guard were blaring through the megaphone "TURN OFF YOUR ENGINES AND PREPARE TO BE BOARDED!" but the Captain! Man the captain with a rifle in one hand a cutlass in the other stood on the bow and screamed "YOU'LL NEVER TAKE ME ALIVE!" so I like, scrambled out on my hands and knees and jumped over the side and..."

"Well look who's awake!" Colton looked at his little brother standing by the couch.

"Doyler!" Kibu waved smiling broadly.

"Your new friend was just telling me how he escaped a pirate ship and landed on the island." Colton took a gulp from a half drunk Mexican beer and smiled.

"I'd take Kibu's stories with a pinch of salt. I think he and the truth are in something of an open relationship."

"Hey!" said Kibu doing his best to look offended. "Why would you let the truth get in the way of a good story?"

“So imagine my surprise when I walk in to the house and find a stranger sitting in your underwear on the couch – your cat on his lap – watching reruns of The Price is Right!”

“I was watching MMA!” Kibu looked sheepish. “They were on an ad break.”

“Sorry about that.” Doyler looked to Colton. I would have called the bar but...”

“It's OK.” Colton took another swig of beer.

“Little early for that?" asked Doyler nodding at the bottle.

"Gimme a break. I just finished my shift an hour ago. For me it's like eleven at night." Colton smiled. "Anyway I'm going to bed after I've fed you two. I'm back in again tonight."

Doyler slid in next to Kibu at the breakfast bar and rubbed a thumb over an appreciative Howard's head.

"So..." started Colton with a smile as he pulled the frying pan off of the stove, "You two boys have fun last night?"

"So much fun!" called out Kibu. "I was getting chased by loads of policemen, like twenty of them, it was a real manhunt and I had to dive in to the sea to escape and Doyler saved me and..."

Doyler kicked Kibu's leg with his bare foot shutting the boy up while Colton looked at him questioningly.

"Like I said.. an open relationship with the truth." He watched his brother pour the scrambled eggs from the pan onto two plates of toast and pull out the grill, adding three strips of bacon to each. "We did run into Gary Paskowitz though. He said to say Hi!"

"Gary Paskowitz?" Colton passed over the plates to the two boys and poured them a glass of orange juice each. "Red hair? Kinda Skinny?"

"That's the one." said Doyler watching Kibu begin to shovel the breakfast into his mouth. "You can stop to chew you know?"

"Mahng foooo humphry!" said Kibu smiling with a mouth full of egg and toast.

"Aw shit yeah! I haven't seen Gary since the last senior blow-out. Nice guy. I think he's engaged to Lisa Rogers." Colton smiled to himself. “I dated her in high school you know.”

Colton watched the two boys eat as he finished his beer. At twenty-one he was six years older than his brother but there was no mistaking their relationship - they shared the same black curls though Colton's hair was shorter - the same piercing ice blue eyes and the same strong jaw. Colton was considerably taller though and at 6ft 6" was muscular and what the people of Halpin Hope described as "Farm strong". Below his large biceps on the inside of each forearm were black tattoos in cursive writing: Ardal & Moira next to a Celtic cross for his parents on his left and Doyler above a harp on his right.

"I hear you boys are going on a camping trip for a few days."

"That's the plan. Just into the Black Forest. That OK?" asked Doyler taking a drink from his glass of orange juice.

"I think it's a great idea. It'll be good for you. If you think you'll be alright."

"I'll look after him." said Kibu jumping down from the stool and striking a Karate Kid crane pose. "If we meet Bandits I'll just use my Kung Fu on them." He kicked into the air startling Howard who sprung from the counter and skittered across the linoleum floor. "Do you mind if I use your shower again?"

"Knock yourself out!" said Colton nodding towards the bathroom.

"Thanks!" and in a flash Kibu was gone.

Colton took up the vacated stool and sat next to his brother: "Interesting friend you've made."

"Yeah. I think so too." He smiled to himself thinking about the boy in the bathroom.

"How much do you really know about him though."

"He's cool Colton."

"Yeah but..."

"Colton. He's cool. A little wild maybe... A certain relaxed attitude to telling the truth... But safe. He's not from here. He doesn't know what went down and I... I could use a friend."

Colton sat for a moment and watched his brother eat, before reaching across with a smile and running his hand over the boy's bed head: "How'd you sleep last night?"

"Good actually. I slept right through."

"Really? Right through?"

"Yeah. No dreams. No sleep walking. No nothing."

"How was it?"

"It was good."

"And... how was it with your friend?" Colton said grinning with a raised eyebrow.

"Awww man, don't be such a perv!" Doyler pushed at his brother's chest laughing. "Even if we did, which we didn't, I wouldn't go into details with my brother anyway."

Colton laughed as Doyler finished the last strip of bacon: "Well whatever." He pulled Doyler into him, tousled his thick black curls and kissed the top of his head. "I'm glad you slept last night. And Kibu seems like a good kid. Just do me a favour and be safe OK?"

Doyler pushed his brother off of him: "Dude stop it," he ran his hands through his hair laughing, "You'll get your straight boy cooties all over me!"

"God forbid!" said Colton getting up from the stool. "When are you two heading off?"

"Soon."

"I'll dig out the tent and the sleeping matts for you. My compass is in the bureau by the door. Don't lose it!" he pointed his finger at a smirking Doyler "I'll stick a couple of fresh batteries in the flash lights too. Just in case."

"Thanks Colton."

"No problem Kiddo. I'm glad you're going to go out and be a kid for a bit. You deserve that."

Doyler nodded thoughtfully.

"I'll jump in the shower after Kibu and then we'll head into town to get some food and stuff."

After showering Doyler returned to his room already dressed in shorts and a navy T-shirt. Kibu - back in his jean shorts from the previous day and Doyler's pink tank top stood looking at a collection of photographs pinned in a collage on the wall. The photos seemed mostly to be of Doyler and his friends - some at the beach - some in school uniform. He recognised two of the boys from seeing them at the harbour the day before when he first spied Doyler. In most of the photos though was a boy he didn't recognise - a beautiful blond with kind eyes and delicate features.

"Who's the blonde?" asked Kibu pointing out the boy as sat Doyler on the bed and slipped on a pair of beaten up trainers.

"That's Jamie."

"He your boyfriend or something?"

"He was."

"You guys not together any more? You want we should go make him jealous?" asked Kibu raising and lowering his thick eyebrows in a suggestive motion.

The weight that Doyler had felt heavy in his chest for the last eleven months pushed down a little harder: "Jamie died last summer."

"Shit!" Kibu bit his bottom lip. "I'm sorry man, I didn't..."

"It's OK." said Doyler turning away from Kibu and moving back to his closet. "You couldn't have known. Come on we should get moving."

Doyler tossed a pair of baseball shoes at Kibu. "Put these on, they're mine from last year so they should fit you fine. They'll do until we get your stuff back anyway."

***

It was Nine O'clock when the two boys reached the square at the centre of town and the clear skies, bright warming sun and fresh breeze were promising an easy day. They had walked the mile and a half from Doyler's house at the beach with Harold following behind them for a short while like a puppy - stopping every now and then to unsuccessfully pounce on a bird or stretch and yawn. On his back, Doyler carried the pop-out two man tent while Kibu carried Colton's bag with two roll out sleeping mats. The boys laughed and joked as they walked with Kibu jumping on the low brick walls and balancing along them like a tight-rope walker. Howard the cat finally gave up on the boys and decided they weren't going to do anything of interest when they reached the Shawlands Arcade and instead sauntered off back towards the beach.

The town itself - a picturesque mix of wooden and red brick houses - was beginning to get busy; adults going about their business and children enjoying the freedom that came with the summer holidays.

Reaching the town centre they stopped at the main square - where next to the fountain stood a mosaic of coloured tile and glass that had caught Kibu's attention. It was a map of the island flanked by two palm trees on either side. He read the wooden plaque on its left. "In honour of Manuel Silva (1935 - 80): Founder of Halpin Hope and first Mayor (1965 – 78)"

"You didn't have your first Mayor til 1965?" asked Kibu.

"Halpin Hope was only founded in 1963. Surfers and hippies looking for somewhere to call their own. It only really grew to this size in the last twenty years or so. Hammerhead Cove though... that's been on the island since the late 1600's."

"It's smaller though?" said Kibu looking at the small town on the north of the Island,

"It didn't used to be. You see that tombolo? That stretch of land that sticks out from the coast where Hammerhead Cove is?" asked Doyler pointing at the headland. "That used to have two more storks of land sticking out either side of it here and here." Doyler pointed at the areas of the map now covered in sea. "It looked like a Hammerhead shark. It used to be a whaling town."

"Cool!" said Kibu leaning forward as if he might see whales or sharks come to life in the mosaics blue tiled waters.

"But there was an earthquake in 1869 and another in 1970 and both bits of land fell into the sea - taking most of the town with it. Hundreds of people died. Between "natural" disasters, economic downturn, over fishing and prohibition in the early 1900's it's just kinda became a shadow..."

"How'd prohibition..."

"The town had two Gin Distilleries but the FBI raided the town after a tip that they were supplying mobsters on the mainland and they got shut down. Urban legend has the owner leading his family and all the workers into the Mucklemood Wood where they all drowned in the lake at the centre."

"Mass suicide?"

"Replace the Kool-Aid with Gin and that's what you get."

"Sheesh that's... depressing."

"I know right? There's not much there now. After the second quake in 1970 took the canneries that were used to export the fish they caught, Halpin Hope invited the residents to relocate but they wouldn't leave. Their church is pretty powerful. Said it's God's will or something."

Doyler looked around and pointed to a store called 'Pappa John's Groceries and Shake Shack'.

"Come on, we'll grab some stuff and head off."

Standing behind the counter rolling a cigarette was Pappa John - a big bear of a man in a tie-dye T-shirt - tall and round with a grey beard and long thick grey hair that fell over his shoulders and down his back. Behind him on the wall hung a short, wide, flat surfboard printed with the image of a turtle with a lions head. Hearing the bell above the door and seeing Doyler walk in, his face broke into a huge welcoming smile.

"Hey, hey little brother. How's the morning treating my favourite fifteen year-old resident of our little town?"

"All is good Pappa John. How's it hanging?"

"Short shrivelled and to the left but when you get to my age the fact that it's still hanging at all is a miracle."

Doyler laughed at him and sat down at the milk stand.

"Can I get you a hazelnut chocolate shake?"

"Not today thanks John. Just wanted to grab some supplies."

The bell above the door rang again and both Doyler and Pappa John turned to see Kibu - shirtless and barefoot carrying the tank top and shoes in his hands.

"Why are you naked?" asked Doyler

Kibu, smiling, pointed to a handwritten cardboard sign on the door: 'No Shirt. No Shoes? No Problem!'

"I don't think it's meant as an invitation."

Pappa John laughed as Kibu went and sat on the stool next to Doyler.

"Pappa John this is Kibu."

"Hey!" Kibu waved.

"Hey there. Cool name brother. Cool name."

"Thanks. Cool! That's a fishboard isn't it?" Kibu pointed at the surf board hanging on the wall behind the counter.

"Good eye. You a brother of the surf little man?"

"No. I have but not for a while."

Doyler pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Pappa John: "Can we get the stuff on this list please?" He then jumped off of the stool and went around the store gathering up groceries.

"If I got it you can buy it!" Pappa John looked at the list: "Bar-b-que Equipment? Yeah yeah you should be good to go with this - give me a minute." He disappeared into the back room behind a set of bamboo curtains and called out: "So Kibu if you don't surf what do you do? You swim like Little D here used to?"

"I play lacrosse at school. I'm pretty good at that! I say pretty good but I'm like the best on my team so..."

Pappa John's head poked through the curtains: "No shit? With the pads and the sticks?"

Kibu nodded helping himself to red liquoriche straw from a jar marked 'Free for Friends'.

"I've seen some of that on TV." He went back behind the curtain: "Fast sport that one. Ball's always moving. Looked a hell of a lot of fun. Rough though. Bet you pick up some bruises."

"Yeah it is but it's not so bad. The pads take most of the shock."

Back along the aisle Doyler looked at Kibu smiling – finding the idea of Kibu trussed up in his pads and compression shorts held a certain appeal. In a rare moment of attentive consciousness Kibu noticed the boys lingering gaze – he smiled a little while chewing on his liquorice forcing Doyler to pretend he wasn't staring and return to picking food from the shelves.

Pappa John came through from the back room carrying a paper bag and placed it on the counter: "That's all of it. You boys going camping?"

Doyler handed over some apples, a couple of bottles of water, a pack of burger meat some bags of trail mix and half a loaf of bread. "Just for a couple of nights. Into the Black Forest."

"Good stuff boys. Nice time for it too. Weather should be good for the next few weeks or so." Pappa John rung up the groceries on his old till: "That'll be seventeen thirty-five."

Doyler reached back into his pocket and pulled out a twenty and handed it to John.

"I put in a few bottles of the wife's special Cherry Cola for you both too. Gratis." He tapped the side of his nose and winked at the boys - handing Doyler back his change. Doyler turned his back to Kibu who put the groceries in Doyler's backpack and zipped him back up.

"You two have fun now you hear? Shenanigans a plenty! I want stories of tracking wild boar and secret caves loaded with treasure when you get back."

He waved to the boys as they left the store.

Doyler stopped dead.

Standing in front of him in the shadow of the stores awning, resting on the handlebars of his bike and talking to three other boys was Tony Irving. Tall handsome with thick dark red hair, rusty brown eyes and strong forearms.

"Watcha doing Doilie?"

Doyler let out an audible sigh: “Not today Tony.” As he moved to pass through the boys Tony twisted his handlebars – blocking Doyler from passing with the bike's front wheel.

Tony Irving had a reputation as a bully in Halpin Hope High but Doyler seemed to escape the brunt of it alone. An awkward and failed attempt at making a pass at the boy knocked his confidence, leaving Tony unsure of his footing. Most of the time. "This you're new Boyfriend?"

"So what if he is Tony? So what if he isn't? Don't be getting pissy just cos Hinata finally got himself wise and finally saw you for what you are." said Doyler

Tony ground his teeth and affected a cold stare at Kibu: "Kinda short ain't he? And what's with scars man? Why'd you wanna date damaged goods like that?" He started laughing to himself - his three friends laughing nervously.

"Hey..." started Kibu stepping forward.

Doyler placed himself between Kibu and Tony, staring angrily into the eyes of the taller boy on the bike - almost in a whisper he said: "You need to back off Tony. You tell your boys here about you and me sitting on that bench in Percival Park last March?"

Tony gritted his teeth.

"Sitting on that bench drunk on two bottles of cheap shitty beer? Your limp dick in your hand? 'Please Doyler, please... just jerk me off... I really like you... I'll suck you off if you just touch it... please Doyler please?' and when I told you 'no' and when I left because you wouldn't keep your paws off of me, how you just stayed there pulling your pudding calling after me? They know about that?"

Tony's face flushed a hot pink while his knuckles turned white as he gripped the rubber handle bars of his bike tighter and tighter: "You piece of shit!"

As Tony readied himself to throw a punch he suddenly heard the sound of a wet cabbage exploding on concrete. The noise hit his ears, before the pain and the heat hit his nose. He blinked a couple of times then fell back off of his bike. His three friends backing away. Kibu stood over him - knuckles red and eyes wide - a look of shock on his face like he couldn't believe he had just punched a guy. He quickly grabbed Tony's bike before it fell and jumped on: "Quick, get on!"

Doyler jumped on the seat and wrapped his arms around the boy's bare waist as Kibu began to peddle the bike. Looking behind them all they could see was Tony rocking on the ground covering his bleeding nose while his friends stood silently and watched.

"Dude!" said Doyler: "I think you broke his nose!"

"Asshole had it coming." smiled Kibu as he rode back the way they came out of the town centre.

To be continued...