Paul woke up with the strange feeling that he wasn't alone. As he opened his eyes and stared around his room groggily, he saw Hank, sitting quietly par his lit and watching him. He looked anxious, but the seconde he saw Paul's eyes on him, he hitched on a grin. "Nice of toi to montrer yourself, Paul."
"Right, Hank." Paul couldn't help smiling a little himself. He tried to push himself up into a seated position, and found he wasn't quite too sore to manage it. "How'd the tryouts go?"
Hank's grin turned briefly into a real one. "I'll make the team again for sure." His smile faded. "I just hope I make it over those bastards who beat toi up."
Paul groaned a little as his sore muscles protested his sitting up. "It was worth it."
Hank hesitated. "I - thanks for sticking up for me, man. toi didn't have to...."
"Of course I did," Paul cut him off. "What kind of guy wouldn't stick up for his own brother?"
Hank sighed and studied Paul's carpet. "I never did that for you."
"Yeah, well." Paul was still a little angry about that. "I know your Friends must have told toi it was unmanly to stop someone who's not as tough as toi get beaten up...."
"Well, they were wrong." Hank spoke very fast, like he wanted to get the words out before he Lost his nerve. "You stood up for me, and I wouldn't do that for you. You're the tough, manly one."
Paul gave a small smile. "Even if I don't enjoy playing games where I have to beat other people up?"
Hank gave him a small smile in return. "Then suivant time my buddies say that, I'm setting them straight."
"I'm holding toi to that." But Paul felt much happier as he settled back down into his bed, and his mother came to the door to tell Hank that was enough and that Paul needed to rest.
"Right, Hank." Paul couldn't help smiling a little himself. He tried to push himself up into a seated position, and found he wasn't quite too sore to manage it. "How'd the tryouts go?"
Hank's grin turned briefly into a real one. "I'll make the team again for sure." His smile faded. "I just hope I make it over those bastards who beat toi up."
Paul groaned a little as his sore muscles protested his sitting up. "It was worth it."
Hank hesitated. "I - thanks for sticking up for me, man. toi didn't have to...."
"Of course I did," Paul cut him off. "What kind of guy wouldn't stick up for his own brother?"
Hank sighed and studied Paul's carpet. "I never did that for you."
"Yeah, well." Paul was still a little angry about that. "I know your Friends must have told toi it was unmanly to stop someone who's not as tough as toi get beaten up...."
"Well, they were wrong." Hank spoke very fast, like he wanted to get the words out before he Lost his nerve. "You stood up for me, and I wouldn't do that for you. You're the tough, manly one."
Paul gave a small smile. "Even if I don't enjoy playing games where I have to beat other people up?"
Hank gave him a small smile in return. "Then suivant time my buddies say that, I'm setting them straight."
"I'm holding toi to that." But Paul felt much happier as he settled back down into his bed, and his mother came to the door to tell Hank that was enough and that Paul needed to rest.