Hey guys. I've finally written something new. This is called 'Static Cling' and it's another one of my song-inspired pieces. This one is inspired by Phil Oakley's "Together in Elecctric Dreams". No spoilers, G rating.

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Static Cling
by Becky Thomson/Diana McKenzie

   It was a stuffy Saturday afternoon. The roads were clogged with bumper to bumper vehicles, and Chuck was glad that he wasn't out there as he looked out from his open window. He took a step back from the window and sat down on a kitchen stool next to the worktop. He ran the back of his hand over his forehead to rid himself of some of his perspiration. He couldn't believe how hot it was. He slowly walked over to his fridge to grab a beer. Chuck stood in front of the open refrigerator door more than a tad longer than was necessary. He finally shut the door and sat back down on his stool.

    He contemplated going out where it would be cooler, but he couldn't actually think of anything he felt like doing, or think of anyone who could come up with any ideas. Everyone he knew would be busy on a Saturday. Now he thought about it, Chuck realised how much time he'd been spending alone as of late. It was really quite depressing to think about.

    Chuck tried to take a swig of his beer, but then pulled it back from his mouth and looked at the bottle, realising that he hadn't opened it yet. He shook his head at himself and opened a drawer, looking for his bottle opener. As he glanced in, he saw the opener, and picked it up. Chuck was just about to close the drawer when he noticed what the opener had been on top of. A photograph. He lifted it out, and shut the drawer, placing the opener on the counter. He held the photograph up. It was a picture of him and Gary at McGinty's. Just after Gary had acquired the place.

    Chuck thought about how long it had been since he had last seen Gary. Or talked to him for that matter. It was different out there in California. There wasn't the guarantee that he'd see Gary with every new day that dawned like there was in Chicago. And with all the work he had going on it was difficult to even find time to make a call. And with Gary's paper and all, there would be no saying whether Gary would even be there to take the call.

    Gary had been his best friend for years now. It saddened Chuck that a little distance had more or less killed their friendship. Nothing else had done it. They'd remained friends throughout college, throughout everything life and the paper had thrown at them, and all it had really taken was distance to put a stop to them. How ironic.

    He closed his eyes for a moment, and Chuck realised that he could still picture what a more or less average day back in Chicago was like. And although there wasn't anything you really could call an average day when you were friends with Gary, Chuck was comforted by the fact that he hadn't actually forgotten what it was like back there. He felt he'd rather die than
forget all about what his life back in Chicago had been like. He and Gary had shared in a special thing. Their friendship had been so deep that neither of them ever had to say anything about it, because they always knew whatever happened, the other one would be there when they needed them. Chuck knew he couldn't stand by and watch what they had fizzle out. It had always been a great thing. Looking around the room and feeling the heat Chuck felt the feeling of electricity that the heat always brought, and realised that was just how things should be between him and Gary. Always together, like the heat and the electricity. Like static. Even if it was only in their dreams.

    He smiled to himself and grabbed the phone out of its cradle. He hit the speed dial and rested the receiver against his ear waiting for the phone to be answered. When it was, Chuck smiled at the voice.

"Hey Gar! It's me."

Email the author: phoebe_or_becks@hotmail.com
 

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