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He heard Reggie pull up. Their neighborhood was rarely busy at this time so when Archie heard a car closing in on the house, he dropped everything and went straight to the door.
Opening the door he saw the greatest guy anyone could ask for pulling into their driveway. “Reggie!” Archie shouted.
The car now parked, Reggie jumped out of his seat. “Arch! His arms now spread open. In moments the poet and the basketball prodigy collided in a hug.
“How are your folks?” Archie was curious as to how his Mantle reunion went. Reggie went on to tell Archie about the current events with his family and the farm.
Archie hung onto every detail. The two of them leaning on their hot rod. He loved the look in Reggie’s eyes when he talked about his family’s farm. Finishing his tales from the Mantle farm Reggie gave Archie a knowing look. “I came home later than I wanted to but when I was driving into town I saw something that is gonna knock your socks off.”
The ginger haired boy was still relishing that Reggie called their house home when Reggie dug in the back of the car and pulled out a cardboard box. Giving a glance at the box and then a small smile at his boyfriend, Archie was left unimpressed. “Reg, I have no words.” He grinned.
Reggie rolled his eyes at Archie’s false appreciation. “Not the box itself Archie.” He showed the contents of the box to his boyfriend. Archie’s disinterest in the gift faded away.
”Where did you get these?” His question exuded excitement. Reggie knew this would be Archie’s reaction but to see in reality instead of his daydreams was infinitely better.
Now this time Reggie shared in the excitement. “So I’m driving into Riverdale when I pass by a garage sale. At first I didn’t think much of it because I didn’t want to buy someone’s old clothes.” Archie rolled his eyes at Reggie. “But then I saw in the front yard just piles of books.”
Archie looked to the box. “And they just had poetry books waiting for you?”
”Yeah, I just had to do a little treasure hunting.” The memory of going through book after book was an annoying jab in Reggie’s head. “Sorry I came home so late.”
The ginger haired teen pulled Reggie into a one armed hug. “Jeez, Reggie don’t even worry about it. I’m just grateful you’re here now.”
While in Archie’s one armed embrace, Reggie felt the long drive dawn on him. “How about this? I’ll finish unpacking later so I can take a quick catnap and you can read.” The proposition was more for Reggie’s sake but he knew Archie was dying to start reading. The poet agreed and the couple entered their home.
—
Reggie peeled himself away from the bedroom when he awoke from his nap and found Archie missing.
From the top of the stairway he called for his boyfriend. The only response was shuffling from what Reggie assumed was the living room. Reggie was still trying to shake off his groggy state. When he saw Archie on the couch he smiled. “Did you like the books?”
“They were really great.”
The glum tone from Archie raised red flags for Reggie. He had expected Archie to be showing him his favorite poems in a frantic manner. The star basketball player sat beside Archie on the couch. “If they were great, why do you look like you spilled your milkshake?”
Archie stared at the opened box of poetry. “Reg, the things these poets wrote I could never hold a candle to.”
Reggie had never seen Archie in a dower mood from poetry. “Listen Red, you know I don’t know much about poetry but what I do is that the stuff you write is good.” He placed his hand on top of Archie’s.
Archie’s eyes met Reggie’s. “Thanks Reggie but I think I need to take a drive.” Reggie lept upwards from the couch, ready to run up the stairs to get dressed. “Alone. I need to take a drive alone.” The added sentence was a jab at Reggie’s heart.
“That’s fine Archie.” Reggie’s voice said in a hushed voice. Archie got up from the couch and walked to the door. Reggie glanced at the box. He was heartbroken that the gift had turned Archie’s mood sour. Reggie was more of a basketball man than a poetry man but he felt the only difference between Archie’s poetry and the poetry books was that one was published. Reggie’s mind hung on the last thought. Archie was almost out the door. “Could you swing by Pop’s and pick us up some burgers?”
The melancholy poet gave a polite nod and closed the door. Reggie kept an ear out for the jalopy as it drove off. Once out of earshot he turned to the box and started pulling books out.
—
When Archie returned with the promised burgers and a heartfelt apology. He attempted to explain his reasoning but Reggie had welcomed him back and insisted that they eat immediately. After a quiet dinner of burgers and shakes, Reggie put his plan into motion. Archie and Reggie returned to the living room. The poetry books from earlier were now scattered around the table. Archie paid it no mind his focus was on the television screen while Reggie held open a comic book.
Archie had felt better from the drive and the burgers. He felt he had shaken off his sullen mood. The show he was watching was a rerun but was a happy distraction from poetry.
“You ok, Reg?”
Reggie was too nervous. His plan seemed like a good idea but now he wasn’t sure. His eyes kept darting from Archie and the box all while pretending to focus on his comic. He put down the comic. “I was thinking maybe it would be better if I put the box in the garage.” He wasn’t sure if his tone was nonchalant. If his comment seemed awkward Archie didn’t notice.
”That sounds good.” Archie responded after a long beat of silence. Reggie nodded and got up from the couch. He started picking up the books and placing them back in the box. Archie decided to remain on the couch and let Reggie deal with it.
Now this was the moment Reggie realized as he placed the last book in the box. He turned and pointed to Archie’s side of the couch. “I’m missing a book and I think it’s right by you.”
It took a couple movements for Archie to find the book. This one felt different from the other ones. The other ones had been paperbacks but this book felt crudely made. Archie started to stretch the book towards Reggie but pulled it back to inspect it. The cover simply read ‘Arch’ and when he started reading he felt a mixture of feelings. The first poem made Archie realize what Reggie had done. A collection of Archie’s poems bonded together in this homemade book. He flipped through the pages and reread his poems. It was so kind for Reggie to do this but looking at his work Archie felt like every line of poetry he wrote was an embarrassment.
“The poems in that book are great if you ask me.” Archie looked up from the book to see Reggie’s grin.
He was also able to see the box right next to Reggie. Archie regained his pout, “They’re just silly sentences compared to the stuff in those books.”
Reggie was determined and moved away from the books back to his boyfriend. “Archie, do you know how I picked the poems out of the hundreds you’ve written?” Archie’s expression showed that he was clueless. “I chose the ones that made me feel something.” Reggie thought back to how he reread so much of Archie’s poems just to pick the best of the best. ”Just because you’re not published doesn't mean the poems you write are nothing.”
Archie smiled. Looking at the book he felt the labor of love Reggie had done just to make him feel better. Reggie continued in his pep talk, “Give it time Archie your poems will be in an actual book and not in this scrappy mess.”
”It’s not a scrappy mess, Reg. It’s amazing” Archie gave Reggie a small kiss on the cheek.
The plan had succeeded in making Archie feel better and Reggie was elated. “You feel like giving me a live reading?” Reggie made himself comfortable on the couch ready to listen to Archie.
“Well since you think these poems are so great.” Archie answered. He flipped back to the first page and started reading.