Dynamite Days

"So, your folks fighting again?" Jukka asked, shutting the front door behind him.

HP sighed. "What do you mean again? It never stops."

Jukka nodded. "Hm, yeah. Sorry, man," he said softly.

"Hey, it's not like it's my problem," HP shrugged, grabbing his drink, then going downstairs. Jukka followed.

"Yeah, but you shouldn't have to deal with it," he said.

"Hence why I'm here," HP replied. The two boys sat on the couch. "Ya know, I was listening to them arguing the other day," HP went on. "Mom was trying to get Dad to have a talk with me about all the stunts we do and shit. But Dad started defending me, which was nice, but I felt bad about it because Mom went off on him. That's how it all usually starts, you know, with them arguing about me. I mean, they just don't get along anymore, anyway, but they want different things for me, and it really sucks, because I want to try to please both of them, but I can't when they have seperate plans. Mom wants me to go to University, Dad wants me to start a business with him..." he paused, taking a swallow of his soda.

Jukka rested his head in his hand against the back of the couch. "But I thought you already decided to go to University..."

HP nodded. "Yeah. That's what I want to do. I want to be a teacher and I'm going to do it. But it's still hard. Them fighting all the time. I just want to tell them to shut the hell up sometimes."

"Then do it. Tell them to just stop it. You're nineteen for God's sakes. You can make your own decisions. They don't need to be fighting over something you've already decided."

"Yeah..."

"And hell, you're mom should be excited. You picked what she wanted."

"She is, but she makes snide remarks about it to Dad, like she's bragging or something. I swear, they drive me crazy. I wish they'd just get a divorce already so I don't have to be waiting in suspense all the time." HP growled inwardly, downing the last of his soda and crushing the can in his hand.

"Well," Jukka said, his voice laced with optimism. "When I get my own place in a couple months, you can move in with me and you won't have to deal with them."

HP nodded. "Sounds good. Thanks."

Jukka patted HP's shoulder reassuringly, deciding not to say anything else about the situation. Instead, he changed the subject. "So, shall we finish this movie?"

HP laughed. "Sure, why not? Lil is gonna kick your ass when she finds out we watched the rest of it without her, though."

Jukka laughed, too. "I can take her," he said, pushing the play button.

"Yeah, wait 'till she kicks you in the nards. Then we'll see who can take who. Ha!" HP gibed.

"Whatever, man," Jukka smiled.

****

"Mom, I'm home!" Jarno called as he barged through the front door. He whipped his hat off his head and tossed it onto the top of the coat rack.

Jarno's mom came into the room seconds later and smiled. "Hi, honey. Did you have fun today?"

Jarno nodded. "Yeah. I got great footage of the guys messing around," he said, waving the camera.

"Well, that's good." she said. "Listen, honey. I wanted you to come home early so we could talk," she said, playing with her fingers.

Jarno gave her a perplexed look, taking off his coat and hanging it up. "Um...okay?"

"Don't worry, it's nothing bad," she beamed, slipping a strand of hair behind her ear. After Jarno kicked off his snow boots, his mom grabbed him by the arm and ushered him down the hall toward the living room. "There's someone I want you to meet," she said.

Jarno's perplexed expression instantly morphed into an annoyed one. "Oh, goody," he said flatly. Usually when his mom wanted him to meet someone, that someone was a new 'special friend'.

"Oh, now, be nice," his mom laughed lightly, bringing him into the room. Jarno was expecting to see a plaid-wearing, long greasy-haired, grizzly muscle man sitting on the couch like all the other times, but who he saw on the couch surprised him. Instead of a burly bear, there sat a well-dressed, seemingly respectable, clean-shaven man.

Jarno's mom announced, "Antero, this is my son, Jarno."

The Antero guy stood up from the couch and held out his hand, waiting for Jarno to take it. Jarno sized his mom's new 'friend' up and down a few times, then shook his hand.

"Nice to meet you, Jarno. I'm Antero. Wow, you and your sister look so much like your mom," he said, not showing any sign of hesitance at all in his voice. Antero's voice certainly didn't match his body. Jarno had to keep himself from cracking up at the low voice coming from such a professional business man kind of fellow.

Jarno laughed anyway, though, trying to make it seem he was laughing at whole family resemblance thing. "Nice to meet you, too." he nodded, stuffing his hands in his pockets. He looked passed Antero to his sister, who was sitting in the arm chair across from the couch, and shot her a semi-impressed look, which she mirrored.

"So, let's all sit down, hm?" Jarno's mom said, sitting down with Antero on the couch.

Jarno sat down on the arm of the chair Eija was in. "So...Antero...where ya from?" he asked.

"Well, I was originally born in Sweden, but when I was about a year old, my parents moved us to Finland to be closer to family." Antero said.

"So, can you speak Swedish?" Eija asked.

Antero chuckled. "Not even a little bit."

Jarno nodded. "What do you do? I mean, where do you work and all?"

Antero took a quick sip of his tea and set the glass back on the coffee table, crossing his legs. "I'm the Senior Research Analyst for MoonTV.

"Wow, that's cool," Jarno said, his eyebrows lifting high on his forhead.

"Yeah, I guess it's kind of alright," Antero said, trying to be smooth.

Eija snorted. "Try freakin' sweet. Do you get to meet famous people?"

"Occasionally, yeah," Antero answered.

Eija smiled, giving her brother an 'I like this guy' look and settled into her chair.

"Do you have a job, Jarno?" Antero segwayed.

Jarno sighed, shaking his head. "Uh, no, not yet. I was working at the gas station down the street, but they fired me..."

"You're what, twenty-one and still living with your mom without a job?" Antero said.

Jarno knew it was meant to be in a joking manner, but Antero's comment made him a little agitated. "Yeah, work hasn't been that good for me. Or money, so I have no choice but to live here." he said, defending himself.

Antero swallowed, as if he was intimidated. "Right...well, you know, just asking."

"Right," Jarno sneered.

Jarno's mom, Helena, cleared her throat then. "Jarno's actually pretty good at editing, Antero. He videotapes him and his friends and then comes home and spends hours editing the footage. I keep telling him he could get a job as an editor at a newspaper..."

"The editor of a newspaper isn't the same thing as a footage editor, mom," Jarno interupted impatiently.

Helena sunk into her seat and smiled sheepishly. "Anyway, um, Eija tell Antero about school. She just got a certificate for perfect attendence."

Eija and Jarno rolled their eyes. "Yeah, I haven't missed a day since I was fourteen." Eija said, giving a fake laugh.

"That's good. Your mom should be very proud of you," Antero said, trying to act impressed.

"Hm, right..." Eija nodded. "That's nothing compared to Jarno's Nintendo championship, though."

Jarno's hand met his forehead in a sound clap. "Ugh, Eija! he groaned.

"Nintendo championship?" Antero questioned.

Jarno sighed. "Yeah, when I was a kid, I was a Super Mario Brothers champion. No big deal..." he said, waving it off.

Antero smiled. "Oh, well, that's interesting." he said.

"Yeah..." Jarno said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

Helena checked her watch nonchalantly. "Oh, Antero, we need to get going if we want to meet our dinner reservations on time," she said, hopping up.

Antero stood as well. "Oh, good. I'm starving!" he said.

"Let's go!" Helena said happily.

"I expect her home by a reasonable hour," Eija said, acting like a concerned parent.

Helena laughed and kissed her daughter on the top of the head, and hugged her son. "Yes, mom," she joked.

"Have fun," Jarno piped in last minute as they walked out the front door. Once he closed the door, he looked at Eija with a disbelieving look. "Well then..." he said.

Eija shrugged, "Eh...he's okay. He's a lot better than all the other guys she's dated in the past."

"Yeah, I guess so. I'm just impressed he can actually talk."

"Haha, yeah, remember the last guy? All he did was grunt!"

The siblings broke out into laughter, then decided to rummage the refrigerator for leftovers.

"Ya know, he was kind of a jackass," Jarno said while they sat at the table eating.

"Are you talking about the job thing? Yeah...he had no right to say that." Eija said, wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"Well, that definatley. But not just that. The whole time, he just gave off this cocky, arrogant, 'i'm a big-shot' kind of feeling."

"Yeah, I noticed that, too. At least he seems to really like Mom."

Jarno got up and threw the rest of his food in the trash. "Well, every guy seemed to really like Mom. But look how all of those relationships turned out."

Eija rolled her eyes and set down her fork. "This guys seems different. Keep an open mind. Be optimistic for once."

"I'll be optimistic when Mom stays with someone for over two weeks," Jarno said, leaving the kitchen and heading to his bedroom. He fell onto his bed with a huff, grabbing his camera and watching all the clips he shot that day. He smiled. At least his friends were something that would remain constant in his life.