The Warhol Complex

Lunette laid in bed until she smelled the warm aroma of pancakes filling the air. She rolled over and smiled seeing Will’s backpack all packed and ready to go. She got up and threw her hair up in a messy bun and pulled on some pajamas. All she could think about was practicing her new lesson today while she was alone. She crept down the stairs wiping sleep from her eyes. She made it to the bottom of the stairs and looked over Will and smirked. 



“Smells wonderful…” She complimented him and then sat at the table and leaned against her hand. She was having trouble waking up. Maybe she would be sleeping most of today. Practice can wait, but she was far too eager to let a practice-less day float by. She closed her eyes.



“Thanks, hey, spoonie, I can’t stick around tonight, but I put some chicken and rice in the refrigerator for you. Just heat it up. There is some for you dad for work as well.” Will called out glancing over his shoulder. Lunette didn’t say anything but just smiled. Her eyes were closed as she leaned against her hand for support. Will made a few more pancakes and then finished stacking them on a platter. He walked over to her and rubbed her back and kissed the top of head. “Want part of my smoothie and then take a nap? You can reheat the pancakes later” He offered. He pulled a seat next to her and rubbed her back as he looked at the side of her face. She breathed deeply and then turned her head and opened her eyes.



“Do I have to eat? It seems like so much work.” She whispered against her hand and then leaned into her shoulder. 



“You know what you will feel like in about two hours. Take your medicine and have part of my smoothie. It’s Kale, but it’s better than nothing.” He got up and grabbed her pills that he had sat on the edge of her plate, a cup of water and poured some of his smoothie into a small glass. He then screwed the top back on his travelling tumbler and walked back to his seat next to her. “Don’t you dare go back to bed until you have drank all of that.” He stood and then started to clean up and kept an eye on her. She raised her head and looked at the pills and took them with the water and stared at Will with a lazy smile as her painted fingernails started to push the smoothie away when he wasn’t looking. She’d pull her fingers back when he turned. She giggled enjoying this game. Will shook his head. “Listen, if you get too tired to cook lunch for yourself, you will have to nibble on your blankets, because no one will be home to do it for you. Drink the smoothie, so I know you will at least have enough energy to get to the bathroom so I don’t have that mess tomorrow morning.” Will commented. She scrunched her nose at the comment and looked at the kale smoothie as if it would bite her. He looked at his watch as he quickly finished up. He watched her and just shook his head. After about 10 minutes of cleaning and telling her his schedule for the day he ran up to her bedroom and collected his things and his backpack. He then came back downstairs and picked up the glass she hadn’t touched and downed the smoothie and set a peach infront of her.



“I might have drank that if you…..” Lunette stopped speaking when the door flew open. Her eyes were now fully open and Will was on alert as he focused on whatever was about to approach. A very tall skinny man with hair that was styled upward and slightly to the right came in. He was wearing tight jeans and a light blue button-up shirt, topped off with some dark red Sperrys. He came in tossing a bag to the side of the door. He made his way to the kitchen table and slammed his hands down and leaned over and looked into Lunette’s eyes. 



“I have to know EVERYTHING! I have all day long. I just came back from NYC and talked to your dad at the station.” the man said. Will had rolled his eyes and backed up and leaned down kissing Lunette’s cheek. 



“I’m out of here. You girls can have your little gossip time.” Will smiled and then looked over at the other man. 



“Do I really need to prove my manhood every time I come over?”



“God, no…..Just….I’m out.” Will said rolling his eyes. The younger slender boy took a seat and crossed his legs. The new face was Hunter Walker. He was a life long best friend to Lunette. Before she became very sick they did everything together. Hunter was the last one to adjust to Lunette’s case of Lupus. Everyday he understood a little more about it, but he still had a hard time accepting the new life style.

“I’m not afraid to whip it out.”



“I know that is what scares me. See yah guys, love you….” Will started to finish.



“Love you too, honey!!!! Pick up some Kale for me on your way home, please???” Hunter called back. He heard the door shut and then turned to make sure Will had really left and then he looked at Lunette in shock. “He just left without kissing me? Rude and disrespectful.” Hunter sighed and crossed his arms, “Who got him all upset?” Lunette rolled her eyes and fixed her hair picking up her peach and munching on it. 



“Some guy with the most perfect hair in the world” she giggled as she looked over at him clearly referring to Hunter.



“So odd, I wouldn’t think good hairstyles would upset someone so much.” Hunter looked over at her and smiled and then shook his head, “So, stop getting me off topic. My first question is… does he play for my team? Most artists are…and if he does, I need to come over for some private lessons.” Hunter looked over at her and then waited for an answer.



“No, baby. He’s not. He looks more like a rockstar than an artist. I’m pretty sure he is straight.” She smiled and leaned over and tapped Hunter’s nose. 



“I guess artists can look kind of edgy.” Hunter looked at the ceiling and contemplated the idea. “Ok, so is he sweet or super egotistical? What was your first lesson about? Is he single? Jewish? Oh….he’s not a meat eater is he? Shit….only the vegan artists are the best…” Hunter paused and looked disgusted at Lunette. She smiled and her eyes got bigger with each question. 



“Sweet, he's very sweet, we did out linings with like boxes and circles. I have no idea his relationship status, religion or eating habits.” Lunette was used to answering his string of questions, but his energy made her smile. She envied it so much. She smiled up at him and then took another bite of her peach.



“What?! that doesn’t sound like any fun…I was hoping to pick up a neoclassical rendition of a monkey riding an ostrich this afternoon. I even cleared wall space for it!!!!” Hunter yelled and then smiled and laughed nudging her with his elbow. She rolled her eyes and then took another bite. 



“I think that’s next week’s lesson.” 



“So, want to go to the shipyard today? I was hoping to get shrimp. I heard they just caught some yesterday.”



“Honey, I can’t. I used too many spoons yesterday. I need to rest. I only had like 20 to use yesterday”



“Oh right….spoons….I’m sure you used like 18 on just stressing about what you were going to wear last night.” He rolled his eyes and looked through his phone. 



“I only used 5 for that!!! I always have to use more spoons around strangers.”



“That sounds so peculiar. You can’t just say the word ‘energy’?” Hunter asked looking up from his phone, “I get the spoon theory. For each little unit of energy you call it a spoon. You only get so many spoons a day and you have to use them wisely or you will end up borrowing from the next day and leaving you exhausted the next day…. I get all of that, but you can’t just call it like energy?”



“It’s easier for people like you with 20 pounds of hair gel in their hair to understand. So, yes, I used a lot of spoons yesterday. Maybe tomorrow we can go?” She whispered and leaned against him and put a hand on his lap. “What about you? What have you been up to?” She whispered and took a napkin and wrapped the pit up and set it on the table before slipping her arms around one of his. 



“Tomorrow sounds good, as long as Grumpy doesn’t mind.” He paused and looked at the table as he thought about his past few days. “I keep seeing him. He’s literally everywhere I go. He has started to smile at me now.” Hunter calmed down and became a little more ‘normal’. He looked at her, “We might even go on a date soon. If anything, I’m just glad he acknowledges me.” Lunette smiled as he spoke. Hunter has been working on this guy for a long time. She had no idea who he was, but knew he meant a lot to Hunter.



“You will catch him eventually. Remember in high school when you got that guy from show choir to kiss you at Daniel’s party?” Lunette smiled and turned to face Hunter. “You are a beautiful person. He’d be silly not to give you a chance. It’s hard to make lovers out of strangers. Just be patient.” She whispered playing the the tips of his perfectly styled hair. 



“I know, but I just want a relationship like you have. Will would do anything for you and your dad. It is so organic and strong.” Hunter looked a little sad. “I’m just so scared of being shut down. I wish I had your love life. I know I will get there. I just am the most impatient mother fucker.” He smiled and then looked at her. “So enough about that. Movie day instead?” He looked at her.



“Will and I still fight. We aren’t perfect, Hunter. You will find it eventually, I promise.” She nodded and stood up and went to the couch and sat down. They cuddled with each other. They both ended up falling asleep during the first movie, but they didn’t mind it. They were both happy. They were the closest friends ever. They fit perfectly. Hunter needed someone stable like Lunette, and Lunette needed someone with a ton of energy to inspire her like Hunter did. When they were together they were a perfect combination. Even Will, as much as he teased Hunter through high school and even now, couldn’t deny that Hunter was a perfect friend for Lunette.



A few hours later Mr. Copernicus made it home and then Hunter left not long after dinner. It was a quiet night at the Copernicus household. Lunette gained a spoon from her nap with Hunter and practiced her lesson from yesterday in the quietness of the her room. She smiled as she looked at the outline of Hunter’s body. It didn’t look like Hunter, but she put it away. As Gerard taught her more, maybe she could finish it. She then started on the crazy picture that Hunter mentioned with ostrich. She started to the see the outline come together even though it also just looked like a series of connected circles of different sizes. She smiled and then curled up in bed after carefully putting all her supplies away. She texted Will to tell him about everything her and Hunter had talked about and the movies they tried to watch. Soon she drifted off and had pleasant dreams of the ship yard the next day.