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“So, bookworm, my sister told me something interesting the other day.” Lothar said as he punched numbers into his calculator. It was mid-July, hot as hades and absolutely dreadful to be doing anything other than swimming. But Lothar was schedule to take the SAT next month, which scared Khad more than it did Lothar. That left them stuck inside going over functions.
“Hmm,” Khad replied, fanning himself with his own college application. The only one he’d be sending out, according to his parents. Ever since he’d been in diapers, they were determined to send Khad to Kirin Tor. They didn’t have to know that he may have filled out a couple of other applications.
“Well, she didn’t really tell me anything. She was just talking about you, Khadgar.”
Khad froze and stopped breathing. No, no, no, no, no. No.
“When you have a kid, can you change your name to Dadgar?”
Khad was used to these jokes. He was greeted with them everyday until middle school, where he did his best to blend into the background and become Khad, minus the gar.
“Aww, it’s okay. You don’t need to be Sadgar.” Lothar reached across the dinning room table and patted him on the back. Khad shoved Lothar’s hand away, gritting his teeth.
Lothar held his hands up in surrender, “Somebody’s Madgar.” If looks could kill, the one Khad was giving Lothar would be torturing him slowly.
Khad stood up from the table. He really didn’t want to be doing this. On a list of things he would rather do scrubbing toilets and being a garbage man now ranked above enduring Lothar’s asshole tendencies. Silently, Khad started to pack away his things into his backpack. It didn’t matter that a major heat wave was waiting for him outside of Lothar’s stupid house. He was leaving.
Lothar stood up, “Where are you going?”
Khad didn’t reply, just slung his backpack over a shoulder and started walking towards the door. He’d hop on his bike and ride home where he could lay face down on his mattress and never get up again. Fuck Kirin Tor. Fuck his parents. Fuck Lothar.
Lothar’s hand wrapped around Khad’s arm and anchored him in place. Like literally, fuck Lothar…Well, no, actually, not literally.
“My first name is Anduin.” Lothar said. Is that his feeble attempt at comfort, Khad wondered and then decided it didn’t matter. Khad shrugged silently, denying Lothar the satisfaction of an accepted apology. “Come on, you have to admit that’s kinda weird.”
Khad tried to shake off Lothar’s hand because he was actually starting to hurt him a little, but Lothar’s grip stayed firm. “Let go of me.”
Lothar hadn’t ever heard Khad’s voice get so low and demanding. Threatening, even. Lothar held his arm tighter and grabbed the other one. “Why are you being such a wuss about this. It’s a joke, Khad.”
“It’s not funny, Anduin.” The tips of Lothar’s ears burned at the sound of his own name. Khad spat it out like it was poison in his mouth. Lothar released him, deciding it wasn’t even worth it.
“My apologies, bookworm.” Lothar grumbled, and nodded in the direction of the door. A stupidly quiet and brutish way of saying ‘get out’.
Khad’s face was burning bright pink as he slammed the door on the way out. Fuck Lothar.
———
Khad was angry as he locked up his bike in the garage. He was angry when he unlocked the front door of his house. He was angry as he stomped up the stairs and he was furious when he heard his cellphone ring in his backpack.
He yanked it out of the front pocket of his backpack. Taria - One Missed Call.
Khad was so getting fired and he couldn’t even give a shit.
His phone was ringing again, Taria - Accept or Ignore? Khad just turned off the phone instead. He kicked off his shoes and stripped down to his boxers because damn, the AC in his house was shit compared to Lothar’s. He laid face down on his mattress and hoped to pass out.
———
“He’s not picking up, Lothar.” Taria said over the phone. She was at the library and Lothar was sprawled on the tile floor of the kitchen because he hated everything except the cool feeling of the floor on his back.
“But you’re calling him and you pay him. He has to pick up.”
Lothar could just see her rolling her eyes, typing away because she was almost as big of a nerd as Khad - which meant she took summer courses. “He’s a smart kid. He probably knows why I’m calling him.” She paused, “Why did he storm out again?”
“He was angry.”
“Why, Lothar?”
Lothar bit his lip and closed his eyes. “I may have been joking about his name.” He felt even more stupid after saying it. Lothar was being a child, but so was Khad. Who just walks out like that?
“Lothar,” Taria said in a way that made him feel like an absolute ass. Disappointment flooded every syllable. “We live in a town called Azeroth. You go to spring formal every year with a girl named Garona and you decide that a fun thing to do would be to tease your friend about his full name?”
Lothar groaned. She was always right about everything. “We’re not friends.”
“Probably after this you’re not. Khad is a nice boy, Lothar. Would it kill you to be nice back?”
“Can you call him again?” He asked.
“No, Lothar. You call him, you apologize and you get off the floor.”
Lothar looked around the kitchen, half expecting his sister to appear. “I’m not on the floor.”
“You are. You know mom and dad hate that.” And with that, she hung up. His sister had to be some kind of clairvoyant. He thought about getting off the ground, but what did it matter anyway? His parents were never home - they would never know.
But he hauled himself off the ground anyways, for his sisters sake. He glanced at his phone and then at fridge and repeated the cycle. He’d call Khad later.
It was officially “later” and Lothar maybe had consumed two sandwiches and a six pack of beer that his father wouldn’t miss. He picked up his phone and called Khad’s cell, which went straight to voicemail.
“Hey Khad…I’m an asshole. This is Lothar by the way, but I’m sure you knew that because you’re a genius. I’m sorry. Please call me.” A minute passed. And then five minutes passed. And in Lothar’s drunken numbness he didn’t even notice that a half hour was gone with still nothing from Khad.
Shit, I really blew it, Lothar thought as he trudged up to his room. He dialed Khad again, “It’s Lothar again. I’m an idiot, Khad. Don’t pay attention to any of the stupid things I say, they don’t mean anything.” Did that count as an apology? Lothar collapsed onto his bed and accepted the alcohol fueled sleepiness, his phone still in his hand. Just in case.
———
The third voicemail Khad received from Lothar must have been an accident because it was just snoring. He was drunk. Great.
It’ was only eight p.m but the angry nap Khad had just taken had an unfortunate side effect - he probably wasn’t going to be able to fall asleep again until some unholy hour in the morning. I hate him, Khad thought as he pulled on some shorts and a t-shirt. His mother had tried to wake him earlier because she was concerned but he had just pretended to be asleep.
He walked downstairs, for no real reason other than he needed something to do. His mother was putting way whatever dinner she and his siblings had that Khad had missed out on.
“Are you feeling alright sweetie?” She asked, sealing some tupperware.
The infuriating thing about Khad’s parents was that they were nice. They wanted him to be happy and do well but they were certain the only way for him to do that would be for him to attend Kirin Tor. They were proud of his academics and happy that he was able to skip a grade. They were probably happier about it than he was.
Khad shrugged and filled a glass of water.
“A friend of yours called the house an hour ago. Lothar?” She said while putting the leftovers in the fridge. “He sounded…out of it.”
“That’s the boy I tutor. He’s been feverish.” Khad lied because he was pretty sure that his mom would freak out if she knew that he’s been helping a drunk football player with his studies.
“I see,” She said, in that mom way where she’s not going to push the subject but she definitely doesn’t believe him. “Well, I think he’d appreciate it if you called him.”
Khad nodded and tried not whine but I don’t want to. He climbed back up the stairs, dreading each step. Like maybe if he goes slowly enough Lothar will forget about it and Khad would forget about Lothar and everything would be better.
He fell back onto his bed and looked at his cellphone and groaned. Calling Lothar was now even less appealing than enduring Lothar’s asshole tendencies. Khad definitely hated him. He couldn’t believe that he was stuck tutoring this barbarian until graduation. The money was great but he couldn’t handle Lothar’s mood swings. One moment he’d be quiet and broody, the next he’s laughing and tossing Khad into the pool and today he bullies him. It was exhausting.
Khad had to quit.
His cellphone buzzed
Lothar: im sorrry, Khad. can you forgive me
Khad just had to laugh because Lothar was just a ridiculous little boy. Everything was simple for him, he never faced an consequences for any of his actions. You say sorry, you get forgiven. Done. Khad wasn’t that easy. It was going to take a bit more than “sorry”.
He dialed Lothar’s number and stared up at his ceiling. The phone didn’t even ring once before he heard Lothar’s sluggish voice.
“Khaaaad, I’m the worst-“
“Lothar, I quit.”
There was a pause and Khad thought for a moment that maybe Lothar had hung up on him but no, according to his phone the call was still going.
“What?”
Khad sighed, “I’m quitting. Good luck with next year.”
“But- You can’t just quit. I’m taking the SAT in four weeks.” He said, sounding much more sober. It’s amazing how shocking news can bring you out of a stupor. “Khad I need you.”
“Well maybe you should have thought about that before.” Khad said quietly. Lothar has never said those words to him. He always just assumed that Lothar put up with him to keep his sister happy. Khad never thought that maybe Lothar actually appreciated him.
“I didn’t know that you were going to get so angry.” Lothar whispered. He sounded so sad and confused that Khad almost felt bad. Almost. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” Khad hadn’t anticipated Lothar being so verbal and open. He thought that Lothar was terminally, emotionally constipated.
Khad bit his lip, “I hate my name.”
There was another pause. He couldn’t believe he was admitting that, to Anduin Lothar of all people. Like The Lion of Azeroth High really gave a shit about Khad’s crappy emotional baggage.
“Khadgar is a family name,” He said quietly, afraid that his mom or his siblings might overhear him. “And I hate it because it means I have to go to Kirin Tor University and become a scholar and preserve my family’s place in academia.” As Khad spoke tears welled up in his eyes. He tried his best to blink them away but they just spilled down the sides of his face.
“Khad, you don’t have to do any of that,” Lothar said so gently it hurt. Khad was quietly sobbing now. “No offense but fuck that bullshit. You can do whatever the hell you want.”
They were both silent for a minute as Khad tried to pull himself together because he was supposed to be quitting his job not having a therapy session. “Khad you don’t have to tutor me.” Lothar said, drawing him away from his thoughts.
“Are you always nicer when you’re drunk? Because I think that might be my new stipulation for tutoring you.”
Lothar chuckled, “I’m sure Taria will love that.” He waited a moment. “Are you sure that you want to come back?”
“Go to sleep, Lothar.”
“I promise to be better.”
“Sleep.”
Khad hung up and rolled over. It was a little bit impossible to stay mad at Lothar forever and he really did seem to be sorry. Khad buried his face into his pillow. Why can’t this be easy.
When Khad woke up the next morning he had two unread messages on his phone.
Lothar: yesterday was my bad-gar.
Lothar: sorry, I had to get that last one out of my system
Khad’s stomach hurt from laughing so hard.