"Shakespeare? Oh, he's my other best friend." Wyatt seemed to smile as he spoke of this 'Shakespeare.' "I still keep in contact with my relatives--I just have my grandparents left--but I live with Shakespeare."

"Shakespeare? does your guardian love Shakespeare that much?" Josh found it a bit interesting that the man he grew up with was named after the famous play write.

"Oh, no. Not at all--he dislikes the poet," Wyatt informed him brightly. "Shakespeare is what I call him, as a fun pet name. He is a poet, but he doesn't know it, as cliche as that sounds."

josh laughed. "so you call him by a name that he hates. boy you have some guts or he has none." ok maybe he is not what I thought he was, but I still dont completely trust him.

"Shakespeare is used to my taunting him. He's a willing doormat unless something directly impacts my safety--then he becomes some sort of prudish nightmare." Wyatt wrinkled his nose and then glanced up as the fries arrived.

" so how did you find that he hated the name Shakespeare?" josh handed a bill to the lady. "keep the change when we are done." he looked back at the other two. "any of you want drinks or other food?"

"I could go for a soda..." Lawrence commented, offhandedly.

"I am fine." Wyatt nibbled away at the fries. "I asked him to help me with a school project on Shakespeare, when I was in elementary school. He reacted badly--quite badly. So, I have called him Shakespeare ever since. His real name is Alaric...Aric, for short."

"a soda for my friend and I will have one of your nice milkshakes, chocolate this time." the waitress nodded and walked off. "so he flipped because you asked for help with a Shakespeare project? talk about over reacting."

"He didn't really flip...he just let loose this loud, whiny groan about having to read the works of a stuffy old man whose words can't be read correctly, anyway, because the language is so old-fashioned." Wyatt yawned.

" ah so he is one of those people that dont feel he translates well to this generation."

"Not at all. He feels they should be translated into modern language before being read by someone of this time period," Wyatt confirmed, nodding. "Personally, I agree...there will be no chance of me thinking Shakespeare is a wonderful poet and playwright if I cannot understand what he has written."

"I understand what he was saying perfectly." josh snagged a frie as the waitress set his milk shake down, then set down Lawrence's soda. "so how did you get with Shakespeare?"

"I think it sounds like complete gibberish." Wyatt frowned, then ate a few more fries. "He adopted me in Luxembourg. He never ages, which makes me think he is some sort of demon or something..."

Lawrence took his soda, thankfully. He had been getting thirsty.

"a demon? why do you think he is that and not something else?" taking a sip of his drink Josh smiled. "want a drink?" he held it out to Lawrence.

"He has oddly-colored hair and eyes. That is a blatant characteristic of most demons," Wyatt informed him, nibbling on some more fries.

"Oh, no--I'm fine with my soda," Lawrence assured him, taking a sip of his soda and instantly relaxing.

"so ummm..... have any questions for me?" josh really did not want to have this guy going over his full life but he had been asking so it was only fair that Wyatt got a chance to ask.

"How did you meet my dearest Law?" Wyatt asked, eyeing him again. If he had known Lawrence for nearly seven years, it was only fair that he was suspicious of anyone dating him.

" he bumped into me on the frist day, dropped his bag." he took a sip of his chocolate milkshake. "why do you call him Law?"

"I give everyone nicknames. No doubt I'll soon christen you with one," Wyatt chuckled, nibbling on another fry. "I even have nicknames for my grandparents. They do not appreciate it."

"I dont see any grandparent liking that. unless it was like popops or some such like that." josh did not mind this guy but now he was starting to want to get back to the school, he still did have that latin packet to do.

"I call them Dee and Dum. I was going to add Tweedle to both of them, but that is a mouthful." Wyatt glanced at his watch. "Perhaps you should be getting back..."

Lawrence seemed so happy that everything had gone well. "Yeah, it's getting kind of late...want to head back?"

"I can see why they dont like them." drinking off the last of his milkshake he smiled a bit more friendlier smile. "it was good meeting you." josh held out his hand again.

Wyatt, not fond of shaking hands, performed his shake-brush-fingers technique once more. "Likewise. I hope you treat my Law well."

Lawrence finished up his soda, ready to leave whenever Josh was.

"I shall treat him like he deserves." or as best as I can, because he deserves more then I can give I think. smiling he offered his hand to Lawrence. "I am guessing we will be seeing around."

"I come around here sometimes with Shakespeare. I'm here alone today, because Shakespeare is busy." Wyatt seemed to really admire this person...

Lawrence took his hand, content. "Bye, Wyatt..."