You're My Best Friend (Harper)

[Troy Wexler]

He was still in control. He wasn't going to let an awkward encounter with his ex be the undoing of all his good progress. The next morning, Troy went in for an emergency appointment with Nadine, where he told her the whole story of Eddie and their terrible breakup. While she was helpful and sympathetic, it wasn't quite enough. Nadine, though kind and supportive, didn't have enough history with him to know why the encounter had shaken him so badly. There was only one person who could.

So he owled Harper, hoping that she'd have some time off to meet with him that afternoon for some coffee and companionship.

Luckily, she sent back a reply saying that she was free, so they arranged to meet around 2:00.

[Laura Harper Lahey]

Harper made her way down the street, weaving with ease through people who were walking too slow and who weren't paying attention. Her face felt thicker, probably since she had just come from a muggle shoot and she was covered in hairspray and make-up. It didn't bother her too much though, not like it had when she started modeling. Troy was surely used to her showing up and looking like a runway clown.

She slipped into the coffee shop and found a booth, sliding in and ordering a latte as she waited for Troy.

[Troy Wexler]

Troy arrived a few minutes later, looking well-dressed and neat, but without a spring in his step. Harper would know him well enough to know that something was wrong. But he hoped that he would be able to avoid another incident and find a way to pull himself together. Harper had seen him at his best, his worst, his scariest, and everywhere in between. She knew him almost better than he knew himself, and he knew that he could count on her.

"Harp!" he said, smiling at the sight of her. That was his nickname for her, not only because it was short for Harper, but also because, as he put it, "The harp is the only instrument I can't play." And so it was true with her, because he could never put anything over on her. She always knew what was going on with him.

He walked over to the booth and held his arms out to her for a hug. "Look at you. You look like a poodle. What did they do to your hair?"

[Laura Harper Lahey]

"Troy!" Harper lept out of her seat and hugged her friend close. She saw him walk in, and immediately she saw something was off, but she wasn't going to say anything about it, not yet. Right now she was just terribly glad to see him.

"Oh godric, it's awful, isn't it," she laughed as she pulled away and tugged at her hair, which was frizzy and teased and so completely unlike her normal neat curls. "I was worried you wouldn't recognize me when I looked in the mirror before rushing out."

[Troy Wexler]

Troy laughed. "I'm actually getting used to it by now," he said. "I look for the girl with the craziest hair and the best clothes whenever I'm meeting you. Besides the hair, you look gorgeous, you know."

When Harper had gone into modeling, Troy had been very supportive of her. He knew that dancing was her dream, just as music was his, but he knew that sometimes there had to be stepping stones along the way. Modeling was a stepping stone for her, and he knew she would be good at it. She had a unique look, and the camera loved her. It really was too bad that he wasn't really attracted to her in that way, but he still thought she was beautiful.

Trot sat down across from her and leaned his head against the back of the booth. "I gotta tell you, Harp, you're a sight for sore eyes."

[Laura Harper Lahey]

"Am I? Even in this clown mask?" She teased, chuckling a little. But she reached over and took Troy's hands in both of hers. "It's good to see you too, I feel like it's been forever since I've seen you." She squeezed his hands and then sat back as the waitress brought Harper her coffee.

"I feel like you had a purpose for this meeting, love, besides just missing me, so spill," She smiled softly at him, leaning over her mug of coffee.

[Troy Wexler]

While the waitress brought over Harper's coffee, Troy took the opportunity to order a double espresso for himself, knowing it would earn a disapproving look from his friend. He wasn't really supposed to have so much caffeine, because it made him jittery and nervous and could help trigger manic episodes. But he was taking his medication regularly, which hopefully would be enough to keep him under control.

"I don't only call you when I need something, do I?" he asked guiltily.

He heaved a long sigh and shook his head. Yes, he did seem to call her almost exclusively because he needed her for something. He was a bad friend. But Harper was a survivor. She was tough, and she knew how to fend for herself. That was why he was so drawn to her... because he needed her strength. Troy was not strong. He was needy and sensitive and easily hurt, and he needed to lean on other people for his strength.

"I ran into Eddie last night. Or, actually, he ran into me. He came into Ambrosia. It was... awkward."

[Laura Harper Lahey]

"No, I was poking fun," she said. Because though it was mostly when he needed her, Harper did know that he valued their friendship as much as she did, and she didn't mind that he needed her. She liked that she could be helpful.

Her eyes widened when he told her he ran into his ex. "Oh my goodness Troy," she said. "Did you talk to him? Did he talk to you? Did he know you were there?" She spouted questions off at him.

[Troy Wexler]

Troy slumped forward, pressing his forehead against the table. Harper knew better than anyone what his breakup with Eddie had done to him. Even Eddie had no idea just how badly Troy regretted what happened and wished he could go back and fix things. Their breakup had been his fault. He had ruined it, just as he ruined almost every good thing in his life. He'd even known what he was doing while he was doing it, but he couldn't stop it. It was like he was watching himself from the outside.

"Yeah, we talked," he said, sitting up. "He was sitting at the bar. I poured him a drink and we talked. He's seeing someone else. I wanted to beg him to give me another chance... but I didn't. He's better off without me. You would be, too, you know."

[Laura Harper Lahey]

"Don't you say that," Harper said sadly. She reached out and squeezed his hand again, but this time she didn't let go. "Deal with it, you're stuck with me." She gave him a little reassuring smile.

"Now about Eddie," she sighed. She had liked Eddie, and she knew Troy had liked him too. She sat with him everyday for over a week after they had broken up, helping him pick the pieces and trying to help him move on. "I'm glad you didn't beg him for another chance. In my experience, that never goes over well." She sat back and thought a little, drinking her coffee. She was going to get in trouble when she got back. Coffee stained teeth. "Did you guys chat a long time?" She asked. She wondered if Eddie made up the new boyfriend to make Troy jealous, but she didn't say it out loud, mostly because it wasn't very Eddie, and secondly because she wouldn't want to get Troy's hopes up.

[Troy Wexler]

Troy let out another puff of air and squeezed her hand. Somewhere along the line, he must have done something right to have her on his side. If she ever gave up on him, he'd have nothing worth living for. Music may have been his true love, but it was a fickle one. But Harper, despite his every attempt to chase her away with his erratic behavior, remained steadfast and loyal. He had other friends, but none who he could count on to stick with him when he was at his worst. He didn't blame them for it, and he wouldn't have blamed Harper if she took off, too. But she never did, even when he was trying his best to kick the crap out of himself.

"What did I ever do to deserve you?" he asked with a heartbreaking smile.

His double espresso arrived, and he nodded his thanks but didn't drink it. He just wrapped one hand around the little cup, allowing its heat to warm up his hand. "We talked for a while. Not too long... but long enough. He kept telling me that I looked good. He seemed surprised by that, actually."

[Laura Harper Lahey]

"Well you do," she said honestly, sipping at her coffee. "In all ways that can be taken you do look really good Troy, I take it you're playing more music?" she asked. He always seemed brighter the more he played. Harper needed to lighten her work load just enough so she could go and see him play. Between Troy and her brother, Harper always had music in her life, and she missed it when she worked so much. But she was so close to having enough money for her dance studio...

[Troy Wexler]

"Thanks," Troy said, smiling. Truthfully, he felt good, too. Even though running into Eddie last night had upset him, it was nothing to how it would have been a few months ago. He'd already been spiraling out of control, and having an awkward encounter with his ex would likely have sent him over the edge that much faster. Now, though, he was balanced out enough that he could see Eddie without it resulting in a complete meltdown. He could react to it just like any other person would react to running into an ex. This was progress.

"Yeah, the music's going well. I have a few more performances with the orchestra scheduled for this weekend. And I've been subbing in a local band for their keyboard player."

[Laura Harper Lahey]

"That's great, Troy," she beamed at him, her eyes practically sparkling. "Oh my goodness I have the weekend off can I come and watch, please please please?" She asked, smiling even wider. She loved seeing him play.

"Oh guess what," she said as she drained her coffee. She considered getting another one, it had tasted so good, but she knew she shouldn't, every penny counts. "That old lady who teaches ballet in her crappy little studio in London? She's retiring and putting her studio up for sale." Though Harper was still a bit too far off financially to even think she could make a down payment, it was nice to dream.

[Troy Wexler]

Some musicians were content to play in solitude, keeping their gifts to themselves. Others, like Troy, needed praise and validation from the audience to believe they were any good. Troy had almost no confidence in himself, and he was his greatest critic. In his head, he knew he was good, but somehow when he played, he could only hear the flaws. He needed people to tell him that he was good in order to believe it.

"I was hoping you'd be able to come," he said, smiling. "I'm playing a sonata, so you'll get to see me on a solo. We're getting really good reviews."

But her news made him smile wider. He knew about her dream, and he did his best to encourage her whenever he could. He would have helped her more, but since he was frequently broke, he couldn't do much to help her. "That's great! You know, you should try and get a loan to help you out with that. It couldn't hurt, right?"

[Laura Harper Lahey]

She was silently thankful he hadn't offered money, because she wouldn't take it, not from anyone, she wanted to earn the money on her own, it gave her a sense of accomplishment. "I would...but I am honestly terrified of being in debt to the bank," she admitted. "I'm getting close I really am," which is what she's een saying since she saved her first paycheck, but she REALLY WAS.

"Of course you're getting good reviews, you're amazing," she said. "I bet you knock the crowd's socks off."

[Troy Wexler]

"You know what?" Troy said, turning serious. He took a shot of his previously untouched espresso, sat up in his seat and leaned all the way forward, so that he was halfway across the table.

"I might have an idea. If you're really close, maybe we can get you one really big job to put you over the top. I know a designer who's just about to get a big campaign, and he might need a few models. Why don't you give me a head shot, and maybe a full body shot and I'll see if he'd be interested? It's the least I can do after all you've done for me."

[Laura Harper Lahey]

Her eyes lit up at his offer and she actually squealed and flung herself across the table, enveloping Troy in a hug. "Troy Wexler I could kiss you!" she said. A big shoot would be just what she needed to get to her goal amount saved.

"Can I give you one now? I have an extra from what I dropped off this morning," she reached into her bag and pulled a copy of her resumes. She knew big campaigns were hard to get for models like Harper, who were new and unrepresented in the business. But she was always very positive, and just the idea that maybe she could get this job was enough to make her week.

[Troy Wexler]

Troy laughed and made some fake choking noises was she hugged him. "Please don't kiss me," he said, his voice playful. "You'll fall hopelessly in love with me, and it can never happen, so it'll just ruin our friendship."

He was joking, but only a little. Part of him seriously worried that this would happen. He knew that Eddie's best friend Yvonne had a bad case of unrequited love for Eddie. Troy was pretty sure this was the reason that Yvonne had absolutely hated him. More than once, she had pulled him aside and threatened to hit him with something she called the "inside out" curse if he broke Eddie's heart. When he and Eddie had first broken up, Troy kept looking over his shoulder, half expecting to find the blonde standing there with her wand pointed at him. But it hadn't happened, which made Troy wonder if that meant Eddie's heart hadn't been broken after all. Somehow, that hurt Troy more than any torture Yvonne could have dreamed up for him.

Pulling back, Troy gave her a light kiss on her forehead. "I'll give it to him tonight. I should be seeing him at the gig... he's friends with one of the band members."

[Laura Harper Lahey]

She giggled and winked at him. "I already love you to death, too bad you're not my type," she teased, squeezing his hand and settling back in her seat. The squeal and hug caused their little table some attention and Harper boldly waved at the people staring until they looked away.

"You're seriously the most wonderful frined Troy, what in the world would I do without you?" She beamed at him.