The Names of Things by jessica
"The Spectacles!"
Ethan announces their new name the way he does everything: with a flourish. He bursts in with a shout that has Clark off the bed, taking the blankets with him and leaving Lex half-dressed and half-covered. Clark would be excited, if not for Ethan's incredibly bad timing.
He stops at the scene and lowers his arms. Ethan looks down at Clark, biting his lip to keep from laughing.
"Dude, you're supposed to put a sock on the door." He picks up Lex's tie from its haphazard sprawl across Clark's desk. "Or, you know, a tie. The perfect boyfriend always come equipped."
Clark yanks on his jeans, awkward under the blanket, and jumps up between Ethan and Lex's stare. "What did you need?" he asks, throwing his blanket back to Lex.
"The Spectacles, man," says Ethan, holding up his hand, tracing an imaginary marquee. "It's perfect."
"But you don't wear glasses, Ethan."
"No, but you do." He emphasizes his words with his finger poking Clark's chest, like an overexcited salesmen. Clark glances over his shoulder at Lex, who only shrugs.
"I don't get it," Clark admits.
Ethan sighs heavily, sets his shoulders back, and picks up a pencil holder off Clark's desk. "This is me, right?"
Lex laughs behind him, but Clark keeps his eyes on Ethan. "Okay?"
"Center of the stage." Of course. He puts the pencil holder back on the desk and a stack of index cards just to the right. "That's Thomas."
An dirty mug plays Astrid, behind Ethan-the-pencil-holder and off to the side, so as not to block her from the audience. Without a name, Franny's been promoting them as "the prettiest band in America".
"This is you." It's a Warrior Angel action figure that Ethan holds up. "Well, use your imagination. Now, you're over here, in the corner, 'cause that's where the bass player stands, right?"
"In my glasses?"
"And people are thinking, 'who's the guy in the glasses?' It makes you mysterious."
There's another sound from Lex, something like a snort.
"It makes people think that there might be more to us than just our pretty faces."
Clark picks up Warrior Angel and takes a seat at the end of the bed. "What do you think?" he asks Lex.
"Double meanings..." He waves a hand around. "Romans and gladiators..."
"That means he likes it," Clark says.
Ethan leaves with another shout, his arms held high.
05/01/03