Make Tea, Not War

• Destiny Gerhard, Grade 7
• Short Story
• 2015

Clarence Winchester looked at the silver gun in his hands and felt nervous. He walked over to the window and reflected on his orange surroundings. He had always loved peaceful Gallifrey with its flipping, scorching fields. It was a place that encouraged his tendency to feel at rest. Then he saw something in the distance, or rather someone. It was the figure of Crowley Collins. Crowley was brave and reckless. He had a glare that could kill and hair that was so spiky, it could poke someone’s eye out.

Clarence gulped. He glanced at his own reflection for comfort. He was a tall, skinny, tea drinker with brown hair with a fringe that hung over one of his eyes and sparkling blue eyes. His friends saw him as a protective, proud angel of war. Once, he had protected his brother from a pack of wolves with only a tree branch. But not even a proud person, who had once done such a daring deed like that, was prepared for what Crowley had in store today.

The rain hammered like shouting hellhounds, making Clarence shudder. As Clarence stepped outside and Crowley came closer, he could see the square glint in his eye. Crowley glared with all the wrath of a pack of panthers. He growled, in hushed tones, "I hate you and I want revenge."

Clarence looked back, even more nervous and still fidgeting with the silver gun. "Crowley, we’ve been friends for a long time. I don’t want the Time War to be the thing that tears us apart. I miss us being friends. Please, put this aside. We can fix this together.” He replied with his bravest tone.

They looked at each other with stirring feelings, like two, angry relatives that just had a fight. Only this argument was war. Crowley stared deeply into Clarence’s eyes, like he was trying to see through his soul.

Clarence knew that Crowley was scared as well. He came with nothing but a blade and it was shaking in his hands. Clarence dropped his gun and smiled at Crowley. “I refuse you fight you, Crowley.” He muttered. There was a silence that felt it lasted for an eternity. Crowley snapped out of his trance like state and raised his blade. Clarence closed his eyes and accepted his fate. But it didn’t happen. He suddenly heard the sound of metal dropping on the floor. He opened his eyes to see that Crowley had dropped his blade.

“I don’t want it to end like this either.” He admitted. They both hugged each other tightly. “Let’s go in and have a nice cup of tea. We might get pneumonia if we stand out here in the rain.” Clarence chuckled.Crowley smiled appreciatively as they both went inside for a hot cup of tea and a long chat to catch up with each other.