Opposing Forces

Chapter 8

By Jeff

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The closet doors pulled open and Ben came tumbling out.

"You idiot!" I yelled. "Freak, what are you doing in there?"

"I was just going to give you a good scare, seeing how you were watching that lame movie. But I have to admit, your closet has shrunk since the last time I was in there."

"Ben, the last time you hid in my closet, you were six," I said, matter of factly. "You were smaller and I had less clothes. Now scram!"

"Keep it down!" Jane yelled from her room. "I'm trying to study for this government test I have tomorrow."

"What's going on here?" my mom asked, walking into my room with a dish rag in her hands.

"Geez, why is this attracting so much attention?" I asked, frustratedly.

"Is everything all right?" my dad enters, his hand holding a pen and some loose leaves of paper.

"Ben is just being a total idiot and decides to hide in my closet," I explained.

"Ben," my dad began, chuckling. "Don't you have something a little more meaningful to do with your life than scaring your brother?"

"Actually, no," my brother responded.

My dad laughed.

"Good," my mom said. "Now you can go vacuum the living room."

"Mom," Ben groaned.

"Go, mister," my mom said. "And Dway, get some math done. Help him out there, Ryan, he's not getting a thing in that class."

"Sure," Ryan piped up.

My parents and Ben vacated my room, and Ryan pressed play to continue the movie. A few minutes into the movie, the phone rings.

"Dway!" my mom yelled. "It's for you, it's Tyler."

"Good lord," Ryan muttered. "Can't you have five minutes apart from each other?"

"Ryan," I said, glaring. "Shut it."

I picked up the phone in my room and said, "Hey, Ty."

"Did your mom say it was me?" Tyler replied.

"That or I must have psychic powers."

Tyler and I giggled at our lame conversation starter.

"Oh brother," Ryan groaned.

"Is that Ben?" Tyler asked suddenly.

"Actually, it's Ryan," I said, then mentally smacked myself for being so stupid.

"Ryan?" he replied suspiciously. "What is HE doing there?"

"Ryan and I are watching a movie."

"Oh? What movie?" Tyler questioned.

"Scream 3."

"A SCARY movie," Tyler said. "I thought you didn't like scary movies."

"I don't..." I answered uneasily. "It's just what Ryan brought..."

"Oh, ok," Tyler said uncertainly. "Oh, hey, I have your Spanish notes, I'm going to stop by and drop it off."

"Tyler, I don't need these notes, you can give them to me in class tomorrow."

"No, no, no, I won't be able to sleep, knowing that I have borrowed something and did not return it," Tyler insisted.

"Tyler," I said, lowering my voice. "You just can't trust Ryan and me to be alone, but I promise you that nothing is happening."

"I'll stop by for just a few minutes," he said, then added, "I promise."

"Ty---" I said, but Tyler had already hung up...probably ran out the door.

"What was all THAT about?" Ryan asked, probably not caring about the answer.

"Nothing, just Tyler being stupid," I replied, giving a nervous laugh.

"Shall I press play or will loverboy continue to hound you by the hour every hour?"

"Oh, I'm pretty sure that Tyler will not have to do that," I said, glancing at the clock. It had been...about a minute since I hung up with him. He would be here...soon.

Ryan pressed play, and the chase scene continued. I was getting engrossed with the movie when the doorbell rang.

"Now who could that be?" Ryan asked, arching up his eyebrow.

Before I could respond, Tyler bounced into the room.

"Surprise, surprise," Ryan said, unenthusiastically.

"Hey, honey," Tyler said and gave me a passionate kiss in front of Ryan.

"Tyler," I said, warding Tyler off my lips. "Not in front of...guests."

"Don't stop on my account," Ryan said smirking, and his comment dripping with sarcasm.

"Sorry, Ryan," Tyler said unformally. "I get carried away sometimes."

"Don't we all," Ryan replied nonchalantly.

The tension was rising like the weather of a sweltering summer day.

"Who wants soda? Ice cream?" I asked hopefully then muttered to myself, "I know I could use a nice ice cold cup of---"

"You know, why don't I just go now," Ryan said, grabbing his backpack and movies. "You can keep watching Scream 3, Dway, and big Tyler can protect you from the boogeyman."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tyler replied defensively.

Two words: Oh shit.

"Guys..." I started.

God, I'm such a damsel in distress. I might as well climb on some tall tower and stand there like a princess.

"I simply mean that you'd make a good bodyguard," Ryan replied.

"Or are you implying that I don't have the brains to be anything else?" Tyler retorted challengingly.

"Hey, that's your assumption," Ryan said. "But for once, Tyler, I think we agree on something."

Tyler clenched his fist and slowly lifted his arm.

"Tyler, no," I said, covering his fist with my hand. "Ryan, just don't start anything, all right?"

"Quit being such a pacifist, Dway," Ryan said. "This is between Tyler and me."

"Yeah," Tyler said, pushing me aside slightly. "Between Ryan and me."

Two more words: Bigger shit.

"This is my house, my room, my boyfriend, and best friend," I stated. "I think I have every right to be entitled into this conversation."

"Well, why don't we take it outside then?" Ryan counterquestioned.

"NO!" I yelled, a bit more loudly than I intended.

"KEEP IT DOWN!" Jane yelled.

"You know everything was fine until you re-entered the picture," Ryan said daringly.

"Ryan...watch it," I warned.

"Biased now, Dwayne? Gonna stick up for that pea-brain you have as a fuck toy?"

"That's it!"

Tyler leapt at Ryan, and they wrestled aggressively on my bedroom floor.

"Stop!" I said, reaching down to pull Tyler off of Ryan.

Tyler had a strong grip on Ryan and Ryan was beginning to turn a deep shade of red.

"Tyler! Get off of him!" I demanded.

"Honey," my mom said, knocking at the door. "Is everything ok? Ben just turned off the vacuum and I heard a thud. Are you guys just fooling around?"

"Yeah, mom, something like that," I said, dismissing her question.

My mom opened the door and found Tyler and Ryan in a fierce struggle, while her darling son is trying to pry the aggressive jock off.

"Boys, stop it!" my mom yelled with her shrill voice.

Ryan and Tyler both stopped and let go.

"Thanks, mom," I said, slightly out of breath.

"I want you three sitting on the bed," she commanded. "NOW!"

We flew onto the bed and sat orderly, with our hands in our laps.

"Now," my mom said. "Who wants to start by telling me what's going on?"

Nobody volunteered an answer.

"Dwayne," she said, looking earnestly at me.

Damn it, mother's intuition. I can never lie to her, and she knows it. Bitch.

"Yeah, Mom?" I asked innocently.

"Answer me."

"Ryan and Tyler were having an argument about some of the things they were saying about each other."

"Like what?"

"Ryan called Tyler a pea-brain, and Tyler just jumped Ryan."

"Oh, my god," my mom said, shaking her head disapprovingly. "It's the third grade all over."

I thought back and I realized what my mom meant:

Eight years ago, in Mrs. Smith's third grade class, every kid had to pair up and study a part of the solar system.

"Dwayne, I'm going to put you with Tyler and Ryan because we ran out of pairs, is that ok?"

"Sure, Mrs. Smith, " I responded in my squeaky, pre-puberty voice.

"Great, you guys can cover the The Milky Way Galaxy."

Tyler, Ryan, and I bustled in excitement as we conversed about our project.

"I can't believe she put us in the same group!" Ryan said excitedly. "We are going to have the coolest project ever!"

"Ever!" Tyler echoed.

Ok, I admit, even in the third grade, Tyler was not the brightest crayon in the box.

"Hey, stop repeating me!" Ryan said.

"Hey, stop repeating me!" Tyler taunted.

This went on for a few minutes, I was getting irritated.

"You're a stupid peanut head," Ryan said.

"No, I'm not!" Tyler replied defensively and punched Ryan in the eye.

Ryan jumped at Tyler, and they rolled around the classroom floor. And I, being the damsel in distress, just sort of stood there and yelled for them to stop.

Mrs. Smith ended up sending all three of us to the principal's office. We ended up with different partners, I think I ended up doing something on asteroids. But, my mom sat us on my bed and told us that we were being childish. Five minutes later, we all said sorry, and we spent the day doing some homework and playing in my sprinkler. I had a feeling that this time around, it was not going to be so easy.

"Well, Tyler started it!" Ryan piped up.

"DID not!" Tyler said defensively.

"You boys are old enough to figure this out," my mom said. "i'm going to trust that you guys will reach a conclusion on your own."

My mom closed the door and if I had not blocked Tyler, he would've jumped back on Ryan for a second round and we would've reached nothing.

"You guys are being ridiculous," I said. "Come on, guys, why can't we just sit down and talk this all out?"

We sat in awkward silence...

Ryan piped up, "Or you can choose."

"What?" I asked, rather surprised by Ryan's suggestion.

"Choose," he repeated in a demanding way. "Either Tyler stays or I stay."

"Come on,, Ryan, this is a little melodramatic," I said. "Don't you think so, Tyler?"

Tyler had this look on his face, "Actually, I think it's a good idea."

"I don't believe this, the only time you join forces, it had to be something this ridiculous."

"If it's so ridiculous," Ryan said. "You should have no problem choosing."

Two final words: This sucks.

I was astounded, speechless. I took a look at Ryan, his face flushed with anger, persistence, determination. My face turned to Tyler, his face full of hope and fear. For a split second, the decision seemed clear.

"I guess you've made a decision," Ryan said, his voice started to crack.

Ryan's voice always started to crack when he got mad or upset.

"Ryan..."

"I'm just going to leave now," Ryan said, grabbing his belongings off the floor.

"No, Ryan, wait..."

"I understand completely," Ryan said, turning to face me with his hateful eyes. "You jackasses have to stick together."

Ryan swung the backpack strap over his shoulder, opened the door, and left. And at that moment, I felt that my best friend had walked out of my life...for good.

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