Against All Odds

Ep.11: Old Rivalries and Lingering Ghosts

The café was unusually quiet. Ethan and Tyler sat across from each other, sipping their drinks in a rare moment of calm. Sasha was still at school, Tanner had been sent to pick her up, Shane was somewhere outside, probably scribbling in his notebook, and Gordon was in the back, rummaging for ingredients for a new recipe. For once, there was a kind of comfortable silence between Ethan and Tyler, though Ethan could tell Tyler was still brooding.

After a while, Ethan glanced at him. “So… back when Jim was here. You seemed interested when he mentioned that mystery woman. What’s the story there?”

Tyler’s expression tightened. “Why do you care?”

“Just curious,” Ethan said, keeping his tone casual. But Tyler, perhaps out of frustration, muttered something barely audible.

“...wish it was her.”

Ethan raised an eyebrow. “Her? The same woman you’ve been looking for?”

Before Tyler could answer, the café door swung open, the bell above it jangling. Both men looked up as a sharply dressed man in an expensive-looking coat strode in, his expression one of practiced disdain. His slicked-back hair and well-groomed appearance screamed money and privilege. The man’s gaze landed on Tyler, and his mouth twisted into a smug smile.

“Well, well. If it isn’t Tyler,” he sneered, his voice dripping with mockery. “Didn’t expect to see someone like you in a place like this.”

Tyler’s face darkened, his posture shifting as he squared his shoulders. “Tristan,” he said, his voice flat with irritation.

Tristan looked around, an eyebrow arched, clearly unimpressed. “Where’s the barista? Surely, he’s not hiding in the back?”

Ethan, unfazed, leaned against the counter. “He’s getting ingredients. Can I help you with something?”

But Tristan ignored Ethan, his attention entirely focused on Tyler, his smirk widening. “Oh, don’t mind me. I was just passing through, but I didn’t expect to run into an old… acquaintance. Thought you’d be off skulking somewhere, Tyler.”

Tyler clenched his jaw, a muscle twitching as he glared at Tristan. “What do you want?”

“Oh, I don’t know. Just a little catch-up,” Tristan said, his tone mocking. He leaned in closer, voice lowering but sharp. “Still looking for Natalie, are you? Or have you finally given up, just like you did when it really mattered?”

Tyler’s eyes flashed with anger. “I didn’t ‘give up.’ I’ve done everything I can to find her. Unlike you, who just sat around pointing fingers.”

Tristan laughed, a cruel, dismissive sound. “You’re deluding yourself. She wouldn’t be missing if it weren’t for you. She got tangled up in your mess, and you let her disappear.”

Ethan’s eyes darted between them, watching the tension build, sensing where this was headed.

“You don’t know anything,” Tyler spat. “At least I’m still trying to find her. All you’ve done is blame everyone else and go back to your comfortable life.”

Tristan’s smile faded, his expression turning cold and condescending. “Someone like you could never understand what she needed, what she deserved. And frankly, Tyler, you’re still just as pathetic as you were in high school. Playing the tragic, brooding hero. It’s laughable.”

Ethan saw Tyler’s fists clench, his body coiling like a spring, ready to explode. The anger between them was tangible, thick in the air, and it looked like neither of them was backing down. Just as Tyler took a step forward, Ethan stepped between them, his voice calm but firm.

“Enough,” he said, holding up a hand. “Take this somewhere else if you two wanna fight, but not here.”

Tristan’s gaze flicked to Ethan, clearly irritated by the interruption. “Ah, I see. Got yourself a babysitter now, have you, Tyler?”

Ethan’s expression didn’t change. “Time for you to leave, pal.”

Tristan held up his hands in mock surrender, a smirk still playing on his lips. “Fine, fine. I wouldn’t want to lower myself by spending more time in this place anyway.”

He turned, but as he walked out, he couldn’t resist one last jab. “Good luck, Tyler. You’re going to need it. Though, frankly, I doubt it’ll help. Losers don’t change, no matter how hard they try.”

With that, Tristan pushed the door open and strode out, his smug laughter trailing behind him as the door swung shut.

Ethan let out a breath, shaking his head. “Who the hell was that?”

Tyler’s face was hard, his gaze fixed on the door as if he could burn a hole through it. “Tristan,” he said bitterly. “Old high school rival.”

“And Natalie?” Ethan ventured, keeping his tone gentle.

But Tyler looked away, shutting down completely. “I… don’t want to talk about it.”

Ethan sighed, nodding. He knew better than to push Tyler when he got like this, especially with a sore subject like this Natalie hanging in the air, loaded with memories Tyler clearly wasn’t ready to share.

Just then, the door opened again, and Shane walked in, his eyes sparkling with inspiration, a faint smile on his face. “You wouldn’t believe the lines I just wrote,” he began, but then he paused, his eyes narrowing. “Saw some smug-looking guy strutting out of here. Didn’t know you had that kind of clientele.”

Sasha walked in behind him, Tanner in tow, already chatting animatedly. She looked around, noting the tension in the air. “What happened in here?”

Ethan shrugged, playing it off with a nonchalant wave. “Nothing. Just a bit of… unwanted company.”

Sasha raised an eyebrow, looking between Ethan and Tyler, sensing that there was more to the story. But she let it slide, for now, as they all returned to their usual seats, the café’s quiet returning like the gentle lull after a storm.

But as they settled back in, Ethan couldn’t shake the questions that lingered—the mystery of Natalie, Tyler’s connection to her, and the smug, mocking words of Tristan echoing in his mind. He didn’t know what the story was, but whatever it was, it was far from over. And in the quiet, with his friend sitting there brooding, Ethan silently vowed he’d help Tyler figure it out—whatever it took.