One Surprise Too Many

Our Great Big Boring Lives

It was the middle of winter and we didn't have a whole lot to do. Fritz and Enneth were laying upside down on the dilapidated couch, playing video games.
I watched them, not paying attention to my screen as I scrolled through the news feed. Enneth jerked his controller and Fritz burst into a victory laugh.
"You hit the smallest wall on the entire track!"
"Shut up," Enneth said, grabbing for Fritz's controller, "I meant to turn left."
Fritz dodged his grab and mashed through the finish line, "Take that, suckaaaa."
I squinted at him and he caught my look, "Too much?"
"Lil' bit," I said.
"Big bit," Enneth said, snatching the controller away, "I win nine out of ten times and you're suddenly the best with the ten percent."
"Exactly. Beating the ninety percent just ten percent, means that I could've beat it the other ninety as well if I tried hard enough."
"That makes no sense," Enneth said, sitting right side up, "Maybe I let you win."
"Sure," Fritz laughed, then suddenly his face dropped, "Wait. You aren't serious?"
Enneth stared at him for a second and then looked at me shaking his head to dismiss the question, "So, Zeph, what are you doing?"
"Diddly squat," I smiled, "What do you guys want to do?"
They looked at each other with pitying looks.
"Well actually," Fritz said, rubbing a hand around the back of his neck.
"What?" I said. They wouldn't meet my eyes. They were acting distant and distracted lately, but that has never happened before.
"We have a game today," Enneth finished for him.
A game. They both played on the football team at our high school, sure I knew that. I came to all of their games, but why would that make them so on edge?
"Ok," I said, feigning excitement, "that's great, I'll get my coat."
"No, Zephyra, you shouldn't come."
I froze. Just out right with it. I actually fancied beating around the sugar coated bush every now and then.
"And why not?" I asked, bracing my hands on my hips.
Fritz hunched away. Enneth adverted his eyes.
"We- um. We haven't practiced very well... the last few weeks," Enneth attempted.
"You are two of the worst liars I know. Why are you acting so ashamed? Just tell me what's going on."
"Ashamed?" they squeaked in tandem, jerking their heads up.
"Yeah," I said, "but I get it. I'll be at the park if you wanna hang out afterward."
I marched up the stairs of the basement. Where we spent most of time when it was too cold to be outside, the basement of Enneth's. His parents didn't use it for anything but storage, and in the winter, when all the boxes of Christmas decorations were empty and collapsed, there was room for us to sit on their old furniture stored down there and drag in the tv and PlayStation from Enneth's room.
"Oh, Z, girl. They've finally scared you away?"
Mrs. Valentina Lyonns, Enneth's mom and the absolute sassiest lady I know, was stirring a pot over the stove in the kitchen.
"Yes ma'am," I said, not in the mood for our usual sarcasm duels.
"Ain't no way..." she muttered, dropping the wooden spoon on the counter and switching off the stove.
Taking off her apron and wiping her hands on it even as she threw it to the counter, she gave me a stern look.
"Sit," she said.
"Mrs. V, I've gotta go, my mom-" I started but she didn't let me finish.
"Stick it."
"Excuse me?" I said, skipping a beat.
"Your mamma's told you diddly. Now sit your butt down on that chair before I duct tape you to it."
I slipped onto the bar stool and stared at the counter. She leaned her elbows on the far side.
"Now, what's wrong?"
"Nothing," I muttered.
"Don't make me hit you with this wooden spoon."
"Ok!" I sighed, throwing up my hands, "it's just, lately it's been hard-"
"Sweet vanilla, child, did one of those boys break your heart?"
"What?" The accusation made me jump, "No, never. You're- you- don't go there because it's never happening, lady."
"Don't 'lady' me. But if that's not it, keep going."
I looked at her flatly and leaned my cheek onto my palm.
"Enneth and Fritz are being weird."
"Huh, I thought you were more perceptive than that."
"No," I shook my head, getting frustrated, "Not weird like that. They're, I dunno, just being different. Like just now, they told me I couldn't go to their game today."
"Their game?" She blinked.
I didn't catch the confusion on her face until Enneth and Fritz emerged from the stairwell and stopped talking when they saw us.
"Well, Mom, we're going to the game now. See you tonight," he grabbed his keys off the table and they walked to the door without giving me a second thought.
"Oh sure, honey. If the humiliation doesn't kill you by then."
"What?"
"Psh, sorry," she said, waving the thought away, "I was just thinking you might get a bit ridiculed. Playing without your uniforms and all. I didn't know nude football was a-"
"Aye, Mom, stop. I forgot my bag, you could've just said so."
Enneth still had his face scrunched in disgust as he ran up the stairs.
"So, Fritz, who are you guys playing today?" she asked, staring bullets.
"Uh," he said, glancing up the staircase, "South... Hartford."
"A new association, I'll assume," she said flatly, tying her apron back on and turning the knob on the stove.
Enneth returned, giving Fritz a relieved look, and they ran out the door after a muttered, "Later Mrs. V."
"Zephyra, I think you should go today."
"What? Why?"
"Because," she said, not looking up from the pot, "There's no football game today and the boys find the locker room as a convenient meeting place when they want to keep secrets."
It made sense. I mean, I'd been the one who started our secret meetings in the empty locker room at lunch time five years ago. So them meeting there without me now? That's real low.
"And theoretically, they've got no right to keep secrets from you of all people."
I looked up, "Are you telling me to crash their oh-so-secretive congregating?"
"Take it how you want to," she said nonchalantly and walked out of the kitchen.
I grinned and slipped out of the chair.