Truth or Dare (boyxboy)

Chapter 14 - Best Friend

"Well, umm, I don't know where to start with the start," said Spizzo, scratching the back of his neck in thought. His skin prickled as another breeze swept through the patio, reminding the teen that he was still sitting outside shirtless with shorts on that were a few sizes too small. Part of him hoped to God that no one came home soon, especially one of his brothers. If they found him sitting half naked with the suspected 'queer' of the school, Spizzo would never hear the end of it.

Another small part of him wondered why the other part of him would even care about that.

In an attempt to silence his brain from getting distracted from his state of dress and who may or may not see him, he asked Jacob, "is there somewhere you'd like me to start?"

"The beginning," was all Jacob gave him. He had just said that only a minute earlier after all.

Spizzo groaned, unsure by what he meant by that. "The start of what though? 'The beginning' is really vague," he pointed out. "Four years ago, ten years ago, when's the 'beginning' for you?"

Jacob knew the other teen had a point, it's not like Spizzo was going to read his mind - but his petty side had him crossing his arms and grumbling. "I dunno, James, I didn't think I'd ever get to talk to you about this so... I don't know," he decided to say. "Was I... was I ever your friend or was I someone you just hung out with until something better came along?"

"I-uh..." Spizzo stuttered, his mouth wanting to move faster than his brain was able to process what he wanted to say. "You were my friend, Jacob, my best friend."

"But," Jacob prompted.

"But what?"

"Well, there's obviously a but," replied the other teen. "I was your best friend, yada yada yada, so what? That doesn't mean much, James, seeing as you've spent the last four years treating me like the polar opposite of a best friend."

Spizzo winced at Jacob's words, sucking air through his teeth as the sharpness of the words whipped his softening heart. "That's...a fair assessment."

"Pretty spot fucking on, I'd say," countered Jacob, still feeling quite resentful of the situation. However, that resentfulness quickly transformed into anger as he felt the heat bubble up more and more inside of him. Taking a deep breath, Jacob pushed the bubbling away. Now was not the time to explode on his ex-best friend. "Can you just explain, James. Please."

"Why do you want me to explain, Jacob?" Spizzo asked. "I think we both know what happened and why it happened, and bringing it all up is only going to hurt you."

Jacob growled at the other teen's response. He was ready to leap across and ravage Spizzo's neck like a hyena for having the gall to say what he'd said. "Don't you dare tell me what I should want or what you think will hurt me. Because you know what hurt me, James? Me crying in bed every night for months after you humiliated me at camp. Balling my eyes out devastated and just... just heartbroken because you bullied me for something I didn't do; in front of everyone. Melting down because my best friend didn't want to be friends with me anymore. The person I trusted most in this world tried to destroy me to be in with the cool kids. That's what hurt me, James, that is what hurts me.

"So I don't care what you think," Jacob continued to rant, absolutely seething in his chair at this point. His face warm in anger. Veins feeling like they were on the verge of bursting. "I only care about you saying out loud what you did to me, why you did it to me, so that you can grow some fucking balls and take responsibility for what you've done. You don't get to treat anyone like this, James, and you know that. I've played your game, now you play mine."

The deck was silent as Jacob finished his tirade against the other teen. The only sound was the wind whistling as it continued to sweep softly by them. Jacob was taking deep breaths to calm his blood pressure, Spizzo was wide-eyed in shock.

"I-I... Jacob, it's-" Spizzo stammered, not sure (yet again) where to start. He remembered the other teen's flare when he got angry as a kid, but Spizzo had rarely gotten burnt back then. Now, being at the receiving end, the shock of Jacob's outburst had him disoriented. "Do you promise to let me tell my side of things without jumping in?"

Jacob chewed his lip as he considered Spizzo's proposition. "Fine."

Spizzo cleared his throat, readying himself for what felt like his own monologue. "You really were my best friend, Jacob, you really were. I don't think either of us can deny that. But for me, that wasn't enough; I wanted to be cool. Paul, Carter, Mitch, all those guys. A when I finally got on the A team in soccer, the guys wanted to be my friend, and I finally got what I wanted. You knew how much I wanted to friends with them. But if I wanted to be friends with them, I couldn't be friends with you. I just couldn't.

"So that's why I pushed you away and humiliated you at camp with that pair of underwear," Spizzo explain, a feeling like there was a stone in his throat as he watched Jacob continue to seethe in his seat. "The guys had to know, well everyone had to know, that we weren't friends anymore."

"So let me get this straight," Jacob began, restraining himself from ripping the other teen to shreds. Sure, it was exactly what he'd thought, but hearing it in person was like a stab to the heart. "You gave up you childhood best friend for a group of guys you pretty much said you weren't even that close to, is that right?"

Spizzo nodded, unsure if he could say anything now that the stone in his throat seemed to grow bigger.

"And you chose to blame that disgusting pair of skid-marked undies on me at camp and tormented me with that stupid fucking nickname for four years just be what, popular?" Jacob continued, feeling more and more incensed.

"Y-yeah," Spizzo croaked. The way Jacob laid his actions out so plainly and so clearly were like whips to his soul. It had all made sense to him before — or at least he'd deluded himself into making it make sense — but now, he just felt stupid.

"I feel like there's no point asking you again since I probably already know the answer," said Jacob, not sure if he could handle the answer to come. "Are you sorry for what you did to me?"

Spizzo exhaled deeply, feeling like he might actually cry from the barrage of emotions he'd received. Did he regret what he'd done? Or was he just sorry that his actions were now catching up with him?

"If you want me to be perfectly honest with you, Jacob... before tonight, I wasn't sorry for what I'd done to you," Spizzo began, wincing as he saw the other teen move in his seat. Part of him was certain that Jacob would snap and try to attack him, his body now on high alert. "But-uh, after tonight, there are-uh... there are some regrets."

Jacob sat silent, arms crossed and gaze fixed on the other teen's face.

Spizzo sat, ready to jump up and run.

Jacob furrowed his brow in thought.

Spizzo's anxiety grew.

"I'm...hungry."