It's Hard to Breathe

Eavesdropping

Everyone outside the door leaned against it, catching Fintan's voice.

"What do you mean you two want me to quit doing 'my thing'? I'm not doing anything wrong!"

"You are." Brant's voice told him.

"You're always strutting around like the best person in the world. I have no idea what Gisela sees in you." Alvar informed him, and the eavesdroppers turned to look at Gisela for an explanation.

"I'm using him." She whispered, and they all nodded, then went back to listening in on the three males' conversation.

"Well, just because you don't see something in me doesn't mean nobody sees anything in me." Fintan scoffed, miffed.

"You think we care?" Brant demanded. "Alvar and I don't give a rat's behind about who sees something in you, and what they see in you. Alvar just said that to question you, which you didn't have to rise to."

"Yeah, you didn't have to contest what I said." Alvar added.

The eavesdroppers could practically hear the glare in Fintan's voice as he told the boys, "At least somebody sees something in me. I couldn't exactly say the same for you two."

"Hey, at least we see something in each other." Alvar protested.

"Now who's contesting who?" Fintan asked, the smirk on his face leaking into his tone. 

"Seriously, Fintan, a few word traps aren't going to derail us from the more important issue at hand." Brant sighed.

"Yeah, we're supposed to be working things out." Alvar agreed.

"We probably should." Fintan gave his consent.

"Okay, then. First, let's start with apologies." Brant instructed.

"Hey, who died and left you in charge?" Fintan demanded.

"Nobody. But since I have the most common sense in this room, you should all listen to what I have to say." Brant declared.

"I find that offensive." Alvar spoke up.

"Oh, shut it, Alvar. You have the smarts of an ant, so I wouldn't talk if I were you." Fintan snapped.

"Well, you have about as much common sense as a jerboa. Sure, you don't stupidly hop around-to my knowledge, at least-but you do take things head-on without thinking about what you're doing." Alvar replied, crossing his arms.

"Your knowledge? What knowledge?" Fintan wondered with a smirk.

"You take that back right now!" Alvar ordered, his hands forming fists.

"I will not if it's true." Fintan responded, leaning back against the wall.

Judging by the thud that followed, Alvar had just hit him. The eavesdroppers scrambled back from the door in surprise, silent as mice.

"Calm down, you two!" Brant's voice bellowed, as he stood between the males.

"I don't obey you!" Alvar shrieked, trying to get to Fintan.

"Yeah, why do you think you can boss us around? What gives you that right?" Fintan challenged.

"Well, I'm not trying to commit murder, for starters, and I have more common sense than either of you." The male told him smugly.

"Brant, shut up!" Both Fintan and Alvar yelled, turning on him.

"We're tired of hearing you promote yourself like you're the latest Imparter. It needs to stop, man. And it needs to stop now." Alvar stated.

"Yeah." Fintan agreed, then paused. "Wait, did we just agree on something?" He questioned, turning to Alvar.

"Apparently we just did." Alvar answered, an expression of bafflement crossing his face.

"See, I am a genius. I got you two to agree on something without your consent." Brant bragged into the following silence.

"Brant," Alvar began, turning to him.

"We said shut up!" Fintan added, a furious look coming onto his face to match Alvar's.

A charged, tense silence followed.

"Okay, okay. Are all issues resolved?" Brant asked somewhat timidly.

"Yeah, I think they are." Alvar informed him, turning back to Fintan. "You good, Fintan?"

"Sure. Brant?"

"I'm cool with it." Brant smiled.

They all shook hands, then came out of the room.

"Well, we worked everything out." Alvar told everyone, beaming along with Fintan and Alvar.

Another few moments' silence passed.

Then Gisela stood up, and approached the boys. "You are all seriously bipolar."

"Yeah." Glimmer agreed, coming over. "Arguing one minute, peaceful the next."

"And that's what you like about us." Fintan agreed with a wink.

Gisela slapped him. "Enough of that, Pyren."

Finta rubbed his arm, chagrined.

"So, now what?" Umber spoke up, her soft voice sounding loud in the quiet room.

"Now we get ready to leave." Gisela told her, pointing at the door.

"Aw, c'mon, Gisela, please no. Let us crash at your place." Fintan begged.

"Nope. You've done enough here for one weekend." Gisela snapped coldly, turning away from him.

He got down on his knees in front of her, clasped his hands together, and pleaded. "It's just one more day."

"Well, at least let me clean it up." Gisela conceded after everyone did their best puppy eyes.

"We'll help you." Fintan informed her, getting up off the floor as he gave everyone a meaningful look.

"Sure." "Of course." "Certainly." Yeah." "Yes, we'll do it." Everyone else grumbled, paying heed to Fintan's direct stare.

"Great. So after everything's all cleaned up, anyone wanna go get some lushberry and vanilla ice cream?" Gisela asked.

"Definitely!" Her friends chorused, then went straight to work.

"I can't wait for ice cream." Fintan remarked as he and Gisela tidied the kitchen.

"Good, because you're paying." Gisela informed him with a sly grin.

"What?" Fintan gave her an incredulous look.

"I never said that the ice cream was my treat." Gisela stated, putting the dirty dishes in the sink.

"Why me?" Fintan wanted to know.

"Because you're the person who owes everyone some ice cream the most." The female said.

"Why can't Alvar, Brant, and myself split it? Why do I have to pay the for everything?" Fintan whined.

"Because I said so, it's my house, and I'm in charge."

"It was your idea, though. So you should pay." Fintan pointed out.

"Too late. Your two minutes to decline paying are up, so you get to pay this time." Gisela smiled.

Fintan scowled as he pushed the silverware drawer shut with a little more force than necessary.

"But cheer up. I won't tell anyone you're paying, and I'll go light on the price of my ice cream." Gisela told him as they finished.

Fintan smiled ruefully as they headed out of the kitchen to check on everyone else. "You're the only one who would do that."