Tug of War 58.1

About a week later...

"It's about time!" Richard growled at the man who approached his table, placed in a distant corner of the decrepit and dirty pub. "Why are you so late?"

"I had some last-minute details to sort out" Gary Smith answered, sitting down. "Holy shit! Are you okay, man? You look like crap."

It was undeniable that Richard had changed a lot in the last few weeks. The man had lost even more weight, to the point where his body looked extremely fragile and weak. His old red flannel shirt, which in the past highlighted the muscles of his strong body, now looked very loose-fitting, almost as if it were actually a sheet wrapped around his body. His face was sucked in, with large dark circles under his eyes, indicating that he hadn't been sleeping well, and dark spots everywhere.

"Why do you fucking care how I look?" Richard gritted his teeth. "Are you turning into a faggot, too?" 

"Do you remember that I'm here to help your ungrateful ass, right, buddy?" Gary pointed out, glaring at the other man. "I would be more careful with my words if I were you."

"What the fuck you want me to say?" Richard sighed. "Look, you know how much I appreciate your help, but keep in mind that my life has been a living hell for a very long time, so don't expect me to say sweet words right now. I won't have peace until I make that damn boy suffer – suffer for real, like all sissies deserve. So, do you have good news or not?"

"Not only good, buddy... I have fucking amazing news!" Gary stated, rubbing his hands. "Everything will start tomorrow... However, before anything else, I need to make sure that this is what you really want."

"Do you still have doubts?"

"Well, you know that after we're done with him, your son will be damned for life, right? There will be no turning back for him."

"And it serves him just damn well!" Richard raged, punching the table. "Just do your thing, okay? The sissy boy looked for it, and now he will get what he deserves. That's all I need now... sweet and full revenge..." 

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The next day...

Timothy was enjoying the pleasant warmth of the late afternoon sun as he walked through a beautiful park eating a delicious strawberry ice cream, his favorite one. He just couldn't think of a better way to end that glorious day...

"I still can't believe that guy didn't have curry ice cream" complained Martin at his side, who in the end had been forced to settle for chocolate flavor instead. 

"You know that curry ice cream isn't a thing, right?" Timothy pointed out, with an amused expression. 

"What are you even talking about, Tiff?" martin asked, as incredulous as if his friend were saying that the sky was actually purple. "I had curry ice cream just last week!"

"Yeah, sure you had" Timothy giggled.

"...or was it a coconut one? Now I'm not so sure anymore."

"Gosh, the way your mind works is totally a mystery to me!" Timothy exclaimed, laughing so hard that he dropped some ice cream on his own face. 

"Laugh as much as you want, Missy" Martin said, gently wiping the ice cream off his friend's lips with his thumb. "When you taste curry ice cream, though, you'll see that this is the best one ever!" 

"Geez, I just can't wait!" Timothy teased the guy, showing him his tongue.

"So, what about the cheerleading tryouts?" Martin asked, as they sat on a bench in front of a big lake, which reflected the sun's rays in a dazzling way. "They took place today, right? Do you think you did well?" 

"Not really" Timothy shrugged. "Gosh, I got so nervous that I'm messed up everything. It totally was like I had two left feet; all my moves were wrong, even after so much training. The results have yet to be announced, but I totally doubt I passed."

"Oh, Tiff, I'm so sorry" Martin said, stroking his friend's back. "It's normal to be nervous during a test, you know... don't you think you could have a second chance? I'm sure you would be a brilliant cheerleader!"

"Brilliant?" Timothy giggled again. "Aren't you such a gallant young man? Anyway, nah, I don't think I'll have a second chance. You know the cheerleader captain is Mr. Smith's niece, right? She acts pretty much like her uncle, and I think she hated me as much as he used to do when I was part of the basketball team. But that's okay. I was kinda doing it just to please Lyss, anyway... I've never been that interested in being a cheerleader."

Timothy's plan for that day had worked like a charm. He had indeed messed up everything at the cheerleading tryouts, but not because he was too nervous – he actually did all this on purpose, as part of his strategy to avoid being chosen as one of the new cheerleaders. Alyssa wasn't the least bit satisfied at the end of the whole thing, but she couldn't accuse him of not even trying. 

"I'm so, sooo sorry, Lyss!" he told her after the tryouts. "I really tried my best, but I don't know what happened... my mind was a blur and I couldn't do anything right. I guess you're, like, totally right... Gosh, I can be such an airhead sometimes!"

Kate, on the other hand, performed very well. Ironic as it was, she was the one who had a good chance of joining the squad. 

As Timothy had predicted before, the only good part of that week of intense cheerleading training was that he spent a lot of time with Kate. Everything was fine between them again, although Kate hadn't yet explained why she had spent so many days without talking to him, and she was also acting like their kiss had never happened. 

Timothy was still unsure what to think on the matter, and hadn't had a chance to talk to Kate alone during the week since Alyssa and the other girls were around all the time. But for now, he was just happy they were talking to each other again, something he thought that was a good sign. 

"I'm sorry, anyway" Martin repeated, still stroking Timothy's back. "All I can say is that it would be amazing to have you as a cheerleader in one of our games, if you wanted so, of course."

They stood in silence for a while, admiring the view and eating their ice cream. Timothy was feeling at peace, and completely comfortable about everything that was going on... This wasn't just about being successful in his plan to avoid becoming a cheerleader, or the fact that he and Kate were in good terms again, though... 

Slowly, he realized just how much he was enjoying the time he was spending with Martin – Enjoying in a way he hadn't expected before. He definitely liked the way the guy touched his face to wipe the ice cream off his lips... and how he was stroking his delicate back as they enjoyed the sunset view, sitting close together... 

Martin was so loving and caring that it was hard for Timothy not to get carried on, almost forgetting who he actually was. Now that he was thinking about it, why hadn't he bothered to correct the ice cream man when he referred to Tiffany as Martin's girlfriend? At the time, it just felt like something silly and unimportant. Why make a scene out of something so small? But now he wondered if there was something else going on...

Gosh, it would be, like, totally amazing if Matt could take me out to do simple stuff like eating ice cream in a park... With him, I always feel like a Bond girl in a 007 movie, with a new surprise every minute... I won't deny this was kinda exciting at first... which girl wouldn't feel like that, right? But this is totally getting old pretty fast... 

That afternoon, unlike his dates with Matt, Timothy was wearing a very casual outfit, consisting of a flowery summer dress and pink flats. His hair was tied in a high ponytail, and his makeup was subtle yet flattering. 

But the question is... Is it Matt who I really want to, like, have this kind of date with? Because the way I feel right now... I haven't ever felt it with Matt... Wait, what are you even thinking about, Tiffany, you airhead? I'm not on a date! Martin and I can't be on a date! We are, like, just two friends hanging out... That's all! Geez, I totally need to get these crazy ideas out of my head! I can believe I'm seriously wondering about which guy I would prefer to date!

He then remembered something from a few weeks earlier, and started talking without even thinking about what he was doing. "Are you seeing someone, Martin?"

"Not right now, but I saw a woman with a stroller a few minutes ago. Why?" 

"What? No, stop being silly! Gosh, what's the matter with you? What I want to know is if you're going out with some girl!"

"Oh, that..." Martin said, looking anxious. "N-no, I'm not going out with anyone. Why are you asking me that?" 

"Well, you know my friend Chloe, right? The cheerleader? She told me she thinks you are, like, totally cute and all! Pretty amazing, huh? I mean, Chloe is such a beautiful girl... So, what you say? Would you like to take her out one of these days?"

What's he gonna say? What's he gonna say? Timothy wondered, biting his lower lip. Gosh, it would be so fabulous if Martin started seeing someone... This way I would understand once and for all that he's just a friend... But then why am I so freaking afraid of what he's going to answer?

"Umm... I'm sorry, Tiff" Martin said, scratching the back of his neck. "She's definitely pretty, but I don't think we have much in common. I guess it wouldn't work out." 

"No problem. That was just an idea, okay?" Timothy assured his friend, experiencing a deep, inexplicable sense of relief.

The two of them remained in an awkward silence for a while. But then, suddenly, Martin smiled triumphantly, and stood up in a jump. 

"What's going on?" Timothy asked, surprised. 

"Oh, I keep forgetting something important! I have a gift for you, Tiff... A fantastic gift, modesty aside! I think I mentioned it already, didn't I? Anyway, it isn't here right now, but if you..." before he could finish, though, Timothy's phone started ringing. 

"It's Lyss" said Timothy, checking the display. "Just a minute, Martin. Let me see what she wants" the feminized guy then answered the call, and little by little the color disappeared from his face. "Take it easy, Lyss, you're not making sense... t-the tryouts? But I... it makes no... w-what? Beauty contest... gosh, how is that even... reporter? What are you, like, even talking about?! Okay, I'm going... Yeah, just give me twenty minutes and I'll be there, okay? Bye."

"What's wrong, Tiff?" Martin asked, concerned. 

"Sorry, Martin, I gotta go" Timothy simply said, putting his phone back in his purse.

"But..."

"There's something really crazy going on, Martin! Don't worry, I'll explain everything later, okay? I promise you! But now I really have to go. See you..." he then gave his friend a little peck on the cheek, without even realizing he was doing so, and hurriedly walked away. Martin just stood there, touching his face, trying to make some sense of what had just happened...