Nick waltzed in his house with the comfort of a home owner and flipped on the kitchen light. Turning back to Ben, he argued with himself as to whether he should chuckle or pity the look on the kid’s face.

He wouldn’t move past the door frame. His face was as white as the cabinetry and his eyes were as big as saucers. Chuckle would be the outward response anyway. Keep up the façade.

“What’s up, Ben? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Nick hadn’t touched a thing yet. The only thing he’d done is close the refrigerator and freezer so he could keep food again. Otherwise, the house was as he found it the night before. On purpose, of course.

“Uh, noth-…nothin’. I, uh…what happened in here?”

“Nothing. Come on back. I’ve got your gift back in the spare room.”

What the hell was wrong with him? He was acting like…like he always did. Didn’t he see? Why was he doing this?

Ben reluctantly followed, stepping over broken plates, grimacing as his feet crunched underneath the scraps of paper strewn all over the living room. He stopped short of going into the spare room…the room where he typically slept. Dammit. He wanted to leave. It was a mess.

“Come on, Ben. What’s the matter with you, man?” Nick started looking in dresser drawers for the “gift”. Of course, the drawers were all over the floor and some were completely emptied of their contents. Ben just stood there speechless. “Hmmm…not in here. Maybe it’s in Jack’s room.”

Nick grabbed his wrist and pulled him across the hall and went through the same routine. No gift. Master bedroom. Same thing. With a twist.

“Ben, while I’m looking in here, could you go into the bathroom? I left my glasses on the edge of the tub.”

“Uh…yeah…I…yeah.” Again with tentative steps, Ben walked into the room and audibly gasped as he saw the tub, the bottom covered in dirt. No glasses either. “They…they’re um…they’re not here, Nick.”

“Oh, okay…must have left ‘em in my office. Damn, I can not find this thing. Where could I have put it?”

“I have no idea…” Now he was feeling nauseous. This was a stupid game.

“Let’s try in there, huh? Come on.”

Ben stumbled behind Nick as he pulled him through the house being just the slightest bit rough with his grip on the teen’s wrist. “Nick! Slow down…what are you DOING!?”

“Looking for your gift, Ben…what are you doing?” He gently shoved Ben into the office and stood in the doorway as Ben soaked in the scene. Although this room was bad, the studio had to be the worst room of the entire house. Ben didn’t know it though and the disaster in front of him took his breath away.

“Move…lemme see if it’s in here.” Nick sifted through his desk drawers ignoring that they were on the floor and virtually empty. “Ah! Finally…here we go.” Tossing the bag to Ben who was still standing in the doorway, dumb-founded, pale and sweating, he chuckled as it hit him in the chest and then the floor. “Think fast, rabbit.”

“Nick, why are you doing this?”

“Because I felt bad leaving you hanging for the game…and you need this. Open it up.” He totally dodged the question and totally ignored Ben’s discomfort. It was fun at first, but now…neither was comfortable. This just sucked.

“Jesus, okay…” Ben bent over and peeked in the bag as he stood back up. “It’s a new glove…Nick?”

“Yep…you’ve earned it. Gone to all the practices, perfected your craft. You’re kicking ass…so, I thought you’d like that rather than that ratty thing you’re using.”

“Yeah, it’s great, but…”

“Make sure you oil it up good…get it softened up. It’ll be ready for tournaments in no time.”

“Yeah…” Ben opened and closed the glove in utter disbelief. He felt like he was in some odd dream.

“You want to order pizza? Maybe we can toss a bit outside?”

“Sure…”

“Good. I left the number of that new place in my studio…across the hall there. Could you go get it?”

“Um…yeah…where is it in there?”

“You’ll see it.”

Ben shook his head, continuing to clap the glove open and closed as he walked across the hall. Nick sat back in his chair and waited. This was hard work, but it needed to be done. Finally, as soon as he heard Ben open the studio door, he heard what he’d hoped…with just the right tone of voice, adolescent squeak running loud and clear.

“Miss Romero? What are you doing here?”

“Here’s your carry-out menu, Ben…I hope you like anchovies. I’m staying for dinner while we talk.”

“Clear off the table, Ben…might need to pick up those chairs, too.” Solana was pouring drinks…into glasses she’d found on the floor, still in one piece. She rinsed and dried them off like they were supposed to be stored on the floor. All Ben could do was stare. These two had completely lost their minds.

And if they thought it was going to work…to get him to crack about anything, they were sadly mistaken. But, he played along. It wasn’t like he had much choice in the matter anyway.

He picked up the bits of paper still left on the table and tossed them into the trash…which was miraculously unturned. Weird. Nick watched as Ben flipped the chairs back on end and set them around the table, never looking up, sweating like a banshee.

Just before Ben’s veins in his neck exploded, the doorbell rang and Nick disappeared into the hallway to get the pizza. Anchovy no less. Barf.

They all gathered around the table and started eating, not many words being shared. General pleasantries on passing the parmesan, the pop, the napkins…cutting a piece free from the pie. Finally, Ben couldn’t take it anymore. Slamming his glass on the table, he didn’t even react when it splashed everywhere.

“Dammit! What are you guys doing!? Have you lost your minds?”

Nick had just stuffed an piece of pizza in his mouth, picked free of anchovies of course, and grimaced as he tasted a missed one. Disgusting. Pulling the errant fish from his mouthful, he mumbled around his food. “What are you talking about, Ben? We’re eating dinner.”

“Jesus…cut the crap. The house…this mess…you’re acting like nothing’s wrong!”

They innocently looked around and shrugged, looking back to Ben. “Oh, I dunno Ben. I think it looks kinda neat...eclectic.” Solana snitched an anchovy off Nick’s place and seductively slid it into her mouth. Too bad they were slimy fish…both boys shivered.

“You’re gross.”

“They’re yummy…wimps…both of you.”

“Okay, I’ve had it. Nick, take me home.” Ben stood to the shocked looks of his adult dinner companions.

“Why, Ben…you seem so uncomfortable…what’s wrong with you?”

“What’s wrong with me!? What’s wrong with you !? I don’t get what you’re trying to pull here and I’m sick of it…this is a stupid game.”

“Sit down…you’re overreacting. And wipe up that drink, huh? It’ll get sticky.”

Ben angrily grabbed a napkin and soaked up his spill, glaring at both adults as he worked. “You’re nuts. I want to go home.”

“Why? Why is this so uncomfortable for you?”

“Because you’re messing with my head. I’m not an idiot you know. I know what you’re trying to prove.”

“You do, huh? Share.” Nick bit again and slammed his pizza down having bit into yet another anchovy. “Okay, woman. I’m all about accommodating your tastes, but this is the LAST time we get anchovies on a pizza…this is sick.” He tossed this particular fish over to her and looked back at Ben. “Okay…sorry. Go on.”

“Argh! You think I’m behind this shit, don’t you? You think I did it! Why else would you be waltzing around here like nothing’s wrong?”

“Is that what you think? That we’re accusing you of this?”

“Well, why the hell else would you be acting this stupid?”

“I dunno, Ben…so, tell me…” Solana slid another one of Nick’s anchovies into her mouth and chewed slowly, smiling as it slid down her throat. “…how much do you know about this mess?”

For some reason, when he was finally confronted with it, he fell silent. Nothing. He plopped back into his seat, defeat permeating from his every pore. “Why don’t you tell me what you know? I don’t have anything to say.”

Solana looked to Nick and nodded. It was time to put the game pieces away. And take that fool pizza away from the man. He looked so pathetic picking things off of his food. She took the box into the kitchen, completely clearing the table of all but drinks. God, he needed a woman like this around. She took care of him and let him take care of her…

…but not now. Now was time to make a young man face the music. “Okay, Ben. Here’s what I know.”

“Finally…this is stupid.”

Nick raised his eyebrows and took a deep breath, hoping to keep his voice calm, when all he really wanted to do was ring the kid’s neck. He could do it. “I know that I called you and bailed out of a very important ball game and that it pissed you off. I also know, it killed me to do that.”

“Oh cry me a river…this has nothing to do with that and you know it.”

“I’m telling you what I know Ben, and the truth is, I don’t know what’s related and what’s not. Can I continue or are you going to rip apart everything I say?” Now the anger that had been pent up for 24 hours was finally seeping out. Very slowly.

“No…go on.” Asshole.

“Thanks. I also know that when I got home from the worst business trip of my life, all I wanted was my shower, my bed…the comforts of my home. MY home, Ben. Do you get that much?”

“Yes.”

“Good…no commentary?”

“No, dammit…”

“Fine. The third thing I know is that when I walked inside, it took everything I had to not puke all over the place.”

“So?”

Nick clenched his fists and closed his eyes. This attitude was not helping. He wanted to punch the kid. Just punch that smirk right off his fool face. Words. Words would work, although he wasn’t kind. He’d run out of ‘kind’. “Shut up. Just shut up, Ben. You asked me to go first and I’m going.”

“Ben, please…this isn’t some school prank.” Solana was impressed with Nick’s patience…and she could see where these two had built a rapport, even though in Nick’s eyes it probably wasn’t going well. Actually, it was. He was more in control than he knew.

Looking up to Miss Romero, Ben hushed. For a moment. He didn’t like Nick’s disapproval, but hers? It killed him. “Sorry…so you didn’t puke…”

“No. I searched every room for a sign that some unknown burglar had come in and ripped my place apart, but do you know what, Ben?”

“No, Einstein, I wasn’t here. What?” So it didn’t last long.

“There was no forced entry. Someone went passed my security, gave them the password, punched in my garage door code, walked in my house, punched in that security code, and having free reign of every corner of my house, completely destroyed…my…home.”

“I still don’t know why I’m here.” This kid was good.

“I’m not done with what I know, Ben.”

“Oh.”

“The last thing that I know is that there are four people on this planet that know those codes. Four. You want me to name them for you?”

“Sure…go ahead.” How this kid kept the cocky attitude up, Nick would never know. He had to be squirming inside.

Nick counted with his fingers to bring his point home. “Tony. My brother. Solana. And you.”

Without missing a beat, Ben turned on Nick in a way neither thought would ever happen.

“Did you check with your brother?”

Nick stood so fast, he pushed the table out, knocking over all four drinks, not giving a damn. Before he knew it, Ben’s shirt was in his hands and his face was dangerously close to Nick’s fist. Fortunately, Solana was fast too.

“Nick…sit down now! You don’t want to do this! Please!”

“The hell I don’t…don’t you EVER bring my brother into your fucked up world, do you understand me!?”

He shoved Ben back into his chair and clenched his fists as he returned to his own, the anger beyond anything he’d ever felt before. Of course, he didn’t really want to punch the kid. Much. Hard. Maybe.

Solana took over, Nick having spent every ounce of patience he had in him. “Ben, no one is completely accusing you of this…but you have to admit. The situation is pointing in your direction. Why don’t you tell us what YOU know about it?”

“I know nothing.”

“Bullshit. Jesus Christ Ben, do you think I was born yesterday!?” Okay, so he had a little left in him. Although patience hardly defined it.

“What, Nick? I’m sorry this happened, but do you think that a missed ball game would drive me to this!? Do you think that shitty of me? Haven’t I proved myself enough to you?”

“Yes, Ben you have. And that’s why I’m dried out with ‘what I know’. It makes no sense. But the cards are stacked against you. You’d better start coughing up what you know, so we all can fix this.”

“I know nothing.”

Nick got up, more calmly this time and took the seat next to Ben, sliding the boy’s chair around to face him. Ben took a breath to talk, but Nick silenced him with a finger. “Wait. I just remembered one more thing.”

“Okay.”

“I know that I trusted you, Ben. I let you inside. Do you understand that I never, ever, EVER do that!? Never.” Ben took a breath to talk, but Nick shook him off. “Not done. Shut up.” Satisfied as Ben sat back, he continued.

“I let you in. In my life. In my heart. In my home. And I trusted you. Completely. You had free reign of my house, my stuff, my life. I know there’s no way you can even begin to grasp what a huge sacrifice that was for me, but I did it willingly. And I didn’t regret it for one second.” Nick stopped, seeing that his words were having some affect. This was good. Nick sucked at sharing himself like this too, but it had to be done. Getting a nod from Solana to continue, he did. “You became a key person in my life. Major. That does not happen with me.” He stopped again, hoping he was still getting through. “Are you getting any of this?”

“Yes…” Ben couldn’t look up…he couldn’t look at Nick or Solana…he was humiliated.

“Good. I break one promise completely out of my control and you go fucking ballistic on me. You took my trust and stomped on it, Ben. You violated it. You vandalized it. You completely broke it.”

Nick stopped to let it all sink in. There was no doubt Ben had his hands in this mess. None whatsoever. But to what extent? Why was he being so belligerent? Having one more point to drive home, Nick made his final, if not most feeble point.

“And if it makes you feel any better…I finally puked. In front of Solana…totally humiliating. Why? Because I felt completely defeated. I’d failed. And you know how I feel about failure.”

Nick scooped a finger under Ben’s downcast face to make him look at him. He did love this kid. And this was killing him. “You succeeded Ben. You made me hurt too. Are you proud of yourself?”

“No…” Ben jerked his face away from Nick’s finger and got up, not wanting them to see his tears.

“Are you saying you are responsible for this?” Solana was the only one with a voice left because Nick had finally crumbled himself, soft tears running down his face. How had he failed to see what was inside of this kid?

“No, I’m not…Miss Romero. I swear to you.” He angrily wiped a stray tear from his face and ripped the do-rag from his head, sick of being so hot. “I mean it. I did not do this.”