"Hey Lars." Ronaldo chides "Take it down a notch."
"Gah." Lars groans racing up the stairs.
Ronaldo smirks. Loving that he was cool and collected after Lars' embarrassing outbursts this evening.
"What the hell Ronaldo?" Lars snaps angrily. He twists the door knob back and forth. When it won't budge he begins to shake it violently.
"Open the door" Lars shouts tugging on the handle.
"But Lars..." Ronaldo's demeanor instantly changes to one of concern. "I'm not doing anything."
He moves with trepidation up the stairs. Lars moves to one side to let the larger man try. It doesn't open.
"So we're really locked in?" Lars begins to panic.
"Looks like it." Ronaldo says examining the door handle. He gasps "Maybe its the spirits and they aren't done with us yet."
"The spirits?" Lars spits, running down the stairs. "Do you even hear yourself?"
"You can't deny we witnessed something paranormal tonight."
"I don't care!" Lars runs his hands along the stone walls like he's looking for another exit.
"It's dead. Steven put it in that bubble...God why is it so obsessed with me?" Lars whines in anger.
"I don't know. I have to think." Ronaldo sighs. He tries the handle a few more times then sits down on the bottom step. He takes off his bow-tie, puts it in his pocket and undoes the top buttons of his shirt.
He watches Lars fluorescent skull gauges flash in the dark. Like a rat in a cage he eventually tires himself out and comes over. He sees Ronaldo sitting with his hands on his knees. Even is usually bouncy golden curls seem to be hanging in sad tendrils. He feels a twinge of guilt. Ronnie was just a trapped as he was. Both of them didn't want to be here.
"So..." Lars tries hoping to sound upbeat. "Any, uh, break throughs?" He stands beside the railing, bouncing his food nervously.
"No." sighs Ronaldo.
"Hey. Maybe it's the snake people?" Lars tries again to goad his friend into his usual upbeat demeanor.
"It's Sneeple, Lars." Ronaldo mumbles.
"I don't know. Maybe they..."
"They are incredibly busy controlling the upper levels of government. What would they have to do with a dumb door?"
"Jeez. I don't know. I don't even care about your stupid snakes." Lars snaps angry because he felt lRonaldo had tried to make him sound stupid.
Ronaldo kept quiet. Watching Lars ignite anew.
"I never cared. That stuff was always stupid. It's for babies. I just felt sorry for you."
"No you didn't" Ronaldo says, hurt.
"Ya...I did." Lars sneers.
"Lars why are you doing this?" he mumbles, exasperated.
"I'm not doing anything"
"Yes you are...how come you can never just say what you mean?"
"I..." he trails off and sighs. "It's been a long night." he concedes "I just want to go home."
"We'll get to go home soon."
Lars smiles sadly.
Ronaldo pats the space beside him.
"How can you be sure?"
"I have to be. I don't think this spirit is evil. Maybe just misunderstood."
Lars groans at the mention of spirits.
They sit in silence for awhile. Ronaldo occasionally gets up to try the door. Lars stifles a few yawns, rubbing his eyes.
"Tired,huh?" Ronaldo says with empathy.
"Ya..." mumbles Lars. He feels his eyes growing heavy. A full shift at The Big Donut and then the revelations of this night. He was exhausted.
He could feel the pressure of Ronaldo's big round thigh as they sat beside eachother. He looks like he'd make a good pillow. He sighs and leans in to the bulk of his old friend. Lars feels an arm extend over his shoulders drawing him near. The smaller man rests his head on the others soft chest and touches the swell of his belly rubbing it slowly.
"Lars it's okay if you want to sleep on me."
"I don't want to. I'm just too tired." He says. Still fighting to the last.
Ronaldo puts his hand on his back. Then takes a breath and sighs. Broaching a subject that's been bothering him for years.
"Why did we have to stop doing this Lars?" he asks.
"I don't know." Lars confesses awkwardly. "Things happen. People change. You know" he mumbles with his eyes closed.
"I think it was my fault." Ronaldo sighs.
Lars lifts his head looking up at him.
"It wasn't anyone's fault."
"Ya it was." Ronaldo continues "It's because I kissed you that night."
"What? No Ronnie. I...I" Lars stutters unable to express what he wants to say.
"I kissed you back." Lars finally says.
"Well. Will you kiss me again?" Ronaldo says hopefully. A little glimmer of mischief in his eyes.
"Ronnie..." Lars starts and shuts eyes tight. He springs up and kisses his childhood friend. There were so many memories between them. So much hurt and confusion and innocence. Ronaldo had been his first kiss before Sadie before anyone.
Ronaldo takes Lars by the hips scoops him up into his ample lap.
They're still kissing. Ronaldo can feel Lars' tears on his cheeks. He embraces his thin friend. Feeling his boney chest push against his soft yielding stomach.
They disentangle and Lars rests his head on Ronaldo's shoulder burrowing his face in his neck. Ronaldo strokes the back of his head soothingly.
"This is nice" he says
"Ya.." Lars trails off.
Sadie and Steven are running at full speed back towards the lighthouse.
"I can't believe we forgot about them." Sadie panics. "Steven. We were only supposed to be gone for an hour. How could we forget?"
After going back to watch Steven put the bubble in that chamber she had kind of lost track of time. She had a lot of questions.
"It's okay" the little boy says "I'm sure they're fine."
Sadie races inside, grabbing the key they had used to lock the boys in. "That was so stupid" she laments." I shouldn't be trying to make them get along." She opens the door carefully worried about what she'll find. Lars was probably going to kill her. She peered down the staircase and smirked.
Ronaldo was snoring against the wall with Lars curled into his lap both arms crossed over him in a loving embrace. She backed away slowly not wanting to wake them. She caught Steven about to go in. She gently turned him around.
"They're fine." She informed him. "Let's go get you home to bed."
Ronaldo woke first and gasped.
"Oh my gosh Lars. Look." He shook his friend gently.
Lars followed his gaze and stared with amazement at the open door.
"It's the spirits like I told you." Ronaldo cried.
"They wanted us to get along, and then when we did they opened the door!" He explained in a giddy voice.
Lars shrugged and truly had no better explanation.
"Heh..." He began. "Maybe you're right."