Author's Note: Well, I'm back. Although this is the same chapter, I went through all of my chapters and tweaked them to a certain degree, but not too much to deviate from the original story. After three years and looking back, some of it seemed bad. To all of you new readers, this story set right around 'Return of Thunder'. Enjoy!
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Shane had perched himself on the counter, looking on as his friend worked on the bike. It wasn't strange that Shane found his way there on an almost daily basis. He practically lived at Storm Chargers; it was a surprise he didn't take up employment there. As long as Kelly didn't have a problem with it, he was content.
As he continued to watch Dustin, he noticed something that wasn't there before: the quiet side of Dustin. It was a rare moment, one that Shane hadn't witnessed in quite some time. He wasn't good with reading emotions; that was Dustin's skill. But it was obvious that something was going on with him. Dustin finished without a word, his wrench focused on the loose tire, twisting the screw into place.
"You do know that I'm still here, don't you?"
Dead silence.
Shane didn't expect that. His brow creased in confusion. He simply gazed at Dustin as he moved along the perimeter of the bike, checking over the finished product. "Dustin!" Still, he didn't answer. He picked up a near-by rag and tossed it in Dustin's direction.
"Earth to Dustin!"
Dustin jumped a bit, having been brought back from whatever reality he was at. He looked back at the Air Ninja and gave nothing but blank expression. He took his rag and cleaned the oil that was on his wrench. His undivided attention returned to Shane.
"Sorry, dude. I was just thinking," he replied. No one could fathom Dustin as much of a thinker, including himself. Every once in a while, he'd whip out a intelligent remark, but incidents like those were few and far between. Dustin shoved his hands in his pockets, leaning his slim frame against the counter. "Guess I kinda spaced out there, huh?"
Shane laughed a little. "More like you went on a vacation." He decided to choose his words carefully. Although the laughter helped to settle things some, there was still something bothering Dustin. And he knew for a fact that he wouldn't come out and say what his problem was. But that wasn't neccessary considering Dustin's emotions were always an open book. "Something going on, bro?"
Dustin scratched his head, trying his hardest not to give anything away. "No, I was just...thinking of some things, you know?" He fiddled with his wrench, hoping against hope that Shane would leave it at that. Knowing Shane, that was hard to do. "It's nothing to worry about, trust me."
Shane stood up straight to face his friend. It was a definite; Dustin was a bad liar. He knew that face and he knew it well. He laughed at the thought that Dustin could try and keep the truth from him. "You're a bad liar, Dustin. The last time I saw that face was when your dog died. And that was, like, years ago." He walked over to Dustin and slipped an arm around his shoulder. "Plus, I know you better than you think I do. Now spill."
And that was the problem. Dustin wanted to tell, but he couldn't. He knew Shane would be upset, especially if he knew that he still trusted the Bradley's, even after all they had done. It was just like Dustin to seek out the good in people while at the same time ignoring the bad. Dustin twisted his fingers in his pocket, trying to find a way to let Shane know he wasn't in the mood for a discussion. With a lost for words, he slipped from under Shane's arm and began to pace around the counter.
Dustin slumped his shoulders a bit, stopping to direct his friend for a brief moment. "Maybe later. I have some things to take care of around here." He kicked the tip of his shoe on the surface of the floor.
He's never blown me off, Shane thought, his arm dropping to his side. Shane never was the type to be self-conscious around his friends. Somehow he felt that he was the cause of Dustin's problem. Whatever that problem may beHe picked up his helmet and stopped Dustin in the middle of his pacing.
"Whatever you say, Dustin," he said, staring into his eyes. "We'll have that talk later." He strapped the helmet onto his head before speaking again. "I'm heading to the skate park to do a few rounds. You wanna come?"
Dustin shook his head. "I'm going to pass. I told Kelly I'd stay a little longer to help. Maybe some other time?" He gave an apologetic look before following Shane to the entrance. They stopped just a few feet before the door and turned to each other. At that moment, Kelly appeared and smiled at the two boys.
"Dustin, when you're finished with the bike, wheel it to the front," Kelly said. Dustin nodded. "And Shane, we have some of those Pro Boards coming in tomorrow if you want to take a look."
Shane's eyes lit up at the statement. "I'll be here first thing tomorrow." Kelly gave a final smile to Shane and Dustin before heading off to help on of the new customers. Having almost forgot about Dustin, he tapped him on the arm. "Catch you later, bro. And don't forget our 'thing' later on." He put an emphasis on the word thing, not wanting to spill the beans about their ninja training.
Dustin laughed. "No problem. I'll be there. On time." Dustin patted his shoulder before he headed out. Once Shane was out the door, the fake smile Dustin wore quickly disappeared; in its place was a frown. He found himself back at the bike, elbows propping himself up on the table. A sigh escaped from his mouth, trying to make sense of the events of the past few days.
The Bradley's popping up, the Tsunami disc stolen. The last one was his own fault, one he still regretted to this day. As it turned out, the Thunder Rangers were the culprits, revealing their own Tsunami Cycles based on Cam's designs. Dustin kicked himself mentally for trusting the Bradley duo so quickly. The worse part was the fact that Cam was pissed beyond belief.
"I guess Shane was right after all," he said aloud. His arms slid across the back of the couch and he stared at the ceiling. Granted, they were acting out of revenge. He knew that and came to the conclusion that if he were in their shoes, he would have done the same thing. Shane was right, but he had to prove Shane wrong; he had to prove that his instincts were right.