Chapter Two – Best Friends
June 1987 – After High School Graduation
"Fuck you Seeley Booth! You knew I liked her. Why? Of all the girls you can have – why the one I like?"
Thomas Kinsley and Seeley Booth had been best friends since they first made mud pies (and to their mother's dismay, ate them) back in kindergarten. Now at age eighteen, their differences were much greater than who gets to eat dirt first.
"Tom, she's a whore."
Seeley had seen Tom angry before, like when his sister decided she didn't want to go to the pet store and buy her pet snake more food so she fed it Thomas' beloved water frogs, Froggie and Hopper. Or the time his mom gave away his untouched skateboard to charity because she deemed it the right thing to do. But now was different.
"You take that back Seeley, or I will –"
"What? You will what?" Seeley stepped closer to his best friend challenging him to follow through. He didn't think Tom had it in him. He was all bark, no bite.
As the blood raced to Tom's face, all he could think of was Jenny Watson and him sharing an ice cream sundae on May 29th, 1987. That day was etched in his mind forever. Her long blonde hair streaming down her back, the sun adding a tint of gold to it. And those eyes, as green as an emerald, that one day he would buy her as an engagement ring. Remembering why he was angry, he flicked his eyes open.
"You bastard!" With the vision of Jenny still vivid he brought his right hand back, made a fist and walloped Seeley in the side of the face sending him backward onto the couch behind him.
Feeling the sting instantly of Tom's fist to his face, Seeley put his hand to it. No blood.
"What the hell did you do that for?" he shouted, getting back on to his feet and equal ground with his friend.
"She's not a whore. You are the whore, Seeley Booth." Tom said just above a whisper though gritted teeth, as he turned and walked out of Seeley's house.
Tom's words stung at Seeley's ears. He liked girls. Girls liked him. Girls had come and gone over the past few years, good times and bad times but in the end, it was always Thomas Kinsley who remained his friend. They were opposites in many ways. Thomas was 5'8, blonde hair and blue eyes but had a birthmark that covered his left cheek and left him self conscious at the best of times. He was on the chess team and was looking to pursue a career in science.
Seeley had reached his final height of 6' 1" just after his 17th birthday. His hair was dark brown and eyes to match. He liked to run and swim which gave him an appealing physique but it was his smile that the girls found irresistible. With a perfect set of pearly whites and lips women paid money to achieve, Seeley Booth had girls at his side, more often than not. Being on the football team and a star member of the swim team allowed him to be a spectator sport for the members of the opposite sex.
"What is wrong with you Tom Kinsley?" Seeley shouted as Tom got in his car and drove off. "God, some people can be so sensitive," he muttered in an audible whisper as he went to the freezer, grabbed a bag of frozen peas and held them to his now throbbing cheek. As he sat pondering Tom's words, he ventured into the zone that maybe he was a whore. A man whore. Who comes up with these words? He knew a woman whore, could spot them a mile away. But a man? Wasn't it his duty to accommodate the women who came to him? All women though? What if he said no once in a while?
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"Hey," Seeley muttered as he saw Tom watching a movie in his family room.
"What are you doing here? Better yet, who let you in?" Tom asked not taking his eyes off the television.
"Your sister." He was trying to avoid the other question.
"Remind me to post page two of her diary on the internet tomorrow. No wait, don't remind me of anything, don't anything to me." Tom's voice cracked as he talked.
If he wasn't mistaken, Seeley swore Tom had been crying. Taking a deep breath, and lightly fingering his now bruising cheek, he sat down across from his friend. Tom glanced briefly at him with an incredulous dart of his eyes. Seeley remained steady with his purpose of being there.
"I'm sorry." The words came out of his mouth but were formed in his heart. "You're right. I am a whore."
Tom blinked his eyes, although not averting them from the screen. Seeley continued.
"I should have said no. I knew you liked her and -- ," now his voice was cracking.
Tom glanced at him, his eyes losing their anger.
"I did it because I knew you didn't have a chance with her. It wasn't like I did either. I mean, sure she puts out, but that's all she really does. Not like we were going to get married and have kids or anything." Seeley chuckled softly as he remembered how Tom and he had talked about what they would do after they found women to marry. Oh, the conversations they had after a few beers.
"I liked her. Really, really liked her," Thomas said as he looked Seeley in the eyes. "You don't know what it's like. The girls swarm to you. You flash them that smile and I'm like Robin to your Batman. But this time, I thought she liked me. Thomas Kinsley the smart, over-achiever. I know she sleeps around, but for a moment, a brief moment, I thought we could be something together. She cried when I told her about Froggie and Hopper."
"You didn't?" Seeley asked, disbelieving that his friend would actually tell someone about that.
"Why wouldn't I? They were my first pets. And if I recall you were quite sad as well. Remember the funeral in the backyard?"
"Good Lord, were we really that pathetic?"
They both smiled then laughed.
"Yeah we were," Tom replied. "I'm sorry I hit you Seeley."
"I'm sorry I was a bad friend."
"You're not a bad friend, you just need to learn to think with the head on your shoulders more often than the one between your legs."
Seeley's eyes widened. Sure, they talked about girls and sex, but never did they personalize it. Deep down he knew Tom was right and if anyone could say it and have meaning, it was Tom Kinsley.