Chapter Seven: Whipped
You stood outside your bro's room. You had been here for almost an hour. You knew where this was going to go. You knew, but he was the only one you could turn to. The only one who could help you out in a pinch, even if it came with a butt load of ironic jokes at your expense, but that's what bro's were for, right? Helpin' you out and dumpin' on you while doing it.
You knocked once. You only needed to knock once. He knew you were outside, afterall. He was just waiting on you to make the first move, to come crawling to him for help. As if he didn't already know what you wanted. As if Roxy didn't tell Jake, who, of course, would tell Jade, who probably couldn't wait to tell Dave everything. Who are you kidding? Roxy probably told Jake, Jade, and Dave in one breath. Save them the hassle of dealing with the middle man. The middle man is as elusive as they come. Has to uphold his Middle Man street cred. Like a noble, yet graceful ninja. The Middle Man is you. Yeah, no, you're just stalling now. Man, you really don't want to deal with this guy.
"Sup?" he asked smugly as he stood in the doorway.
"You know what." It used to be your bro would barely speak to you, like he was afraid you'd take his head off with your katana or something. You kinda secretly miss those days. But they were gone now, and so was that Dave. The Dave in front of you now was just a smug kid who was working an angle he'd had land in his lap like it was Christmas and your birthdays in one (like you would have), who didn't know when to quit (admittedly like you, but mostly like Roxy). You weren't about to walk into this circus production without a little resistance.
"Oh, do I? Huh. Okay then," he said as he began to close the door on you. He was just trying to rile you up, you knew, but it was working.
You sighed and walked into his room just before the lock could click, or at least that's how it would have appeared to anyone else. "Are you gonna help, or what?" His room really wasn't any worse than yours, but it still felt like such a mess in here.
"I really don't think I know what you seem to be implying I should know." Smart alack. But he was your brother, after all, and he didn't get it from Roxy. Okay, so not most of it. Girl had a mouth, and you would be darned if it ever got out that you even thought about taking that from her list of traits, let alone how it may or may not have contributed to her children's "colorful" personalities. There would be one less Dirk in the world. Dave continued, "But if I did know (and I don't), I'd still think I'd want to actually hear you say it."
Okay, you did not need to put up with this. Rose would have been more than okay with helping a bro out. Even if it meant owing her; big time. But then you remembered the last time you asked her for a favor, and the consequences of said I.O.U., how small it seemed at the time and just how big it blew up, for you personally. Dave really was the only one you could turn to without having to put up with any shenanigans of paradox space.
You were glaring at him, now. The tension was pretty tight as the two of you stared each other down for a good minute, Dave in absolute pompous bliss. Practically sittin' on top of Shangri Smug. Then he started mouthing something. Numbers? He was counting down. Did he really expect you to just break down and beg for mercy in the next fifteen seconds? No. No way. He clearly had no idea what he was in for; who he was dealing with. Five. Four. Afterall, you were the Dirk Stri- three- two-
Your phone alerted you to a new pester message… from Jane.
He just laughed as you read it. "Man, you really are whipped, huh?" Dang. You should have known better than to play chicken with a time player.