Ties of a Friendship
Chapter 25
Morning arose at the Parker's home, Adrenna up early in the morning, crept into her son's room to see her son and his friend knocked out. RJ was slumped over in the bed his right arm hangs from the side of the bed his left leg hangs from the side of the bed. Trey slept proper laying straight forward, his arms were crossed nestled on his stomach and his right leg crossed over his left leg forming a straight line. She walks over to the air mattress and leans down to wake her son. She gently touches him he tosses away from her which made her happy because he was breathing her fear hasn't been realized and that made her happy.
"Honey," She carefully whispers slowing pulling the sheets off her. "It's time for you take your medicine." He pulls the cover back on himself. But Adrenna wouldn't let him he had to take his medicine at a certain time and it was now. "Come on honey." He grumbles, but finally sits up rubbing the sand out of his eyes. "Let's go." She pulls him to his feet and he's to his bathroom. Adrenna already places his medicine out of him and what he needs to take she watches him from the outside of his bathroom to make sure he's taking his medicine and not playing around, she was determined to keep her son healthy as possible. "Good. Do you have any plans with RJ today?"
"Yeah," He yawns stretching his arms out. "Imma take him on a few site-seeing might visit L.A." He scratches his stomach heading back to his room.
"Well be safe and call me if you need me okay?" Adrenna stressed the emphasis on calling since sometimes Trey slacks in that department. "And I'm so proud of you! I love you!"
"Love you too!" He replied falling down on his bed falling back into slumber.
Two hours after his mom left Trey finally got up. He scratches his head and looks over to see RJ still sleeping. He decided to get up take a shower and then cook breakfast. Once he was done showering he puts a gray-white bearer shirt and black and red basketball shorts. He heads down to the kitchen and prep breakfast. He decided he will make a basic breakfast nothing too fancy, he decided to make two omelets, with bacon and toast on the side. He opened the refrigerator gathering his ingredients he decided that to make them steak omelets.
Soon after he cooked the bacon and toast he worked on the omelets, he laughs to himself thinking of himself as a chef even doing a little dance. Unknown to him RJ headed downstairs and caught a glimpse of his friend dancing around being a fool thinking no one was around. Trey bounces around the stove still dancing as he flips the omelets before placing it on a plate. RJ looks on entertained by how goofy his friend looks. He makes the final omelet placing it on the plate. Once he was done he placed all the dirty dishes in the sink, still unaware that RJ has been watching him dancing around acting like a fool. Once he turns around to place the omelets on the table he stops dancing around to see RJ looking at him with a cheesy grin.
"Um RJ!" Trey stops in his track embarrassed that his friend saw him dancing around like some crazy fool with no rhythm or dancing skills at all. "Morning! Did you see any of that, did you?" He prayed RJ just walked in and haven't been watching him the whole time, but he figured slim chance RJ saw the whole thing.
"Morning bud!" He greets his friend smiling at him taking a seat at the kitchen table. Trey gave him a suspicious look. "What? You mean you, trying to dance?" He asked sarcastically. "No, I didn't see you just try to dance like some crazed fool. By the way, nice dancing. Ooh, bacon!" He grabs one and takes a bite into smiling along the way.
Trey sighs, he knew RJ wouldn't let him live this moment down for the rest of their lives. "Well, I guess that means you're not going to let me live this down?" RJ shook his no, much to Trey's dismay. "Of course, you wouldn't. Well, I made us steak omelets, along with bacon and toast. I hope you like it!" Trey puts a plate in front his friend who could have sworn started to drool.
"It smells delicious man!" RJ tells him digging into the fluffy goodness. RJ took one bite he felt like he could just melt it was so fluffy and delicious. "Man, I didn't know you picked up a few cooking skills over the years!"
"Well, I try man!" Trey sat next to him cutting into his own omelet. "Sometimes when your mom works long day's you have to be able to learn how to cook dinner or starve. And I didn't want to starve so I decided to learn how to cook, well I'm not the best, but it gets by...and YouTube is a big help!"
"Well, it's delicious man!"
"Soooo, since you're here, there are some sites I would like to take you," Trey changes the subject. "I mean you're here might as well get to know the city I live in. We can even take a train to L.A. for a day if you want..."
"What's with all the medication," RJ cuts him off. Trey was completely blindsided by RJ's statement. He didn't want to tell RJ about his medication he already had enough on his plate to explain now this.
"Um...well about that some of it is, but not all of them!" Trey tried to lie, but RJ wasn't buying that. "It's nothing you need to concern yourself with."
RJ slams his fist on the table, startling Trey. "Don't lie to me! Not about this!" Trey took a huge gulp almost scared of his old friend. "I saw all the medication you had yesterday. Please don't tell me it's not a big deal because if something is happening to you. You need to tell me it's only fair!"
"Well, things are complicated, but I'll keep it short I'm dying," He responded drily as if it wasn't a big deal. "That's it plain and simple I'm dying, but I'm taking all the medication to keep me going in the general sense."
"And you weren't going to tell me about this?!" RJ questioned him. Trey didn't answer and he didn't have to RJ knew the answer. "Wow, you weren't going to tell me? Is that why you reconnected because you were dying?"
"No! No not the reason. I wasn't going to tell you about the dying thing, but I reconnected with you because I did want to connect with my friend who I never got a chance to talk to before I left! The friend I abandon without any given reasons!"
"You've been going through this by yourself for how long?!"
"5 years..."
"Are you kidding me?! Why didn't you tell me this? I deserve to know! Trey I'm here now and I want to reconnect with you...and now this bombshell I'm hearing is that you're dying! That's not fair!"
With a shrug, "Life's not fair, RJ, but let's not focus on the bad. Let's focus on the good, you're here and we can finally hang out right?"
RJ stood up and grabs Trey by his shirt. "Don't shrug this off! This isn't some no big deal thing! This is huge!"
"I know, but I want to focus on the good things!" Trey retorted looking away from RJ. "I promise I would! I tell people that family and friends are important...so I decided to call you to make up things before I eventually croak over! I didn't want to burden you with this!"
"Not burden? I'm upset that you didn't even tell me! You would've died and I wouldn't have known anything about anything!" RJ frustration got the best of him. He couldn't believe his friend is dying and all this time apart they could've been hanging out being friends, but instead they were separated over stupid stuff. RJ punches Trey his stomach knocking the wind out his friend. Trey drops to his knees clutching his stomach the pain really got to him.
"I guess I deserve that..."
"You deserve a lot more than just that, but for now, I need some time to process this!" RJ tells him as he exits the kitchen heading upstairs.
Trey finally gets up from the floor clutching his stomach with his right arm. He hasn't seen RJ mad at him before, at least not this upset he saw the rage in his eyes, but he also guilt as well. "Well, that could've gone better than I excepted..."
RJ walked into Trey's room and grabs his cell phone and calls Riley. He had to talk to someone and right now it wasn't Trey. He waits for it to ring two times before he heard Riley answering the phone.
"Hey, babe!" She greeted him taking a sip from whatever she was drinking over the phone. "How's it going?"
"Not good! I just found out Trey is dying!"
"Wait what?"
"Yes, all of the medication he's taking to keep him going! I don't know this is a lot to take in! I mean dying! He's been dealing with this stuff for 5 years! 5 years and where have I've been?" RJ was on a full-blown rant he was upset that Trey was keeping his illness a secret, but he's dealing with it for years, but to top it all off he wasn't going to tell him, just a low blow. "I can't even comprehend all of this right now! It just upsets me!"
"Honey I understand, but you have to calm down," Riley reminds him. "Remember this hasn't been easy on Trey. For years, he's been fighting for his life while also trying to maintain a normal life. If you ask me he needs you more than ever even if doesn't want to admit it."
"Well, he might not..."
"Why do say that? What did you do?"
"Well, I kinda punched him his stomach..."
"Why would you do something like that?!" She questioned her boyfriend, she couldn't believe he would punch him out of angry, but mostly likely that's the answer she was getting.
"Well, I was upset with him..." He explained, of course that the answer she excepted to get from him. She didn't condone to it, but it was what she predicted she would get. "I mean he just drops this massive news on me and expect me to me like: "oh, okay let's hug this out"?! I think not! I guess I left some of my frustration out on him and he didn't deserve it."
"Yeah you need to apologize to him and calm down. Get your mind right so you can really listen to him and really be there for him!"
"Your right as always..."
"I know I am!" She stated. "Now I have to go and remember what I said calm down and hear him out instead of reacting. Okay? I have to go love you!"
"Will do love you too!" With that, he hung up the phone and head to the bathroom to take a cold shower. He needed to calm down, he had to be rational before talking to Trey. And not upset...even though in truth he's more upset with himself for not being there for Trey while he was going through all of the crazy upsides down, he calls his life.
Trey stayed downstairs cleaning up. One thing he gained over the course of the years his to clean while stressing out it can turn therapeutic. He tosses out the omelets knew that both he and RJ lost their appetite. He places all the dishes in the sink and begins to hand wash them like normal instead of using the dishwasher. Once the dishes were cleaned and dried he put them up and turns his attention to the stove. He put on some yellow cleaning gloves and begins to scrub the stove top to bottom. Once he was done he cleaned the kitchen table and the refrigerator. RJ walks downstairs just as Trey was cleaning the refrigerator he stops cleaning turning his attention to his friend.
"Look I wanted to apologize for you know...punching you in the stomach," RJ apologizing nervously rock back and forth on his tip toes. "I know you've been through a lot and I'm not gonna lie this is a lot to take in."
"I understand. I didn't want to burden you, by any of this. My attention was for us to reconnect go back to the good old times."
"Yeah, but everything has changed...and I need some time to figure all this out," He explained to Trey who in turned gives him an understanding look. He remembers when he had to go through it with his mom and he himself it is a lot to take in no matter who you are. "Imma go for a walk to get some clarity. I'll be back."
RJ walks out of the house without a second thought. He needed time to try to understand this entire situation. He thinks to himself, at least, his trip to California wasn't going to be boring, to say the least.
He just walked until and kept walking he wish he could take in the sites, but he was too busy with being into his own thoughts. Everything he thought about was childish compared to the guilt he feels about not being there for his friend when he really needed him the most. He kept walking that he didn't notice he was walking into someone knocking them over.
"Hey watch-" RJ was cut off when he saw a boy sitting on the ground his left leg was in a cast. He reaches for his crutches to get up; RJ kneels down and helps him up to his feet. "I'm so sorry! I was lost in thought and I didn't see you there..."
"It's all good," The sandy haired boy tells him dusting himself off. "No harm no foul!"
"Yeah my bad... you look familiar have we met before?"
"No, not that I'm aware of," The sandy haired boy response. "I would remember. Unless you know someone I know?"
"Strange I feel like I've seen you around, maybe yesterday...?" RJ pondered the question. "I went to my best friend's showcase, but I think I saw you there."
"Oh really I was at my friend: Trey's showcase do you know him?"
"Yeah, that's my best friend!"
"So you're RJ!"
"And you are...?"
"Oh I'm Connor," Connor introduce himself holding his hand out to shake. RJ shook his hand and greeted him with a smile. "I'm friends with Trey along with my boyfriend Jude."
"Oh okay, Connor...you've been keeping the fort down while I've been away?"
"Well, I wouldn't say me mostly Jude, which by the way aren't you suppose to be with Trey you came to visit him right?"
"Yeah, it's just we had an argument about him keeping secrets," RJ tells him. "I had to get out of there he just dropped a bombshell on me. He's been sick and worst part is he's dying!"
"Oh yeah, so he told you or did you find out like me and Jude did?" Connor recalls when he and Jude found out it was the day after Connor got shot. "Trey was in the hospital at the same time I was in the hospital getting my foot shot. Talk about a surprise, but once he told us we understood. Jude wanted him to take care of himself as best he could. So you can imagine how much that affects someone who always loses someone every couple of months."
"I found all his medicine last night so much I thought maybe it was painkillers or I don't know something else, but it turns out to be much worse than what I thought."
"Yeah...hey, you mind if we go to the café and talk I need to take a seat!" Connor asked RJ looking over at the nearby café so he could get off his feet and get off his crutches.
As the boys settle Connor adjusted his cast to fit conformable for him. He wishes he could scratch his leg so bad, but couldn't and he remember just a few weeks with his cast and he could take it off.
"Is your leg feeling okay?" RJ asked him.
"Yeah, just you know more of an annoyance than anything else. I can't wait to get it off and be able to walk on my own two feet without these crutches!" Connor exclaimed dramatically pointing at his crutches. "Anyway...are you going to talk to him?"
"I don't know..." RJ slump back into his seat trying to think, but his mind still hasn't fully grasped the entire situation. "I mean I should. I do, but..."
"You feel guilty?" Connor guessed.
"Yeah..." RJ confessed. He ran his hand through his hair letting out a sigh. "Am I wrong for that?"
"No. In fact, I felt the same with Jude," Connor explained, RJ raised his eyebrows confused by his statement. "Yeah I carried some guilt for awhile for not standing up to my father because I didn't. Jude went selective mutism because he didn't want to be my secret I wanted to still be his friend, but only so my dad wouldn't find out. Then it got worse I kissed him in the tent to apologize to him and then everything went downhill from there I got a girlfriend pushed Jude away when he needed me the most. It took getting shot in the foot for me to finally be there for him like he wanted me to be and how I wanted to be."
"That's crazy..." RJ was wowed by the story. "So now everything is good, I mean between you and Jude?"
"Yeah, in fact, it strengthens our friendship which in turned elevate our friendship into a relationship. Not that I mean you and Trey's relationship will turn into romance I was just saying..." Connor tried to explain, but he was fumbling over his words.
"I got it," RJ tells him. "So I need to just talk to Trey."
"I say you should hear him out and listen, I had to do that for Jude even if it cost me a foot," Connor joked pointing to his crutches. "But I'm sure you're not as dumb as I am. Besides, you guys are best friends. No need for having all this angry and confusion with each other after haven't seen each other in years."
"Connor!" Both RJ and Connor turn their attention away from their conversation to see Jude calling to them.
"Looks like you have to go," RJ tells him getting up from his seat. "Thanks for the advice. I can see why Trey is friends with both of you. Catch ya later."
Jude walks up to the table watching RJ leave. "RJ I taken?"
"Yup."
Trey heard the door open as he gets up from the floor he was cleaning. He walks over to the front of the house to see RJ standing inside the entrance. "I'm ready to listen now."