"You've got to be kiddin' me."
Skip Gilroy was in disbelief. After capturing the culprits of Maryton Avenue, the Funky Phantom Crew are spending the night in a motel when they realize that they're a little far from their homes. They rented two rooms and neither to anyone's surprise, Skip and his brawny-brain bud Augie Anderson are fighting over who gets to share rooms with the blonde beauty of the Crew, April Stewart. She had enough.
"You two…" she scolded. "How about this: we can draw sticks and the one who draws the shortest gets the one room themselves with Mudsy." The Blonde explains the process with pencils and paper while Mudsy, the Friendly Spirit of '76, was just behind her, waving.
The trio unhesitantly grab their supplies and draw their lines on the hood of the Looney Duney. Augie obviously drew two parallel lines from one end of the sheet to the other, and Skip did the same exact move. April, on the other hand, managed to draw just the stump of a tree. Ironically, despite being the stump, it was quite well-detailed. Mudsy flew right next to April to see her paper.
"Ah," he said.
"Story of my life," She responded.
Anyways, it turns out April was going to have a room for herself with Mudsy and Boo. Great. The two boys and Elmo are now roommates all over again. Of course Skip doesn't like it, Neither did Augie. Tensions between them are very high if it weren't for Elmo being present. He should calm his owner down if things get worse.
Some time has passed, and the Brawn is now showering and the Brain just sat on his bed next to Augie's. The room has those and a sofa for Elmo to rest if he doesn't want to be uncomfortable on the floor. And in front of those beds, there was the one bathroom and that's where Augie's in.
Bored out of his mind, Skip taps his index fingers on the rims of his bed as he was waiting for him to finish. He already had his turn tho'. This silence was going too far, therefore one must break the ice, and that one was the bored teen himself.
"April's a clever girl isn't she?," he spoke. "With that much of a brain, it's obvious that she'll go out for a guy like me."
"Yeah, if that weren't for your ego sized to rival your wits," Augie retorted from the bathroom door.
"Now who's talkin'?" Skip sneered.
"You with no doubt. Chicks usually go out for the jocks like me."
The redhead sighed. What's the point of fighting? Nothing worths anything even in the aftermath. Nobody, not even Skip, knows who he and Augie were even hanging around in the first place. They often bicker about who gets to be with April Stewart and the superiority between Brawns and Brains. None of the sides are winning.
"Peesh-," Skip scowled.
"Hey Pencil Neck. Throw my clothes that I left on the other side of your bed," Augie suddenly demanded. "And, don't even dare consider looking at me while I'm changing."
Skip just rolled his eyes when he heard that. Back at their school, they never shared the same locker room in Physical Education, and knowing Augie as a Duney companion, Skip doesn't why he's making a big deal like that. The redhead got up, grabbed the load of red clothing on the mattress next to him, and threw them across the room to the bathroom floor. Elmo jumped and yelped from the sudden "THUD."
"Just pick it up!" he smirked. "Never knew you are the modest type."
The bathroom opened to a small gap, and a hand appeared to pick up the clothes on the floor rather quickly.
"Piss off," Augie scolded.
Skip sighed. Typical.
After Augie came out with a very annoyed look on his face, he threw his towel at Skip, which he had dodged right away. The brawn sat down on his bed, grabbed, and opened a bag of chips to snack on. Being on the road often means you gotta have something to eat for each of the time being. That did not make Skip's attitude any better, especially when he found out where the brunette got his snacks.
" ARE YOU FREAKING SERIOUS NOW?!" the Brain cried. His hands are grabbing clumps of his hair from the sudden stress given from the Brawn. "You know we couldn't pay for that!"
Augie just shrugged as he finished the last pieces inside the bag and threw it to the small bin from his right. "Oh sorry," he responded most apathetically.
"You're the worst."
"Skip, you said you're the one who's gonna pay for the night."
"I did said that we're stayin' for the night doesn't mean we're are getting the food in the motels. They're that expensive to make my wallet cry."
"No you didn't."
Skip sighed. Augie's right about that.
"Can't remember what you said, huh?" Augie taunt. "Pusher."
"Slacker!" Skip retorted.
"Nerd."
"Lame."
Elmo can just look at the two teens arguing back and forth all night.
"Honestly, I have no idea how we're even friends in the first place," Augie sighed.
"Oh- You are the one who first pointed fingers at me for being the beanpole at school." Skip sneered.
"And we fall in love with the same girl in our group! If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be here!"
"So what? You're the Jock and I'm the Brain. How incompatible it gets?"
The volume within the room gets louder and louder to almost to a shouting match, yet the duo had to prevent themselves from getting even more intense for them not getting kicked out from the manager of the motel. At this point they were throwing every insult and everything they hated about each other.
"Pssh- Your tight parents ain't giving that position. Should've stayed on being quarterback for the next season. The longer the better-"
"Shut your fat mouth- Do you thINK YOUR FATHER'S EVEN PROUD OF A MEATHEAD LIKE YOU?!" Skip roared. Out of all the colors of the rainbow, Skip can only see red. He had enough. He wanted to give Augie his own piece of mind. He had raised his hand far to the side, ready to make the strike. Neither of them expected Skip to do this. Not even the Brain anticipated what's happening next.
The Brawn flinched in such speed that outdid a stealth warrior as he shields himself with his two arms, covering himself to the best of his ability, and trembling out of panic and fear.
"N..No pl-please…" he trembled.
Ultimately, Skip lowered his hand down. Elmo was barking at the teen.
"Elmo.. Shhh-!" Skip shushed, as Elmo was whimpering.
Shock and confusion surged within his body. Augie Anderson? Being truly afraid? Skip never saw him in this state before. When it comes to panic, Augie usually just yelped and let go. But, now? He couldn't, but why?
However, he's not the only one who panicked in this moment. From his instincts, Skip grabbed his friend's shoulders with a firm grip to get a good confrontation.
"Augie- AUGIE?! What's wrong?!" he cried.
Turns out that was a huge mistake. The Brawn immediately shoved the Brain out of his shoulders, then out of his bed. Skip landed with a loud "THUD". Groaning from pain, he began to hear sounds that he hadn't heard before. Augie's breathing began to rag as tears flowed out from his eyes. It happened again. He's now lost in his own nightmare.
Augie Anderson used to be much of a brighter kid. He looked up to a man who taught him how to be a man. The lesson comes with a price.
More than often, the man comes home late nights with a bottle or two being crutched from his grip. He has a free hand for a reason. That free hand was used to "strictly discipline" his son, and unfortunately, that was used frequently. The damage had been done. In all honesty, little Augie never knew what he had done to deserve it. He could only take it… Like a man would do. This would go on for a very long while.
More of the hot tears pouring out of his deep brown eyes. He had to stop them somehow.
He blinked one. His eyes are still wet.
He blinked twice. He's now back to reality.
Augie immediately saw Skip, whose hands covered his lower half of his face, eyes widened from the sudden shock and guilt. The Brawn knew his pal didn't mean to, but now, his white sweater was soaked and his heart filled with regret.
Cursing at himself, he slammed his fist aggressively down to his thighs. It hurts, but he doesn't care. Skip can only watch. They are rivals, but Augie doesn't deserve any of this.
"Not one word," Augie spoke finally. " You're right… My- dad- would never want a failure like me."