Proposition, Part 2
Date: March 27-29, 2003.
Note: I wasn't planning on posting any more of this story here, but you people wore me down with all that feedback. Be warned, things get very silly by the end.
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Merton yawned, rubbed at his eyes with his fists and stretched. He blinked owlishly in the early morning light and nodded at Tommy. Wait a minute! Tommy? Merton shrieked--absently noting that his fuzzy early morning throat made his voice sound deeper: note to self, look into that at later date--and yanked the covers up to his chin.
Tommy was unruffled by Merton's reaction. "Morning, Merton," he said calmly while Merton slowly peeled his hands away from their desperate clutch on his blankets.
Deep breaths, Merton told himself, deep breaths. "Tommy," Merton said in a voice that only shook a little. Sure, finding Tommy in his room first thing in the morning wasn't exactly normal--but it was _Tommy_; now if his heart would only stop trying to thump its way out of Merton's chest with fear.
"Tommy," Merton repeated in a firmer voice. "When I told you to feel free to come over at any time--" he cast a quick glance at the clock on his night-stand and shuddered, "I wasn't talking about six o'clock in the morning!"
"Huh. Six o'clock already," Tommy said; Merton wondered how long the other boy had been sitting in his room and hoped that he hadn't been drooling in his sleep. Tommy leaned forward in his chair and looked at Merton with an expression of shining earnestness. "About the plan."
"The--oh, the _plan_," Merton said. He rubbed at his face. Undeniable genius or not, it was too early in the morning to be thinking about anything other than breakfast. Merton hoped that his tone of voice properly conveyed the fact that he was not in the mood to be thinking about football players hitting on him. Not at six in the morning. Not ever. Unfortunately, Merton concluded as he looked at Tommy darkly from under his lashes, Tommy had cheerful obliviousness down to an art form.
"See, I was just going to hit Rick," Tommy said. He looked rather shamefaced at that admission now that he had cooled down a bit. "But he _is_ a teammate and all, and I don't _really_ want to break his nose. So, a new plan. A _better_ plan."
Nose-breakage was a bit out of character for Tommy; but in this case, Merton didn't think he minded. "I like plan one," he said. Tommy's face was pure disappointment as he shook his head. Merton groaned and collapsed back into his nest of pillows. He threw an arm over his eyes and prepared for the worst. "Fine. Be that way."
Tommy rubbed his hands together briskly. "All we have to do is start spending more time together."
Merton directed an incredulous look at Tommy from under the silky line of his sleeve. It was really, really too early for this, he thought mournfully. "And what are the objectives of this plan? Your goal, if you will."
Tommy looked at Merton as if he were an especially dim child. "We'll hang out, Rick will think that we're, you know, 'together' again and he'll move along."
Merton released a much put-upon sigh. He lifted himself onto his elbows so that he could meet Tommy's eyes. "You really thought your way through this one, didn't you Tommy?" Merton snipped at his best friend. It wasn't as if he didn't appreciate the effort, but _really_: "Lily might have an objection or, say, twelve about that."
Tommy shrugged. "We're best friends, Merton. Best friends spend time together--and Lori didn't mind."
"Lori also dumped you," Merton said deliberately: slow and clear.
Tommy shook his head stubbornly. "Lily will understand, Merton. I'll explain things to her and--"
Merton could only gape at Tommy as the other boy continued talking. How was it, Merton wondered incredulously, that Tommy always got the girls? Tommy was delusional if he thought Lily would still be talking to him after he started ditching her for Merton more often than he did already. Merton began to say exactly that before clamping his mouth shut: get rid of Rick, or keep Lily in Tommy's life?
Like there was any question _there_.
Merton nodded. "You're right, Tommy," Merton said brightly. "Lily is a _wonderful_ girl and I'm _sure_ that she'll understand." He smiled winningly.
Tommy blinked suspiciously. "Okay then. Glad we're in agreement."
"_Perfect_ agreement," Merton agreed with a firm nod. He tossed off his covers and swung his bare feet towards the ground. Merton looked at Tommy from the corner of his eyes. "You can have breakfast here, if you want." You see? Merton's tone said, see how nice I'm being even though you woke me up at an ungodly hour of the morning?
Tommy's crooked eyebrow told Merton that yes, he saw how very nice Merton was being--and no, he wasn't impressed. "Breakfast sounds good," Tommy said.
A sudden thought hit Merton and he bit back on a grin. Being woken up at six might be worth it when Becky wandered downstairs in her Boylicious nightgown and pimple-cream to find Pleasantville High's most popular student in their kitchen.
He snickered; Tommy knew him well enough not to ask.
***
Having agreed on A Plan, Tommy's mind was free to wander in new directions. This one had been lurking along the edges of his thoughts since he had Merton had had their little talk that morning. Sure, Tommy thought, Merton was--excitable and, as his mother might say if Tommy were at all interested in talking to her about this particular glitch in his life, 'a real original.' Still though, Tommy had no idea where Rick had gotten the idea that Merton was gay.
Incoming! Tommy's senses shouted. He readjusted his hand at the small of Merton's back and guided the other boy out of the way of a clustered group of giggling juniors. Merton didn't notice: he was in full rant mode and nothing but an immediate threat to his person was likely to snap Merton back to everyday Pleasantville reality any time soon. Tommy nodded and rumbled his assent when Merton's voice hit a particularly high note: right here, buddy, I'm listening.
". . . highly overrated! And to think that. . ." Merton was saying, slashing his hands about enthusiastically.
Tommy grinned down at his friend indulgently. His smile faltered when he caught sight of Lily waiting in front of his locker. He wasn't an idiot--he _knew_ getting out of his date with Lily tonight wasn't going to be fun. He was sure--almost sure--that he could get Lily to understand where he was coming from, so long as she stayed around long enough to hear him out.
"--Tommy?" Merton said.
Tommy shook his head. "Sorry. Look, Merton, I've got to talk to Lily."
"_Okay_," Merton said, his eyes rounding. "I think I'll just be--elsewhere." His eyes darted around the hallway: Hide me! Someone! Anyone! Merton rounded to look at Tommy, face solemn. "Godspeed, Tommy. Godspeed."
Tommy rolled his eyes. He gripped Merton's tense shoulders, ignoring the people jostling around them. "It won't be that bad, Merton. You just have to have a little faith." Tommy looked over Merton's bobbing spikes. Lily had her arms crossed beneath her breasts and was tapping her foot impatiently. Tommy frowned.
"_Sure_, Tommy," Merton said with finely honed sarcasm. "You're going to need a lot more than faith--I'm sure I have a holy relic around here somewhere," he continued, patting at his coat pockets, "that might slow her down. A bit. Maybe."
Tommy gave the nape of Merton's neck a reassuring squeeze. "I'll meet you in English later, okay?"
Merton mumbled something along the lines of 'so long as you survive.' Tommy pretended not to hear him at all. He didn't know why Merton was making such a big deal out of this. Lily was a reasonable girl and it wasn't as if he had broken off many dates before this. Except last Friday, for that monster movie marathon. And the Saturday before that while he, Merton and Lori had taken out that pop princess/banshee. And--
"Tommy," Lily said. "You're late."
Tommy looked at his watch. "There's a full ten minutes before class starts, Lily."
"That's not what I--" she looked at Tommy, sighed and smiled. "Never mind, it wasn't important anyway." She leaned in towards Tommy, her hand resting comfortably on his arm. "And I have every confidence that you'll make it up to me tonight."
That was his cue, right there. Tommy cleared his throat and shifted from one foot to the next. "About tonight--"
Lily hiked one dark eyebrow into a sharply inquisitive arch. "Yes, Tommy?"
"I'm really sorry, Lily, but something came up that I have to take care of." Tommy risked at glance at Lily's face. Her flirtatious smile had frozen in place but began to crack into something less pleasant even as Tommy watched. Oh, boy, Tommy thought. He rushed to repair the damage: "you _know_ that I wouldn't ditch you if I didn't have a good reason, Lil. And I promise that I'll--"
Lily cut him off. "Lori?" she said, "or--yes, Merton, isn't it?" Lily's voice, cool when she named Lori, turned absolutely frigid at Merton's name.
Tommy nodded: earnest! charming! too cute to resist! "He really needs my help, Lily."
"Of course he does," Lily muttered. Her mouth twisted unhappily and Tommy was sure that Lily was about to let loose with a biting comment. She looked at Tommy, dark hair spilling down her back as she tilted her head back, and swallowed. "It's a good thing you're so cute, Tommy Dawkins."
Tommy beamed. "I knew you'd understand, Lily." He leaned down and pressed a quick kiss to the corner of her mouth. "You're the best."
Lily stared after Tommy as he walked away. It was a good thing that she wasn't interested in anything long-term with Tommy because--"those two are practically married," Lily said, a touch louder than she'd intended. She flinched and looked around guiltily. If anyone had heard her, they weren't letting on.
***
Lori dropped her tray down at the seat across from Tommy's. She was smirking. A smirking Lori was a dangerous Lori. "So, when were you guys planning on telling me about the wedding?"
Okay, that was--unexpected, Tommy thought. He swallowed a mouthful of chicken nugget and prepared himself for the worst. Lori's smirk had reached all new heights of mockery. "What wedding?" Tommy asked.
"Don't be so coy, Tommy," Lori said. Laughter was trembling beneath her unnaturally sweet voice. "Yours and Merton's, of course."
Tommy stared at her. Closed his eyes tight and peeked at Lori from under his lashes a moment later. Still there. Still Lori. Still watching him with amused expectation. Only one thing to do in a situation like this, Tommy decided: "huh?"
"Andrew said that Ginger said that Peter said that Molly said that Lily said," Lori took a deep breath (she hadn't mastered the run-on sentence as Merton had), "that you and Merton are running off to get married as soon as the semester is over." Lori leaned back, openly grinning now. "You _were_ planning on inviting me, weren't you?"
"Lori!" Tommy cried.
Tommy's voice was drowned out by Merton's. "Tommy! Lori!" he called out, sliding through the cafeteria doorway and nearly colliding with their table. Merton's eyes jerked around as he studied the cafeteria. He was nearly dancing in place. "You won't believe what--"
"Ah, the blushing bridegroom-to-be," Lori said. She had stopped even pretending that she didn't find the entire situation hilarious.
Merton made a garbled noise deep in his throat. He collapsed into the seat next to Lori. "Tommy--what did you _do_?!" Merton wailed.
Tommy shot Merton an injured look. "Me? I didn't do anything!"
"Not even married and you're fighting already," Lori sighed, shaking her head mournfully.
Both boys ignored her. "Some plan," Merton said, "I knew--I _knew_ that it sounded too simple." Merton seemed to wilt in his seat. "I knew that I should have faked my death, changed my name and come back to Pleasantville as an exotic and," he smiled modestly, "charming exchange student."
"You'd rather do all that than have people think we're together?" Tommy asked. He was surprised at the hurt in his own voice.
Merton ignored the question. "You have no idea how many people had come up to congratulate me on the upcoming nuptials." Merton's expression shifted to something between smugness and disgust, "and a surprising number of people have expressed an interest in acquiring a tape of the wedding night."
Lori snorted on her cola.
At least _someone_ was amused by all this, Tommy thought as he and Merton turned to glare at Lori in unison.
end 2/3
