Tyson Granger couldn't help but smile as he watched his friend Hilary giggle over the video phone's screen, her perfectly petite hand covering her mouth in an almost dainty way. He gave her his trademark lopsided grin, his head cocked to one side and his mouth wide open. Hilary turned slightly red; Tyson didn't know what that meant, but he didn't care. He just liked looking at her. God, she was great!
"Tyson, it's time for bed!" Hiro called out.
"Oh, I guess I've got to go, Hilary," Tyson sighed, his voice low and sad.
"What? Already? Oh, alright."
"Bye, Hil! See you soon."
"Bye, Tyson! Have a good night. Sweet dreams…" Hilary trailed off after saying the last two words, looking extremely disappointed.
Tyson hung up the phone, suddenly overcome with a glum feeling. He didn't know when their schedules would align so they could talk to each other. He was in Richmond; she was in London. He hated when they were on two different parts of the globe, and had to go a long time without seeing each other.
Dragging his feet, Tyson opened the door to the room he was sharing with his friend Max, expecting to find the lights off and the blonde asleep. Instead, Max was sitting up in bed, a cocky smirk on his face, almost as if he had been waiting for Tyson.
"Oh, hey, Max," Tyson began. "Why are you still up? I thought you were pretty beat after training."
"Me, tired? Nah." Max then yawned, but attempted to stifle it to prove his point. "Besides, some things are so important that they must be addressed now."
"What do you mean?" Tyson asked. "What could possibly be more important than sleep? Well, I mean, I know Beyblading and eating are more important than sleep, but what else is there?" He was really confused now.
"There are plenty of things more important than sleep, Tyson! For starters, there are girls!" Max cried.
"Girls?" Tyson replied, wrinkling his nose in disgust. "What's so great about them?"
"Everything! Everything from the way they look to the way they talk to their perfect little limbs to their sweet smiles to their beautiful to hair to their—"
Suddenly, a cushion was hurled at his face.
"Alright, Alright!" Max yelled. "I get it! While we're on the topic of girls, though, I want to talk to you about your relationship with Hilary, Tyson."
Tyson scratched his head. "My relationship with Hilary? What about it?"
Max rolled his eyes, but decided that he would keep his cool with his friend. After all, Tyson couldn't help it if he was ignorant about the ways of the world, and it was up to him to teach Tyson about women and relationships.
"Well, for starters, Tyson, don't you think there's something going on between you two?"
"Something going on between us?" Tyson paused, unsure of what Max could be talking about, but then came up with an idea. "Oh, you mean that bet between us? Well, I'd bet that you wouldn't get a girlfriend until you're thirty-five, but Hilary's betting on forty-five. See? Aren't I the better friend?"
"No, Tyson, that's not what I meant." Max wasn't about to lose his cool, though…not yet, anyway.
"What do you mean, then?" Tyson asked.
Max decided to speak in abstractions, beating around the bush a little bit first. Maybe if he didn't come right out and say what he was thinking it would give Tyson some time to get used to the idea, give him some time to accept it.
"Tyson, don't you notice a funny feeling whenever you speak to Hilary on the phone?" Max questioned.
"Oh, yeah, that…" Tyson trailed off, his face turning a little red.
Yes! Max was getting somewhere! Now he just had to swoop in for the kill.
"Well, what do you think about that, Tyson?"
"Oh, um." Tyson turned increasingly red.
Here it comes! Max thought to himself.
"Well, it's been bugging me for a long time, but I think I've finally figured it out," Tyson began. "You see, I usually talk to Hilary after dinner, and I think, well, I think the funny feeling is gas." Tyson's face was now a deep red.
"Yes, well I…what?!" Max roared. "Tyson, you've got to be kidding me!"
Tyson suddenly turned defensive. "What? You mean to tell me you never get gas, Max?"
"That's completely irrelevant!" Max was becoming increasingly irritated. It looked like abstractions wouldn't work, so he'd have to come right out and say it.
"Tyson, we all know you have a crush on Hilary."
"Huh?" Tyson just looked at Max with a confused look on his face.
"Tyson, stop trying to beat around the bush and denying that you have a crush on her!" Max was about ready to pound his younger friend.
"I'm not denying anything! I just don't know what a crush is," Tyson confessed.
This time Max fell to the floor. Still, he wouldn't let himself get too angry.
"Tyson, a crush is when you like someone in a romantic or sexual way," Max explained slowly.
"Oh, OK…"
God, he's finally going to admit it…
"What do you mean by sexual, Max?"
Max grabbed Tyson by the shoulders, shaking him forcefully.
"Tyson, you will never be able to be with a girl if you stay in denial for the rest of your life! " Max yelled, spit hitting Tyson in the face.
"Denial about what?" Tyson asked.
Max dropped his hands to his sides loudly, finally admitting defeat.
"Tyson, you're in denial about the fact that you love Hilary. Now I'm going to bed. Don't wake me up."
Max turned out the light and walked over to his bed. Soon he was snoring loudly.
Love…that was something Tyson understood. Turning on his flashlight, he took out a picture of Hilary, his facing turning slightly pink.
When did I deny anything?
