I know. It's too short a chapter compared to what I've done, but I thought this was the ideal length for this chapter. You can tell me if you like this length or if I try to make it longer.
Several months had passed since that tour in the school. Autumn had arrived, painting the streets of Brisbane in shades of gold and reddish color. Mackenzie, now in his last year of middle school, was walking to the Heeler's house one Saturday afternoon. He'd agreed to study with Bluey for a history exam, but as he approached the door, he felt a nervousness that had nothing to do with the dates and events he was supposed to memorize.
He rang the bell and waited, adjusting his backpack over his shoulder. To his surprise, it was Bingo who opened the door.
"Oh, hi Mackenzie," Bingo said with a shy smile. "If you're looking for Bluey, she's out with Mom to do some shopping. They'll be back in a few hours."
"Ah, gee," Mackenzie replied, trying to hide his disappointment and, at the same time, the strange excitement he felt at seeing Bingo. "I guess I'll come back later then."
"You can wait for her if you want," Bingo offered quickly. "I was just about to see a movie, would you like to join me?"
Mackenzie hesitated for a moment. Being alone with Bingo gave him mixed feelings. On the one hand, he enjoyed her company and felt comfortable with her. On the other, that comfort scared him a little.What did it really mean?
"Sure, why not?" he finally replied, walking into the house.
They sat on the couch, keeping a safe distance between them. Bingo put on a romantic comedy, a genre Mackenzie usually avoided, but this time he didn't protest. As they watched the movie, they chatted occasionally, sharing comments on the scenes or laughing together at the jokes. The initial tension gradually dissipated.
"You know, I'm glad you came today," Bingo said during a particularly corny scene in the movie. "We haven't seen much of each other at school lately."
Mackenzie nodded, feeling a pang of guilt. It was true that he had been avoiding Bingo at school a bit, afraid of his classmates' comments and his own confused feelings.
"I'm sorry about that," he admitted. "I've been...busy with classes and the cricket team."
Bingo gave him a sidelong glance. "Are you sure it's just that?"
Before Mackenzie could answer, Bingo stood up abruptly. "Hey, I just remembered I have some candy saved in my cupboard, do you want some?"
"Sounds good," Mackenzie replied, grateful for the change of subject.
They went upstairs to Bingo's room. Mackenzie hadn't been there since they were kids, and he noticed how it had changed. The stuffed animals and toys had been replaced by band posters and pictures with friends like Lila and Bluey.
"I didn't know you played piano" he commented, pointing to an instrument.
Bingo blushed slightly. "I'm learning. Maybe someday I'll play you something."
As Bingo searched the closet, Mackenzie stood near the door, surveying the room and trying not to think about how pretty Bingo looked.
"They're upstairs," Bingo said, stretching. "Could you help me reach them?"
Mackenzie walked over to the closet. The space was small and he could feel the heat emanating from Bingo's body. Just as they were both inside, reaching for the box of candy, there was a click and the door closed behind them.
"Oh no," Bingo muttered, trying to open the door. "I think it's locked. And these doors don't open from the inside."
They tried to open it, pushing and pulling, but to no avail. They were trapped.
"Great," sighed Mackenzie. "So what do we do now?"
"I guess wait for somebody to hear us," Bingo replied. "Dad should be home from work soon."
They sat on the floor of the closet, shoulder to shoulder. The space was so tight that their legs were touching, and Mackenzie could feel each movement of Bingo.
"So..." began Mackenzie, trying to break the awkward silence. "How have you been doing at school? You've been there for a few months now."
"Pretty good," Bingo replied. "Thanks to your tour, I had an easier time adjusting. Although..." she paused, "sometimes I wonder if I really fit in there."
Mackenzie looked at her in surprise. "Why do you say that? I thought you were doing well."
Bingo sighed. "Academically, yes. But sometimes I feel like I don't fit in with the others. Like I'm...different."
Mackenzie felt a pang of empathy. He had felt that way many times, too. "Being different isn't bad, Bingo. In fact, you think I wasn't an outcast in middle school too. Believe me when a monkey is lonely He'll always do silly things and people will laugh. But if a one hangs out with at least one other monkey he's still going to have a lot more self-respect and self-confidence.
Bingo smiled faintly. "Thank you, Mackenzie. Sometimes I forget how wise you can be."
They talked about school, their friends, and how things had changed in the last few months. As they talked, the initial awkwardness faded, replaced by a comfortable familiarity.
"You know," Bingo said after a while, "I never thanked you for standing up for me that day, when your friends were making fun of us."
Mackenzie blushed, grateful for the darkness of the closet. "It was nothing. You were the brave one that day."
"Still, it meant a lot to me," Bingo insisted. There was a pause before she added, softly, "You mean a lot to me, Mackenzie."
Mackenzie's heart began to beat faster. She felt like they were on the edge of something, an emotional precipice he wasn't sure if he wanted to jump off of.
"Bingo, I..." he started, but stopped himself. What was he going to say? That she meant a lot to him too? That he couldn't stop thinking about her? That he was afraid of ruining their friendship and his relationship with Bluey?
Bingo seemed to sense his inner conflict. "It's all right, Mackenzie. You don't have to say anything. I know things are complicated."
"It's just..." Mackenzie struggled to find the right words.
"I know," Bingo said softly. "Although when you get out of middle school you're going to have more time to yourselves in private.
Mackenzie was silent, processing Bingo's words. He was right, of course.
"You're right," he finally admitted.
They stood in silence for a moment, their hands on the verge of touching.
"What now?" asked Mackenzie after a while.
"I don't know," Bingo answered honestly.
Mackenzie nodded, though he knew Bingo couldn't see him in the dark. "Sounds good to me. One step at a time."
Just then, they heard Bandit's voice. "Guys? Are you up there?"
"Dad!" shouted Bingo. "We're trapped in the closet!"
Moments later, Bandit opened the door, finding the two teenagers sitting close together on the closet floor, their hands still entwined.
"Well, well," Bandit said with an amused grin. "What do we have here?"
Mackenzie and Bingo quickly let go and stepped out of the closet, both blushing and avoiding each other's gaze.
"The door got stuck," Bingo hastily explained.
"Mmm-hmm," Bandit replied, his expression somewhere between amused and suspicious. "Well, I'm glad I got here in time. Mackenzie, are you staying for dinner?"
"Uh, no, thank you Mr. Heeler. I should be getting home," Mackenzie replied, still embarrassed.
As Mackenzie said goodbye and left the house, both he and Bingo knew that something fundamental had changed between them. "Fucking closet! It just made me more confused."
Walking home, Mackenzie reflected on everything that had happened. He knew this was going to spiral out of control and explode one day. The best thing he could do was to have more closeness with Bluey and distance from Bingo.
For the sake of all three of them he had to do it.