Explosive

Chapter 10

Tori had left two days ago.

Jamie and Tyler hadn't talked since then, and Tyler finally got up the courage to call him. After procrastinating it for much longer than he would like to admit, he picked up the phone and tapped Jamie's number. It rang for a long time before Jamie finally picked up.

Tyler hadn't thought this far. He didn't know what to say, he had nothing planned out, so he said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Jamison! Hello!"

"Hi Tyler. Listen, I can't talk right now, I'm taking care of Charles."

"Charles, like, your diabetic cat Charles?"

"That's the only Charles you know of that's associated with me, Tyler."

"Alright, well hello to you and hello to Charles."

"Tyler, why did you call me?" Jamie asked, not really in the mood to talk to Tyler. He had a lot on his mind and for once, being alone with his thoughts didn't give him any clarity.

"Because, Jamie," Tyler began, taking a long pause and unsure of what to say next.

"Because?" Jamie questioned.

"Because I'm lonely. And I'm kind of emotional right now, because Tori got her championship cut time, and I'm really excited even though she's back home now."

"And?"

"Jamie, do you know what this means?!" He shrieked in excitement. Jamie sighed on the other end of the phone, and Tyler knew Jamie was getting impatient.

"No, Tyler, what could this possibly mean?"

"IN-N-OUT BURGER, JAMIE. THAT'S WHAT THIS MEANS!"

"I'm not really hungry right now, Tyler." Jamie answered solemnly, sounding tired and distracted.

"Well, too bad, I'm at your house and you're coming with me no matter what. I need you, bro. You're Bromine, dude. You're bro-mine. You're, like my whole world, bro. So do me a favor and COME TO IN-N-OUT BURGER WITH ME, BRO!" Tyler explained, exasperated.

"Fine." Jamie said, hanging up the phone and walking out. Surely, Tyler was parked in the driveway in his enormous black Jeep.

Tyler could immediately sense the tenseness of Jamie. He knew that much about his best friend's emotions and made a conclusion that they needed to talk, but Jamie never did. No matter how upset he was, if it wasn't the right time or place or circumstance, Jamie wouldn't talk about his problems. He didn't want to weigh anyone else down with his issues, so he mainly kept them to himself, or ranted to Tyler for a couple hours every once in a while.

Tyler was always there to listen, but Jamie never really talked about things that effected him personally and deeply. Tyler understood.

Tyler also had a knack for detecting people's lies. It was a weirdly good talent of his, and no one was able to get around that. Jamie quickly learned that there was no point in trying to lie to Tyler, he just knew. In this case, tyler knew Jamie was hungry. It didn't take a lie detector talent to know that, Jamie's stomach could be heard growling so loudly, tearing through the silence between them. Tyler ordered for both of them.

Instead of eating there in the car, Tyler kept driving until they were out of the city and heading towards the border. Not long after, they were reaching the desert, and Tyler stopped the car. He slid out of the driver's seat and hopped up onto the hood of his Jeep, taking a few fries out of the bag once he got there. Jamie soon followed, and they are in silence, admiring their surroundings.

"Okay, Tyler. I know you took us out here so we could talk. Go ahead, u know you're about to explode." Jamie said, breaking the silence.

"Alright, listen, Jamie. Here's the thing. Tori and I are in a serious relationship now. I miss her like crazy at the moment, but I do that anyway after she leaves. But she's a huge part of my life, and I want you to know that you're a huge part of my life, too. You two are equally as important to me."

"Ty, where are you going with this?" Jamie asked, nervous.

"I know that you've been feeling a little dejected since she came around, and I'm sorry I made you feel that way. I'm trying to learn how to balance the two most important people to me, well, besides my family, but-"

"I get it." Jamie stopped before Tyler got the chance to over explain himself. "But Tori is lucky to have you."

"And I'm lucky to have you, Jamie. And I don't know how to say this, so I think I'm just gonna open my mouth and see what words come out of it, so forgive me if I don't make sense."

"What's up, Ty?" Jamie asked, now getting a little concerned. Tyler took a deep breath, tossed some fries into his mouth and built up his courage before turning to Jamie.

"Jamie, I know I don't deserve to have a person like you in my life. I didn't think that I was good enough for Tori, to start. But you helped to show me what I was worth, right from the start. You wouldn't let me think of myself any less than what you knew was true. You two are both incredible people that deserve the world, and I'm sorry that I can't give it all to either of you two. Tori said this to me but I feel the same towards you, too: I just know that I never thought I would be so lucky as to fall in love with both of my best friends. I must be the luckiest man on Earth."

Jamie didn't say anything. There was no need for him to respond, there was nothing he could say. Tyler said all that needed to be said and felt relieved, and then they sat in comfortable silence.

Eventually, they both reached for the last French fry, causing their hands to brush together. Their heads turned towards each other, and there was a fleeting moment of eye contact before they laced their fingers together. Tyler won the last French fry, but Jamie gave up the fight over it- for Tyler's sake.

Falling in love is an overwhelming mixture of emotions that eventually comes out to portray itself as some sort of happiness. Falling out of love hurts, plain and simple; and whoever said that it is impossible to fall in love with your best friend clearly never went through it.

That kind of heartbreak surely hurts the most, because your best friend is the person you rely on for everything. You see them at their bests and their worsts, through the good times and bad times. Becoming someone's best friend basically means that everything you hear in a typical wedding vow is now what you have with that other person. There are countless ways to describe what being a best friend means.

Jamie and Tyler had it.
Tyler and Tori had it.

And when that bond is broken, when you wake up one morning and you've fallen out of love with them, it's the worst feeling in the world. Therefore, the feeling of discontent associated with a breakup is only accentuated when it happens with your best friend.

That's why Tyler feared falling in love with his best friends. He didn't want to leave himself open to that kind of pain, knowing well that it was a sadness he chose.

But, in the end, he did choose it.

Luckily, he never had to experience his emotions being shattered by the very person he invested his entire heart and soul into.

Maybe he had just romanticized his own relationship, but Tyler's romance with Tori and basically a soul bond with Jamie was nothing short of fireworks.

Straight-up explosive.