[25] "Will you be my....friend?"
Over a month later
February 12th
Teddy followed his mother around the store as she worked. Customers were everywhere picking up flowers for the most romantic day of the year. The young girls liked that he was working in the store but his mother, Sydney was getting a little annoyed.
"What do you want?" she asked as she handed an elderly man a bouquet of flowers. She appreciated that her son wanted to work but didn't need a shadow.
"It's been a month."
Sydney continued to help customers. "A month since....what?"
Teddy groaned. "Ma, it's been a month, over a month actually. My punishment should've ended Tuesday. It's Thursday!" he shouted.
She stopped and raised her eyes brows. Teddy coughed and corrected his tone of voice. "Thursday," he repeated softly.
"I aware of what day it is, Theodore Christopher Coleman."
Teddy shut his eyes and took a deep breath. She used his full name which meant he was still in trouble. He was desperately tired of riding the bus and not having connections to the outside world. He wasn't even allowed to use the house phone. Whenever he used the computer at home for homework, his parents were right there watching. He got some relief while at school but could only go there and to basketball practice and games. He was tired of being on lock down.
He tried a different approach. "Mommy," he whined. "I've apologized over and over. I'm sorry and I promise it won't happen again." He placed his hand on his heart. "You know me; I'm the best kid you have. The girls aren't as cute as me." He got the reaction he was hoping for when she laughed.
Sydney shook her head. "I'm not one of your little chicks," she returned and then smiled. "I'm okay with you getting off-"
Teddy picked his mom up before she could finish and swung her around the room.
Sydney giggled. "You know I'm only fifty percent of the vote."
Teddy frowned. He placed his mother on the ground. "Dad isn't going to say yes."
She patted him on the shoulder. "You plan on being a lawyer, right?"
Teddy nodded his head.
"Well you better present your case well, counselor."
-:-:-:-:-
Across town, two brothers connected by blood and a third by marriage, were enjoying an afternoon of golf. This activity usually took place on the weekends but Ethan needed some bonding time and with the February chill still in the air, it wasn't too hot out on the course.
Jonathan and Zeke were ecstatic that they came out when Ethan called. It gave them the opportunity to watch him struck out repeatedly.
"I've come to realize that the last time you played this horrible, Sierra was pregnant with Sammie. You suck at golf when your wife is pregnant," Zeke commented.
Jonathan chuckled. "I can't wait to see her face when she realizes it."
Ethan held the club and hit the ground repeatedly. "She's not pregnant. Maybe she's going through the "change". She's about that age."
"I don't know man, women are having babies later and later these days," Jonathan stated. "Halle Berry just had one."
Ethan groaned. "If one more fucking person tells me that Halle Berry had a baby at 46, Imma kill them."
"Kim Fields had one at 45," Zeke added.
"Who's Kim Fields?" Jonathan asked.
"She was Regine on living single."
Jonathan snapped his fingers. "Oh yeah. I had a crush on her when she was on that show."
Zeke scrunched his face up. "Really? She was so money hungry."
Ethan stared at them in disbelief. "Are you two idiots fucking serious? My wife might be pregnant after having a child 18 years ago. Do you know how hard it was for her to have a baby during her late twenties? How am I going to manage telling her that my dumb ass might have got her pregnant in her forties? I'm having a panic attack about my life you're sitting there discussing Regine from living single!" Ethan yelled.
Jonathan and Zeke looked at one another. Zeke smiled. "She was also Tootie on Facts of Life."
Ethan walked towards the cart and picked up a hand full of golf balls and started throwing them at his brother and brother-in law. Zeke and Jonathan took off running and laughing towards the club house.
-:-:-:-:-
The men were sitting at the bar when Teddy walked into the building. Zeke turned and faced his son as he approached.
"What are you doing here?"
Teddy slid onto the stool next to his father. "Mom dropped me off so I can talk to you." Teddy looked and saw his two uncles watching him. His nerves spiked up.
"Teddy?" Zeke said to get his attention.
He cleared his throat. "I'm ready to get off of punishment. I've been riding the bus for a month now, I go to school every day and my grades are above average," he stated, listing out each item. "I play ball, do homework and go home. There hasn't been anything extra. I think I've paid my dues."
Zeke sipped his drink and looked at Ethan and Jonathan from the corner of his eye. "Is Sammie still grounded?"
"Yup," Ethan stated. "But I don't know if he considers it being grounded." He shook his head. "That boys loves that damn scooter."
Zeke nodded his head, deep in thought. "You've been doing really well but you're still grounded. You're not ready yet."
Teddy stopped the urge to slam his fist on the bar top. His dad would bust his ass if he did it. "I don't understand. Why is Jayda done?" It was embarrassing that his little cousin was driving again.
Jonathan looked at Teddy. "Jayda is doing amazing right now. She's apologized to everyone, has been working every day J.Adams and her grades are better than ever. She's the perfect daughter we thought she was before," he finished with a chuckle.
Teddy still didn't get it. Zeke could see the confusion written across his face. "What advice did I give you after you and Nevaeh kissed?" It was a rhetorical question. "Since this whole party debacle, you and your cousin haven't been the same. You and Sammie will be on punishment until you resolve your issues."
Teddy cursed. "That's B.S."
Zeke eyed his son. "Is it. But it's also my rules.
It's not just affecting you anymore. Your team has lost 3 or the last four games. Thank God y'all have a buy tomorrow night or ass would probably lose again." He stated.
Teddy was silent as he thought about everything his dad mentioned. He was right. Part of the reason his team was so successful was because of the chemistry he and Sammie shared before. Now all of that was shot to hell.
"Do you think it's easy for me?" he whispered. "If it was any other girl, I wouldn't care. I'm so angry and when I see him..." How do you explain hating your cousin for stealing your girl when she was never really your girl?
Zeke patted his shoulder. "I know, son."
"Has this ever happened to you?"
Ethan answered Teddy. "There's four of us. There were plenty of girls we all liked."
Teddy looked to Ethan for help. "How did you work it out."
Ethan chuckled. "We fought it out."
-:-:-:-:-
An hour later, Teddy and Sammie were standing across from one another inside of a boxing ring. On one corner of the ring was Ethan and Sierra. The other side was occupied by Zeke and a pissed off Sydney.
"I told you to fix their relationship. Not make it worst! This is not fixing anything!" she shrieked.
Zeke backed away from his wife before thought about swinging on him. "You need to talk to your brother in law, he's the one that came up with this."
Sydney looked across the ring. "Ethan Francis! I need to talk to you," she yelled.
Ethan eyes went big. He ducked behind his wife and his from Sydney.
In the middle of the ring, Jonathan blew a blow horn. "Let's get ready to rumble!"
The small crowd from the gym started to cheer. Sierra was hooting and hollering with them while Sydney was about have a heart attack. Zeke rubbed her shoulders.
"How in the world did you set this up?" she asked.
Zeke shrugged. "We're Coleman's. We can do anything." When Sydney didn't laugh, he kissed her lips. "Trust us," he whispered in her ear.
She nodded her head and took a deep breath as Sammie and Teddy approached one another.
Boxing gloves covering their hands and arms up in a fighting stance, the two Coleman teens circled each other in the ring. In the past, they play fought, stealing licks here in there but this would be the first opportunity for them to have a real fight.
"Hit me," Sammie taunted.
Teddy chuckled and threw a punch that Sammie maneuvered around.
"You need to try harder than that," Sammie laughed off. "I've had girls have a better chance."
"Keep talkin shit," Teddy replied. His adrenaline was pumping as he ducked a blow that Sammie threw.
They continued doing this until it was the end of round one. Not a single hit had been made.
Zeke gave Teddy some water. "What's going on with you? I thought you wanted to fight?"
Teddy shrugged. "He keeps moving."
"Maybe because you're swinging slow. If you don't want to do it, just say so," Zeke replied. "You've taken lessons before but you're fighting like an amateur. Makes me wonder..."
Sammie was on the opposite side getting a different pep talk. "Bust his ass," Sierra encouraged.
Sammie swallowed his water. "Really, Ma? That's your nephew over there."
She shook her head. "Not right now. I bet $100 that you'll win. Don't make mommy lose."
Ethan had a different strategy. "If you don't want to fight, don't do it. No one is forcing you. This was just a suggestion to help solve your issues."
Don't listen to your father, fight and win," Sierra interrupted. "I'll give you half my winnings."
Sammie looked back at his father. "Did he want to fight me? For real?"
Ethan nodded his head.
Sammie threw his gloves off and approached Teddy. "I'm not fighting you. There's no point in any of this!" he shouted. "The outcome is still going to be the same. I love you like a brother. Do you really want to take things this far between us? If we fight, it's only going to end with one of us being physically hurt and the issues are still going to be there."
Teddy remained silent but thoughts were running rapid in his mind. Sammie was right. They didn't need to fight. He was going say it out loud but Sammie wouldn't shut up.
"Is this about who has the biggest d*ck? Because you know it's me. You've seen it!" Sammie said with a smile. "I'll prove it to everyone!" Sammie dropped his gym shorts and stood in the middle of the ring in his Scooby doo boxers.
Teddy couldn't stop the laughter from escaping his lips. "No one wants to see that."
"You're sure?" Sammie asked. "Is is because I'll win?"
"Positive."
"Fine. I'm just giving you a second option. We don't need to come to blows to solve anything. We're family. I think we can work this out like grown men and talk. You down?"
Teddy took his glove off and met Sammie in the middle. "I'm down."
They shook hands and the adults watched with smiles on their faces. Zeke winked at his wife. "Told you."
-
Afterwards, the adults left to give Teddy and Sammie the chance to talk in private. For a few moments, they sat in silence in the locker room.
Teddy was feeling less frustrated and upset with his cousin. The fact that he couldn't really fight him in the ring proved how much he had love for him.
"I'm not going to stand in the way. I've been acting a fool lost in my feelings. I can't force shit to happen so I need to let it go."
"I'm asking her out for Valentine's Day."
Teddy figured that Sammie would. "Just don't hurt her," he stated before standing.
"I wasn't planning on it but you should know that you're the one hurting her right now. She misses you and wants y'all to be friends again. She's hurt Teddy." Sammie pointed between the two of them. "We're fixing each other. You need to also fix you and Vay."
-:-:-:-:-
Teddy arrived to school early Friday morning with a purpose. He was finally allowed to drive his car again so he parked it in the spot for him and walked towards the senior hall. In one hand were flowers and a bag of sour worms. The other hand held a special valentine that he created the night before.
He smiled slightly at the fact that he was giving her flowers in January under different circumstances. So much was changing between them all in such a small period of time and he wondered how things would be in June when they would be walking across the stage at graduation.
Things would never be the same but he needed to try to make it right between him and Vay.
He found the locker and used the combination that memorized in his brain. He put the items inside and closed it. Teddy wasn't feeling the idea of staying in school on the day before Valentine's Day. The early birds on campus were already carrying around teddy bears and heart shaped balloons. He ran back to his car and drove home.
Sydney was there after dropping the girls off at school. She instantly noticed the solemn look on her son's face. "Are you okay?"
Teddy settled on the arm of the couch. "I'm not feeling well. I think I'm going to stay home."
She knew he was sick. Not really. "Okay. Make sure you get some rest."
Teddy stood straight and started heading towards his room.
"Teddy."
He turned and faced his mom. "Yes?"
"What type of flowers did you get?" Her store manager had already called and said that he stopped by earlier in the morning.
"Not Lilies," he replied with a quick wink of the eye. "I got the same kind dad buys for you."
Sydney grinned and watched him leave.
-----
Nevaeh got to school right before the late bell went off throughout the halls. She had a hard time finding the homework she completed the night before and tore her room apart looking for it. She was pissed when she went to the kitchen for breakfast and found the papers on the counter.
Rushing to her locker, she opened it and gasped when the flowers fell out. She picked up the bouquet and brought them to her nose to smell the scent. Growing up with Teddy, she always got flowers for special occasions or when he messed up. What surprised her was that he got her roses. In her locker was also candy and a card. She placed the flowers back inside and opened it. Inside was a homemade Valentine's Day card.
Will you be my....friend? Check yes, yes or yes.
She smiled because the word Valentine was marked out and friend was written over it. The three options of yes had her laughter drifting down the halls. She circled the yes in the middle and took the card down to his locker and slid in through the slit.
The thought of having her other Coleman back in her life made her happy.
:-:-:-: