Roommates

Robbie popped his gum in an annoying fashion that seemed to catch disgusted looks from the rest of the people gathered in the hall. He didn't care... He hadn't come there to make friends. He'd come there to be... Well, lazy. Everyone knew college was about slacking off. Otherwise why even go? He was already as smart as he wanted to be so why bother trying to further his education? Of course he'd take some classes... Home Economics was a must to advance his cake baking skills... He hadn't really paid much mind to the core classes he was being forced to take so he supposed he would take a glance at them later. He was sure they were just simple things like advanced mathematics and some sort of social science. As long as he got to sit down the whole time he didn't care... Most importantly, LazyTown University was far enough from his parents house that he could brag about it. He hated the idea of living with his parents and that was the real reason he signed up for college and a dormitory. He'd already unpacked most of his belongings and all he had left now was his television and a few misplaced hangers. He was well on his way up the stairs with his television in arms and no care for the abandoned hangers strewn about in the trunk of his mother's car. His clothes wouldn't miss them anyway... He stopped twenty feet short of his destination and leaned against the wall breathing heavily. "Damn it... I requested the first floor for a reason." He took a deep breath and continued down the hall, his new neighbors casting curious glances at him. It was likely his abnormal height that caught their attention... Or perhaps his entirely dominant chin protruding proudly from beneath his sinister features that intimidated them. As long as it kept them at bay, Robbie didn't care what it was... He looked ahead of him to see a boy he'd known and loathed since grade school, Alex Busybody, more popularly known as "Sportacus 10". It wasn't that Sportacus had been rude toward him or caused any unwanted drama. It was just that the boy was so sickeningly kind and always went out of his way to help others. Everyone loved him... Thus, Robbie must despise him. It was the way of his nature. "Great... With Sportakook for a neighbor this whole year is going to be a drag!" He blew another bubble and let it pop annoyingly before pausing at his dorm, number 1310.

Sportacus had been too busy trying to smile and wave and say hello to everybody in the hall to notice Robbie Rotten before now. But now, as he stopped before dorm number 1310 he saw the mildly frightening boy looming over him. "Hello Robbie... I didn't know you were going to college."

Robbie blew another bubble and looked down at Sportacus curiously. He didn't let his bubble pop, for if he did he would be required to respond to the little blue elf. But if his mouth was occupied then he could just head on into his room and not ever have to see the annoying sport fanatic, let alone speak to him. He reached for his doorknob without breaking eye contact from the twerp. It was when they both turned to enter the room that Robbie let his bubble pop so that he could speak. "What do you think you're doing Sportakook? This is my dorm, of which I am perfectly capable of unpacking myself. I don't want any help..."

Sportacus looked up at Robbie and smiled nervously. "Well I wasn't going to try and help unpack. I mean, I will if you want me to... But I was just going to drop off this box. I still have a few more in the car that I need to grab before I head on down to orientation." He took in a deep breath and smiled. "I never would have thought that I'd be sharing a dorm room with you Robbie! I'm glad it is someone I know..."

"What?" Robbie stared at Sportacus unmoved. He couldn't have heard right... No, it had to have been a mistake. Him and Sportakook sharing a dorm room!? Who's terrible idea was this? "There has to have been a mistake! What is your dorm number?"

Sportacus pulled out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it to Robbie. "One-thousand, three-hundred and ten."

Robbie tore the paper from between Sportacus' fingers and looked at it, his stomach churning. "Thirteen, ten..." He glanced around before walking inside and setting his television down. Once inside he shut the door on Sportacus and locked it. "There's no way I am sharing a dorm with that little freak..." Robbie walked over to his bed and laid down. "Eventually he'll grow tired of standing outside and request another dorm room..." Robbie closed his eyes and let out a fierce yawn before sticking his gum on the bed post. "Any minute now..."



It was about two in the morning when a weak knock came at the door. Robbie's eyes fluttered open and he rubbed his head as he sat up. He heard a quiet voice on the other side of the door asking if he was awake. It was Sportacus... He couldn't have been standing there the whole time, could he? Of course he could... He wasn't normal. Robbie stood and pulled open the door, peering out into the dark hallway. "What do you want?"

Sportacus looked at Robbie through the small crack of the open door and pleaded with his eyes. "Robbie... It's a bit cold out here and I'm very tired. Can I come in now?"

Robbie snorted in an attempt to choke back his laughter and closed the door once again on the younger boy. "Sweet dreams Sportakook!" Robbie smiled and pressed his ear against the door to hear what he hoped would be the sound of retreating footsteps echoing down the hall. Instead he heard slight shivers and faint sobs... Robbie let his conscience get the better of him and he found himself pulling the door open a tiny crack, this time wider than the last. "Sportakook?"

"Please Robbie... I'm... I'm scared." Sportacus leaned against the door and rested his face on the cold wood. "I've never been away from home before... I feel insecure. Like something terrible will happen and there will be nothing I can do. I don't want to be alone... I can't be! Please let me in..." Sportacus closed his eyes tightly and held his breath waiting for a response. There was only silence... The tears that he'd managed to keep in his eyes before now began to roll down his cheeks and he felt the door close on him entirely. He stood there against it crying... He should have known, shouldn't he? He heard the sound of the chain on the door clanking around. Was Robbie locking the door more securely? What was the point of it? He wasn't going to try and force his way in. But wait... Sportacus felt the door being pulled open and he found himself falling into the room and onto Robbie.

Robbie toppled to the floor with Sportacus on top of him. He was already regretting his decision to let the sports elf into the room. But there was no turning back now... "Get offa me you blue freak!"

Sportacus wrapped his arms around Robbie's neck tightly and pulled him close. "Oh, thank you Robbie! Thank you so much! You won't regret this... I'll be the best roommate ever! I'll stay out of your way when you have girls come over and..."

"Hold it Sportakook!" Robbie tried his hardest to push Sportacus off of him but the boy's hold was just too tight. "I don't know what ideas you have in your head but my college time is about me. Not any girls... Not any boys... Just me. So calm down and get offa me!"

Sportacus blushed and smiled. "Sorry Robbie..." He stood and grasped Robbie's hand in an attempt to pull the taller man up but it was hard. Robbie wasn't providing any help at all. Finally, with great effort Sportacus managed to pull Robbie to his feet. "I guess I'll bring my stuff in now and unpack..."

"Let me help..." Robbie spoke before thinking about just what it was he had said. He was about to scoff and play it off as a cruel joke until he saw the happy look it brought to Sportacus' face. At that point he couldn't bring himself to turn back... He stuck his feet in some fuzzy purple slippers and grabbed a light coat. Sportacus was right... Though their room was nice and toasty, the hall was rather chilly and he was willing to bet it was even colder outside. "Stupid Fall semester... I hate the cold."

"You could have signed up for just the Spring semester..." Sportacus smiled up at Robbie and planted his hands in his pockets, not minding the chill so much now that he had someone with him. "But let me guess... You wanted a dormitory, and those are reserved for full time students only, right?"

Robbie nodded quietly and glanced down at Sportacus who had a sheepish smile flirting across his face. "Well if I would have known that I would be dorming with you I would have signed up sooner..." He saw the hopeful look in Sportacus' eyes and he knew he quickly had to dash it. "I would have requested a single room as far away from you as possible... First pick and all..." He mused happily to himself and thought that this comment would surely cut down any hopes Sportakook might have of trying to make friends... Finally they reached the stairs. Stairs were things Robbie found he truly hated. He'd never so much as set foot on a stair before in his life... Now he'd made seven or so trips up and down them within the past twenty-four hours. He'd had more than enough of them for one day, but he would be using them every day until next year when he would hopefully be getting a new dorm room on the first floor... A single room with a huge lock and a "keep out Sportakook" sign. He took a deep breath and headed down. Stairs were much easier to go down than up, but they were still stairs and therefore, could not be trusted. He'd slipped at least three times going down and not even in the same spot. Eventually though, he would dominate this stair walking thing. People would cower in fear at his stair walking might... Cower! Until then though, he clung to the rail like it was his only life support. Slowly but surely he made it down several feet behind Sportacus. "Those stairs are a thing of evil..."

Sportacus stifled a small laugh and looked at Robbie. "They're just stairs Robbie. In fact, stairs are really good for helping you keep in shape. They help tone your leg muscles and they're excellent cross training for all kinds of sports like soccer and dancing and..."

Robbie scoffed. "Dancing is not a sport!"

"Of course it is! It keeps you active and fit... You have to do a lot of moving and you have to be physically strong. It's not just something anybody can do either... You have to want to dance." Sportacus smiled at Robbie. "I don't think you could do it. No offense..."

"Offense taken! I can dance... I'm a great dancer!" Robbie crossed his arms and scowled at Sportacus. "I could dance better than you can, I'm sure of that much."

"Well then, you should take the dance class... You have to have some sort of physical education as a core class. Dancing would be perfect!" Sportacus smiled and stepped into the frosty air of outside and headed toward the rental car he'd gotten to transport all his things. He opened the trunk and looked down at the neatly pilled boxes ready to be moved. There were only five left... "We could take the dance class together! It would be fun..."

Robbie dug through his jacket pocket to find his list of classes crumpled up deep in the southernmost corner of the fuzz lined pocket. He squinted in the pale light of the moon to read over the list. Sure enough, as if some sort of cruel and twisted fate had decided it, he was scheduled to take the dance class at ten o'clock in the morning on Tuesdays and Thursdays. "It seems I'm already enrolled... How typical of life to hand me such a lemon, and so early in the morning!."

Sportacus chuckled and handed a box into Robbie's unready arms. "Well, you know what they say Robbie. When life gives you lemons..."

"Make lemon cake..." Robbie drooled slightly at the thought of cake and smiled. "Alright Sportakook... If I am taking this dance class then that means you have to take Home Economics."

Sportacus raised an eyebrow and closed the trunk down after grabbing out two boxes of clothes. "What? But it isn't like you went out of your way to sign up for the class. You were already enrolled... Why should I..."

"Because I'll drop the class for something easier in a heartbeat unless I know you're forced to suffer as much as I am. You dislike sweets and I dislike healthy things. So if I'm going to be doing something good for me, I'll be damned if you're not going to be learning how to make things that are 'bad' for you... How about that for a deal?" Robbie smiled slyly and headed back toward the dorms with Sportacus in toe.

Sportacus smiled and shrugged. "Alright Robbie... I'll take Home Economics with you." Sportacus hurried after Robbie, half afraid Robbie might lock him out again. He only realized half way up the stairs that Robbie had taken a head start, not to try and beat him up the stairs, but to try to not get left behind. It was clear that Robbie was not at all fit for stair climbing. Sportacus laughed inwardly and shook his head. This would certainly be an awkward next year...



Robbie awoke early in the morning to the sound of what appeared to be very elaborate breakfast making. Sportacus was standing in the small space they called a kitchen rapidly dicing fruit so fast that Robbie had to blink a few times to see if he actually had anything to cut under that knife. Sportacus was flipping the knife around so carelessly it seemed to be second nature. "Note to self... Avoid meal time with Sportakook..." Robbie debated making his presence known but thought the better of it and decided he would wait to make any sounds. If Sportacus slipped up with the knife, it could be anybody's head. And no doubt, their neighbors would blame Robbie if Sportacus died after seeing him lock the boy out of the dorm the day before. There was no way he was getting kicked out of college for the little blue elf, let alone sent to jail. He turned around to head back to bed but was stopped by the sudden lack of fruit dicing noise.

"Robbie! Good morning! I didn't know if you had any classes today or not but I wanted to make you an early breakfast. I hope I didn't wake you!" Sportacus placed the knife down and washed his hands clean of the sticky fruit residue. "I didn't know what you wanted to eat so I made a bunch of stuff."

Robbie cringed and glanced back at Sportacus. "Thanks but no thanks... There is a food dispenser on the first floor if I want anything to eat."

"But those are all sweets and junk food. Your brain and body can't function on those types of foods! You need a good wholesome breakfast if you want to achieve your goals for the day!" Sportacus smiled and planted his hands on his hips. "I made pancakes Robbie..."

Robbie's ears perked up. "Pancakes?" Robbie wasn't too picky when it came to his food. At least, he didn't think so. As long as it was really sweet and full of sugar, he would eat it... And pancakes were things that flirted with being healthy unless drowned in syrup. He could get syrup... A smile crossed his face and he turned to face Sportacus. "I guess I can eat a bit. As long as you let me use syrup..."

"I already borrowed some from one of the neighbors." Sportacus smiled and held up a bottle of syrup. "I also borrowed some honey in case you wanted to put it on the fruit..."

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach and for no other man was this as true for as it was Robbie. And had Sportacus not been Robbie's sworn enemy, Robbie would have thrown him down on the spot and made good use of that honey and fruit. But this was not the case so Robbie felt a simple smile of gratitude would suffice. "Thought of everything, didn't you?"

"Unfortunately I couldn't find anybody with sugar for the tea..." Sportacus looked down sadly as though this would bring Robbie displeasure. He wanted nothing more that to make friends with Robbie who hated him for some strange reason. He would win him over eventually but not getting sugar might set him back a bit. "I'm sorry..."

"It's fine. I prefer honey in my tea anyhow..." Robbie stepped toward the counter and grabbed up a plate. "Thanks Sportakook."

Sportacus smiled and nodded. "Uh, no problem Robbie! My pleasure!" Sportacus grabbed a plate too, regretful that all he could find was paper plates and plastic utensils. He made a mental note to pick up some actual silverware and a set of cups, plates and bowls before he took the rental car back this afternoon. He filled up his plate with a little bit of everything. It was important to have a balanced diet and not to over eat. He poured himself a cup of tea in a plastic cup and looked around for a place to sit. All he could find suitable was the small love seat couch that had been included with the room. It looked rather worn and seemed to have been through quite a lot... Likely one too many wild parties. He considered what a cesspool of debaucherous actions the couch must have been victim to but decided it would be alright to eat on as long as he didn't touch it with his hands. Robbie was already well on his way to perching comfortably on the couch and this gave Sportacus all the motivation he needed to plant himself right beside the taller boy. He decided to try and spark some conversation. "So... Did you have any classes today?"

Robbie looked down at Sportacus with mild annoyance. Couldn't the boy just eat and be quiet? He was ruining the good start to Robbie's day... "None of the classes have started yet. They don't start until Monday... They're giving us the weekend to get adjusted and unpacked and everything. So no... I don't have a class until Monday afternoon. Home Economics..."

"Oh! I still need to see about getting into that..." Sportacus plopped a large slice of apple in his mouth and chewed thoughtfully. "Home Economics, huh? Should be interesting..."

Robbie nearly choked on a piece of pancake and looked at Sportacus worriedly. "I was only joking about that! You don't have to sign up for that class..."

Sportacus blinked up at Robbie and smiled. "Oh... Well, I kinda want to sign up now. It seems like fun! Besides, my cooking could use some improvement. These pancakes are too dry..." Sportacus paused as Robbie stuffed a syrup drenched pancake in his mouth whole and slurped it down. "Er... Well, if you add syrup it probably isn't so bad but... To me, they could be improved upon."

Robbie shrugged and stuffed another soggy pancake in his mouth. "I guess they taste alright with syrup on them. They slither down nice and easy. You should try some..." Robbie flipped up the lid on the syrup bottle and carted it toward Sportacus' plate. "Here..."

"Uh, no thank you Robbie. I'm content with my plain, healthy, non-fattening pancakes." Sportacus maneuvered his plate out of range of Robbie's reach and sighed quietly. "Sweets are not my thing..."

"Oh come on Sportakook! You have to at least try sweets for once in your life! Look, this is college. In college one of the first unwritten rules is that you must try something new. Now, you have to try something sweet. In turn, I'll try something new too. Anything you want..." Robbie picked up a slice of honey covered pear and waved it in front of Sportacus' mouth. "Open wide..."

Sportacus flushed lightly and parted his lips. It was just sugar... It wasn't poison. It wouldn't kill him, would it? He felt Robbie force the honey drenched fruit into his mouth and he froze in fear. Already the sweetness overload was dizzying his senses. He chewed it worriedly and managed to swallow it. It was terrible... He felt sick. He felt like he would vomit and pass out in mere seconds. "Uhg! How can you eat that stuff Robbie?"

Robbie leaned back and laughed loudly. "You should have seen the look on your face Sportakook! It was priceless! Geeze, it's just a bit of sugar. Nothing to get your knickers in a twist about... Ha!"

Sportacus scowled and stared at Robbie feeling vengeful for perhaps the first time in his life. "Alright, fine! You think it's so funny, let's see you try and eat healthy food!" Sportacus grabbed a banana from the counter and began to peel it, approaching Robbie with a devious smile. While Robbie was still on his back laughing, Sportacus climbed on top of him and shoved the banana in his wide open trap. "Chew and swallow Robbie!"

Robbie gagged on the banana and tried to force it out of his mouth. Eventually though he realized Sportacus was not going to give in. With little options open to him, Robbie bit into the banana and chewed furiously. It was disgusting. It wasn't even sweet. Most fruits were sweet in their own right and almost tolerable... But not bananas. Once he managed to swallow it down he glared up at Sportacus. "What are you doing you little blue elf!? Are you trying to kill me!?"

"Just giving you a taste of your own medicine Robbie..." Sportacus smiled and peeled the rest of the banana. He took a small bite and looked down at Robbie. "It wasn't that bad, was it?"

Robbie glared up at Sportacus. "It was disgusting..." He licked the remaining honey from his fingertips and stared up at Sportacus. "Are you going to get off now?"

Sportacus blinked quietly in thought. "I dunno. Maybe... If you eat the rest of this banana..."

Robbie crossed his arms over his chest and scoffed. "Forget it!"

"We can be here all day Robbie... And I'm not moving until you admit you liked the banana." Sportacus smiled and waved the remaining banana before Robbie's mouth. "Come on,  just one more bite..."

"Sportakook! I'd rather run up and down those stairs five times than take another bite of that retched thing! Now get offa me!" Robbie discarded his plate on the floor and began to push against Sportacus. "Listen... You're going to make me hurt you and you don't want that!" With as much effort as he could muster Robbie rolled Sportacus off the couch and onto the floor. Unfortunately Robbie went toppling down with him, their heads colliding. "Gah! Look what you've done now Sportakook!"

Sportacus looked up at Robbie, a huge lump already forming on his forehead. "I'm sorry Robbie... Here, let me help!" Sportacus reached up a hand to touch Robbie's forehead gently which received a very loud yell from the taller boy.

"Geeze Sportakook! Why don't you take care of yourself!? You've got a rather nice goose egg on your forehead too!" Robbie poked the obtrusion wickedly with his finger but Sportacus only winced slightly and continued to look more concerned about Robbie than himself.

"I like helping people Robbie... And you're right, this is my fault." Sportacus ran his hand delicately over Robbie's forehead and then down his cheek. He felt Robbie grip his hand and hold it into place. Their eyes locked and Sportacus felt he'd done something wrong. "Robbie..."

Robbie clenched Sportacus' hand tightly and scowled at him. The other boy was becoming far too friendly for his liking... Still, Sportacus' touch was soft and gentle and did feel really nice. He was fighting letting the boy continue whatever it was that he had planned. After all, they were sworn enemies. Weren't they? Sworn enemies who helped each other unpack and shared a dorm room and cooked breakfast for each other and fed each other fruit with their bare hands... No! This was wrong on so many levels... Sportacus was his enemy. It didn't matter what niceties they were forced to endure while living together. Robbie still hated Sportacus, right? Yes, and he always would hate him too. Wasn't that right? Wasn't it? Robbie licked his lips and leaned closer to Sportacus. "What are we doing? Two grown boys... Men... Playing around like a couple of five year olds. I hate you Sportakook... I always have and I always will. Don't try to help me..." Robbie pushed off from Sportacus and stood staring down at the boy. "Stay out of my way..." Robbie turned away from Sportacus and headed over to where a box sat still unpacked. He reached into it and pulled out a towel, a bottle of shampoo and a box of soap. Without another word he headed into the bathroom and turned on the hot water. Certainly this would clear his head... It had to.



When Robbie got out of the shower, thirty minutes had to have passed. He looked around the room for Sportacus but couldn't find him. He did however find a note taped to the inside of the bedroom door.


Dear Robbie,

I'm really sorry about earlier. I hope that you don't hate me too much to accept the peace offering I left for you on the counter. I'm really, really sorry... Please forgive me!

Sincerely,
Sportacus

P.S. I bought some plates and things... They're in the first cupboard. I went to return my rental car so I might not be back until late. Sorry that I can't make you dinner!


Robbie scoffed and pulled the note from the door, making his way into the kitchen. It was when his eyes fell on the chocolate cake sitting on the counter that he felt even the slightest bit of remorse for yelling at the Sportakook. "Damn it Sportacus... You're making it harder and harder to try and hate you." Robbie opened up the cupboard and pulled out a blue plate. It had to be blue... He yanked the drawer open and pulled out a fork and knife. After cutting himself a rather large sized slice of cake Robbie positioned himself on the couch and took a bite. It was delicious... It was the best cake he'd ever tasted. "I should be nicer to him..." Before Robbie could scold himself for his contradictory thoughts on the subject of Sportacus, a knock came at the door. Annoyed that his cake eating was interrupted he stood and pulled his towel tighter around his waist before setting his cake on the floor and walking to the door. It was probably the little blue elf... Robbie pulled the door open to find two very attractive looking girls standing before him giggling loudly.

"Hi! Is uh... Sportacus home?"

Robbie blushed brightly and shook his head. "No, he isn't. He won't be home for a while. Can I help you?" He stared down at the girls who seemed to be in a giggle frenzy about the fact that he was standing in a towel before them.

"No, thanks. Can you just tell him that we're having a party down in room 1302 and we wanted to invite him?"

"Sure thing..." Robbie rolled his eyes and closed the door on the girls before they could utter a farewell. It wasn't logical... How could a loser like Sportacus make an invite to a party with a couple of hot chicks? And more importantly, why hadn't they invited Robbie? It didn't matter... Robbie didn't like parties anyhow. But it was the principle of the thing. "It's probably because he's so perfect..." Robbie snarled and took a bite of his cake. He tried to console himself with the thought of Sportacus walking home in the dark of downtown LazyTown, alone and afraid. Drunks in cars driving by whistling and shouting catcalls at the defenseless kid. One of them might even try to pick him up and have his way with the frightened mamma's boy. Robbie stopped in his thoughts and sat his fork down on his plate suddenly losing his appetite. "I've got to go find him."



Sportacus sighed and stepped into the crosswalk. It was unfortunate that the only car rental facility was twenty miles away from the college. It was about a thirty minute drive but a six hour walk if one avoided busy streets... At least it was a nice day out. It was only twelve-thirty in the afternoon. Sportacus let his thoughts drift to Robbie who had to have been out of the shower by now. He wondered if Robbie had seen the cake he bought. And if he had, did he eat it or throw it away? Knowing Robbie his actions simply depended on his mood when he got out of the shower... Sportacus heard the sound of a horn honking behind him and he turned around to look at what the problem might be. He was surprised to see Robbie pulling up and slowing down beside him. "Robbie!"

Robbie stopped the car next to Sportacus and rolled down the window. "I had some errands to run around here so I figured I could at least look for you and give you a ride. Get in..."

Sportacus smiled thankfully at Robbie and opened the door to the small car. It was actually funny seeing Robbie driving the car. It was a tight fit for even Sportacus and Robbie was quite a bit taller than him. Still, he seemed to drive it with much ease. "Thank you Robbie..." Sportacus pulled his seatbelt tightly across his chest and watched as Robbie shifted gears and put the car in drive. It was silent save for the muffled sounds of the radio playing a candy-techno beat on low. Sportacus cleared his throat and looked to Robbie. "Listen, Robbie... About earlier..."

"Forget about it. I've forgotten about it and you should too." He hadn't forgotten about it. He couldn't if he wanted to... "So... What do you wanna do? I was thinking we could go catch a movie or something. You know, just hang out and enjoy our last few days of freedom..."

Sportacus blinked at Robbie in confusion. "You mean, together?" Sportacus smiled and nodded. "Yeah... We could go see a movie! What movie did you have in mind?"



"Brokeback Mountain? Robbie, are you sure?" Sportacus looked up at Robbie in confusion. "I've heard some stuff about this movie Robbie... I don't think you'll like it."

Robbie scoffed and flicked Sportacus on his forehead where the bruise from their earlier mishap was still evident. "Are you kidding!? I always wanted to be a cowboy when I was growing up. Besides, this movie got a lot of good reviews and everybody is ranting and raving about it. Especially chicks... Think about it. Girls would be so impressed by the fact that we saw this movie... We'll be invited to all the parties."

"Ok Robbie, whatever you say..." Sportacus sighed and took a step forward as the line moved up. "One student for Brokeback Mountain please..."

Robbie looked at the girl behind the counter strangely as she giggled slightly. "One student for the same." Robbie handed his money onto the counter and grabbed up their tickets as the girl in the booth began to giggle louder. "What the hell is her problem?"

"No idea..." Sportacus mumbled quietly. He smiled nervously as Robbie handed their tickets to the collector at the door and stepped inside. He'd never been inside a movie theater before but it was exactly as he imagined it would be. The whole entire place reeked of the smell of junk food... It was enough to make Sportacus' stomach churn. He followed Robbie to the concession stand and bought a small bottle of water while Robbie loaded up on sweets and popcorn. After waiting in line for about fifteen minutes to get their orders they finally made their way into the theater. Sportacus looked around, thankful that it was nearly empty save for a few girls spread out in the seats up front. "Let's sit in the back..."

Robbie shrugged and followed Sportacus up the stairs to the very back row of the theater. Sportacus had been acting strange since they'd bought the tickets... Perhaps he had a deep hatred for cowboys that he was too kind to admit. Whatever the problem, Robbie didn't care. As long as he personally enjoyed himself and felt he was making it up to Sportacus for his earlier cruelty then Robbie was satisfied. The lights in the theater dimmed and the previews began to roll. "Relax Sportakook... It's just a movie."



It was more than just a movie... It was a gay movie. With gay cowboys... Gay, gay, gay... And the worst part was, they'd stayed for the whole entire thing. Robbie even went as far as to comfort Sportacus when he needed it. That was worse than the gay movie... Robbie drove quietly from the theater toward the nearest restaurant cluster in utter silence. Every once in a while Sportacus would sigh and draw Robbie's attention away from the road. The little blue elf was just staring out the window sadly. He'd really enjoyed that movie... Robbie thought it was garbage and not just because of the gay factor. But as long as Sportacus enjoyed himself... Er... As long as he didn't have to hear the twerp complain that is. Robbie pulled into the parking lot of a rather large shopping center and glanced at the restaurants. Finally he spotted the one he wanted. The Hometown Buffet... They always had sweets at every hour. He parked the car and unbuckled his seatbelt. "I hope you're hungry..."

Sportacus snapped out of whatever trance he was in and looked at Robbie. "Hmm? Oh, yeah... I guess I haven't eaten since breakfast this morning. That isn't good." He placed a hand on his stomach which rumbled in agreement. He unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the car. It was about three-thirty now... The sun would be setting in about an hour and a half. It wasn't that Sportacus didn't trust Robbie's driving but he'd rather they not be on the road at night. "We should eat fast..."

Robbie nodded and opened the door to the restaurant. "Looks like there's gonna be a wait." Robbie approached the woman standing at the podium and set up a table for two. There was about a forty minute wait...



By the time they got out of the restaurant the sun was already on its way to setting. Sportacus planted his hands in his jacket pockets and looked worriedly at the ground. "You think we can make it home before it gets really dark?"

Robbie shrugged. "Depends on the traffic... It's only about five miles away." Robbie climbed into the car and turned it on. As soon as Sportacus was buckled in he switched gears and sped out of the parking lot. They were making great time... Or so Robbie thought. Until the car started sputtering and shaking. "Crap!" He pulled over to the side of the road and looked down at his gas gage. It read empty. Why hadn't he paid better attention to it before?

Sportacus looked at Robbie worriedly and glanced around the car. "What's wrong Robbie?"

"I'm out of gas..." Robbie slammed his fist on the dashboard and unbuckled his seat belt. "We're only about a mile from the university... We could call someone to pick us up." Robbie shuddered at the thought of either of their parents coming to pick them up. It might raise a few questions that he didn't feel would be appropriate... Unfortunately he didn't know anybody else.

"Why don't we walk? It's a nice night out... We can see the stars. We'll keep each other company. It'll be kind of... Nice." Sportacus smiled and shrugged. "I'll even get gas for the car tomorrow. What do you say?"

Robbie looked at his phone. Again, cruel fate was getting its vengeance against Robbie. His battery was dead... He sighed heavily and rubbed his temples. "Fine... Let's go." He grabbed the keys from the car and locked the doors as he and Sportacus stepped out. It was rather chilly outside... Thankfully the streets weren't too busy. Downtown could be a dangerous place on a Saturday night but nobody seemed to be out much. Perhaps it was still too early for the party animals to come around. Robbie dug his hands into his fuzz lined pockets and walked next to Sportacus. The shorter boy was just staring up at the sky thoughtfully. "Well, at least he's quiet..."

Sportacus glanced at Robbie and took in a deep breath. "Robbie?"

"Damn... Spoke too soon..." Robbie looked at Sportacus with an annoyed glare that could have pierced through even the bitchiest person in the world and tear them to shreds so Robbie was certain this would end any ideas Sportacus had of talking the whole way home. "What?"

Sportacus looked back up at the sky before smiling sadly. "It's kind of stupid... I..." Sportacus looked to Robbie with tears in his eyes. "Do you think that maybe... Do you think... Jack and Ennis will meet in Heaven one day?"

"Oh for craps sake Sportakook! Are you still dwelling on that dumb movie?" Robbie crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "I suppose if they were real people and if Heaven really does exist then yes... But it's just a movie. It's nothing to get sappy about!" Robbie pulled out his purple striped handkerchief and handed it over to Sportacus. "Now stop crying..."

Sportacus smiled and wiped his tears away with the handkerchief Robbie handed him. "Thank you Robbie... You're a good friend."

"I'm not your friend you idiot..." But he couldn't bring himself to say it out loud. Instead he continued on in silence until Sportacus tried to strike up more conversation. It seemed like no matter what he tried, he couldn't crush this boy's spirits at all. It was an admirable trait. There had not been a person in Robbie's life so far that he couldn't break the spirits of until now. And as much as he hated to admit it Sportacus was a part of his life... A huge part and there was nothing that could be done to change that now. As long as he didn't become a much bigger part though, all was fine. And with the coming of the next year Sportacus would hopefully just be a bothersome memory in the back of Robbie's mind constantly reminding him of how much he hated goody two-shoes kind of people... Robbie was torn from his thoughts as he heard a small sneeze that sounded like it belonged to a child... It came from Sportacus and Robbie had to fight his urge to smile and giggle at the cuteness of it. The same small sneeze came again and this time Robbie couldn't help himself. He let a small chuckle fall from his lips and shook his head. "Geeze, what are you... Five?"

Sportacus blushed and looked up at Robbie. "Uh... I don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything... Just walk." Robbie smiled out of Sportacus' sight and sighed quietly. Maybe this living with his enemy thing wouldn't be so bad. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer and all that... The only problem was that Robbie didn't have any friends to compare it to. That would mean Sportacus would have to count as a friend and an enemy. Was that even possible?

"Robbie..." Sportacus looked at Robbie who seemed to be deep in thought. They'd reached an intersection where they had to wait to cross but Robbie was not stopping. "Robbie? Robbie!" Sportacus watched in horror as Robbie stepped out into the cross walk just as a rather large truck was headed their way. He grabbed Robbie's hand and yanked him out of harm's way in just enough time. The two went toppling onto the ground, Robbie looking very confused.

"What the hell?" Robbie frowned at Sportacus and pushed away from him. "What do you think you're doing Sportakook!?"

"I just saved your life! You spaced out and almost walked into oncoming traffic! If I hadn't pulled you back you'd be flattened on the pavement right now! Show some gratitude you jerk!" Sportacus stood slowly and dusted himself off. "Next time pay attention to where you're walking! I'm not always going to be around to keep you from harm... Either that or I'll just stop caring..."

Robbie spat at the ground and glared at Sportacus. "Fine! I don't know why you even care in the first place!"

Sportacus turned to face Robbie and scowled. "You don't know!? Ha... You don't know..." Sportacus crossed his arms and turned away from Robbie. "Just forget about it..."

"No! Now you've sparked my interest... I wanna know!" Robbie grabbed Sportacus' shoulder and spun him around. "Is it because you know I've always hated you and you want me to like you so badly you'd do anything? Because in case you didn't know, it's kind of obvious Sportakook!"

Sportacus clenched his fists and looked away from Robbie. "No! It isn't that! It used to be that but not so much anymore... Now it's more of..." He couldn't bring himself to look at Robbie... Couldn't bring himself to say the truth. He tore himself from Robbie's grasp and stepped into the cross walk as the signal blinked for them to walk. "Like I said, forget it..."

Robbie ran after Sportacus, perhaps the first time running in his life, and grabbed Sportacus by his arm. "Stop it Sportacus! Alex..."

Sportacus froze and turned to look at Robbie. This was the first time Robbie had called him something that wasn't meant to hurt his feelings. It was also the first time anybody besides his family called him by his birth name rather than his nickname. "Robbie..." Sportacus turned away from him and continued walking until they were clear of the crosswalk. Once they stood safely on the other side of the street Sportacus turned to Robbie and took a deep breath. "The truth is... I do want you to like me. I want you to like me more than any other person in the world... I want you to like me as much as I like you. My whole life, you've been there pushing. You may not have been aware of it but you were pushing me to be better... Pushing me to be so good that even you would have to like me. Because with everybody else, gaining their affection was easy. Everybody loved me without me having to try. But not you... In fact it seemed like the more people that grew to love me only caused you to hate me even more. And that only increased my desire to get your approval... To be your friend. But no matter what, I'm never going to be good enough because you'll always just hate me... You hate me because everyone else likes me. But if everybody hated me then wouldn't you like me? I'll do anything to reach my goal... To get your approval. But I can't make people stop liking me. I can't change who I've become... So it's an endless quest isn't it? I've never failed at anything before but I really believe I'll die before you return my feelings of friendship. So I'll die a failure..."

"Shut up... Geeze, you're so annoying!" Robbie grabbed Sportacus' hand and dragged him along. "You're making a scene. Can't you wait until we get home to confess you undying love or whatever? Sheesh kid... Some things are best left behind closed doors." Robbie grumbled and tugged Sportacus along. They were close enough to the college now that Robbie could make out the words on the welcoming sign. The rest of the walk went in silence until Robbie unlocked their door and forced Sportacus inside before turning the lock back and hooking the chain. Once he was done securing the door he tore off his jacket and grabbed Sportacus roughly by his collar. He thrust the smaller boy against the wall and pressed his lips to his roommate's. He wasn't sure this was the best idea in the world... In fact he was quite certain it was the dumbest thing he could do, but he'd been wanting to do it since Sportacus had exhibited his inner strength and stood up to Robbie out on the street. As quickly as he had placed the kiss, Robbie tore his lips away and looked down at Sportacus. Both boys were breathing heavily and the sound of their hearts pounding collectively was the only thing that destroyed the awkward silence between them.

Sportacus stared up at Robbie half petrified and half elated. "Robbie..."

"Shhh... Shut up." Robbie forced his mouth onto Sportacus' yet again only this time he found he was well received. This was wrong on so many levels that he couldn't count them all on his hands and toes... Yet he didn't care. He wanted this... No. He needed this... Unfortunately his better judgment begged to differ and he soon found himself walking away without warning. "Listen, Sportacus..."

Sportacus looked up at Robbie sadly. "Why did you stop? Please don't stop Robbie..." He followed after the taller boy and grabbed his shirt. "Please. That was the first time in a long time that I felt... Really worth something to somebody. I liked it... Please don't stop."

"If we continue there will be no turning back. I don't want that... Mistakes can be made." Robbie pulled Sportacus' hand from his shirt and turned away.

"This is no mistake Robbie! Don't you see, it's fate! This dorm, the movie, running out of gas... Something is trying to push us together! And I'm not gonna fight it..." Sportacus grabbed onto Robbie's shirt and held him into place. "Please, I'll do anything..."

Robbie stared down at Sportacus who's face was buried deep in Robbie's chest. He put a hand on the boy's head and chuckled. "Sportakook, that was a terrible movie. It has nothing to do with us..." He brought Sportacus' face out to look at him and smiled. "We are not cowboys... We don't live in Wyoming... That was just a movie. A really bad movie... With really good actors. But this. This is real life... And I don't care what those bastards at the MPAA say, life does not imitate art! Not that you could call that tripe art anyway..."

Sportacus chuckled and shook his head. "Ok, so you didn't like the movie... But still. it showed you that it is ok for two men to love each other, right?"

Robbie rolled his eyes and pulled away from Sportacus. "I don't love you..."

"Well..." Sportacus followed after Robbie. "Not yet, but that can change! I'll make you love me Robbie... Come on!" He stepped in front of Robbie as he headed toward the bedroom and held his arms out. "I said I'd do anything! Besides, look at it this way... You can either give in to your wants and be content or you can fight this and be tormented for the rest of the year."

Robbie smiled and slid past Sportacus to get into the bedroom. "Well you know me Sportacus... I'll take torment over being content any day!" Robbie chuckled but Sportacus obviously didn't find it funny. "Listen, today has just been one mistake after another. I'd like to go to bed now... I'd like to wake up tomorrow and think of this all as just a really strange dream. Is that too much to ask?"

"Robbie, I don't get it. You wanted this five minutes ago... What's changed? Guilt? Worry? Pride?" Sportacus followed Robbie and grabbed his hand. "I told you, I'll do anything... And I mean that too. Whatever it takes to make you happy, you got it. I'm willing to give in because this is my goal... Your approval."

Robbie smirked and turned to face Sportacus. What little light that faded into the bedroom was still enough to see the younger boy's features perfectly. Robbie grasped Sportacus' wrists and held them above his head in one hand. "You want to know what would make me happy? Watching you writhe in pain... Because I still hate you. I still want to see you suffer... I'm only civil because I have to be but nothing would bring me more pleasure than knowing I can cause you pain. You want to give something to me? Give me your body... That's all I really want from you. Give me that much to satisfy me and you'll have gained my approval..." Robbie used his free hand to snake up Sportacus' shirt. He really didn't mean any harm to the boy... He just wanted to put fear into him. Maybe then the boy would leave him alone. But Sportacus didn't flinch when Robbie ran his hand underneath the silky mesh shirt. If anything, his body curled into the contact of their flesh.

"If it's my body you want Robbie, then you can have it. It's just a thing... I would gladly trade it for your approval. You don't have to force me..." Sportacus leaned his body toward Robbie's and stared into the taller boy's eyes. "I told you I'd do anything..."

Robbie groaned and released his grip on Sportacus' wrists. "You idiot... You're supposed to deny me and realize your mistake in trusting me! Not give yourself to me like that! Sheesh, what does it take to get some good hero versus villain interaction around here? Come on! You don't really want this, do you?"

"More than anything... I want this. It's alright, you don't have to love me... As long as you like me. As long as I have your approval... That's all that matters to me Robbie!" Sportacus grabbed Robbie's shirt and clenched it tightly. "I'll be your release if that is what you'll use me for... I don't need to get anything out of it. Just having your approval is enough... Please Robbie."

Robbie chuckled and shook his head. "You had my approval this morning with pancakes. You had my approval this afternoon with the chocolate cake. You had my approval twenty minutes ago when you had the guts to stand up to me... You've got what you want. That should be enough... You don't need me."