Tuesday had never been the most exciting day of the week. Can't love it ironically like Monday, still too far away from the weekend, and not even the middle of the week; it truly was a horrible day. Yet, that was the very same reason why he chose it for his Maple Garden visits, well that and the fact that it was one of the few places where people didn't look at him funny for being the town's queer teen boy. The little cafe was Laketown's secret little jewel. Cozy rugs, comfortable booths, lots of little succulents everywhere. It even had a fireplace, always burning. With Laketown's park across the street, the little cafe, Maple Garden, reeked of forest but, at the same time, of a warm, small home. A cup of peppermint tea in his hands, Pines started nervously at the grandfather clock on the wall. A few minutes before 7:00. He and his best friend had been meeting every Tuesday at Maple Garden for years now, however, this was the first time Pines was early. The bell rang as the door opened and, taking off her coat, his best friend entered the little cafe. She looked dazzling, her raven-black hair, big boots, dark nails, and a 17 year old big warm smile always cheered up whatever place she happened to be at. "Is that... are you here already? No way! Pine Tree is here early? Hope this isn't a sign of the apocalypse!" "Ha-ha, very funny," Pines stood up, greeting her with a hug. "But, actually, yeah, I hope this doesn't mean apocalypse." "What?" His best friend squinted her eyes, taking Pines' green cap off. "What are you saying, Pine Tree, what does that... wait, let me sit down," she gave the cap back as the waiter walked towards them. "Coffee, black, and bring us a round of chocolate cookies, please." The waiter nodded and went towards the kitchen. The café may have been small but it was far from empty. Nonetheless, the waiter appeared only a minute later, "here's your cookies and latte," he said, laying it all on the table before turning towards Pines. "And you, Mister Pines, need anything else?" He shook his head, his best friend thanked the waiter away. Not a second later, she leaned forward towards Pines. "He's faster than the last waiter but man, I hate it when she says Mister, as if that makes her sound more formal. But never mind that. How are you, Mister Pines? Enjoying your peppermint tea, Mister Pines? Oh, Mister Pines, why are you here so devilishly early?" Raven laughed at her own joke but, for the first time in forever, Pines didn't join her. She immediately got the hint. "No, really mean it, Pine Tree, you are never early, and that thing you said about the apocalypse..." she pushed her coffee aside, leaning on the table. "Are you alright?" "I..." Pines tried to look at his best friend but couldn't hold her gaze. "I haven't been sleeping well lately, actually I've barely slept at all these last few days. I'm tired, I really am but everytime I go to bed I... can't, I just can't, my phone..." "I thought you had a rule against using screens after 11:00 pm." "I do," Pines shrugged it off. He had lots of rules, ever since he was a child. Rules made him feel safe, secure, like he was in control. "That's how bad things have gotten. I'm starting to break my own rules, I..." He lost it. Pines let his head fall between his hands, covering his face. No tears came out but he was trembling. The pressure on his chest started to grow, suddenly it was hard to breathe, hard to... Raven's hand reached his, holding him. "It's okay," she whispered. "Whatever it is, it's okay. I'm here for you, I'm listening, Pine Tree." Pines moved back in his seat, briefly glancing at the rest of the cafe but no one was looking at them, so he inhaled anxiety and exhaled patience. Finally, Pines looked up. "I've been losing sleep because there's something on my mind," he started fidgeting with his fingers. "It's just a thought, but it's a strong one and, well, for now it's just a thought but I'm afraid it may become more than that." Raven didn't interrupt. She looked him in the eye and listened, patiently. Pines silently thanked her for that. "This is about Rose," Pines finally let out. "Rosewood," Raven repeated. She had never liked his boyfriend, Pines knew it well but Raven had always been respectful about their relationship, she had cheered them, and supported them. Being there not just for Pines but for the couple. Yet... "What with him?" "Rose and I have been dating for a year now, so..." "A year and a couple months, yeah," Raven corrected. "It's already March, right? So, yeah, you've been dating for a year and three months now. Actually, you moved in together almost exactly a year ago, didn't you?" "One year today, actually," Pines added. Raven was precise and accurate. That was one of the reasons why he -a rules fanatic- liked her so much. "God, it feels like it's been a lifetime since then and... that may be the problem." "May be?" "I don't have any concrete stuff, no proof but..." Pines felt the tremble coming back, he closed his eyes, fighting against it. He had to say it, he neededto say it. "I swear it, Raven, I swear it, Rose is acting differently, he doesn't smell he reeks of infidelity." Raven didn't ask, are you sure? She didn't dismiss it as a fantasy, nor did she play it off as a joke. She moved her hand and squeezed him tightly, holding him. "Pine Tree, I believe you, I do. But cheating is no game. How has Rosewood been acting differently? Has he done something... did you see him with someone or...?" "No, no, I... don't have any proof or anything, I..." Pines stopped, suddenly retracting into the booth. "I know how it sounds, I know I sound crazy but I swear it, I can't take this infidelity thing out of my head, I can feel it, I..." "Pine Tree, relax, I believe you, I do," Raven held him. "But you need to tell me, what makes you say that?" Pines took in a big breath. "Rose and I have been fighting a lot, for one." "Fighting about what?" "The same old things we've always fought about: he doesn't like my rules and I hate how impulsive and childish he can be." "Did he get in a fight again?" Raven asked carefully. Pines almost pierced her with the heat in his eyes. Sometimes, despite how careful Raven was, he did feel like she only focused on Rose's negative side: his impulsiveness, recklessness, and heated character. Yet, even he had to admit, Rose was more violent than he would've liked. "Please tell me he didn't get in a fight again." "He did, but not with me," Pines added quickly. "He never fights with me like that, he has never hit me, only the walls. But... last week we had this huge fight, I'm sure our neighbors heard us. I had... I was trying to remind him of one of my rules and oh, surprise, surprise, he didn't like it." "Which rule?" "Okay, I know, I know I can be uptight with so many rules, I know, I've been trying to get better but this rule is important: always talk before making a big purchase. I know Rose is loaded, second richest family in town and all that but... damn it, he's always spending these ridiculous amounts of money and half the time he tells me: it's my money, I can do with it what I want but the other he is like please help me manage it, I always spend it and my dad is angry!" "Yeah, people can be contradictory like that sometimes." "Well, the point is we got nowhere so I just said I was going to sleep at my brother's place, and I did. He, of course, punched another big hole in the wall but I didn't even care, I just got out of there." "Okay, that sucks and all but, what does that have to do with him being unfaithful?" Pines took the peppermint tea again between his hands. "It's the little things but it all started when I tried to figure out what he used that much money for." "How can you even figure that out?" "Like I said, I sometimes help him manage his accounts so his dad doesn't get mad so I have access to a few of them and... well, I got to look at the receipts," Pines took a sip of his tea. "Turns out he made a purchase in some online store for some personalized token as well as a chain made out of pure silver." "A silver necklace..." Raven thought about it for a moment. "Maybe it's a gift for you, Pine Tree." "I thought so too but," Pines took out his silver necklace, the one Rose had given him for his 16th birthday more than a year ago, the 75 cents still in it. "I always wear this. I've worn it ever since he gave it to me. It's like my dad's green cap, I'm always wearing it. Why would he give me another one?" "Well, in your necklace you have those 75 cents from when you met," Raven pointed at it. "Really sweet, but... did you find out what this new silver necklace has hanging from it?" "I called the store, pretending to be Rose, gave them the receipt number and, well, they told me," Pines nodded. "Turns out Rose ordered a necklace with a train ticket in the middle, a cut, used one." "A train ticket?" "A train ticket!" Pines almost shouted. "I've never been on Laketown's train! I always take my brother's car when I go to the city, Rose and I don't have any memory -good or bad- on a train!" "But the necklace doesn't mean he loves someone else, he may just be reusing a gift idea. Yeah, that takes away the romance from it but still, that doesn't mean he's being unfaithful." "Look," Pines replied, showing her the inscription on the back of his necklace. "Mine says this: To the best boyfriend in the world." "What does the other one say?" "I don't know, when I asked the store they got suspicious so I hung up. But before they did, they mentioned that the other one also had an inscription in the back," Pines was looking worse by the second. "Tell me it isn't suspicious, tell me it isn't weird!" Raven had to think about it for a moment. "It's weird, for sure, but has he been doing some other strange things lately, besides that?" "The latest fight he had was with the bartender," Pines took the first sip of his tea since Raven arrived. "Which at first doesn't sound impressive because he already fought him once, shortly after meeting me, but now... why did he fight him again? He wouldn't tell me but it's weird. It was at the bar, for once. Why was Rose at the bar? He hates that bartender." "Maybe Rosewood went with some friends." "Yeah, maybe but also... because of that first fight, the bar is the only place in town I never go to. Isn't that suspicious? Rose never went to the bar either, never. For an entire year, not once, and now I hear he went there? And he didn't tell me, no, I only found out because he fought the bartender." "I see what you mean," Raven took a cookie, splitting it and taking half. "What you said at first. None of these things are hard evidence of anything, it could be nothing, but put together... it's weird, it smells like something funny is going on." "Right? Right!" Pines was suddenly excited, part of him had been terrified his best friend wouldn't believe him. Heck, even part of him didn't believe himself. "But, how are things between you, too? Every time you are together you both seem very... physical with each other." "We haven't done it in over two weeks," Pines looked away. "If that's what you are asking. I haven't been in the mood and when I am, we start arguing about one thing or another. All we seem to do lately is argue." Pines stared at the grandfather clock. Something about that big old thing calmed him down. As if time somehow slowed down whenever his eyes were over the dark wood. There should be a rule against time moving too fast, he thought. Another rule, another thing Rose could hate about him, another thing that made Pines feel safer. "You should talk to him," his best friend finally confluced. "Tell him how you feel. Not accusing him of anything, not judging, just... let your feelings out. Clear the water, listen to his side of the story." "Even if I'm not sure if he's cheating?" Pines shook his head. "I'm not sure, remember there's a chance he is not cheating." "There is, you are right, Pine Tree. That's why I say, if we knew for certain Rosewood is cheating on you, I would tell you to leave him immediately. But right now... a talk seems like the right thing to do. That way you won't be acting just on a hunch. No need to collect regrets or bad karma." "Bad karma," Pines repeated, his mind flying far away. "This could all be karma, you know? I... well... I'm not proud of this but... About a year and a half ago, a month or so before I met Rose, I... had a threeway." "A threeway? You? Pine Tree, I'm shocked." "I know, I know, but I said yes because I was curious and it didn't break any of my rules... or so I thought. Turns out one of the friends I had the threeway with had a boyfriend and used me and some other guy to cheat on him." "What?" "Yeah, that friend of mine, you actually met him once. I don't think you remember his name but he always puts on this perfume that smells like fresh-cut oranges, if that rings any bells." "I think it does, maybe," Raven had to think for a second. "But, Pine Tree, that isn't bad karma, not if you didn't know. That shit is not on you, that's on your orange-smelly friend who used you to do something awful." Pines exhaled, defeated. "I thought so too but... I did feel very guilty because of that. I haven't talked to that friend since and with Rose acting all weird at the bar, fighting, and that silver necklace... it does feel like karma." "Hey, hey!" Raven passed a hand over Pine's cap, caressing him. "Look, cheating on someone is an awful thing but it is not a one man business. One of the reasons why infidelity is so complicated is because it is a dice: it has many faces, many points of view, many perspectives." Pines raised his head a little, looking at his best friend. "There's, of course, the perspective of the one who does the cheating," Pine looked at his side, his eyes resting on a pair of flowers: one orange, one blue. "The perspective of the one who witnesses the cheating," those flowers were resting on a white piece of cloth. "The point of view of those who the cheater cheats with," beyond the window there was the sun, the trees and the lake, resting. A golden sun, and dark green pine trees. "And, of course, the perspective of those who are cheated on," Pines took off his cap, looking at it, the dark green in the fabric, the small purple and red details. Pines had never thought about it like that, the sheer amount of people that could get involved in those nasty businesses. It was nothing short of amazing how each of them could look at the same stars in the night sky and yet read such different things, live such different lives, all tangled by the same web of lies. To some, infidelity was an adventure, to others heartbreak, to some more, a mistake. "I should talk to him," Pines finally realized. "You should, Pine Tree," Raven laid back, taking another cookie and the first taste of her latte since she had arrived. "You should just remember to be calm and not judge. Once you find the truth, whatever that may be... call me. I'm here for you." Pines loved how she called him Pine Tree, at first it annoyed him but he had grown to like the nickname. Now, he couldn't picture his life without his best friend, without her advice, the sound words that came out of her mouth. "Oh, and please don't go and cut off his favorite t-shirt in pieces." Pines had to shake his head. "What? Why would I do that?" "No, nevermind," Raven made a gesture with her hand. "It was a joke, a cliché, even. When girls are cheated on by their boyfriends, many usually take the boy's favorite t-shirt and cut it into pieces with scissors." "Rose's favorite shirt is, ironically, light pink... you know, because his last name is Rosewood, like rose, the shade of pink?" Pines gave her a weird look. "Sorry, I over-explained, but... that scissors thing, you are crazy, Raven. I'm sometimes scared of the things you are capable of doing."
The clouds above roared, threatening the forest with thunder. The temperature was low and, in those woods, that could only mean one thing: fog. Those big, thick, grey walls of fog Laketown was known for.
The sex wasn't great. Well, that was a lie, it was, of course. Firstly because it's sex, and secondly because Rose had one big tool and knew how to put it to good use. However, as Rose gave the last thrust into Pine's behind, the young lad realized his mind wasn't in it. Nothing, I feel nothing. Pines, on the bed on all fours, looked at his neck, the silver chain and the 75 cents bouncing with Rose's rhythm, the big curtainless windows in front of him. Nothing. Even as Rose let out a loud moan, filling him with his seed, Pines' mind was replaying his conversation with Raven, two days before. "Oh, fuckin' God," Rose let out. "I needed that, it was great, ya were great too Pines." "Too? What's that supposed to mean?" Pines turned around, still naked over the bed, and looked at Rose who was already rolling his eyes. "Never mind," the young lad got up. "But, Rose, there's something I... wait, why are you getting dressed?" "Why? I told ya I was goin' to stay with my dad today, remember?" Rose pulled his pants up. "Ya said ya would go with me." "Oh, right," Pines didn't remember agreeing to that but wasn't in the mood for a fight, not when he was about to face him. The young lad put his green cap on, a pair of briefs, jeans, and a pink shirt he found on the floor. He walked behind Rose, out of the house and into the car. Rose's dad lived at Rosewood State, a manor a few minutes outside Laketown, through the highway. Yet, as soon as Pines and Rose got inside the car, Pines saw his chance: the car was perfect. He can't walk away, he can't escape the conversation or make up an excuse, Pines realized. Plus, there's no one else, just us. No one else needs to get involved. As Rose turned the engine on, Pines took in a deep breath. "Rose..." Pines started, the atmosphere inside the car starting to cage him, the dim light, foggy windows, and cold leather seats. It's now or never, now or never. Come on, you can do it, you can do it. "Hum," Rose let out, unparking the car. "There's something... something I want to talk to you about." "Oh, my God, Pines," Rose briefly glanced at him. "Seriously? Another one of your talks? Please, no, not after we just fucked, can't I have a fuckin' second of peace? If this is another of your rules..." "Wow, you took no time getting there, eh?" Pines rolled his eyes. The car had merely moved a single meter and the conversation was already going south. "Defensive much? We haven't even started talking." For some reason, that made Rose laugh. "But I know ya, I fuckin' know ya, I know that talk means you are in fuckin' trouble in Pines language. So tell me, which rule I broke this time, come on, tell me." "Is that really how you see me? Lecturing you? I'm not your father." "No, ya ain't, he doesn't have as many rules as ya." "Why are you so fucking defensive about? I just said I wanted to talk!" Pines opened the window, the houses of Laketown passing by on the other side. "Literally, I said talk, you turned this into arguing all by yourself?" "All by myself?" Rose let out, mockingly. "Oh, then I guess all these last few days I've also been arguing with myself. Ya? Nah, ya weren't even in the house, all that shoutin' the neighbors heard was just me screaming at myself." "You don't have to be a dick about it. We said..." "We said, we said," Rose repeated with a high pitched voice. "Ya mean, one of your rules says." "What is your sudden problem with my rules? Yeah, you've always complained about them but fuck, Rose, it feels as if lately you are just looking for an excuse to argue with me." "Yeah, I'm the problem, as always, yeah," Rose shrugged it away. "Now what's this super important thin' ya wanted to talk about? Come on, spit it already. Ya already made us argue so at least made the argument worth it." "That's precisely the thing that worries me, I haven't even said what I want to talk about and you are already doing your passive-aggressive bullshit." "My bullshit?" Rose stopped the car at a red light, one of the five Laketown had. The light rain outside pounding against the windows. "That's fuckin' rich, Pines. And ya say I'm the one lookin' for an argument." "So you are going to hear me or not?" Pines let out, a little more bluntly than he would've liked. Yet, Rose didn't reply. Pines closed his eyes, took in a deep breath, and put a hand over his chest, his heart. That's when he realized the shirt he was wearing was not his, but Roses. Without looking at his boyfriend, Pines sighed. "I just wanted to... ask you something. One question, that's it. I... Rose, are you seeing someone else?" Silence. Rose, who had been arguing the entire road there, suddenly felt completely silent. Nothing around them save for the rain on the windshield, the coat of night, and the glow of the red light on their faces. "What the fuck, Pines?" Rose was grabbing the wheel with a little too much force, turning his hands blue. "How the fuck can ya just ask that out of nowhere?" "It's not out of nowhere." "Not out of nowhere? Ya just we were just... we were just talkin' and then ya said... what the fuck is wrong with ya, Pines?" "It's not out of nowhere, and you still haven't answered." "Y'are crazy," Rose shrugged it off, looking at the other side. Pines recognized the moment as that particular second Rose usually walked away -even though there was a rule against it- during fights. But we are in the car, he can't. "It's just a question, Rose." "Well it's a stupid one." "Then just say no, I'm not seeing anyone," this time Pine looked his boyfriend in the eyes, there was nowhere to go. "I'm not seeing anyone. Just say it, Rose," but his boyfriend stayed still, quiet behind the will. "Come on, Rose... say it. Say it..." as the light on their faces turned green, the car stayed still in the middle of the street. Pines' face turned white. "Oh, my God." "Pines..." "Oh, my God, really? FUCKING REALLY?" Pines opened his mouth, trying to grasp for air, his chest crushing under the weight of an elephant; and suddenly, the car wasn't big enough, the atmosphere stagnant, the world collapsing before his eyes. "Shit, shit, SHIT!" "Pines, no, Pines..." Rose could barely hold the wheel. "I... I didn't... I didn't say anythin'..." "That's the...! You didn't...! You can't say it, can you?" Pines' eyes started to tear up. "You can't say it because it isn't true, right? Oh, my God, I'm such an idiot! I... I was right, damn it, I can't believe it, I was right." "What? What are ya talkin' about? I... Pines... I didn't... I just don't want to hurt ya, ya know?" "A little too late for that," Pines stared at the window, the car still moving as they were leaving Laketown, moving into the highway, surrounded by trees. "And I'm talking about why you never let go of any chance to fight with me. Two minutes ago, I said `I want to talk' and just with that, you argued!" "That's your fault! You have so many rules I..." Rose blinked. "And so what? We fight a lot, so what? That doesn't mean I'm cheating on ya!" "Yeah? And what about you sneaking into the bar? The only place in the whole town I never go to? What about the silver necklace you ordered, the one with a train ticket hanging from it? Eh?!" "How do ya...? Were ya goin' through my stuff?!" "You ordered an exact replica of the necklace you gave me! But with a train ticket inside! I've never been in a train and you sure as hell didn't give it to me so did you give it to your lover? Your affair?" "Who said anythin' about an affair!" "You are not denying it, Rose! If you didn't do it then say it! Fucking say it!" "I... what... I..." Rose pressed his hand against the wheel, the highway nearing the lake, dark and gloom under the moonlight. "I..." "See?! You can't even deny it! Fuck!" Pines hit the door of the car. "Is the train where you met him? Did you two fuck there?" "There is no train! Ya..." "Did you meet him on the train?!" "I didn't..." "Did you fuck on the train?" "We didn't..." Pines stopped, backing down as Rose turned pale, realizing what he had just said. We. Pines was crying, full on crying, tears rolling down his cheeks. It was sadness, it was anger, and it was betrayal. "We..." Pines repeated, chuckling with fury, laughing in pain. "We, you and him," he thought about opening the door of the car and jumping into the forest but that's when he noticed... he was wearing Rose's pink shirt. He had gotten dressed so fast he hadn't noticed, and then Raven's words came to him. I wish I had scissors here, but still I can do this.... Pines took hold of one of the buttons and popped it, completely destroying it, he tore the sleeve, then the rest of the buttons. "Is that my shirt? What are ya...? Stop! Ya are goin' to...!" "No!" Pines threw the buttons at him. "No! You don't get to tell me what to do! You ungrateful bastard, you don't deserve me!" "I don't... I don't deserve ya?" Surprisingly, Rose laughed with that. "Are ya fuckin' kiddin' me? I bought a fuckin' house for ya, Pines! A house! And instead of ya bein' grateful, ya got mad at me for it!" "This again?! You bought it without asking!" "It's a free house! Say thank you, next time, instead of bitchin' around!" Just then, they drove past the Rosewood State, but neither of them cared. "If not for me ya'd still be livin' in that shithole with your brother!" "Oh, my God! Sorry for not being born to a rich family! But I never asked you for that house! I never asked for this necklace! You chose to give it to me and even if it hadn't been that way, you have no right to go fuck someone else!" "I didn't f... say that again and I'll..." "You'll what? Hit me like the bartender?" Pines teased. "You know? Knowing you I'm surprised you still haven't punched another hole in the wall or even hit me. Although, why would you? You already betrayed me." Rose started pressing harder and harder on the wheel, a vein popping on his forehead. "Are ya say that because ya actually feel it or are ya just sayin' it because its what your stupid rules tell ya, ya should feel?" The clouds above roared, threatening the forest with thunder. The temperature was low and, in those woods, that could only mean one thing: fog. Those big, thick, grey walls of fog Laketown was known for. "Why do you always bring that up?! I'm not the control freak..." "Like hell ya aren't." "I'm not! I just like order and... Rose, don't go so fast the fog's..." "See?" Rose ignored him. "Rose don't do this, Rose don't do that! My God, Pines, ya have a fuckin' leash around my neck! I feel like y'are always bossin' me around, it's like I can't do anythin' without consultin' ya first! Even my share of my family's money..." "You asked me to oversee that!" "No, Pines," Rose's veins popped harder. "Ya asked me to oversee that! Ya are so far up your own shit ya can't even tell anymore! I can't breathe when I'm with ya, I... ya know? So what if I fucked someone? I thought..." "Rose, don't go so fast, the fog..." "...it was a mistake when it happened but ya know what?! I fuckin' liked it! And I'm not talkin' about the sex, I'm talkin' about bein' with someone who doesn't fuckin' asphyxiate ya every..." "Rose..." His boyfriend let go of the wheel, his hands wrapping around Pines neck, pressing hard against his windpipe. "...stupid second of your gooddamed..." The fog was as think as a wall. "ROSE!"