Cabin Fever

Chapter One

Wilford was sitting at his desk, planning his next expedition when he noticed the headline in the newspaper he picked up this morning and then threw it onto his desk. I forgot about it for hours until now. He must have read the headline three or four times, his heart pounding against his chest as a small smile formed on his face. 'Damien Doom was elected mayor of the city. He could hardly believe it. He and Damien had been friends since childhood, and they had grown up dreaming of making a difference in their hometown. Over the years, they both worked hard to achieve their goals, but Wilford never imagined that Damien would become the mayor. He felt slightly guilty at the thought. Of course, he knew Damien wanted to make a difference; the younger man spoke of it often when they were children. Wilford and his sister Celine would roll their eyes and tell him to pick a new dream because he would be upset when it didn't come true. Wilford would have to remind himself to scold himself later; he felt so proud of his friend and wanted to celebrate this momentous occasion. He immediately picked up his phone and dialed Damien's number. "Dames! I just saw the news. Congratulations!" Wilford shouted excitedly into the phone.

The other male chuckled lowly and said, "Thanks, Wilford. I'm still in shock, to be honest. It's a big responsibility, but I'm ready for it," Damien replied, sounding a little overwhelmed.

The older male snorted, "There is no reason for you to be nervous; I know you'll do great. But let's not talk about work right now. We need to celebrate!" Wilford exclaimed excitedly.

"What did you have in mind, Will?" Damien asked.

"We haven't been up to the cabin in a while; how about we take the weekend and go there before you become too busy?" He suggested holding out a hand.

"Are we bringing Celine and Mark?" The other male was questioned.

It wasn't old news that Wilford and Mark were best friends, and Wilford felt a spark of rage ignite in his chest. Recently, though, Wilford wishes he could take back the words he said because the two have been arguing nonstop and putting the Doom siblings in the thick of it. The fact that Mark and Celine were in love was also old news; despite Wilford's expressed worries, all he could do was watch his childhood companions from the sidelines. With a sigh, the man pinched the bridge of his nose. His instinct told him to invite the others, but his logical mind was raising red flags. This might be his moment to finally tell the mayor how he felt since he could talk to Damien and not get into a fight with Mark while they were alone.

"No, I thought it was just us. I'm sure once Mark hears the word, he'll want to throw you a flashy party." Wilford joked.

It was Damien's turn to snort, "Yeah, you're right, I'll finish up my meetings for the day and then head over to your office." He explained.

The older male opened and closed his mouth a few times, swallowing as he glanced around his messy office. He still hadn't had a chance to clean it since he had gotten back from Brazil. After clearing his throat, the male shook his head. "How about we meet at your place? I don't want the public to find out we are meeting and making a big deal out of nothing." He suggested.

"Good point, alright. See you at seven, then, Will." Damien said.

"See you then, Dames," Wilford replied before hanging up.

***

Damien had just finished a long day of meetings and press conferences. As he walked out of City Hall, he breathed a sigh of relief. He wasn't even mayor yet, and everyone wanted to either have an interview with him or take his picture for a few hundred dollars. The younger male pushed work to the back of his head, quickly walking down the large steps of the building, and disappeared into the sea of people. As he walked down the street towards Wilford's apartment, he couldn't help but think about how much his life had changed in such a short amount of time. Just a few months ago, he was a regular guy, working hard to make a name for himself in the world of politics. Celebrating his sister's wedding with his second best friend, as well as watching Wilford leave for Brazil.