Worth it

The Lost Boys

"Lars?", Ronnie piped up seconds after his friend had yelled at him and darted away.

He was answered with the basement hatch's door slamming shut with a resounding bang that echoed through the floor, and made his stomach quiver with nausea above anything else. He always felt really gross after having a fight with his friends, especially one like this. His heart was crushed over the destruction of his first paranormal discovery. When he was feeling more up to it, he'd examine the boards on the walls again, and see what force of the unnatural was behind their activity.

Of course Ronaldo knew what other people said about him. But that was because nobody else believed in the things he and Lars did. One day, all those bullies would be thanking the two, for showing them the way. Well, at least, he was sure Lars believed in those things. They were friends after all right? And it had been Lars' money going to the sci-fi magazine subscriptions they shared, right?

Lars will come back down eventually, he reasoned, deciding to remain hopeful about this. After all, this was their clubhouse. And Lars still had a lot of his prized belongings here, like his taxidermy raven he'd done himself (with assistance by his dad), having found the dead bird fresh in the woods while on a walk. His telescope, the one he'd been dying to get for Christmas that last year, was still tucked in one of the boxes, and various toys he had cherished filled up a box in its entirety. Ronnie was more than certain Lars would want those back if he was fully serious on ditching him. He'd come back. They were friends.

The next day, he didn't return, Ronnie was fine with that. If Lars was thinking of an apology for ripping up the picture, stepping on his foot, and yelling, it would probably take some thinking over.

The next week, he didn't return. Ronnie was discouraged, but maybe Lars was just busy. It wasn't like he'd seen him at all in town. Ronnie had called his house, Lars' father picking up, explaining Lars' mother hadn't been feeling well, and that Lars was opting to stay home with her. Understandable. Ronnie would give him a week.

The next month, he didn't return. Lars sure was being stubborn. He was always stubborn, but he came around in the end. Their fights had been worse before, and they made up as fast as they could.

The next week into that month, Ronnie learned Lars' mother died. His chest hurt, knowing he was going to miss her, she'd always been so nice, but he could only imagine how much more Lars missed her. Ronnie would take a break from being annoyed at Lars' absence from their clubhouse. Maybe Lars was willing to apologize when Ronnie visited his house for the wake.

Lars didn't even come downstairs from his room. He shouted through the door only himself and Sugar were allowed to stay in there, and that Ronnie should just go away.

The week after that, Ronnie visited again, figuring Lars' anger was out of grief. Lars threatened him to go away before he made Sugar bite him. The other boy cried and ran home.

When September came and school started again, Lars didn't even speak to Ronnie on the first day of school. Instead, on the second day, he pushed him in a puddle. And laughed when other kids crowded around to beat the snot out of little Fryman.

And it was then that Ronnie realized their explorer club was down to one member: himself.

He'd ended up crying all afternoon in the lighthouse basement, moving all of Lars' things into a pile, so when that traitor felt the desire to get his stuff back, he could darn well take it. Ronnie couldn't care less about impressing people now, or trying to maintain a friendship with someone like Lars.

There were a few things Ronnie did secretly decide to keep. Lars had brought several books to put on the shelves, most of them comic books, or graphic novels, or a few wordy stories. One that had stood out was an old copy of the book Peter Pan. Lars had owned that copy since he was a baby, but never seemed to ever open it, or read it. He wouldn't miss it. Besides, after what he said and did to Ronnie, the boy wasn't sure Lars deserved to have it back.