"There's No Angry Way to Say..... Bubbles"

Sam

"Here," Sam said offering an ice pack to Sean who was sitting in his front porch. Kyle was inside his house where Jane was nursing his cut lower lip.

"So," Sam continued as he sat beside Sean who was wincing as he placed the ice pack on his left eye. "You  have something to share?"

Sean looked up and gave Sam a, "Seriously?" look.

"Give me your phone. Give it!"

Sean reluctantly gave up his phone then Sam proceeded to call Sean's girlfriend.

"She'll be here in 10 minutes."

"She's going to freak out when she sees me like this."

"Well better her than me. She's the one who should be giving you ice packs not me."

"How am I going to explain this to her?"

Sam gave a chuckle.

"You like seeing me suffer, don't you?"

Sam grinned.

"I hate you right now."

"Just answer me two questions. One. If Kyle had not provoked you, how long were you planning on keeping this charade?"

Sean was taken aback.

"And two. If you didn't have any girlfriend, would you have told Claire how you really feel about her?"

"It's not as simple as that."

"What's not simple? Why make it complicated? You like her, you know how she feels about you. What's complicated about that?"

"You don't understand!"

"Oh I do! More than you can ever imagine pal."

Sean looked at him confused.

"You've been enjoying Claire's fondness for you since day 1 you bastard!"

"Excuse me?"

"Oh what? You're shocked that I know that you've been using to your advantage Claire's feelings for you or you're shocked that I called you a bastard?"

Sean couldn't say anything. He opened his mouth to say something to defend himself but no words came out.

"Remember I told you that I'd hurt you if you hurt Claire? Well, Kyle already did that for me, now it's time you listen to every word that I will say and you use every word to make things right cause we only have a few more minutes before your girlfriend arrives."

Sean was silent.

"Good. You owe her an explanation. You owe it to her to somehow make it up to her. You've been using her feelings to your advantage for three years and that has taken so much from her. The way I see it, you can't just break up with your girlfriend and that is preventing you from fully expressing your feelings for Claire so you just sat back and enjoyed all that special attention that Claire was so willingly and foolishly giving you. So you make things right by her or I'll be the one to hurt you this time. Got it!?"

A few moments later, Sean's girlfriend arrived.

In the kitchen, Jane had just finished putting ointment on Kyle's lower lip that got cut during the fight.

"You really pushed him to his limits didn't you? Was that your plan all along? To push Sean into admitting the truth?"

"He had it coming."

"At who's expense?"

Jane and Kyle looked up and saw that it was Sam.

"I think I should leave you two to talk," Jane said as she slowly excused herself and left Sam and Kyle alone in the kitchen.

"So? How's the lip?"

"It'll live."

"I know you like her, Kyle. But are you falling for her?"

"There's no such thing. But you're right in knowing that I do like her."

"Come on Kyle, admit it! Your low EQ is not that low for your brain to finally realize that it's not just chemical attraction. You're falling for her and that's what's driving you into provoking Sean every time you get the chance."

"For someone who has a well developed EQ, you are very perceptive."

"Don't need to be a genius to know the people you care about."

"Can you blame me for.... falling for her?"

Sam didn't answer.

"She's very thoughtful. I mean, I know I am not the easiest person to be with but she puts up with me. Even leaves me coffee on my table in the faculty room. You know me. If I don't like you and you try something sweet like that, I'll give it back and say, no thanks. But with her. I enjoy it. Considering that she's still working on the getting over Sean part."

"And that is driving you absolutely nuts doesn't it? You like her but you are furious that there is still Sean in the picture. You are one nasty emotionally stunted genius."

"Again. So perceptive," Kyle said then was silent for quite a while after saying that. Heaving a deep sigh, he finally said, "She's really mad at me, isn't she?"

"She is. But she's not the unforgiving type. Look at how she is with Sean! Three years and still able to forgive him. Although now that the cat's out of the bag, it will take a lot of bubbles for her to get over this."

"Bubbles," Kyle said laughing a little. "Adorable."

"You are falling for her! You never use that word on anyone, no matter how cute they are."

"Dad's going to kill me."

"Oh yeah, that's right! Your dad and her mom. You just had dinner with them."

"You are enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Since this thing that happened to you is none of my doing, I am allowed to enjoy this one moment of your suffering."

"I am waiting for the I told you so to come."

"Have you ever heard me use that in any situation no matter how appropriate? It doesn't really help adding insult to injury."

"I am going to have to talk to her and make this right, huh?"

"Oh yes, and you will."

"That's fair. But what about you?"

"What about me?"

"When will you tell them the truth?

After Kyle left, Jane stayed behind to help Sam clean up.

"What an interesting day this turned out to be."

"It's about to get even more interesting in a few moments."

"What do you mean?"

"Jane, I have something to tell you, but you have to promise me first that no matter how much you freak out, you will not try to kill me."

"Sam, at this point, after all that has happened. Whatever it is that you're about to say will only make me more interested which will make me too excited to kill you. Spill!"

"Jane.... I......"

"What the earth!?

"I did not see that coming!"

"That is because I did not allow you to see it ever coming."

"So what does this all mean?"

"Patience. All will be revealed. It is already unfolding. Just let it happen."

"Don't you dare say it!" one of the unseen beings snapped at the one who came with the Big Guy.

"Bubbles," it whispered.