Similarly Opposites

Chapter One: Ben POV

        I sit on my front porch and sigh. Today is the day. The day that the big business pig comes to take away the potato farm that has been in my family for generations. Apparently I'm the only one who values it anymore, because no matter how much I yelled, my pig parents still sold it as soon as they got the purchase offer from Sony. They were so quick to pack up their bags with the money and run. Greedy pigs. Both of them.

        It all started with the downfall of console gaming. It was so limited and rigid, that it didn't take long for PC gaming to swoop in and crumble that industry. Microsoft was damaged some, but not beyond repair, because they were already in the computer business, and they were the first to immerse themselves in the PC gaming market. Sony ditched the PlayStation before it all fell apart, and had just enough money to switch as well. Nintendo wasn't so lucky. It's latest consoles and hand-helds were complete flops, as one could have predicted they would be even ten years ago, and they were too blind to see it coming. Needless to say, there is no more Nintendo.

        After console gaming fell, the two surviving big pig companies made a surplus of profit due to the success of PC gaming. They didn't know what to do with all of it. They expanded, sure, but they couldn't just make entire cities of Sony and Microsoft buildings. Since Microsoft was ahead, they got this absolutely brilliant (godawful) idea into their heads that they would buy out the potato industry, since all they had to do with their new gaming platform was sit there and let things happen. Sony was quick to follow, and soon enough, I found myself where I am today. Perched on my (Sony's) porch, waiting to be evicted.

        I glare daggers up at the sky. One of the big guys himself is get me off the farm land himself, the son of Sony's CEO, or so I was told. Ha. What a joke that was. I chuckle to myself bitterly. He won't come. He'll probably be too busy or too lazy to do the job himself. An intern will be here in his place. Not that I care. They're all the same greedy pigs as far as I'm concerned. All they see in my farm is money. Blind to the soul and heart that resides in the soil. Leaving me nothing to do but sit here defiantly until they drive me away. I don't even know where I'll go. And they won't care. I won't cross the minds of the big guy, or his intern even, once I'm out of sight. Crushing the small. All in a days work.

        Instead of sitting here pissed, I figure I might as well walk around one last time. I rise to my feet and look around. In a month from now, I would have been harvesting. I shake my head and discard the thought. Moping isn't in my nature, no reason to start now.

        As I'm strolling by the fields, there's that sound I've been dreading and expecting. A shining red Viper pulling in my gravel drive. Wait, what? Aren't those expensive? It can't be an intern then. I'm genuinely surprised. Not even sure how to take this. I do the only thing I can do at the moment and walk back over to where he's parked, but not without a prominent scowl on my face.

        A tall, thin, man steps out of the lavish vehicle. His black hair is slicked back, and his facial features are all very well defined. Seems he was driving it himself. I was under the impression they had people to drive for them. Weird.

        When he sees me, his smile falters for a minute, his bright blue eyes widening for some reason. But he regains his composure after a second. Hasn't he ever seen a commoner before? What were you expecting pig, another fake man in a suit? I scoff and cross my arms, waiting for this guy to speak up already.

        "Ahem. Hello there, Mister, Benjamin Walters is it? My name is Mike McClain, successor to-"

        I cut him off. "Didn't ask, "sir"." I spit the last word with venom. "You're here to take something precious of mine, don't act all up tight and mighty about it."

        "But, didn't your family accept the offer? If I heard correctly, you all were quite eager to accept." He frowns and tilts his head as he speaks.

        "If the place was in my name, I woulda told Sony to take their offer and go to hell with it." I sneer at him. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep my temper with whoever showed up. I've never been more angry about something in my life, I mean come on, I'm losing the only that means anything to me anymore.

        "I. Um." Cat got his tongue it would seem. Ha. "Excuse me. I can tell you're quite distressed about this. But what's done is done, and this is company property from here on out. As upset as you are, you still have to leave eventually. Must we really be on such bad terms though? We just met sir."

        Double ha. Using a formal pronoun on somebody like me. I don't understand the wealthy at all. "The terms we're on aren't going to matter. I just wanted you to see what a someone who isn't a corrupt money hungry pig looks like before these" I gesture to the fields, "become Sony potatoes. I'll be going now."

        I begin to walk away from this Mike to my truck, when I feel a hand on my shoulder. "Let me reiterate, Ben. I, er, want to be on good terms." He what? How does he think that's possible?

        "Huh? Good terms? You know how odd that comes off? Like, hey, this farm isn't yours anymore, take a hike, but let's be on good terms about it."

        I turn around, eyes narrowed to get a good look at this fool. He's wringing his hands and avoiding my eyes. Okay then? I'll stay put for a minute longer, because I'd be lying if I said I'm not really confused but also really curious right now.

        He clears his throat again. "My father always told me, if you want to take a chance, do it immediately. You don't wait for a next time that may or may not happen." Great. He wants to try to justify the sale. It's done buddy. I. Don't. Care. "So. I. You're, uh, pretty cute, can I take you out on a date?" He's speaking quickly and his face is becoming flushed, this doesn't look like some joke.

        Can he what?!