Best Friends Forever; Chapter 2: His Other Friends
Chapter 1
The link to the first chapter is above. This is a follow up to the my Reed redemption story. I really enjoy the idea of regretfully bi disaster Reed just trying to make things right.
Also I know it's kind of a mess but please be kind and thank you for reading.
TJ knows he could of done a lot to avoid this mess but he didn't. And now he knows he is screwed. In the group chat earlier that day he asked if anyone wanted to get lunch and of course everyone was down for The Spoon. So now he sits surrounded by his boyfriend, Cyrus; his sister, Amber; her girlfriend, Andi; Marty, Buffy, and Jonah. On most days this wouldn't be a big deal but today he may have neglected to mention some information.
The bell to the door rings, drawing TJ's attention to the front of the restaurant. Crap, he thinks to himself. It's Reed. It wasn't that he was not happy to see the other blonde, in fact he is the one that invited him. It's just that he did not let any of his friends know that Reed was coming.
A few weeks ago, Reed and TJ began talking again, working to rebuild their friendship. They have been hanging out and texting. He had told Reed that he was going to tell his other friends. But every time he tried, he wasn't sure how to go about it. He knew that even though his friends were good people, they could be a little judgy. So he kept putting it off. Even today he told himself that he was going to tell them before he got here but he didn't. For the past 20 minutes, he just kept panicking internally. Even Cyrus doesn't know.
Buffy sees Reed standing at the door. She leans into the table to whisper. "There's Reed. I wonder what kind of trouble he is going to start to day." She jokes.
"Um actually…" TJ begins to whisper before Andi cuts him off.
She frantically whispers, "Oh my god, he's coming over here, why?"
Moments before Reed is at the table. TJ finally whispers. "I invited him."
All anyone can do is stare at him in shock because Reed was now at the table. He stands nervously near TJ. He tries to put on a friendly smile as he looks around the table. No one is saying anything. TJ clears his throat and says "Hey man, grab a seat." He scoots over closer to Cyrus so that Reed could squeeze a chair in, putting him directly between TJ and Buffy. Buffy noticeably moves her chair closer to Marty and away from Reed.
TJ tries desperately for this to work. He introduces everyone to Reed. He stutters a little when he goes to re-introduce Cyrus, remembering the last time these two met. The only person to actually say hi back was Amber, who has known the boy as long as TJ has. When she does, Andi shoots her a confused look that she just shrugs off.
Reed could feel the tension in the air as everyone stared at him even with TJ's attempt to avoid the awkwardness. Reed decides maybe it would be best to try and make some amends. He was so happy having a friend again in TJ, so he really wanted TJ's other friends to like him. Maybe that way he could do things like sit with them at lunch so he didn't feel so alone. He really wants to try. TJ had had this idea for The Spoon so he decided to give it a shot. He takes a shaky breath and begins to speak.
"I know this is weird and uncomfortable. But um I really want to be open and clear the air." He cringes at how lame that sounded before continuing. "First I want to say that I'm really sorry, Cyrus for...what happened." Cyrus gives a tense nod, still not saying anything. TJ flashes Reed a smile, showing his support for his anxious friend. So Reed keeps going. "I have been trying to be better, you know? I haven't touched…" he lowers his voice. "a gun since that happened. It was really dumb for me to bring that. So I want to make up for that. I am an open book. Anything you guys want to know?"
Buffy doesn't hesitate. In a sharp, biting tone she asks, "Yea I want to know when the next time you plan on making that mistake again? And will Cyrus be around this time? Just want to know so I can be prepared for it when you put my best friend's life in danger." She glares. Marty grabs her hand under the table to calm her down. It does not work.
"Buffy…." Reed starts before being cut off by her again.
"No, Reed. Also how long before you start hitting on one of us even though we are all in relationships? That's what you like to do right? Wreck things for everyone else."
"I'm not in a relationship." Jonah interjects. Andi elbows him in the ribs. "Not the point, Jonah." She whispers.
Reed, meets Buffy's eyes. "Those were mistakes…"
"Well, you seem to make a lot of those." She says coldly.
Everyone sits dumbfounded at the table except for TJ. "Buffy could you stop for like 2 minutes?"
"Absolutely not. TJ! He put Cyrus' life at risk! I thought you of all people would understand that!" She raises her voice.
Reed is looking down at the table. He doesn't dare make eye contact with anyone. TJ meanwhile retorts. "I do understand that but you don't know everything! Reed isn't just a bad guy! He has been my best friend since we were little."
She snaps back. "And Cyrus has been mine and I don't want anything to do with anyone who could ever put him in that position he was in that day."
They stopped yelling when the hear the sound of a chair pushing out. Reed hurriedly gets up and walks to the door. TJ instinctively gets up and goes after him. He stops him on the sidewalk outside the diner.
"Reed…"
Reed whips around to stare at TJ. He says "This was a stupid idea, man. I shouldn't have come here. I knew they were never going to give me another chance."
"Buffy is just stubborn, she'll come around."
"No she won't...and you know it. You didn't even bother to tell them I was coming today, did you?"
"It's not like that, I just didn't know how."
"Yea, because you knew deep inside that they would never go for it. "
TJ doesn't know how to reply. He gives the other blonde a guilty frown. Reed lets out a sigh. "Just go back to your other friends. I'll be fine. Text me later if you feel like it." He says sadly and just walks away.
TJ heads back into where his friends are sitting. He sits down to a quiet table. Cyrus instinctively grabs TJ's hand when he notices how Tense TJ looks. Buffy speaks first. "What were you thinking bring him here, Kippen?" She hasn't called him by his last name for a while. 'Are you out of your mind?"
Cyrus interjects "Buffy, I'm sure he has a good explanation...please don't jump down his throat." Cyrus turns to TJ obviously waiting for his boyfriend to explain.
TJ keeps his eyes on the table. "I know I should have said something, but Reed and I started hanging out again."
"When?" Cyrus questions.
"Remember a few weeks ago, when he caught us talking about him? Well I when I went after him, we ended up talking and I don't know, I just...realized how much I missed being his friend. We started hanging out more and he knows he made mistakes but he is trying to be better."
Cyrus' voice softly asks, "Why didn't you tell me sooner, Teej?"
Buffy answers before TJ can. "Because he knows he shouldn't be hanging out with him."
TJ shoots a glance at Buffy. "Why are you being like this?" He pleads.
"I don't understand why you are not being like this! TJ, he could of gotten Cyrus hurt or.. or killed!" The table is dead silent.
TJ lets out a defeated sigh. She is right. He looks over at Cyrus and says softly, "Underdog, if you want me to put an end to this with Reed, I will."
Cyrus shakes his head. "No, obviously he is important to you." The brunette faces Buffy. "Buffy, I love you. But I trust TJ, okay? And if he thinks Reed is worth it, then I don't see why we shouldn't give him a chance."
"Cyrus", Buffy says quietly, "I don't want you to get hurt "
Cyrus gives her an understanding smile. "I won't, I promise. I can look out for myself."
TJ can't stop staring at his amazing boyfriend. He is so understanding and wonderful. He still cannot fathom how he got this lucky. His thoughts were broken by the sound of his sister's voice. "I'm actually really glad you guys are talking again." She smiles as he looks at her. "He always had your back. I was actually surprised when you told me you two weren't friends anymore a few years ago, especially after all he has been through with you."
"Yea, I guess we have been through alot together." He smiles back at her. Buffy, Jonah and Andi still seem apprehensive but stay quiet, as Cyrus, Amber, and Marty listen to TJ speak. He tells them about he and Reed grieving up together, all the good times they had. All the times Reed stood up for TJ when other kids were mean.(Reed and the Kippens had gone to the other elementary school in town, meaning they had never crossed paths with the GHC until middle school.)
While listening to his boyfriend speak, Cyrus figured out what he had to do. He could see how important Reed was to TJ. Also anyone that cared for TJ that much, who stood up for him when no one else would, couldn't be all bad. Maybe Reed was worth a little effort? Maybe he did deserve a second chance.
******************
Reed sat in his room, blasting his music far too loud in hopes he could drown out all the thoughts racing in his head. He felt so defeated. He had worked so hard to try and make things right with TJ, and he really wanted TJ's other friends to like him so maybe he wouldn't have to just settle for having a sometimes friend, a friend that could only hang out with him when all the rest were too busy.
He lays on his side, lost in the flood of anger and sadness that he had been working so hard to get past. Maybe Buffy was right? Maybe what he did was too bad to forgiven? His phone is vibrating on his desk with texts from TJ. He ignores it, not being able to face the messages that popped up on his glowing screen.
Fuck. He thinks to himself. He thought he was finally going to be happy again, not so lonely. But he should've known better. TJ couldn't even tell his other friends that Reed was coming. He should have known that he was asking too much. A tear starts to roll down his cheek as some Blink 182 song blasts in the background. He doesn't try to stop it. It feels like his head is an endless pit full of negative thoughts, switching between self pity and self deprecation.
He is so lost in this pit that he doesn't notice someone has come in until he hears the music click off. He sits up and turns to face the intruder. It was his mom standing near the speakers. She was wearing a sad smile on her face as she looks at the tear stained face of her son. She says softly, "Hey baby, a friend from school is downstairs. He says he has to talk to you. Can I let him up?"
Reed assumes it is TJ, though he does find it odd that his mother did not call him by his name. She has known TJ for years. Nevertheless, he nods his head. She leaves the room with another soft, reassuring smile. Moments later he hears someone climb the steps. When the person steps into the doorway, he can't believe his eyes. It wasn't TJ. It was Cyrus. The brunette timidly asks "May I come in?"
Reed simply nods his head. He tries to put on an emotionless expression to disguise the sadness that was just filling his features as Cyrus walks to a desk chair near his bed. Cyrus though can immediately see the hurt in the other boy's face. He says softly "I'm sorry."
This catches Reed off guard. He was expecting Cyrus to be mad. He though Cyrus would want to tell Reed to stay away from his boyfriend or something cliché like that. He has no idea why Cyrus would be saying sorry.
"Why...why are you apologizing to me? The blonde manages to say. "I'm the one who messed up."
"Yea. You did mess up. But you already apologized, and from talking Teej, I know you haven't made that mistake since. So it is my turn to apologize. I shouldn't have judged you so harshly." Cyrus says in a sincere voice.
"Really?"
"Yea, I was really freaked out when I saw the gun. I was so freaked out that when TJ told me that you two weren't friends anymore, I was content with ignoring the fact you two had history. I didn't see you as a real person, just this one-dimensional guy. I didn't even bother to give you another chance, or even encourage TJ to. Which was wrong. You were actually really nice to me before the gun thing. I didn't even thank you for letting me borrow your helmet and pads when TJ's were too big." Cyrus' face lights up into a big smile.
Reed gives a small smile back. "I...I really appreciate that. " He lets out a little laugh. "Want to hear something dumb?"
"Yeah, sure."
"I was trying so hard to impress you that day. I was even trying to flirt with you."
"Wait, really? I thought I was reading too much into that!"
"Nope, I was definitely trying to flirt. But don't worry, it's not because I had a crush on you or anything. I'm not going to try and steal you away from TJ." He laughs again. "I was trying to make TJ jealous because it was so obvious that he was into you and I wanted him to make his move."
Cyrus blushes like crazy. "You knew he liked me back then? Did he tell you?"
"What do you think?" Reed retorts. "Of course he never said it out loud. But it was so plain to see whenever he talked about you!"
"Well, thanks for trying to be TJ's wingman, even if it went terribly wrong."
"What can I say? I am not always the best at thinking things out. But TJ was...and I hope still is...my best friend. There is almost nothing I wouldn't do for him. Even when we weren't talking, I still cared about him. That's why I am glad he has someone who cares about him as much as you do." Reed gives off a bright smile.
"And I am glad he has a friend like you." Cyrus beams back. "Hey, can I ask you something?"
"Yea, go right ahead."
"You don't have to answer if you don't want to but...why did you break Tyler and his girlfriend up a few weeks ago?"
"Well...um like I told TJ, I was pretty lonely and it felt good to be in control. But...also." He looks away.
"What?" Cyrus urges.
"You can't tell TJ, okay? I don't want to bring up bad memories for him."
"Bad memories. What kind of bad memories?"
"Well, Tyler went to the same elementary school as me, TJ and Amber. Obviously he was in Amber's grade because they are both seniors now. There was a day at recess when we were in the first grade so he was a third grader. Amber had gone home sick that day and apparently she had usually forced him to not bother TJ. But since she wasn't there, he came up to us and started calling TJ a girl and all these really shitty transphobic things. And then TJ started to cry so I kicked Tyler in the…you know." At that Cyrus laughs despite himself.
Reed continues. "So fast forward to now, and I know he has forgotten about it, but I haven't. I made out with his girlfriend when she came onto me. I thought it would be good enough revenge because part of me still cared about TJ and how sad it made me seeing him cry. But then one day in the hall after seeing you guys at the lockers looking so happy, I felt like trash. So I decided to kill two birds with one stone. I knew he was a closet case and it didn't take long to get to him. For a few moments it felt nice. Someone wanted me, you know? But it like also felt good to make him feel as bad as he made TJ feel back then. But then it didn't feel good anymore. And I regret it. It was stupid. I know I am not a good person."
Cyrus gives him an understanding smile. "Yea, it was stupid but...i don't think you aren't a good person. I love that you care so much for TJ. He told me you were the first person he ever came out to and that you were always protective of him. Maybe just work on impulsive decisions?" Cyrus cracks a smile.
Reed chuckles back. "Thank you...and I'll try."
"Good. So… do you have any embarrassing stories of TJ from when you were younger?" Cyrus jokes.
"Plenty." Reed gives a devilish grin.
The boy spent the rest of the afternoon trading stories about TJ and getting to know each other. To all his friends' surprise, Cyrus even sits with Reed the next day in the cafeteria at lunch, prompting them all to join. TJ happily sat between his best friend and his boyfriend.Even if there is work to be done still, school was now a less lonely place for Reed.