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"Now, we all know what happens at the end of our fable." Storyteller Two says.
"Maizy and Beau are a'livin their happy ever after." Storyteller One responds. "The pair was happily married at the altar, just like they've wanted before good ole grandpa Gordy came along."
"You know, I can really see the relation." Storyteller Two teases, to the response of Storyteller One's eyerolls. "Everythin' was as normal as it could be." She said. "Lulu and Gordy were awful happy as well, but life ain't without its arguments."
"Both couples had plenty of 'em." Storyteller Two agrees. "And not everyone is as lucky with romance as our four lovin' couples are. Beau, like the procrastinating mirror, had some reflecting to do."
"Here's Beau." Storyteller One interrupts. Storyteller Two hides leads Storyteller One to a cornfield, so they can watch the action.
In the corn field, Beau sits down, exhausted. His thoughts were, by no means, as wild and intriguing as Peanut's, but they certainly were able to get him throught the day. He's got a fixin' to just talk to Maizy, his fiance, but he still didn't know how much he can say to the woman who broke his achin' heart, and then came right back into his arms. Gosh, Beau doesn't remember ever getting into any arguments, not before the corn started turnin' blue, and Maizy gained a hankerin' to see a new place that wasn't Cob County. Beau's gotta admit that he wasn't peachy keen with Maizy leavin' in the first place, but he ain't never thought that Maizy would go to Tampa.
Beau admits that he was still holdin' a grudge about Gordy. He knows that, if her cousin ain't into Gordy, than she never would've breaken up with him in the first place. Lulu an' Maizy always had an admirable relationship. They were cousins, sure, but it never seemed like they were forced together by some plumb cogency. They were two peas in a pod, and, as Maizy brought up, those two couldn't even get into a proper fight. Beau knew that marrying Maizy would make Lulu not just a cousin to Maizy, but a cousin to Beau. Just like Maizy became a sister to Peanut, once marryin' Beau. That used to be fine and dandy for Beau. He liked Lulu a lot (Who couldn't?), but, now that she's with Gordy, it makes it all the more harder for Beau to put aside their differences, and just be friends with Gordy.
Peanut walked in. As if he could read his mind (And he often can), Peanut asked "You ain't lookin' so good, Beau. Like that time I blushed real hard when grandpa told me to get a beau, but I already had you."
Beau chuckled at the memory. Peanut was often loony, but, he'll tell you what, Peanut always had the ability to make the town smile. Everyone loved him, but Beau loved him the most, and he ain't sharing him with nobody who will be mean to him.
"You're right, bud." Beau said. "I ain't doin' good."
"Why not?"
A part of Beau didn't want to tell Peanut. He wouldn't understand, especially not at that moment. Then, Beau remembers the six things that he trusts: God, whiskey, his gut, his mamma, his brother, and his dog. The only folks listenin' were his brother and God, though his little pup, Corngi, may overhear whatever he's sayin'. "I don't know, man. Still can't get over Gordy."
"Just like how I couldn't never get over those hurdlin' things in gym class."
"Sure. Something like that." Beau cracked a smile. "Peanut, I love Maizy. I really do. She's got Gumption, and I'm sure things are over with Gordy, but she was gonna marry that man. She's only known him for a week."
Peanut didnt' say nothing. He sat and listened to Beau rant.
"Man, I wish things were how they were. Like, when I was the best man for the cows on Maizy's farm. I was like, 'if those cows got a weddin', why can't we get a weddin'?"
"Look what happened to the cows!" Peanut reminded Beau. "You were the best man at a wedding the first day, and the best man at a corn dog eatin' contest the second."
"Touche." Beau remembers. "Those cows ain't got drama though."
"Yes, they did. Their children were devestated."
"We probably ain't gonna have children."
The two storytellers smirked at each other.
"Enough about the cows. The point is, Maizy and I were livin' in high cotton until the corn died, and then Gordy came along. Thank goodness Lulu snatched him, though, right?"
Peanut looked at Beau with a smidge of sadness. "Yeah, thank goodness Lulu snatched him."
Lulu and Gordy seemed like the unconventional fit for anyone who knew them. Lulu builds walls very high. She ain't letting anybody tell her who she is, and she definitely ain't trustin' that boy from Tampa. Especially not that Episcopalian con man from Tampa. And, if there's one way to describe Lulu, it's fiercely loyal to Maizy. Almost to a fault. If she had feelings for Maizy's ex, she likely never would've admitted it. And yet, here they were. Gordy would always hang out at the whiskey store. When Beau and Maizy went out for a walk, Maizy would bring Lulu, who would usually bring Gordy ("Have you seen how he dresses? That boy looks like he's never seen a piece of clothing in his life! We gotta take him shopping."). Maizy and Gordy never seemed like they had anything going on. It always seemed completely casual, even to a plumb biased Beau. Even still, it causes him to be jealous nonetheless.
"I don't want Gordy to stop bein' our friends, or stop bein' with Lulu?"
"Do you want Gordy to leave this town?"
Beau had to ponder that for a second, until he remembered, logically, that Gordy did help to save the corn (Emphasis on help, because it was all Beau's fiance's doing, and Beau will be the first one to yell it from the rooftops). Not only that, though, he does think that he and Gordy can be friends. He ain't mean acquiantances either, no, he means full-blooded friends. Especially for Maizy. "No. I don't want Gordy to leave this town. But, what do you think, though?"
Peanut sat down, and looked up. "Well, I think that it's hard to know if somebody plays the bagpipes well. I think that all sports would be better with a bear. I think that the only thing that's worse than a cold toilet is a warm one, I think that, if pronouncing your Bs like Vs makes you sound Russian, Soviet. I think I have a crush on Gordy. And, I think, you're a damn good man, Beau." Peanut says.
"Oh no!" Storyteller two says, to you, not to Peanut or Beau. "Peanut just said that!"
"Like the guy who doesn't know who Stephen King is, he ain't thinkin' about It!" Storyteller two says, before the two kind-of-cousins go back to hiding in the bushes.
"Thanks, brother." Beau responds, gruffly. "I think that I'm a damn good man, too."
Peanut thanks the Heavens above that Beau ain't heard that one sentence. "You are, man, but what about Maizy?"
"What do you mean, what about Maizy?"
"She's a damn good woman." Peanut says, solemnly. "Y'all are a damn good couple, but do y'all think that it's always been perfect? Do you think that Maizy always was okay with staying in Cob County, because that's where you wanted 'er to be?"
"...No." Beau said, after hesitation. As per usual, Peanut was right, and said something that Beau never even thought about.
"Maizy deserves to be free to be herself. She is a woman of the world."
"Touche. I reckon that I ain't enough for her."
"You ain't." Peanut agrees. "Ain't no one lad or lass is enough for Maizy. Besides maybe, Lulu. An' that's pushin' it. Give her some trust."
"You're right. You always are. I should talk to her! Thank you, Peanut! Thank you!" Beau said, hugging Peanut, as tightly as humanly possible, before letting him go. As he's about to run off, he suddenly remembers something else that Peanut said. Not the thing abotu the bagpipes, or toilets, or bears, oh my! Ain't nothing about the Bs and Vs, but maybe the Cs. C, as in Crush. Realization hit Gordy like Lightning hit Maizy's poor mamma.
"YOUHAVEATHINGFORGORDY?" Beau asked, turning back around to Peanut.
Peanut blushed. "Uh...I...uh..."
"Peanut, look at me. Gordy is a theif. He is a liar. He is an Episcopalian, for Gods sake, Peanut. There are so many men that can treat you so much better than Gordy ever could." Beau ran back to Peanut, and was basically shaking him out of the excitement. "You ain't seen nothing. The Lord ain't put you on this world to deal with Gordy. You know what I think? I think that you're a damn good man, too, Peanut. And you deserve way better than Gordy." Beau immediately forgot every amicable interaction he has ever had with Gordy, because Peanut is Beau's brother, and his brother always comes first.
"Pobody's nerfect?" Peanut said.
"I only allow the best for my brother."
"You're going kuckoo, Beau."
The brothers laugh, as they remember when Beau first met Maizy. Almost immediatley, Beau ran up to Peanut and told him that he needed her in his life. He said that she will compliment him in everything that the two of them do. Peanut tried to remind his brother to breathe, but ain't nothing came of those reminders. "You're going kuckoo, Beau." He said then. Now, the roles are switched. Peanut's never talked about his crushes before. Beau figured it was because he didn't know what it meant to crush on a man. Therefore, seeing Peanut say that he's crushing on Gordy, and Beau immediately judging his choices, seems like it came far too late.
"I'll make a deal with you, partner." Beau said, through his giggling. "I'll make things up with Maizy...if you, please Peanut, if you try to find a crush that isn't Gordy Jackson."
"You got yourself a deal."
"Lulu ain't so lucky. She's a great woman, the perfect lass for Gordy, but she's going to have to deal with a lot. Only she's brave enough to conquer that.
"Thanks, Beau-"
"Gordy ain't even that hot anyways. Sure, I reckon that he's livin' in high cotton, and I guess his smile's cute enough and his eyes-"
"BEAU, I SAID YOU GOT YOURSELF A DEAL!"
The boys shake on it, before heading off to improve their lives.