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“You dirty cheater! How could you do this to me, to us, Goober?!” Jerry cried out, his face scrunched up with hatred and betrayal, as his eyes glistened at Goober’s. The Goober’s brows knitted in confusion as his mouth was left agape at the accusation.
“What are we talking about Jerry—”
“Don’t you call me that! I know that damn baby is yours.” The Goober was still left stunned with shock, bewilderment, and hurt. He processed what Jerry was saying for a moment or two before continuing. The other’s face red, with frustration, and arms crossed with betrayal.
“Okay then…” he sighed. “Jerome.” The two cringed with distaste at the name. “What baby are we talking about? I wouldn’t do that to you; I love you, I’d never cheat on you.” Goober tried to reassure Renault, he was oddly composed and held this sort of coolness with his words towards the other’s reaction, surprised with himself, even.
“Don’t you say you love me! If you loved me, you wouldn’t be the father to Archie’s bastard child!”
“Rumors,” The Goober shook his head. “I haven’t even been around Archie since room nine-teen’s assignment. That baby isn’t mine; what made you think it was mine?” He asked softly, but enough for Renault to hear.
“Then why does that bastard have the same oval face as you?” Water fell freely from Renault’s tear ducts, the feeling of them akin to warm water from the faucet during the July heat.
“I don’t know why, Jerry, all I know is that I love you and that baby isn’t mine.” Goober had forgotten the other’s insistence on not being called Jerry, so did he, as his face softened just the slightest. Renault turned his face away, still scrunched up, but it was more with sadness than hatred.
How could I ever hate you, Goober? He asked himself, his eyes met with the portrait of the Blessed Virgin that hung his mother’s pink rosary on its frame.
“Just because someone shares the same face shape as me doesn’t make us related. That baby has deep brown hair; if it were my child, it would either have blonde or dirty blonde hair. I don’t have that deep of a shade of brown. It could still very well be Carter’s, Obie’s, or Emile’s child, but it isn’t mine.” He explained, stepping closer to Jerry, cautiously.
“How do I know you aren’t lying, making excuses?” Renault countered, though not minding The Goober’s attempt at getting closer.
“I’ve only got eyes for you, Jerry.”
“Two things can be true at once… you could only have eyes for me while messing with other people because I don’t like that sort of stuff. Maybe I’m not enough for you or something along those lines.”
“So you think I’d cheat on you just because you don’t want to do that ?” Goober’s face flushed with embarrassment and a sort of disgust upon thinking about that.
Renault continued to not face Goober, now looking at his sneakers; the ones that had been destroyed earlier this year. “I’ve heard of it happening to others, so I assumed it would be the same with us.”
“Then I’d break up with you if I were upset about that. Also, I’d have to confess to doing that, and that’s embarrassing, so I really appreciate that we don’t do that .” Goober reassured, awkwardly patting Jerry’s shoulder. “Do you wanna listen to Yaz on your eight track, I’ll put it in.” Jerry nodded, he sighed before strolling over to the living room, plunging himself into the cushion of the sofa as if he was tackling the ball carrier on the rare occasion. There in the cushions, he could emote freely without the consequences. It was uncomfortable with the way the thick fabric bunched up on his cheeks and forehead but it was better than seeing how Goober would react to his faces he was making. He’ll have to think about the whole situation a bit more, ask Goober a bit more and get frustrated a bit more. But for now at least Midnight by Yaz was playing.