Winner Takes All

Foreword: This is a story that I have been working on for nearly a year now. It is finally done. I would like to say that although it was inspired by actual events the characters are figments of my imagination. If you find any resemblences to your life, put down any sharp objects, step away from the vehicle and remember: crack kills. With that said, read on!

         The air was sharp with the pungent scent of chlorine. The water in the pool churned as the swimmers pushed their bodies to their limits. The walls echoed back the encouraging cheers of the teams and the spectators. It was the final stretch and there was only one thing on everyone's mind- victory. One swimmer shot forward from the rest, his arms cutting through the water with the ease of a sea creature. He quickly neared the end of the lane. His hand shot out and touched the edge of the pool creating a new state record. A split second later the rest of the swimmers touched the edge. As far as the winner could see they were all losers: even his own twin.

         With a sigh he languidly dragged himself out of the pool. The lights highlighted his sleek tanned body and the rivulets of water that rolled off his lean muscles. In an instant he was surrounded by his fellow teammates and overwhelmed with congratulations. The spectators cheered, stomped and hollered their excitement. Happiness bubbled in his veins like expensive champagne, leaving him lightheaded as if he were drunk on joy. He pulled off his swimming cap and goggles exposing his dark hair and hazel eyes. His coach soon cut through the thrilled cluster that surrounded the victor, and he excitedly congratulated the team on their hard efforts that won the Championship. As the coach spoke, his eyes were rested on his prize swimmer and he directed his words to him more than anyone else on the team. The winner's chest swelled with pride and his eyes momentarily glistened with what in another man's eyes might have been tears of joy. That glimmer was gone in an instant; it could have been the glare of the lights. A pair of eyes identical to his came into view; it could have been a mirror image if it were not for the disgruntled expression and the hot angry stare. The winner quickly looked away; nothing was going to sour this experience for him, nothing.

          Alex hung back slightly from the mob scene that surrounded his brother. A sense of bitterness overcame any feeling of triumph in the victory. Not only did Aaron win, Alex thought resentfully, but broke yet another record. He could have stomached another teammate coming in first; even the opposing team could have beaten him with little consequence. Only it was Aaron, the golden boy, who beat him.

         "Great job Alex!" Fellow teammate Rick emerged from the crowd of admirers that surrounded Aaron and energetically thumped Alex on the back. "You guys totally killed out there. I can't believe we won. I wish you could have seen the look on everybody's face when Aaron came in first and,” He paused when he saw the look on Alex's face. Rick continued with false cheer, “You were terrific too, I mean, wow, second place. That's pretty good, I mean, after all the competition was stiff and..." Rick's voice trailed off. "I got to go, I'll see you later."

         "Later." Alex mumbled to Rick's retreating back. As he turned to leave he was intercepted by his coach and then later, his parents. On the drive home he was silent as his family animatedly discussed the outcome of the meet. Alex brooded darkly over those events. Aaron’s triumph felt like knife imbedded in his gut and every excited smile aimed at him twisted that blade round and round till he could barely stand it. Alex looked at the beaming face of his twin and then thought with a grim little smile, he can always beat him next time, if not in swimming then in something else.

          The next morning, Alex and Aaron were racing, not each other but against time. They were going to be late to school, again. Since Alex had won the breakfast derby- he gulped down his cereal faster than Aaron and made it out to the car first- he was behind the wheel. After committing more than one traffic violation, he pulled into the student parking lot thanking God for the lack of vigilant police officers. As Alex strolled in he realized that he had made good time and they were not late after all. Then he heard the first warning bell. Well, not too late, he thought as he absently slammed his locker shut and quickly shuffled off to homeroom.

         Upon arriving at homeroom, he saw that his dear star brother was surrounded by a group of students listening to him retell, with all melodramatic importance, the previous night's victory and his new record. Alex shot him a furious glance as he slumped into his seat. Aaron merely smiled and continued talking, embroidering the tale as he went along. When the announcements came on, the news of the victory and the new record were retold and Aaron received a round of applause from his fellow students. A socially acceptable demure grin graced Aaron’s handsome face while his chest puffed up and all but burst with pride. As the announcements continued, the achievements of the other notable members were also reported. Alex then received his own round of applause and congratulations. He smirked smugly at his twin, his eyes aglow with triumph.

          Alex spent the rest of the day walking on air. Finally everyone was acknowledging his hard work, he thought. As he strolled towards his locker he thought of all the attention he was showered with and all the girls he had impressed. He even had some of the guys jealous. Alex began to whistle a merry tune as he twirled the combination on his lock. The melody died on his lips when he heard a voice, unmistakably that of his twin, talking to a girl. It was not just any old girl, it was her.

          Alex looked up and locked his sight on her. His eyes took in her tousled auburn curls, flushed face and bubblegum pink lips. He saw her slender hands skittishly flutter like butterflies as her dazzling smile lit up his world. Alex felt the stirring of a strange feeling. It was soft and quiet, like her, and strangely seductive. The alien desire swelled in his chest and flooded his brain, overwhelming all reason. Before he could even fully comprehend the magnitude of the emotion it was crushed by the green eyed monster. Aaron, always Aaron, Alex thought angrily. He stalked away annoyed, the notebook that he had sought forgotten in the heat of his fury. As he walked away, a voice deep inside briefly asked tentatively what it was about her that plagued him so. Was it the way she talked, walked or acted? Or was it the fact that she may be the only thing in the world that his twin conquered that he can not win from him. Alex hastily pushed those troublesome thoughts from his mind but fiercely held on to the rancor that simmered in his system.

          The pent up resentment eventually came back to haunt him when a rash comment passed his lips in the presence of the dean. The administrator did not find the comment nor the flurry of excuses and the hailstorm of accusations that followed amusing, not one bit. The next Tuesday afternoon found Alex sitting in a musty classroom writing I will not use profane language when addressing an authority figure two hundred times on the blackboard. When he finally was through his hand felt as if it had written out the whole Encyclopedia Britannica two thousand times. As he walked towards the student parking lot he massaged his sore wrist and mumbled out a few choice swear words under his breath. Absorbed in his physical discomfort and annoyed over missing swim practice because of detention, Alex was not watching were he was going. He had he done so, he would have seen Heather long before he run her over. Heather could have avoided colliding with the preoccupied boy if she was not wrapped up in her usual romantic fantasy about Aaron, her prince charming, pledging his undying love to her.

         The two teens walked into each other and Heather, being very light, bounced right off of Alex's chest. Her attempt to right herself by way of his shirt front only succeeded in dragging them both to the ground. So there they lay, Alex sprawled on Heather, faces mere centimeters apart. Alex was too shocked to move immediately. He looked right into her eyes, something he never really bothered to do with most people, even his parents. As he stared he caught a glimpse of something, a sparkle or a gleam, whatever it was he never had seen it before. Even when he hurriedly scrambled off of her and took a few steps back he could still see it. Alex felt his thoughts mist over and his heart pound. Then perversely, in the back of his mind, ugly images of her and his twin began to form, violently dashing away the sweet cotton candy cloud that enveloped his brain. Heather and Aaron were together, happy and mocking, yes mocking him behind his back. His eyes narrowed and he gave her a fierce glare, his bitterness back with a vengeance.

         "Why don't you watch were you're going?" Alex asked contemptuously.

         "Me!" Heather exclaimed. "You ran me over. You knocked me down and practically crushed me."

         "Oh yeah? Well I wouldn't have fallen on top of you if you hadn't yanked me down when you fell. You're the klutz, not me."

         "Klutz! What? This is all your fault, not mine." Heather cried bewildered. She was stunned at all the venom he was spewing at her out of nowhere.

          "I know you are after my brother.” Alex continued perversely. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed. I know Aaron and I know exactly what he thinks of you. And you know what? He throws out all the stupid sentimental junk you give him." Alex stared mesmerized as Heather's eyes filled with tears. His heart nearly shattered as a few renegade drops escaped her lashes and trickled down her cheeks. She hastily brushed the moisture away and turned to flee. Impulsively, Alex reached out and caught Heather’s arm, detaining her.

          “He can never love you.” Alex said hoarsely as if he were forcing the words out, his tongue heavy with the weight of things left unsaid. The sickeningly saccharine haze was returning and he slowly relaxed his tight grip. He leaned in with his heart in his throat and tenderly brushed his lips lightly along her supple cheek, inhaling her sweet scent. Alex felt her recoil instantly. Heather pulled away sharply, awarded him with a look of utter loathing and with all the dignity she could muster, turned to walk away. He watched her as she headed down the corridor and disappeared around a corner.

         Alex lingered for a few moments longer, fighting the burning sensation behind his eyelids and trying to swallow around the sour lump in his throat. His face felt hot and when he touched his cheeks he found them damp. The tickle in his throat was worsening and he felt truly weak in the knees. He dejectedly looked down at the glossy linoleum floor and saw reflected there a defeated young man choking on his sobs. The image dried Alex’s eyes and made the blood in his veins run cold. With the iron fist of his will, he exorcised those feelings of despair. He straightened his shoulders like a solder off to battle with all the pride of a knight in shining armor. As he walked away he did not hear or choose to hear the hollow sound his footsteps made in the empty hall that still smelt of her perfume.

         In the weeks that followed, Aaron began to notice changes in his daily routine. They were slight, barely perceptible differences but yet they disrupted the orderly calm of his world like a boulder dropped into a still pond. Heather, who often stopped to chat with him for a while, avoided him like the plague. That he found rather odd, she seemed to always have an extra minute or two on her hands and was always available. He never had to show off for her because of her perpetual state of awe and admiration. She was a balm to his ego and now that that was denied, Aaron felt almost cheated. Almost.

         The next occurrence was just as unusual. Every last one of the things Heather gave him, from small gifts to emails sent, vanished. They were not costly or extravagant but were well thought out with his interests and likes in mind. Those small trifles where hardly grieved over but still a vague nagging sense of loss was there. He often wondered in spite of himself if he had lost them or that perhaps someone had taken them. The latter was quickly dismissed from his mind; who would want that stuff anyway? It was sweet and thoughtful but he had little use and less appreciation for sentiment. Sentiments lacked the thrill and instant gratification of certain other enterprises. Yet even during the climax of those short lived casual encounters, he felt a strange emptiness that, try as he might, could not be ignored or bluffed away.

         There was another peculiar alteration that seemed to throw Aaron’s world off balance- his twin. The change in Alex was as subtle as the rest, but, if anything rocked the boat more, it was him. One day, after the coach had declared practice over, Aaron was in a hurry to go due to a hot date that was a mere hour away. He called his brother to get his things together so that they could get home quickly. Alex was at the edge of the pool in a tense crouch, oblivious to the unhappy scowl and reprimands of his twin. At the sound of a starting pistol that only he could hear, he dove gracelessly into the pool, much to Aaron’s dismay. Alex surfaced and began to swim with the desperation of a man drowning. Each stroke was thrashed out as if it were his last. He reached the far end of the pool and turned back for another lap, going faster as he went along. His arms sliced through the water like turbines as he surged forward like a submarine missile, dangerous and volatile. After a couple of laps, he dragged himself out of the pool and without a word to his still protesting twin, gathered his things together with the calm of the eye of a hurricane.

         In the car on the way home Aaron drove at a leisurely pace. If girls can take their sweet time getting ready, he rationalized, why shouldn’t he? His train of thought suddenly derailed causing him to shift uneasily in his seat. The radio did not help mask Alex’s silence. At a red light, he hazarded a glance at his brother in the passenger seat. The late afternoon sun accentuated the deep shadows under Alex’s somber eyes and the hard compressed line of his lips. When he became aware of his brother’s scrutiny his sat up ram rod straight in his seat and said in a deceptively bland voice, “Light’s green.”

         Aaron stepped on the accelerator causing the car to leap forward. He drove the rest of the way home hastily, looking straight ahead the whole while. Alex resumed his former posture and did not bother uttering another word for the rest of the ride. After pulling into their driveway, Aaron laid a restraining hand on Alex who was about to exit the vehicle. With nearly genuine concern, Aaron asked his brother, “Are you ok, man?”

         A look of surprise flashed across Alex’s face. A million inarticulate thoughts and feelings coursed through his mind. As real as life, a whole new vision of what could be unfolded before his mind’s eye. As the eager words surged to his lips he felt the cold presence of doubt tell him it was already too late. Aaron’s words were like a lifejacket tossed to a man already drowned- too little, way too late. In spite of himself, he heard his flat monosyllabic reply as if it was another person answering on his behalf, “Yeah.” With that, he opened the car door and stalked into the house.

         Alex laid on his bed staring at the ceiling listening to the sounds of his brother getting ready for his date in the next room. His twin had the unusual habit of singing to himself as he got ready. Not just any songs though- nothing but country. Aaron claimed it is what gets him into his romantic mode to woo the ladies. He was currently going through his Shania Twain phase and singing a particularly mournful song. Alex winced as his brother hit, or rather missed, another high note. As the singing mercifully ended as Aaron left, he made a mental note to burn that cursed c.d.

          Alex rolled over with a sigh. He was tired but could not bring himself to relax enough to fall asleep. He felt tense and uneasy. She haunted the darkness of his mind with her beguiling eyes and then damned him with her smile. Disturbing as those nights were, he could never admit to anyone, not even to himself, the effect they had on him. He shifted restlessly again; he could feel that it was going to be another one of those nights.

          As time has that habit of moving on, weeks upon weeks passed leaving Alex in the same dilemma. By the sane light of day he swore he hated Heather and everything associated with her and her apparently unending affection towards his better half. But at night when the sun set, what seemed either black or white by the sun's harsh judgment turned into a painter's pallet of soft grays in the mad moonlight.

         All too soon, graduation was a palpable reality instead of a vague date on the horizon. In Alex's homeroom, the countdown was in full swing as the homeroom rep daily posted the days left until "freedom." It was a sense of anarchy that reigned, a breaking away from the traditional molds that shaped their daily lives for so long, a haphazard shake up of the established social order. Anything seemed possible; the populars were being unmasked, freshmen were invited to proms and true love was only a classroom away.

         At least Heather's was. Aaron was what she had dreamed, lived and breathed for so long- too long. It was what she wished for and she loved him so badly that when she did not see him in school, her chest ached. Avoiding Aaron tore her apart in every sense of the word- her petite frame looked gaunt, her sad eyes were two deep lakes of pain and her sunshine personality was dimmed perceptibly. However in the turmoil that was her high school in that time, her optimism saw hope. The brand new topsy-turvy world would be her ally. With all the sacred norms of who is seen with who being replaced with the ideal of carpe diem her opportunity was within reach. With all the fervor that possessed the memory makers, picture takers and pranksters Heather planned her moment. She would seize the day.

         Finally the big day arrived. The ceremony itself went along relatively uneventfully if the hung over girl who got sick halfway through a quickly forgotten speech and the ritualistic butchering of names are forgiven and forgotten in the big scheme of things. A few lessons were learned by the teens- among them being brevity is the soul of wit, never give Sprite to someone with an alcohol induced stomach ache and practice makes perfect when pronouncing anything beyond the American staples of John Smith and Amy Brown. As solemn as the administrators tried to make it, no lecture to the students about how inappropriate cat calls are or asking so save the applause for the end could repress the levity of the crowd. Even the flasher at the end was forgiven.

         After the diploma cases were given and the caps tossed, beaning many an innocent bystander, the multitude milled about saying their congratulations, good byes and see-you-at-the-party's. Heather pressed through the crush searching high and low for her objective. The bright sun made her eyes sting and the tears she was holding back clouded her vision. Wiping away the sentimental moisture, she shoved on. Love waits for no one, she thought. She hugged the brightly wrapped package she held to her chest as she stood on tiptoe in a vain attempt to see over the identical pair of broad shoulders before her. She then boldly tapped the one on her right and readied her best smile.

         "Congrats Aaron."

         "Heather? Heather!" Aaron stared as if for the first time, for indeed, he had never seen this Heather before. "You look, you look, look..."

         "Different." Supplied an equally awe struck Alex. "Hair. Cut. You..."

         "Oh, this old do?" She replied coyly, gazing at Aaron as if it was him that spoke.

         Heather's flirtatious words seemed to snap Aaron out of his dazed stupor and one of his meaningless but tried and true lines came automatically to his lips. Alex could not hear the prefabricated nonsense that his twin was dishing out; he only seemed to see the look of rapture on Heather's face. Soon, the hustle and bustle of the world around him faded away leaving only Heather like a light in a dark void. As if cursed by some witch's enchantment he could only watch passively as Heather, emboldened by some unknown force, made pass after pass at his twin whose ego absorbed all the affection like a greedy sponge. To his dismay, the colorful package that she cradled so lovingly to her bosom exchanged hands with his brother. The wrapping paper was quickly shed and a genuine grin lit up Aaron's face; another thoughtful gift bites the dust thought Alex. His heart stopped as Heather crowned her farewell embrace to Aaron with a gentle kiss and a whisper. The spell over Alex was broken as Heather, with a shy smile and a blush, walked away without another glance behind her.

          "What did you get?" He asked gruffly, snatching the gift out of Aaron's as he spoke. It was a picture frame with a few pictures of the two of them and a sentimental poem. Alex felt his heart race at the tender rhymes.

         "You will never get this from anyone again- ever." Alex predicted ominously. He shoved the present back into Aaron's hands as if it was burning hot or distasteful. With a hateful glare, he stomped off.

         Alex’s jealous hissy fit powerfully struck a hidden chord in Aaron's being. He reread the poem, pursed his lips and felt his heart sink to the soles of his expensive new shoes. The only times he had ever recalled hearing the words "I love you" directed to him were followed by an equally drunken "I'm gonna hurl." Her kiss tasted of the sweetness of innocence and not the jaded flavors of beer and vomit.

          Aaron reflected on Alex's words as he stood there, alone in the busy crowd, his awards ablaze in the afternoon sun, enveloping him in a retina searing halo. Aaron's eyes casually scanned the mob scene but Heather was nowhere to be found in the chaos. However, he did catch the sight of his "girlfriend" wrapped up in a more than just friends embrace with another guy, correction: man. A much older man. They were supposedly going steady at the time, if steady meant non stop blowjobs two and a half weeks. The thought of being number two for anyone was unbearable. The memory of how he himself had seduced her older sister only the night before was crowded out by her betrayal. He felt the faintest twinge of honest regret which slashed through his selfishness like a chainsaw.

          "Alex just might be right this time." Aaron muttered to no one in particular. He stood amazed at his words and even more startled at the helpless tone in which they were uttered. A smile lit up his face as he realized what he had to do. There was one place where he was number one. To one person he will always be a winner.

Epilogue

         It was the wee hours of the morning; too late for yesterday and too early for tomorrow. In that uneasy limbo between night and day, Alex paced the ample rooms of the penthouse. He was in no mood to sleep and felt particularly thoughtful.

         He wandered into the den and pulled out a glass and helped himself to the bountiful bottle of cognac sitting on a side table. He sank down into a plush overstuffed leather chair and sighed. This is the good life, he thought, too bad some people just can't appreciate it enough to ever truly enjoy it. His eyes trailed lazily over his opulent surroundings. Although the furnishings were of the highest quality mahogany, which glowed even in the dimness, the walls were rather bare. On the wall facing him were two picture frames which encased all the material success in the world. One was a Harvard law diploma which, in rich calligraphy, proclaimed to the world the name of the man in the adjacent wedding photo. Alex glared at that man and peevishly flipped him off before looking away.

         Alex took a deep swallow of the liquor, relishing the way it burned all the way down and warmed his empty belly. With a sigh he put the glass aside and closed his eyes momentarily. He had a big audition coming up in a matter of hours and had not slept a wink. His agent had told him that if he got the part it could launch him out of the obscurity of a struggling actor. He had to be prepared and ready. There was no telling when the same opportunity will pop up again, if ever.

         Alex’s eyes snapped open and he looked around guiltily, like a child caught in an act of mischief. There was no one there, of course, but Alex still gazed at the menacing shadows with some trepidation. Sleep would be good; it would help him keep his wits about him while he plays his biggest part ever. Sleep was a sensible idea but he was not in a sensible mood; he was tense. Alex suddenly heard footsteps in the hall. His heart nearly stopped beating and every muscle in his body stiffened into tightly coiled springs. He barely contained his sigh of relief when he saw Heather's half asleep form before him.

         “Sweetheart, what are you doing awake? It’s almost four a.m.” She said around a smothered yawn.

         “I think the question is, what are you doing awake? I thought that after the third time you were dead asleep for sure.” Alex said with a Don Juan grin.

         "I was.” Heather purred. “I missed you.”

         Oh did you?” Alex replied. She can never get enough, he thought to himself smugly.

         “Mmm hmm. You know that when you go away on business that I miss you terribly. But I live for the moments when you come home early and unexpected. That's when you are at your most romantic.” She slid into his arms with a content sigh. It was the wonderful unplanned moments when she loved him most and, more importantly, he loved her back.

         “Of course, my dear, of course.” He paused and laid a soft kiss on her cheek. She turned to face him and lovingly let her lips linger over his. Alex pulled away with a triumphant smirk. “The Carter case was won as successfully as all the previous ones, a done deal. That’s why I got to come home early and victorious.” Alex bragged.

         “Come on now Aaron, winning isn’t everything.” Heather said with an adorably serious expression on her trusting face.

         “Oh, but it is my love. It is.” Alex murmured intensely as he lowered his head to indulge himself in another passionate kiss. He pulled her against him roughly and all but devoured her. He hated being hasty but in the back of his head the clock was counting down the hours till Heather’s real husband arrived from his weekend affair.

Note: If you are reading this then that means you made it to the end of the story- alive!

Thanks for reading and please don't forget to R&R :)