Pitbabe S2, Chapter 12 pg7

 Pitbabe S2, Chapter 12 pg7

   (Fine, whatever.)

   I burst out laughing at Charlie’s sulky tone. I know he’s not really upset. Charlie knows full well that if I feel like being cute with him, I’ll go all out without needing to be asked. But when he asks me to do it, I choose to refuse first—because it’s not as fun if I just give in to his requests so easily.

   “Sulking?” I teased.

   (No, because I’ll get you back tonight.)

   “Get me back how?”

   (Not telling.)

   “Just thinking about it makes me shy.”

   (Are you shy, Babe)

   “No.”

   We bickered back and forth for a while. I was talking while absentmindedly tracing my finger on the table. No idea why I do it, but it’s become a habit. If I were sitting on a grassy field right now, I’d probably have uprooted enough grass to fill a farm.

   “Bye.”

   In the end, I had to hang up. Charlie had reached his car. I needed to let him focus on driving, at least for safety’s sake, and so he’d get here faster. Normally, I’m already attached to Charlie, but on my birthday, I want to see him twice as much. He makes me excited about important days, even though I never cared about my own birthday before. Anniversaries? Used to think they were pointless. But now? Just the thought of Charlie forgetting our anniversary makes me ready to throw a fit.

   “What’re you staring at?” I turned to the guy munching corn next to me, sensing he’d been eyeing me from the corner of his eye for a while.

   “Your voice changes quick.”

   “What, you want me to talk to you the way I talk to Charlie?” I shrugged, acting unbothered. “Not scared your boyfriend get jealous?”

   “I told you, I don’t have a girlfriend!”

   Kim lost his patience and hurled the nearly eaten corn cob at me. Luckily, I was quick enough to dodge it just in time. Of course, I wasn’t about to let him attack me one-sidedly. I grabbed a burnt corn cob from the plate and threw it back with full force. But this time, luck wasn’t on my side. Not because Kim didn’t dodge—he’s as fast as me and ducked under the corn’s trajectory just in time. The bad luck was that the person who got smacked square in the face with the cob was Phii Alan, who was walking over to serve more food.

   “You little brats!”

   What followed was predictable. Kim and I got a massive scolding for injuring the host and playing with food. I listened while eating, occasionally putting on a guilty face for realism. Meanwhile, Kim was mouthing silent mockery of the captain the whole time. Our attitudes didn’t exactly scream remorse, and eventually, Phii Alan gave up. He stormed off to the kitchen. Kim and I high-fived, signaling “We’re in the clear,” only for the final boss to emerge from the house seconds later and launch into a second, far harsher lecture that made Phii Alan’s seem tame.

   We just nodded and mumbled, “Yes, sir,” until Jeff got tired and went back inside.

   As the sun dipped below the horizon, almost everyone gathered at Phii Alan’s house. “Almost” meaning everyone was there except Charlie, who still hadn’t shown up. I called him again, but no answer. Texted him, and still no reply. He was later than he should’ve been, but I figured I shouldn’t make a fuss yet. Thinking positively, maybe Charlie was busy preparing a birthday surprise for me. So, I’d cut him some slack.

   “Boyfriend still not here?”

   By evening, Charlie still hadn’t arrived, but someone I didn’t expect to see today showed up instead.

   “He’s here, but I ate him. That’s why you can’t see him,” I replied lazily, taking a sip from my fourth or fifth Pepsi of the day to soothe my throat, dry from all the crunchy snacks scattered across the table.

   “Oh, so that means you’re single then?” Willy said with a cheeky grin. I really don’t get why this kid shows up at every single one of my team’s events, acting like he’s forgotten that, technically, we’re still rivals.

   “I think I warned you already.”

   “Just kidding!” The foreign kid immediately raised his hands in surrender, not waiting for me to lecture him again. The last time we met, it seemed like we understood each other better, so I gave Willy an ultimatum: if he kept messing with me, I’d ban him from anything to do with X-Hunter. Surprisingly, the threat worked. Who knew Willy was that close with North? “Not flirting, I swear.”

   “Keep playing, you little punk,” North, who happened to walk by, lightly shoved his close junior’s head before sitting down next to Sonic, who was struggling to open a beer bottle with his bare hands. “If Charlie catches you, it’ll be a mess.”

   “What mess?” Willy laughed, as if North’s warning was too ridiculous to scare him. “Is he gonna cry or something?”

   “What kind of person do you think Charlie is?” Alan said with a smile, opening his mouth to catch a small piece of orange that Jeff had been peeling and feeding him for a while.

   “Well, smart, kind, and…” Willy glanced at me, hesitating as if unsure how to continue, “…kinda soft.”

   After saying that, Willy made a nervous face, like he was afraid I’d chew him out like before. But this time, I didn’t feel annoyed like when he called Charlie boring. Instead, I found it funny that Willy saw Charlie the exact same way I used to back when we were just hooking up. I thought Charlie was this smiley kid who’d follow me anywhere, do whatever I told him, and shrink back, eyes closed, every time I yelled. But after almost three years of being serious, I learned Charlie’s crazier than I thought. He’s tough, daring, and confident as hell. Everything people think is me? It’s actually in Charlie, and way more intense. I’m not that tough. I’m not as reckless as him. And as for self-confidence? I’d say I’m average. Charlie? He’s got enough to run his own country.

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