Pitbabe S2, Chapter 14 pg7
Pitbabe S2, Chapter 14 pg7
“Yeah… unbelievable,” the young businessman said softly. It was clear that the breakup between Charlie and Babe was beyond everyone’s expectations. “They loved each other so much. Two years ago, Babe nearly died for Charlie…”
Pete paused, as if suddenly hesitant to talk about it. From my own observations, I’ve noticed these people react similarly when mentioning the events of two years ago. They act like it’s long gone, like they’ve moved far beyond it, but the reality I sense is the opposite. Not one of them has truly walked away from it—not even someone as seemingly steady as Charlie. Many times, he still looks pained when the topic comes up.
“I just didn’t think a couple who loved each other enough to die for one another could ever break up.”
“Anything can happen,” I shrugged, loading the last bullet into the magazine, sliding it back into the grip, locking the slide stop, and letting the slide move forward. “If love alone guaranteed staying together forever, that’d be too easy, wouldn’t it?”
“Probably,” Pete said in a flat tone. “But if even Charlie and Babe can break up, I really don’t know what it takes to make a relationship last.”
“Not expecting anything is probably the best bet.”
“Is there such a thing as love without expectations?”
“I meant not loving at all.”
I raised the gun, aimed at the target, and took a slow breath to focus my attention on my fingertip instead of other people’s love stories. No… including mine too.
“You’ve never been in love?” Pete asked.
“I have.”
I answered before pulling the trigger.
Bang!
“And I don’t think I ever will again.”
I turned to meet his gaze. The first thing reflected in his eyes was fear—maybe because someone like me is creepy, or maybe because disappointment is just too terrifying. But that’s not my responsibility.
“What about you?” I asked Pete, this stranger who had expectations of me even though we barely knew each other. “Ever think about giving up?”
BABE:
“Ugh! Lost again!”
North grumbled after losing to me for who-knows-how-many times. The little punk tossed the game controller onto the floor and leaned back against Sonic’s legs, who was munching on snacks on the couch, clearly in a foul mood.
“You cheating, bro?”
“Quit whining when you lose!” I made a move to bop North on the head with the controller, but Sonic raised a hand to block me first. That protective gesture made me want to roll my eyes so bad. Ever since Sonic got back from abroad, he’s been oddly nice to North in a way I’d never seen before (or maybe he always was, and I just never noticed). I figured it’s probably because he wants to make up for lost time or something, but it’s still annoying as hell.
“Don’t use force,” Sonic narrowed his eyes at me. For a split second, his warning signal reminded me of someone I shouldn’t be thinking about. I quickly shook it off before those crazy feelings could spread and give me another headache. “I’ll tell Phii Alan.”
Phii Alan, huh? I’m not scared.
“Warn him already,” I nodded toward North, who was leaning against the couch, flirting shamelessly. He made a pitiful, sulky face when Sonic looked at him, then switched to mocking me when Sonic wasn’t paying attention. This guy’s really asking for it.
“No yelling,” Sonic lightly pushed North’s head as a punishment—a punishment that, for some reason, irritated me beyond words. “It’s just a game. Losing won’t kill you.”
“It won’t, but Phii Babe won all by himself. So annoying,” North pouted, putting on a full-on cutesy act. I don’t know how Sonic sees it, but as a bystander, honestly, I could puke.
“Play with me next time. You’ll win.”
“Duh, you’re the weak one.”
“Idiot.”
Sonic and North bickered back and forth as usual. It’s kind of sweet, sure, but lately, whenever I see these two together, a heavy, gloomy atmosphere creeps in and engulfs me. I’m glad both of them come over to hang out almost every day since Charlie moved out. Having someone around is a necessity for me, and North and Sonic are fun enough to make me forget boredom. But I have to admit, their closeness makes me a little sad.
Charlie and I used to bicker too. Others might think Charlie always gave in to me, but in reality, that kid was stubborn as hell. If he was sure he was right about something, he’d argue until his throat gave out. When we played games, he’d call me out, accusing me of cheating (sometimes I wasn’t even cheating). He’d list reasons, primary and secondary evidence, the whole deal. While everyone saw me as the competitive type who hated losing, Charlie floated above it, playing the mature adult card. But truthfully, in that department, he was a step above me.
And that’s why playing games with Charlie was the most fun.
“Whoa… it’s almost nine already?” Sonic said, as if just realizing how long he’d been at my place. Of course, fun times always slip by unnoticed. “Time to head back, right, North?”
“Yeah, true,” North nodded in agreement. “Got morning practice tomorrow.”
“Huh?” Hearing my playmates were about to leave, my heart sank instantly. “You guys are heading out already?”
Comments
Post a Comment