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ribs

"Pull over!" Angie shouts, hitting the glovebox in front of her. Laughing, I enter a deserted AMPM on the street corner, parking on the edge of the sidewalk that faces the entry.

"Go, you have one minute," I say, gesturing toward the sliding glass doors that open and close for a little old lady carrying a bag of chips.

Angie huffs, mocking exasperation by rolling her eyes, and flings open the passenger door, sprinting inside the gas station. She flicks a rude gesture my way, not even bothering to turn around before she disappears into the store. A smile comes across my face as I watch her playful antics and glance at the digital clock situated on top of the stereo in front of me.

One more hour to go, give or take traffic, and I'll be in Coral Springs, meeting the man I've idolized for about half a year.

My friend.

Friend?

It's so strange to think about.

I sigh out my stress and relax my hands that are probably too tight around the steering wheel in front of me. I flex my fingers and crack my knuckles, reaching for my phone that buzzes in the cupholder next to me.

"Hello? Hello?" Quackity's face pops up on my screen, so close to the camera I can only see his eyes and nose.

"Hello Big Q," I reply, smirking at his weird angle and a dumb expression.

"Are you almost here? I'm so fucking excited to see you."

"You're looking at me right now," I joke, minimizing his face to the corner of my screen and checking Google Maps. "About an hour and a half left."

Quackity groans, throwing his head back. "Drive faster, holy shit."

I roll my eyes, smile not faltering for a second. "Well, Angie has made me stop twice already for a bathroom break. She drank an entire jug of strawberry lemonade before we left."

I asked Angie a fortnight ago to come along on the trip to Sapnap and Dream's house so she could take my car home. She enthusiastically agreed after I told her Quackity would be there, and she could meet him. In all honesty, I really needed her as a safety net because of my nerves, growing almost unbearable within the span of several days.

That part must have slipped my mind when asking her.

"I can't drive faster if I'm not even driving, Quackity," I respond.

Quackity's eyes narrow downwards as he hums silently, seeming to be completely absorbed in thought. "You should stop calling me Quackity, I think."

My eyes are nearly close with the intensity of my smile. "Okay, Alex."

"There it is."

The passenger door opens with a beep, letting in cool air. I glance over at Angie, who looks much happier and at ease.

"Alright, we're off now. One more hour and I'll be there."

Quackity pans the camera down slightly and smiles, raising his eyes with the movement. "Cya soon!"

"Bye, Alex."

I hang up and look over at Angie who stares at the phone in my hand, mouth agape.

"You were on the phone with Quackity and you didn't even tell me?" Angie pouts, crossing her arms and slumping back in her seat. A soft laugh escapes my lips as I set the gear shift down and drive out of the gas station parking lot.

--

I check my phone at a red light, seeing that there are about thirty minutes left until we arrive. Throughout this entire drive, I've been tame while denying the fact that this whole thing is real. Yet, when I look at Google Maps on my phone, I feel every fiber of my being tense up. When I begin to think about it too much and too hard, my throat constricts as I try to gulp out a pit that is obstructing my airway.