bubble gum

In Firey

"I'm gonna beat your ass, Loser, just watch!"

  Loser chuckles through his headphones, Firey's wide smirk still visible to the camera. "Calm down, you two," whimpers Cake, who was at last place in their race. The four of them had been playing for hours on end today. Well, one of them had to disconnect in the middle of the final round. "Firey, you still can't catch up to me, and it's the final lap." Firey hisses, his thumbs sharply pressing the controller buttons. In the last minute with some strange miracle, or perhaps it was Loser who intentionally let him win, Firey achieved 1st place. "Ha! I won, eat that! I reign the king of Mario Kart." the flame exclaims, doing the weird victory dance he always does when he wins.

  Loser had placed second, Cake landing in third, and the fourth- was well-- "Hey guys, sorry for disappearing immediately. Got a call."

  Firey pauses at his victory dance, as he looks back at their video call. The fourth's camera had been open yet again, despite earlier showing a grey screen. "Hey, it's okay, no biggie." Loser says.

  "I got a call from Pin, she wanted to invite us to a sleepover, you guys wanna go?" Coiny asks.

  Ah, Coiny. Firey's long time rival and friend. Their- Their relationship is complicated. His eyes stare at the copper boy, unconsciously blushing. "Hello? Earth to Firey!" Cake shouts. Firey snaps, shakes his head as he realizes two things: One, he's blushing unknowingly. Two, they can see him. He could only hope to the gods that they didn't realize him drooling over Coiny. "What?"

  "AHAHAHAHAHA-" Coiny wheezes, holding his hand to his mouth as he cries out his laughter. "Holy shit- Do you get dumber every time you win?" He teases.
   Firey's cheeks fume up blue, a bit embarrassed and annoyed. Screw being embarrassed, this is the guy his ass falls in love with? Coiny wipes his tears, and regains his composure. "So, are you going or not?"

  He didn't even hesitate to answer, at all. Without thinking, Firey just blurted out, "Yeah!" way too enthusiastically.

  "Alright, I'll tell Pin we're all going."

  Loser groans as he stretches his arms. "Yeah, I should get some sleep too. It's late." Firey looks at the digital alarm clock standing on his bed drawer. "What-- it's already 2:00 A.M.?"

  "Surprising, huh," Cake laughs. "We should really sleep, though. Goodnight y'all."

  Their icons disappear as the screen adjusts to two people: Coiny and Firey.

  Coiny's doing something to his phone, not knowing that Loser and Cake had left already. Firey, however- didn't leave. Yet stared with wonder and curiosity at what Coiny's up to. He forgot how Coiny looked so- daring when he's focused on something.

  "Stupid," Firey breathed, enough for Coiny not to hear. At least, he hopes he doesn't hear it. That lingered on for a few minutes, with Firey stupidly staring at Coiny with him not aware that they're just the only two in the call.

  He finally looks up from his phone, and sees Firey. "They already left? Wow, I didn't notice. You seem tired, jackass. Go get some rest." Coiny teases, as he clicks off and ends the call. Firey stares at the screen, as it reads "Video Call Has Ended." He lays back into the soft fireproof mattress, screaming into his pillow.

  It's nights like these that keep him awake at night.

  "Stupid, stupid, stupid." He mutters. "What the fuck is wrong with you? You're supposed to get over him!"  The atmosphere is quiet, gaps filled with his air conditioner and his Nintendo. "Is it that hard to get over one guy? And to think I had gotten over him this whole year!"