schlatt (+lunch club) : babysitter

+ six

the first race is grumble volcano.

we both start well, dancing between 4th and 5th. it's tight for a few minutes and i sit cross legged on the couch, deep in concentration. the tightness is taken back though as i fall into lava and it completely throws my game. in the 2nd lap i fall right back into 12th and get no save from bullet bill.

inevitably, schlatt wins round one.

"OO SECOND SCHLATT WIN! FIRST IN THE BATTLE!" charlie whoops.
cooper crosses his arms, "he's gonna be hard to break.."

schlatt looks over at me smugly. i look back, shrug and press continue.

"i think she's just feeling him out."
"wha-"
"his GAMEPLAY."

travis sighs as our map is chosen, "you guys think fart club is a bad name?"
"...a little"
"well you got better ideas?"
charlie leans towards him, "lunch club?"

wario's gold mine.

i tense up for this one. i can feel my brain blocking out all other sounds and sights aside from this one game. schlatt is the same. we sit quietly and focus on every turn, every boost, every hit. i trail behind him in 6th as he moves up to 4th but this isn't the end. i turn a tight corner, taking a red mushroom from a hit peach and using my golden mushroom to push through the others. it's a long stretch to the finish but i hold myself in 2nd for as long as possible.

i glance over at schlatt's screen as he takes 3rd, desperately clinging to my place. then, in a beautiful moment of deserving luck bowser ahead of me is hit by a first bomb and i slide into 1st at the finish.

"Y/N??"
"IS SHE THE FIRST TO BEAT HIM??"

i grin at schlatt and he slumps back on the couch, his hair flopping forward before he bundles it back.

"she is."

"look who's joining the club."
"one more."

complacently, i shrug and begin the final round.

rainbow road.

shit. i've played this millions of times before but it never gets any easier. i zone in again, attempting to use my pride as fuel for my victory. it's a smooth beginning, with schlatt and i doing our usual dancing between spaces. i drop back from 4th to 5th as he remains in 3rd and smirks a little. i can't let him win with such a smugness.

i turn another sharp corner and speed up with some mushrooms. his smirk fades now. i red shell all the surrounding characters i can and move quickly to his tail. he protects himself with some bananas and i slow for a moment. he tries thrice to get me and fails all three. soon i gain a red shell and hit him right back into 5th.

the finish line approaches quickly and i once again hold my spot tightly through the jumps. there's a final sharp turn before the end and i turn myself quickly.

but not quick enough.

i slide off the track and schlatt whizzes past me, taking the victory.

"ooooshh.." charlie sighs, patting my shoulder.
"that's rough-" cooper raises his eyebrows.

"nice game."

i turn to see schlatt extending a hand to me so i shake it.

"you're definitely one of the hardest competitors i've ever played. but don't get a big head."
"i won't" i say quietly, "um... wait here."

and i fetch the camera from my room in silence, offering it out to him like i'm feeding a horse.

"thank you."
"you're welcome." i sigh before heading to the kitchen.

"yeesh tough loser. she looks like her dog just got shot or something." i hear him say.

"y/n- hey y/n?" ted follows.
"yeah?"
"listen... connor told me about things-"
an anger rises up in me "really? oh that-"
"no no no listen! i've got you a job!"

"what?" the feeling halts.

"look, we need people helping record and edit for lunch club. i heard all about your skills and it sounds like you'd be perfect for the job!"
"wait so.."
"i mean, you wouldn't be winning the bet you and schlatt had but it's something. plus, hey you can stay with us for longer while we record and everything."

i fiddle with my thumbs, "isnt schlatt gonna rub his win in my face though?"
"i'll make him stop if he does. goddamn menace." ted shakes his head, "but you think you'd want to take the job?"

well, i have all the meds i need here and can get top ups pretty easily. we're by the city so hospitals aren't hard to find. i've been needing a job recently and something like this can be done if, worst case scenario, i go have to go into hospital. it seems pretty perfect.

"it's cool if you don't want to-"
"no no! i do! i will."
he lights up, "that's awesome! i'll let the others know. we're recording our intro video today so you can get a taste of how things are gonna work."
"sweet." i smile and watch him walk back into the lounge.

schlatt has already got the camera around his neck and is looking at everyone though it. i didn't realise how much he'd genuinely enjoy it.

and how much id miss it.