let me down slowly - wilbur soot

chapter 21- karaoke

aubrey waves me over. i wave back and jog over to her. i expect just a hello, but to my surprise aubrey wraps me in a hug.

please, oh please lord, spare me the embarrassment and slow my heart down. don't let her comment on how fast it's beating.

i hug aubrey back and i realize how much i enjoy her embrace. she's shorter than me, but not necessarily short. i think she's around 5'9. she smells like a mix of pine cones and cinnamon, which is for some reason exactly what i expected her to smell like. she's warm and hugs me tightly, but not too tightly. tight enough to make me feel safe and happy, but not tight enough so i can't breathe.

it's perfect. and i pray that it isn't the only hug we'll ever share.

"you are tall... holy..." she mutters as she lets go and looks up at me.

"i get that a lot," i respond laughing, scratching the back of my head. "the red streaks in your hair are gone." aubrey grabs a handful of her dark, wavy hair and examines it.

"yeah, i got a little sick of it. i think i might put the color back in soon, though."

"you should. it looked cool."

"you should dye your hair with me."

"hard pass." she scoffs.

"whatev-"

"HI GUYS!" we hear a loud voice shout.

"let me guess," aubrey says. "tommy?" i look past her shoulder and nod as the blonde boy approaches us.

"the one and only." aubrey turns around and waves at tommy.

"hi!" she shouts. the two of them hug, then tommy moves to give me a fist bump.

"time?" tommy asks.

"9:59," i say.

"tubbo is gonna be late. he won't be allowed in the vlog."

"i think NOT," tubbo's voice says from behind tommy. tommy jumps as he turns around to push his best friend.

"what the hell? you scared me!"

"don't push me!" tubbo pushes tommy back.

"you just pushed me!"

"out of retaliation!"

aubrey moves next to me to whisper in my ear.

"are they always like this?" she asks. i smile.

"this is tommy and tubbo for you. they're just as insane in real life as they are online."

"you've met both of them before?" aubrey's brown eyes glance up to meet mine.

"oh yeah. loads of times."

"cute."

my breath hitches a bit.

"AUBREY!" tubbo shouts as he throws himself at her for a hug. she laughs and hugs him back.

"TUBBO!" she yells with equal enthusiasm.

"eww! pda!" tommy shouts.

"you're just jealous that i'm a hugging a woman and you're not," tubbo shoots back. "i'm five times the man you will ever be." tommy clutches his heart and fake cries.

"low blow, tubbo."

"cry about it."

after everyone has said their hellos, tommy asks us if he can vlog. the three of us say yes, and tommy pulls out his phone and starts his shenanigans.