[TAC] THREE'S A CROWD

Chapter 05*

{Jumpol}

Off genuinely has no idea why he's doing this.

Maybe Gun hypnotized him at some point and got him to change his mind about the basketball game, because that would be the only valid reason as to why he's walking up the school's sidewalk currently, Gun skipping next to him with a school t-shirt on.

"It's gonna be so much fun!" Gun exclaims as he skips alongside Off. He already has his megaphone in his right hand and the whistle hanging around his neck so he can "call a foul when the ref doesn't do his damn job".

Off smiles as he picks up his pace to meet Gun's.

They have to pay at the front to go to the game, which is already an inconvenience, and when they reach the gym where the game is being held, the bleachers are flooded with so many people that Off gets the urge to turn right around and leave.

They arrived a little late, so the opposing teams are already running up and down the court and the sports' fans are shouting catchy chants.

Off winces a bit at how loud everything is as he follows Gun up the steps of the bleachers. The boy immediately starts clapping hands with a bunch of other students, and within seconds, he gets his face painted with two blue stripes on either of his cheeks.

Off takes a seat and tries to appreciate the basketball game as much as he can. It can't be all that bad, anyway. It's tons of people, coming together to celebrate and support their school. Off would rather have this than to have everyone hate each other.

Halftime comes around fairly fast because of how late they arrived, and Gun takes that moment to run all the way down the bleachers and wave a giant school flag (where did he get that flag?) up and down the court, prompting everyone to jump and scream.

The cheerleaders come out to perform after a few minutes, fueling the crowd's excitement even more.

Off observes the game once it continues, and it's pretty hard to miss how well Tay is playing. Pretty much every other shot made by his team is made by him; the cheerleaders even have a special chant specifically for him.

Truthfully, Off understands. With all that praise given to one person, it's impossible for that person not to grow such a big, cocky head. Off could probably stay humble though, but it's clear Tay and Off are two different people.

The game's getting tied up and every single person is standing up instead of sitting, making a loud barrier around Off and causing him to feel trapped. When Tay dunks on an opposing team member, the entire gym erupts, and Off decides he doesn't have to sit through all this noise.

He pulls his phone out of the pocket of his  jacket and plugs in his ear buds. He stuffs them in his ears and lets his mind return to a calm state as the sound of Tame Impala floods his surroundings.

He watches as Gun brings the megaphone up to his mouth and shouts something that Off can no longer hear. The image puts a grin on his face as he lets out an easy sigh.

As his eyes wonder around his surroundings, he spots the figure of dark fluffy hair in the distance---at the very front row of the stands, to be exact---and it almost alarms him how he hadn't realized New was there.

He's one of the few people sitting down, just like Off is, and he's watching the game intently and giving a little cheer every time something nice happens for their team. It seems as though he's rooting Tay on in his own little world, having his personal victory party every time the boy makes a shot.

Off knows how alike they are to each other; he just doesn't think New does. If the boy would just pay a little more attention, he'd realize there's not much that's different about the both of them. He knows New would rather be somewhere quieter, wrapping himself in a blanket and listening to some music, but he's here, because of Tay.