Flip (OFFICIAL WATTPAD UPLOAD)

Chapter 6

"Good, you're not busy."

Velvet shrieked, accidentally flinging his comb across the bathroom, and he swore internally. Shit, he'd forgotten to close the door.

"Actually Boomer," he huffed, spinning around and scowling, "I am busy."

Okay, maybe he was putting too much effort into this, but Velvet wanted to look nice for once. No, it wasn't for the weird cryptid guy that he possibly had warm squishy feelings for, he just wanted to wear his nice flannel and the jeans without the stains on them, and maybe fix his perpetually unruly hair.

He didn't have a crush on Ant. He definitely didn't.

Boomer just raised his eyebrows. "Really? Last I checked, you don't have a date to the festival this afternoon. That's me; me and Punz finally asked the hot bakery guy out. We're totally gonna fuck after."

"Oh, no shit," Velvet remarked dryly, grabbing his comb and hastily pulling his hair out of his eyes.

He glanced nervously at the clock on the wall. Shit, he was gonna be late.

"So anyway," Boomer added, grinning, "I need a favor. Can you wingman for us? I mean, you're funny and you're cool and you can break the tension—"

"Can't, I'm going clown spotting," Velvet said.

Boomer's eyes narrowed. "If you want to do that you can just look in the mirror, y'know."

"If you want me to die you can just fucking say so."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Boomer waved him off. "Now can you come to the festival with us? I'll pay you ten bucks."

Huh, ten bucks was tempting.

"Nope," Velvet said, hastily brushing off the idea of a free donut. "Can't, I've gotta go on a hike."

"Like that?" Boomer remarked incredulously, examining his outfit. "Last time I saw you wear the good flannel was when you had a job interview... wait a second. Wait a fucking second—OH MY GOD VELVET ARE YOU BANGING THE FUCKING CRYPTID—"

"I am not banging the fucking cryptid!" Velvet spluttered, his cheeks suddenly burning with embarrassment—what the hell; he usually had zero shame about this kind of thing.

"You are," Boomer said, grinning like a maniac. "We all know you're a monsterfucker, man. You're totally banging him—"

"Sshh!" Velvet hissed, smacking his hand over Boomer's mouth.

"In all seriousness I'm pretty sure smashing cryptid bussy might be detrimental to your health," Boomer squeaked. "Like, I'm not gonna kinkshame, but are you sure you're not gonna get eaten? I mean your recent pictures, especially the ones with the deer—"

"I'm not banging him!" Velvet hissed. "Okay, okay, maybe I might have a little bit of a crush. But we're just friends, okay? Ant needs that."

Boomer gave him an appraising look. "You sure?"

Velvet scowled. Quite frankly, his cheeks and ears felt like they were on fire.

"Look, do what you wanna do," Boomer said awkwardly, backing out of the bathroom. "But this thing's basically a wild animal, man. I don't want you to get hurt. Literally and figuratively."

Velvet glanced at himself in the mirror, and grimaced. His hair was sticking up again.

He sighed, combing it back down.

He didn't like it when the others called Ant a wild animal, even though he was, in many respects. Sure, the being was strange and otherworldly and sometimes utterly terrifying, but Ant wasn't evil or intentionally malicious. No, he was sad; he was lonely and cold and scared and he'd been that way for far too long.