Come As You Are

I.O.U.

It hurts her too.

Knowing him like she never did before, breaking down in the middle of the park with his face turned away like the dark side of the moon. Her heart's breaking with him. All of him. And she's an afterthought in the midst of the pain, and it's exactly what she wanted to hear. It's so ironic. She would've laughed along but it meant too much to her. And now she's breaking like she never did before.

Colette walks to the gift shop. She's early, of course. But without the will to even creep behind a single Brawler for the morning. Instead, she greets Shelly a good morning! at the gate and a wide wordless grin to Jessie and a yawning Penny right before she finds the gift shop.

Closed. Lifeless.

She takes out her keys, rushing.

The lights come on. The big boxes and plushies go on the shelf. Her thoughts buzz restlessly, flipping between yesterday and don't think about it. Don't think about it.

Him screaming at the sky, saying maybe she could be his—

Don't think about it. (The Bull figurines aren't aligned. She reaches to adjust the row).

What kinds of skins will they be getting this Brawlidays? Maybe an icy version of Spike? It'd totally complement Pyro Spike! He could throw cute little ice balls that burst into icicles everywhere!

(Saying maybe, maybe she could be—)

Don't think about it. Don't even think about it.

She treads the thin line like an open flame dangerously close to burning the place down. But it's no use, because there's no acting like it didn't happen. Because! Of all the things he could've said, he just had to say that.

The door swings and Edgar appears. Her head turns automatically.

Huh, that's less of a mess than she imagined. He looks only as tired as ever, flat hair and scarf loose. As if yesterday was barely a bad dream at the worst.

"Hi, Colette," he says. Colette only senses a bit of wariness in his voice.

"Hi," she responds. A slight delay before she tears her eyes away. Edgar picks up a Crow plushie from the cart near her and places it on the shelf. Her skull fizzles like a sparkler.

"What's... up?" he asks.

She pauses for a second, holding her box in the air. She pushes it onto the shelf.

"Not much."

What kind of question is that?!

Edgar doesn't say another word. Colette watches him in her periphery. The buzzing in her mind grows, wasps instead of butterflies. Stocking finishes quietly.

She holds her tongue. Griff comes in shortly after.

His cheesy smile is back— a sure sign that his finances have finally worked themselves out. This means less yelling, and possibly a 5% discount on selected items. He then blabbers about promoting the second floor items.

Guess they really are just acting like nothing happened. Gosh, what's up? Hi, it's so cool seeing you after that super uneventful day yesterday! Remember when you just said what I've been dreaming about for the past months? Hahahahahaha!

She should be a better friend.

"Alright— goody-goody!" Griff remarks from the aisles. Colette snaps back to reality, spine straightened up. "You know what to do. Make 'em buy, buy, buy, and get that ka-ching!"

"Roger that, sir Griff!"

"Yeah."

He makes some satisfied nod. Colette winds herself up as he mutters about the colder weather and she whirls around just a second before Griff's out the door— grabbing Edgar's shoulders.