SAD LITTLE ANGEL YEARNS or: A Bold New Take on Romance

Chapter 4: Yearns

"I LOVE YOU," Floyd shouted, his hands against the glass.

Veneer blinked. He gasped for air and none came; and suddenly he felt a warmth over his whole body, a season of weather he had never had and realized he had always missed. The empty spot next to him in bed at night was filled; the missing tooth was found; his soul was complete.

"I – I" breathed Veneer.

Oh, no, I overshot, thought Floyd in a panic.

"I LOVE YOU TOO!" cried Veneer, holding the diamond bottle against his cheek. "I ALWAYS HAVE!"

Wait, what?

He looked down at his little Troll with love. "Ever since I first heard you sing," he said, "I fell in love with your voice. You are the fiercest, sweetest, coolest little guy who has ever lived and I just think you're the best!"

Floyd's heart sank. Floyd. The sensitive one. He shook his head. "What am I doing," he murmured.

Veneer continued his ramble. He proudly held the Troll bottle in the air and wiggled and jigged. "I LOVE MY LITTLE TROLL! I LOVE MY LITTLE TROLL!"

Floyd bit his lower lip. Guilt sank into his heart. "Right. Uhm... could you...maybe... let me-"

Veneer wiped away a tear. "No one has ever loved me before," he admitted, sobbing. "Not even Velvet or my parents have ever said it. Nobody's ever even asked me out. I just – this is so – sob... snort...sorry... that was totally oversharing... I must sound so lame right now."

"N-no, not at all," said Floyd, experiencing an entirely new kind of guilt.

"I admire you so much," admitted Veneer. He pulled a tiny little box out of his pocket. "I've been trying to build the courage to give you this for a long time." He supported the box with his left hand and held the lid with his right and... oh no...

IT'S A RING BOX. HE'S PROPOSING, realized Floyd with horror.

"Veneer," he cried, exacerbated, guilt pulling and straining him from every direction, "I didn't mean it!"

Veneer sank."Wh-what?"

Floyd shook his head sadly. "I didn't mean it. Not a thing. None of it. I don't love you. I barely even know you. I am so sorry. I just wanted to get back to my brother."

Veneer blinked. Tears fell. He laughed, a sound with no joy, and then his head nodded down. "Right. Uh... of course."

He pursed his lips and opened the box.

Clothes. Food. A compass. And a Troll-sized map.

"It was -"

"Supplies," said Veneer coldly. "You're going to need them where you're going."

He popped the lid off of the bottle and shook Floyd out.

"Go home," he said. "I'm sure you're glad to be rid of me."

"Veneer-"

"Keep my name off your sweet lips!" shouted Veneer.

A car roared up behind them and swung into the lot. Velvet hopped out. She screeched. "VENEER!" she said, "I knew you were here! I have your geolocation on SnapChat!" she saw the Troll and gaped. "WHAT is THAT?! Are you... are you letting him go!? After everything we've been through!"

Floyd looked at Veneer.

Veneer looked at Velvet.

"N-no," he said. "It's... uh... The Troll is escaping!" he shouted, hopping out of the car and pointing.

Velvet scooped Floyd up and popped him back into the bottle. "Not this time!"she yelled, tucking the bottle into her purse. She looked back up to chastise Veneer and pushed a finger into his chest. "Never. Do. That. Again," she seethed. "That Troll should never leave the house again. It lives in the dressing room or on a stage from now on." she paused, breathed, and put her hand back on Veneer's shoulder. The siblings looked out over Mount Rageous and beyond, to the Troll Tree and the Sea.

"Veneer?" she said.

"Yeah, Velvet?"

"I love you, bro," she said. "Thank you for being here for me. You're the only one who is."

Veneer smiled sadly. "I love you too, sis," he said. "And same."