The Girly Watch Remade

Chapter 6 The Orange Suns Reflection

The cafeteria hummed with the clatter of trays and chatter of students as Peter ripped open a ketchup packet with a sharp tearing sound. Bright red condiment oozed out, and he methodically dragged the packet back and forth, smearing ketchup over the basket of golden-brown fries. Across the table, Brian idly prodded at his own lunch, the tines of his plastic fork pushing limp green beans around his tray.

"So let me get this straight." Peter punctuated the statement by scooping up a ketchup-drenched fry and popping it into his mouth. He chewed deliberately, eyeing Brian with a suspicious squint. "Tracer, the Overwatch hero, literally flies down onto your balcony. You two chat it up, then meet again at the park before going on some coffee date where Mercy just happens to show up?"

Brian's cheeks flushed, and he glanced around the bustling cafeteria, feeling exposed under his friend's scrutinizing gaze. "Keep it down!" he hissed, hunching his shoulders. "I know how it sounds, but I swear it happened just like that."

Surrendering with an open-handed gesture, he leaned in closer over the table's scratched surface. "Tracer gave me her number, and I don't know what to do."

Peter dragged another fry through the pool of ketchup, the red sauce clinging in thick streaks. He brought it to his lips, rubbing his chin thoughtfully before taking a bite. "Dad always says you gotta play it cool when a girl gives you her digits. Last thing you want is to come across as desperate or creepy by texting right away." He pointed the half-eaten fry at Brian. "Better to wait a day or two."

Nodding, Brian's gaze drifted off, his mind wandering despite the noisy lunchroom. "Yeah, but Tracer and Mercy?" He shook his head slowly. "They're not exactly normal girls. I mean, they could literally kill me without breaking a sweat."

"Exactly!" Peter smirked, slapping Brian's shoulder lightly and leaving a small ketchup-tinged handprint on the blue fabric. "Which is why I know you probably tell you have a raging crush on at least one of them." He raised an eyebrow mischievously. "C'mon man, spill. How you feel about Tracer?"

Sinking back into the hard plastic seat, Brian slipped his hands into his hoodie pocket, picking absently at a loose thread with his fingers. His mind drifted back to that electric night on the balcony, the image of Tracer illuminated against the moonlight. "She's just...incredible. Like a sun giving off this warm, vibrant glow." He cracked a smile, his cheeks pinking up slightly. "Talking with her is like sticking a fork in a light socket. One second, she's jetting around at a million miles an hour, telling these wild stories, and then she slows down and gets so...thoughtful. It's like she.. gets it, you know?"

A low whistle slipped through Peter's teeth. He polished off the last of his fries, draining his soda noisily through the straw. "I was gonna offer to hook you up with Sally Gianelli since her boyfriend's out of the picture. But sounds like your plate is full." He clapped Brian's shoulder again with his greasy palm. "Word of advice though? Dating an actual superhero isn't exactly like crushing on the hot TA in your Bio lab. She's a living legend, dude. I had Tracer stickers and action figures when I was a kid! If you manage to get anywhere with this girl, best be prepared for the sensory overload of a lifetime..."

Peter trailed off as Brian's eyes glazed over, his mind clearly somewhere else entirely. Peter rolled his eyes. "See? Zoning out already..." he teased under his breath. "So what's the verdict, lover boy? Level with me - this a full-blown crush situation?"

Pink crept higher onto Brian's cheeks as he remembered the flutter in his chest from when he'd first said Lena's name aloud. A faint grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. "no.." he admitted quietly.

"Huh?" Peter questions, brow furrowing.

Brian leans over, cupping his hands on the table and squeezing until his knuckles turn white. His gaze grows distant as he thinks about Lena and Angela. "I don't know how to explain it, but I don't know them that well. I admire them, but it's like..." He trails off, worrying his lower lip between his teeth for a moment. "It's like they aren't real."