“Th-thanks!” He fully got to his feet before slipping a bit, and rolled back to clutch the wall. There she went. “You’re welcome!” He called. He’d helped her to get started; was that enough for him? Of course not. She’d soon be off and running (or, skating rather), and before no time they would be competing again.
The greenblood braced himself. Skaters went past at varying speeds, but all of the wind was out of his sails. He wasn’t used to couple’s skate. The feeling was… Bizarre.
Was this what it was like to connect with someone? Honestly, he didn’t really get anything out of the interaction. Or did he? Aandes grumbled and skated back to the carpeted exterior of the ring, removing himself from the fray. He rolled around to Koalapops’ table, where his lusus was snacking on a bag of popcorn. “Hey, Pops,” Aandes mumbled. He hopped onto one of the chairs and rolled his feet back and forth on the ground. “You busy?”
Of course Koalapops wasn’t busy. Aandes pretended that his lusus had conceded and talked while he looked out at the skaters on the ring. He tracked Rasali with his eyes. “I feel like I shouldn’t be happy right now.” He exclaimed. Aandes leaned on an elbow and pouted. “I got hurt; I helped out a girl I don’t even like so that she can keep being a wiggler around me at stuff that I like. She gave me this gross leafwater green bandaid after I fell in front of her like a chump. What’s the good thing about this situation?”
No response, but the order for nachos was done. Koalapops excused himself from the table and Aandes went quiet for a while, hand now pressed against his cheek in thought. When his lusus returned, Aandes had formulated an answer. “I think that there’s something she has that I want. I just haven’t figured it out yet. But I will.” He nodded in affirmation. Koalapops looked up and licked the last of the greasy cheese off of his face, earning a disgusted grimace from Aandes. He turned away, and had a thought.
“I can’t let her see me like this, anyway. Weak and whatever. She’s gotten too used to me. Let’s come back tomorrow when she’s not around. I’ll practice tomorrow; tonight I make a game plan.” It was time to give her some cold shoulder, Aandes style. He didn’t really think through a plan other than leaving just yet, but at least it’d make him look cool and aloof as well as giving him an excuse to regroup. “C’mon Pops, let’s get outta here.”
seekingCylem
FINALLY DONE
