# Bad Apple Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Maybe It's A Dream
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"It was great to see you today, I just wanted to say… I-it really meant a lot that you came with me here, thank you."
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Stella's words at the end of our… hangout last week echo through my mind as I wait for her arrival.
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Last Saturday at the Bubb Lee went pretty well. I was expecting it to be challenging without Rosa around since she knows how to soothe her whenever she feels anxious. But I was surprised to see her relatively calm throughout the d- meeting.
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Dare I say, outgoing even.
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Maybe it's the autistic part of me, but from how the sheepish Stego invited me to go with her to get bubble tea, Stella made it sound less mundane.
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"I'm gonna get the strawberry flavour! But since it's your first time, you should get chocolate. You won't be disappointed!"
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Well, at least she didn't suggest the banana flavour, but she wasn't wrong at all, I wasn't disappointed.
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Our time together was fairly tame. Our conversations mainly ranged from the typical topic of anime, art, video games, and of course the discussion we had about “the joys of boba.”
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Although I noticed when we were sitting down how her body language contrasted the other times I've seen her. Rather than being skittish and reserved, she seemed rather… warm, inviting, and nervous. But not of the same nervousness that she displayed when anxious. It's almost like she was nervous in anticipation, which would explain how she was blushing.
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And I would be lying as I said I wasn't blushing too.
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Before heading out, we decided to plan another get-together. She suggested The Volcadera Shopping Centre, surprising me considering how she doesn't seem to do well in crowds. But I wasn't about to say no, in fact, I was looking forward to it.
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The sudden flutter of wings and cacophony of cooing above my head snaps me from my flashback as I remember where I was. Sitting on a bench outside the mall, my crutches by my side as I feel the cool breezy wind of Autumn's end, reminding me that the cold will always find me no matter how far I go.
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Granted, it's still not as brutal as Rock Bottom's weather, where it would begin to snow in October. Thankfully, I don't think Volcadera has seen snowfall since 2015.
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Here I am, sitting all alone on a bench, outside a mostly deserted mall on a Thursday afternoon. If it weren't for the broken leg, I'd imagine most people would think I'm a serial killer or a pedophile, and if it were a shittier mall.
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Thankfully, Volcadera Shopping Centre seems to be one of the nicer ones in this golden turd of a town. Not that I would be knowledgeable about the area, this is the second time I've been to a mall since moving here, I didn't want to plan our outing at the other mall for obvious reasons…
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My one good leg began to bounce rather impatiently, almost as if it was a reflex. What originally started as a ten-minute wait suddenly began to feel like an hour. Should I text her and ask if everything's alright? She did seem pretty eager at the idea of checking out this mall after our hangout last week.
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In a way, I'm looking forward to this too, I need a way to distract myself with the withdrawal that has been fucking me over the past couple of days. Although that's not all, I…
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… I'm just looking forward to seeing Stella again. Both that weeby little Stego and Rosa brought back a certain light to my life I thought was long gone. It's hard to describe, but with them, I felt…
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Human…
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"Eyyyyy whassup up, bro!" A slurred masculine voice calls out to my left.
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Fuck…
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I feel myself freeze with fear as my brain recognizes whose voice that belongs to. I slowly turn my head towards my greeter, my eyes see the pink raptor stumbling towards my way, his typical red tanktop replaced with a torn and stained green hoodie, a thermos in hand and a duffel bag strapped across his back.
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"R-Reed?" I stammer
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"Yoooooooooooooo" My former friend slurs as he walks toward me, clearly struggling to maintain his balance.
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Fuck… Is he even real? Why is he here? Neither Trish nor he died in the shooting? Why the fuck are they here?!
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My inner monologue is interrupted as I'm hit with surprise as his facial expression became more visible.
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He's… smiling?
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"Faaaannng!! Ho-h-how you've been brooooo? It's been aaaaaages!"
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What.
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Thousands of words scramble through my brain as I try to wrap my head around what Reed just said. Reed looks at me with anticipation with bloodshot eyes and a droopy facial expression, waiting for a response as he continues to stagger in front of me.
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He thinks I'm Fang? How much carfe is he on right now??
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"Reed… It's me, Anon, Fang-" I weakly manage to choke out before I get cut off by him.
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"Duuuuude, who's Alan? Dd-did Trish put you up to this?" The raptor brushes me off with a gesture of his hand. "Bruuuuuuhhhhh, I swear this wasn't the way to Mr. Carldelewski's class. I was supposed to meet Fang and drop off those Guitar strings she needed."
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What the fuck is he even talking about? Nothing he's saying is making any sense! He always did seem a bit loopy before, but I've never seen him in this state before.
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"Fang's dead, Reed…" I struggle to maintain the composure in my voice from pure shock and confusion. "She died months ago, you know this."
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Now I am on the giving end as I watch the wheels in Reed's brain struggle to turn as he deciphers my words.
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"....No… Naser, my bro, I literally just saw Fang!" He shoots me a confused look, or at least tries to as he begins to twist off the thermos lid. Lifting the container up to his snout as he begins to pour all of its contents down his throat.
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I'm going to make a lucky guess and say that's not coffee in there.
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The seconds of silence return as I stare at Reed dumbfounded as he begins to chug… whatever the hell is in his thermos like it's water.
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"Hey, Reed, what's uh- what's in the thermos?" I inquire with a mixture of curiosity and concern
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"It's carfe bro! But like, Carfezilla dialled to 11 while doing a handstand on top of the Eiffel tower! …plus I mixed it with some of the harder stuff if you catch my meaning!"
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Raptor Jesus… How is he even alive? Any normal person would have probably died from that amount of drugs. Come to think of it, I've never seen him this high before or drink his carfe that fervently. Did he…
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Did he start doing this because of Fang? Because of me?
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"Okay… Uh… what h-have you been up to since graduating?" I ask my old friend, trying to change the topic as I almost stumble over my words in the process.
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The Ruddy Raptor's right arm falls limp as he regains his breath, nearly dropping the container.
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"Well… Y'know maaaaaan, I started my own beeswax, and it really blew up the last couple months, and I-I-I'm pretty much the richest raaaptor ever now!" The slurring in Reed's words becoming more and more pronounced. "Pluuusss, I invested in a tooooon of SnootCoin so VeeVoorm Dramm can finally get the green we need to reeeeallly start us up!"
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What the hell have you done to yourself, Reed?
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"I… have to go, I'm sorry, Reed…" My brain scrambles as I continue to come up with an excuse to get out of here. "I have to… go to a job interview."
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Reed shrugs in response with barely open eyes "S'all good broski! I'll seeee you later Trish, lemme know if yooou can tell Naomi that Rosa still owes me that 20 krona from the other day!"
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I'm so fucking sorry Reed...
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I awkwardly wave him goodbye as the spaced-out raptor crumples against the ground as he matches my hand waving, albeit paired with a lazy smile.
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Let's go inside. I just need to step away from here.
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Hobbling myself towards the mall entrance, my mind fully begins to process what I just saw. Reed is still around, but rather than wanting me dead or hating my guts, he's completely destroyed his mind with all those fucking drugs that he's taking.
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I can't say that I blame him. How else can you cope with loss that horrific? Hell, I shouldn't be one to judge, considering how much I've been popping Adderall like candies. Not to mention how much cough syrup I've drunk because I cant buy booze, but mix it with some Stoka Cola or 11 Up, and it works, all the same. But it's not like I can get either of those since the pharmacies fucking hate me right now.
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Pushing open the doors, I'm hit with a change of temperature as I finally enter the building. In front of me stands a water fountain, the spray of the water directed inwards, forming a circle of aqua. Two floors each, lined with various stores and outlets, none of which are particularly busy. Making sense since it's a Thursday in the afternoon, hence why the halls aren't littered with screaming children.
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Although, I wish I could say the same about the crying children. Hearing the wail from my right, a part of me is compelled to investigate the sound of the noise due to its odd familiarity. Walking around the corner I see a girl in a white hoodie crumpled against the window, her face buried in her arms as she continues to cry, the only distinguishable feature being the lime green tail adorned with plates-
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Wait…
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"Stella? Is that you?"
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The hooded girl lifts her head towards me, confirming my suspicions. “A-anon? *Sniff* I’m sorry…” Stella gazing at me with puffy eyes and absolute remorse.
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Why is she apologizing? She didn’t do anything wrong to me. I’m more curious to know why she’s crying. Seeing her this distraught, all alone as the sadness in her eyes wells up. I feel a tightening feeling around my heart, an uneasy feeling spreading through my body like a wave.
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It pains me to see her like this. How did Rosa handle this again?
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“Hey hey hey, you don’t have to apologize at all.” I position myself against the window sill, trying to sit down without causing further pain to my leg. “It’s uh… It’s all gonna be okay, do you want to talk about what’s wrong?”
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Stella replies with a sniffle followed by a shuddered breath. “I-I-I tried taking the bus to get here s-since I was worried that my parents wouldn’t let me come here alone.”
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“And when I got here, I couldn’t find you, a-and it was too loud, and I-”
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The dam breaks before she’s able to let out another word, and she buries her face back into her arm as she begins crying.
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I have… no idea what to do here
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I reach out to take hold of her hand, isn’t that how people comfort each other when they're sad. As soon as my hand touches her scales, her shuddering and crying stops.
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FUCK, ABORT ABORT ABORT!
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I fear I’ve made things awkward as by touching out, so I pull my hand back, but before I can, Stella quickly takes hold of my hand..
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“I’m sorry… I’m sorry.” She tightly squeezes my hand as she turns to face me, ignoring the growing surprise on my face. “I’m. Uh… I can handle it now, it’s good to see you Anon.”
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Task failed successfully..?
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“I-It’s good to see you too Stella.” I nearly fumble with my words as Stella pulls herself off the ground, forcing me to put all my weight on my one good leg. “So uh… Did you want to check out some of the stuff in the mall?”
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Stella remains silent to my question as she turns away, holding her hands in front of her. Shit, was that insensitive to ask? God, why am I such a fucking idiot? Why do I have to fuck so many things up to the point where the only good things left are-
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“Yeah, I’d like that very much Anon…”
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Oh… Okay, I guess not then.
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“Sounds good! Where did you have in mind?” I eagerly ask her.
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Stella turns to me as she rubs the bottom of her snout with her hand, her brow above her still puffy eyes furrowing. “Hmmm, there’s a bunch of really neat stores this mall has. Would it be okay if we checked Hot Tropic first?”
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Hot Tropic? Wasn’t that store just for goth kids and vampire wannabes?
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“They actually got a lot of cool anime stuff too, I think it would be fun!”
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Jesus Christ Anon, real smooth.
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“Y-yeah, let’s check it out!” I nod to her agreeably. “Wait, where is it?”
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“Oh! It should be on the second floor by the GameRock, I wanna check that place out too!” Stella eager exclaims, the stress and fear that plagued her moments ago nowhere to be found. Is it just me or does she switch demeanours a little too quickly? Ehh, let’s worry about it later.
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“Sounds good!” I give her a thumbs-up as my arm leans on my crutch.
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Without a word, Stella enthusiastically beckons me to the mall’s elevator, taking note of my current predicament. And the two of us make our way towards the lift, passing by a handful of people, all dinos of course.
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I guess it’s a smart idea we came at this time of day when kids are still in class right now, I’d imagine I’d be dealing with a lot more right now if we came a couple of hours later..
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As we reach the elevator, Stella presses the button and the doors open almost instantly, the Stego turns to me with a sweet smile as she held the door open, allowing me to enter.
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…I mean, I know most elevator doors have sensors so that they don’t close on people and crush them, but I still can’t help but smile at the gesture. As we both enter the elevator, Stella presses the button labelled “2” on the control panel, and as the doors close, I catch a glance of a figure leaning against the corner staring at me.
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Yellow hoodie mixed with black track pants, purple skin, and eyes full of contempt, a presence I’m too familiar with.
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Fuck… Not again! Is she real this time?? If Reed really was here, then does that mean she’s really here too?
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…No.. No, she was at Moe’s last week and nothing happened, it’s just your mind fucking with you again?
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“A-Anon, are you okay?” The touch of Stella’s hand on my shoulder snaps me out of my shock.
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She doesn’t need to know you’re a schizo Anon, she’s already scared enough as it is, she’ll probably leave the first chance she gets if you tell her.
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“Oh sorry… I just get… Claustrophobic in elevators, I’m fine.” I face the concerned Stego as I express my lie with nonchalance.
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“Ohh… Okay…” She replies rather awkwardly, her voice still hinting at concern.
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She doesn’t need to know about the hallucinations or the drugs…
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The next half an hour passed by rather quickly, with Stella and I visit all the shops that the mall had to offer. Each shop became more exciting than the last for the sweet Stego, as her eyes wander to the various merchandise that caught her attention.
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However, I can’t say the same for me since most of the outlets seemed dull in terms of their selection. Most of the anime merch comes from typical normie Shōnen trash like Sword Art Online, Attack on Titan, and worst of all My Hero Academia. And GameRock at this point is more or just a retail outlet for DunkoPop figures, that just so happens to sell games. Along with some other stores we visited along the way like Sunset Records, Sponsor’s Gift, and our current destination, CinnaRoll.
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Both of us were feeling a bit hungry so we decided to stop to enjoy some diabetes-inducing goodness, plus these iced cinnamon buns should help to wash the taste of shitty consumerist crap out of my mouth.
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Although, as indifferent as I am about the shops we visited, it doesn’t matter if they were any good or not to me, I found myself just happy to be with Stella. Seeing her bubbly and cheerful demeanour resurface after being pushed away for so long, it’s almost infectious, filling me with a warmth that melted the ice around my heart. Her smile, her kind eyes, her beautiful verdant hair… I don’t deserve to be here with her, not after the way I treated her back in high school.
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I snap out of my stupor as I waddle myself over to the cashier with Stella by my side as we prepare to order.
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“Hi there, welcome to CinnaRoll! How can I take your order today?” A tan triceratops girl in a teal uniform asks with a gleeful demeanour.
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I give her my order, 1 regular-sized cinnamon roll and a vanilla iced coffee. While Stella orders herself the same thing, but with a Double Chocolate Frappe. How is she able to eat crap like this a lot and not be fat? Unless it's all going to her…
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Jesus christ Anon, keep it in your pants.
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The two of us leave the shop as I carry the bag with our food with my free hand, trying to maintain control of not trying to drop it or fall down.
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“Oh there’s a nice spot! Let’s sit over by the fountain!” Stella directs me towards the water fountain right of the store’s entrance. The fountain in question looked more like a large tub than the artificial cascade that laid ahead the front entrance.
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Setting the bag down on the makeshift bench, I slowly lower myself down as Stella places her drink down while handing me mine.
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“So uh.., have you been to a CinnaRoll before Anon?” Stella asks with a hint of awkwardness as she unwraps the straw for her drink.
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“I think I did once… It was a couple of years ago, my parents and I were visiting my grandparents for Christmas, and we stopped at the mall on the way there because they forgot to pick up a Christmas present for my uncle or something like that.” I stab the lid of the ice-cold cup as I recall my past. “My dad gave me five bucks and told me to meet him back in the car in fifteen minutes.”
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Giving myself a brief pause, I take a sip of my iced coffee as I feel the cool mixture of coffee, cream, and vanilla trickle down my throat. Goddamn, that’s good, I wonder if I can make this with the shitty instant coffee at home.
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“And the mall we stopped at had it and decided to give it a try.” I explain as I set my drink down. “Best five dollars I’ve ever spent.” “I know right?? It’s soooooo good, just everything about it, the drinks, the snacks, and especially the cinnamon rolls!” The smiling Stego beaming with enthusiasm as she reached into the bag, pulling out two cardboard containers and setting them down. “Especially the glaze they put on them, it’s better than the first time you saw your favourite anime!”
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Not the exact way I would phrase it, but I can’t argue with that!
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Not wanting to wait any longer, both Stella and I pick up our boxes prompting me to open mine, my nostrils are invaded with the smell of cinnamon, cream, and freshly baked dough. Its scent seducing my senses, calling me to treat my taste buds.
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…Why the fuck am I thinking this descriptively over a cinnamon roll?
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Not wasting a second longer, I pick up the pastry and take a moderately-sized bite out of it.
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…Raptor Jesus, now I understand why diabetes has become this big of an issue in the country. Absolutely, worth it.
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“Ohhh Anon! You do know they gave us plastic knives and forks, right?” Stella interrupts me from my ecstasy.
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Aren’t you supposed to eat this with your hands like a donut?
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I look down at where the containers were, and I see an unopened set of plastic utensils.
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Ohhh….
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I hear the sound of my Stego companion attempting to stifle back a giggle as she watches me make an ass out of myself. But I notice the blush on her face, as she smiles at me as she unwraps her plastic utensils.
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“You’re so silly Anon…”
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“Eh, I’ll take it. I’ve been called worse things!” I shoot her a playfully sarcastic look as I shrug.
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Her smile vanishes quickly as it’s replaced with concern. “Oh nononono, I’m sorry Anon! I wasn’t trying to be mean, I-I was just making a joke!”
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Fuck, did I say the wrong thing? Make the wrong look? Activate recovery maneuvers.
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“What? I knew you were joking, I was just playing along with it.” I reassure her in an attempt to calm her down.
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“Oh… Okay, my bad.” Stella takes a deep breath as her body loosens. “I’m sorry Anon, I just have a hard time reading people at times.” I guess that makes two of us.
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“Yeah... I guess so, I’m glad I’m not alone!” Stella chirps in response to my uncontrollable mumbling
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Directing her attention toward the cardboard container sitting on her lap, she opens it up, taking a sniff of its sweet goodness with delight. Not waiting for a second longer, the eager Stego cuts off a piece of the cinnamon roll and promptly takes a bite from it.
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As she slowly chews the frosted pastry, Stella lets out a moan of satisfaction, she’s clearly enjoying this as much as I am.
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“Mmmmm, Sugoi!” Stella sighs with pleasure as she savours her cinnamon roll. “I haven’t had something like this in forever!”
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Wait, didn’t you order a tiramisu last week?
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“I mean, yeah. But I was talking about cinnamon buns!” The blissful Stego clarifies as she raises her fork as if it were a finger.
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“Ahhh, Sage would love-”
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Wait, who’s Sage? But before I can ask her, I notice the drastic change in her demeanour.
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Moments ago she was rather cheerful, and now the expression on her face is replaced with a pang of sadness, tears welling up in her eyes as she drops the fork as it falls to the ground.
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“S-Stella? What’s wrong?”
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But before I receive a response, she begins to weep as she turns away, placing her face in her palms.
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Was Sage that purple raptor that sometimes hung out with Stella? I don’t remember seeing her body among the crowd, maybe… No, now’s not the time to worry about details, Stella is hurting.
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For once in your life, Anon, don’t be a retard.
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I set my cinnamon roll down and scoot myself closer to her, placing my right arm on her shoulder with slight hesitation. “Hey hey… It’s okay, do you wanna talk about it?”
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“N-nooo…” She said in a shaky voice, her hands muffling her voice.
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Fuck, this is bad. I have the emotional support skills of a war criminal, none of those Belarusian pottery forums taught me anything about how to comfort a crying girl.
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Think Anon, what would Rosa do?
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“I’m here for you Stella, I promise you, you’re not alone.” I gently reach out for her hand, her fingers reacting subconsciously as she returns the grasp.
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My skin comes into contact with a warm feeling, her scales feel rather soft as silk. Her hand grasping tightly for mine, however, her wailing continues.
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Maybe we try… getting her mind off things? Doesn’t this mall have an arcade somewhere on the first floor? Maybe some games might cheer her up a bit.”
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“I have an idea, how about we go to-”
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“(sniff) Y-yeah, I think that would mend my spirit.”
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What.
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“Wait, how did you know what I was going to- …Oh, right..”
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Stella’s crying is replaced with a slight chuckle as she turns to face me, I see her normally lime-green face mixed with shades of red along with a line of black dripping from her eyes, her tears staining her makeup. And despite all of that, I can’t help but feel happy from looking at her.
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The smile that blossoms across her lips, even if only slightly. Paired with her celestial blue eyes that radiated the pure kindness that dwells within her very soul.
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When I look at her, I feel joy, peace even.
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Do I…
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“You do seem to mumble quite a bit Anon.” The Sweet Stego teases me for my not so inner monologue.
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Fuck, how much did she hear?
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“I think it’s kind of cute…”
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Huh.
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HUH???????
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UHH………….
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“And yeah, I think going to the arcade sounds like a great idea!” Stella lifts herself off the platform and puts her cinnamon roll in the bag. “I always loved coming here with my dad when I was younger.”
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“A-Awesome, let’s umm, let's check it out!” I awkwardly fumble as I also place my pastry in my bag, nearly dropping it from my jittering arms causing Stella to giggle. Shifting my weight onto my non-broken leg, Stella and I rise for the bench.
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“Lead the way! Cause I sure as hell don’t know where to go.” I turn towards her, careful to maintain a balance on my crutches.
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“The stars will guide us for the journey ahead!”
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There’s the Stella I know. The adorkable astrology-loving Stego, emerging from within. Almost too quickly though.
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Without another word, both of us begin to make our way towards the elevator, passing by all the random shops that are scattered throughout the mall, clothes stores, gift shops, food places. None of them stand out in particular, but a reflection that emerged from the window to my right almost causes me to stop dead in my tracks.
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Fang, leering at me through the glass, the revenant’s eyes full of envy, and her scowl becoming more pronounced. However, her glare isn’t directed at me, but rather at the figure next to me.
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No… No, I don’t have time for this, not today. You’ve haunted me for the past five months, I just want a day where I can forget about all of that, is that too much to fucking ask?
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Is it?
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… Do I really deserve to feel such solace.
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“Anon?”
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Stella’s call made me realize that I’ve been standing in place for the past couple of seconds.
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“S-sorry about that just got distracted,” I reassure her.
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She’s been through enough today, she doesn’t need any more on her plate. For once, just pull it together Anon.
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For her…
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Thankfully, the walk towards the arcade wasn’t too far, the elevator was ready again from the moment we pressed the button, and we passed the time with small talk as we made our way towards the arcade.
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The subject primarily ranges from the stores we’ve passed by, the mementos my d- friend purchased along the way, and the sweet cinnamon ambrosia that Stella held within her many bags.
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“So Anon, have you had cinnamon rolls from anywhere else before?” The Stego inquired, her eyes fixated on our passing surroundings.
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Hmm… That’s a good question…
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“I can’t say that I have, other than that time I was telling you about.” I explain as I dig within the deep recesses of my mind. “I’ve always been more of a donut kind of guy to be honest.”
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My answer causes Stella to nearly stop as she lightens up. “I looove donuts too! Have you tried that local shop in town? Glory Hole Donuts? They make the absolute best!”
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“...Glory Hole Donuts?”
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What the fuck kind of name is that for a donut shop? In this town? This is the kind of shit you’d expect to see from a store in Canada.
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“W-well yeah! Because donuts have holes, and they taste glorious! Right?” Stella retorts, blissfully unaware of the meaning.
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The glowing LED sign followed by the outlandish colors from the entrance’s interior in front of us makes me relieved I don’t have to explain the name’s meaning to Stella and destroy her innocence.
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“Hey, look we’re here!” I blurt out, briefly catching Stella off-guard right as she’s about to interject.
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As we get closer to the entrance, I glance at the establishment’s sign once again, as it shines with a vibrant pink as a flower of some kind surrounds the words.
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The Lotus Land Arcade. Interesting name for a mall arcade, although it does seem a bit… eastern?
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“I mean… They do have a lot of cool game machines imported from Japan, plus I think it’s a cool name!” Stella points out in response to what I assumed was my inner thought.
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That does make sense I suppose… They’ve certainly got some theme going on here, which I can see why Stella would be rather eager to visit this place. “So… Is this your first time, Anon?”
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“O-oh, yeah. It’s been ages since I’ve been to any arcade really.” I reply as we walk through the entrance and the two of us become drenched in its artificial lighting. “The only arcade in Rock Bottom didn’t really have any fun games, so I just stuck to my X-Rox.”
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“I see, that makes sense I guess.” Stella shifts her eyes downwards in contemplation. “Perhaps fate had you wait for this moment so that your first real arcade would be a blissful experience!”
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“Damn. It’s that good, huh?”
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“Oh yeah, you’re gonna love it here Anon!”
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So far coming to the arcade has already managed to lift my Stego d- friend’s mood.
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My Stego friend who I’ve been spending time with, alone, twice now. My Stego friend that I…
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Never mind, worry about it later Anon.
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As I snap back to reality, I see that Stella has been leading us to the front counter where a Tyrannosaurus Rex male around our age is waiting for us with a toothy grin as we approach.
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“Hey guys, how can I help you today?” The representative addresses us in a casual but polite tone.
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“Uh yeah… This is my first time here, I just wanted to ask how do we get set up?”
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The Tyrannosaurus’s face lights up with eagerness “Oh it is? That’s awesome! So basically what we do is we give you a card that you can load up with digital tokens and you can use them to play on any of our machines here!”
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Does that include the shitty stacker machines that always rip you off by making you think you could actually win an iStone?
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“Ha ha ha, yes they even work on those machines.” His response contained a hint of awkwardness, indicating that he was caught off-guard by my mumbling.
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“Anon…” Stella barely whispers to me in a disapproving tone.
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“Ah, sorry about that. So what do we need to do?” I ask, trying to ease my slight embarrassment.
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“No worries at all! Just need your first and last names so we can get you into our systems and set up!” Why does he need our last names?
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“Got it, my name’s Anon Y. Mous.” I tell him since I don’t want to make myself look like any more of a dumbass in front of Stella.
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“Excellent, and your name?” The tyrannosaurus shifts his gaze to Stella, who is looking at the ground uncomfortably.
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“..ella ..elaire” Her words are barely audible amidst all of the noise pollution caused by the arcade machines.
​
“I’m sorry could you repeat that?” The clerk asks as he leans in closer.
​
“S-Stella Baudelaire.”
​
Her last name is Baudelaire? I don’t know whether to joke about how fancy or how french it sounds.
​
“Wow, okay Mr. Mouse!” Stella pouting as I accidentally vocalize my inner thoughts once again.
​
That’s not even how it’s… You know what, I deserve that.
​
The Tyrannosaurus clerk begins typing away on the computer, bending down as he struggles to reach the keyboard.
​
A couple of seconds later he returns his focus to us. “Alrighty! Looks like you’re good to go, feel free to grab your cards at the end of the table and you can load up your cards at any of our terminals!”
​
“Awesome, thanks.” I wave him goodbye (or at least try to while balancing on crutches), and proceed with Stella to grab our cards.
​
“So Anon! W-what game did you want to play first?”
​
“Like I said, this place is a mystery to me so lead the way!” I answer her with an encouraging smile, the sensation becoming less foreign to me.
​
Stella begins to gaze around the arcade as she considers all of the possible options before she looks at me with an excited expression.
​
“I know just the one! Follow me!”
​
Almost reflexively, Stella reaches for my hand only for her to stop halfway through at the realization that my chances of falling on my ass will increase ten-fold if I took a hand off my crutch.
​
“Oh, s-sorry.”
​
“Nah, it’s all good. Let’s check out the game”
​
The apologetic look on the Stego’s face fades into enthusiasm as she turns around and starts moving towards the center of the arcade.
​
Gripping my crutches tightly, I follow in pursuit as carefully as I can, trying to avoid bumping into any machines or any of the other patrons wandering in the arcade. I’m starting to wonder if we should have come here first, due to all the snot-nosed kids that have dispersed into the arcade, looking to blow off some steam after school.
​
Ahead of me, Stella stops in front of a rather eccentric-looking arcade cabinet, the green Stego turns to me with a gentle wave. “Over here Anon!”
​
As I move closer to the machine, the details become more and more apparent.
​
On the cabinet lays a poster featuring a white-haired dino paired with glasses and a grey track coat, I swear I’ve seen someone like this around my school at some point. A sense of dread envelopes me as I notice the tarot card in his hand, the armored monster in a trenchcoat behind him, and the colorful yet elegant font that reveals the title.
​
Parasaurna 4 Arena Ultimate.
​
…You know what, I can’t even be made. I was expecting Stella to pick a game like this.
​
“Alrighty Anon, are you ready?”
​
“Yeah, let’s do it.”
​
“FUCK!”
​
“Language Anon! There’s kids here!”
​
“Sorry, Uh.. Crap!”
​
“That’s better!” Stella turns to me, sticking her tongue out, her face emoting pure smugness and mischief. I was not expecting this weeb to kick my ass at this game this badly.
​
I can only watch in horror as I see the oversized teddy bear in the left-hand corner being mercilessly clobbered by a blond cyborg Parasaurolophus with guns for hands. I can only assume that Stella has been secretly competing in fighting game tournaments without anyone’s knowledge. Which even in itself sounds hard to believe because she smells far too good to be good at fighting games.
​
“KO!” The screen in front of me cries out, rubbing my defeat in my face. “ATHENA, WINS!”
​
“Yay! I win!” Stella exclaims as she beams with pride before turning to face me, I honestly can’t be salty over losing, her bubbly and joyful demeanour is way too infectious for me to feel that way.
​
“Wanna play another round before checking out the other games?”
​
“Sounds good to me!”
​
“Yay!!” Stella cheers as she turns her focus back to the cabinet’s screen, her hands placed across the button layout as she navigates the menus. I follow her lead as the character selection loads
​
This time she picks a brown-haired tomboy in a green jacket, one of the few humans in this game from the looks of it. I just stick with my previous choice of the giant stuffed bear.
​
I know full well that I'm going to get my ass handed to me a second time, I never would’ve expected her to be THIS good at video games. But despite all of that, I’m not thinking about my inevitable defeat, I’m usually pretty competitive and focused when it comes to vidya, but with Stella?
​
My mind can only focus on the time I’ve been spending with Stella and how much I’ve enjoyed it. While there may have been some rough spots along the way, the good eclipses the bad.
​
I can imagine how much pain she’s had to endure throughout the past couple of months, how alone she must have felt, raptor Jesus knows I do. That feeling that makes you feel like you’re drowning, and you can’t reach the surface no matter how hard you swim. But seeing her happy and being able to see her shed that side of her in favour of her past self, the real Stella.
​
I… Cherish it.
​
“FUCK YOU, KYLE! I WANNA PLAY SOME MORE TIME CRISIS AND SHOOT SOME SKINNIES IN THE FACE!” A shrill and squeaky voice emanates from behind us.
​
Sigh… More snot-nosed middle schoolers.
​
As my head turns to investigate the source of the noise, catching a glance at the two dino boys bickering with each other, both of them look like they can’t be older than 12.
​
“BRO I ALREADY SAID I RAN OUT OF TOKENS, AND MY MOM ONLY GAVE ME $20 AND I WANT TO SPEND THE REST OF IT ON MORE V-BUCKS!” The shorter triceratops practically screaming at his Pachysaurus companion.
​
“FAM YOU’RE SUCH A FUCKIN’ BROKE BOY!” The taller tween bellows an equally obnoxious reply as the two disturb what little serenity the arcade has. “WHY DON'T YOU JUST PLAY WITH THAT SHITTY CAP GUN YOU GOT AT THE DOLLAR STORE?!”
​
America’s typical youth everyone! …Our generation is so fucked.
​
As I turn back to face the cabinet, I catch a brief glance of Stella’s face, the cringe and discomfort growing on her face. Considering how loud those fucking ankle biters are yelling from across the arcade, I can’t blame her.
​
“ROUND ONE. FIGHT!” The speakers blast our ears, commencing the one-sided battle I find myself in against my Stego companion, who wastes no time in taking the opportunity to jump-dash across the screen and land a well-placed kick to the bear’s face.
​
“Crapcrapcrapcrapcrap” I panic as I frantically start mashing all the buttons and wiggle my joystick to the point where my wrist looks like it’s having a seizure.
​
Stella lets out a giggle in response to my pathetic predicament… Goddamnit, it’s cute when she does that.
​
“BET I CAN GET MORE THAN YOU, PUSSY!”
​
“OH, YOU’RE ON LOSER!” Both the tweens shout at each other as their argument. I wonder if it’s too late to suggest condoms after 12 years?
​
As I try to keep my focus on the game, I’m distracted by a strange popping sound that echoes throughout the arcade. One of the machines must be busted.
​
“Anon?” Stella’s words pulled me out of my thoughts. “Are you okay? You seemed to be mumbling something?”
​
Of course, I was, no matter what I can’t seem to…Wait a minute.
​
“Wait you can hear me mumble, how? There’s enough noise in this arcade to turn someone deaf!” “Well… I saw your lips moving and could make out a bit of what you were-” She shrugs in response before being cut off by the aforementioned popping sound, which now sounds closer than it was before.
​
“BANG! HA HA HA GOT YOU GUYS!”
​
Stella and I jerk our heads to the left to see the Triceratops kid from earlier, pointing one what looks to be a shitty dollar store cap gun at us, with the orange tip and everything.
​
Fucking triggers…
​
I shoot the kid an annoyed look as I turn back towards the screen, taking hold of the control layout as my character begins to move across the screen. But whereas my character’s moving, my brunette opponent is standing idly, ignorant of the giant teddy bear closing in on her.
​
“Uhh... Stella, are you ready?” I ask her, receiving only silence in response.
​
Looking to my left to see Stella staring motionlessly at the ground, with a look of horror painted across her face as her body quivers with terror. Fuck, this isn’t good…
​
I begin to for her hand after taking it off the joystick. “H-hey, are you-”
​
But before I’m able to lay a finger on her or receive a response, she turns away and runs towards the exiting in tears…
​
Shit… Not again.
​
As I move in pursuit, abandoning the game, I turn to face the kid who is completely staring at me dumbfounded.
​
“The next time you point a gun at someone kid, you better be ready to fucking kill them.”
​
I briefly catch his face turn from orange to white as I turn towards the exit, more focused on my now missing friend who fled the arcade in tears.
​
Moving as fast as I can without tripping, I waddle myself out of the arcade to try and find out where Stella went. While I feel I have been able to improve my walking speed when using crutches, I doubt these makeshift limbs would allow me to keep up with her.
​
As I exit the neon-kissed establishment, I spy another triceratops leering at me from my left, however, this one is far more familiar…
​
“Fuck off!” I shout towards the simulacrum of Trish, my response does nothing to halt the vitriolic hate emanating from her scowl. I don’t have time for this…
​
Okay… If I was an emotionally scarred Stegosaurus girl, where would I be?
​
Let’s see… When we all went to Dino Moes the other week, Stella joined me outside because the crowds were getting to her, so…
​
Where’s the nearest exit?
​
I glance around my surroundings, amidst all the generic clothing outlets and passing shoppers, I manage to make out the sign for an exit wedged between two clothing stores, a weird place for an exit but now’s not the time to be worrying about that. Wasting no time, I continue limping my way towards the exit as the artificial light of the mall begins to be replaced with a more natural light emanating from the outside world.
​
As my eyes adjust to the light, I spot my target as I see a lone green-haired woman in a white hoodie, her plated tail coiling around her legs, and her body heaving as she hyperventilates on the bench.
​
Shit, this isn’t good. That fucking kid must have REALLY set her off. Okay think Anon, how should I approach this?
​
I press the automatic button left of the door as the cool wind kisses my face. “Stella? Are you okay?” I call out to her, but my words are met only with the sound of her frantic breathing.
​
Okay… Maybe I could try asking her about her art? That might help take her mind off of things.
​
“Easy Stella, it’s gonna be okay...” I call to her as I set myself down on the bench beside her. “Why don’t you tell me about that new art piece, you were working on?”
​
While her eyes remain fixated at the concrete ground by her feet, clear her throat. “It’s... going good, I-I wanted to… I saw this…” The despondent Stego struggles to find the right words as her body trembles.
​
Nice going Anon.
​
“I’m… sorry, Anon.”
​
Stella turns towards me, I can still see the fresh tears flowing from her red puffy eyes, albeit her body language has seemed to calm down slightly.
​
“I am so… so sorry Anon, you’ve been nothing but nice to me on our date and I ruined everything with my crying again…” Wait… Did she just say?- Not right now, Anon
​
“I just wanted to have a fun time out with you today.” Stella sighed with dejection as her shoulders dropped. “I just hate how weak I’ve become, how much of a burden I am!”
​
I know that feeling all too well, that gnawing feeling that reminds you of every mistake you’ve ever made and how it hurts the ones you loved, and you begin to resent yourself for these errors, it’s a suffocating feeling, but one that I deserve. But it hurts to see Stella of all people talk about herself like this, she’s one of the last people who deserve to be suffering this much.
​
“You’re not a burden to me Stella, not one bit.” I reassure her as my eyes meet her own. “I’ve been miserable for so long, almost every day for the past five months has been nothing but hell for me. But when I found you and Rosa again, it brought back a side of me that I thought died a long time ago.”
​
Just like earlier, my right-hand finds its way and gently takes hold of Stella’s hand.
​
“And getting to spend this day together with you, it’s the happiest I’ve been in a long time.”
​
As the words leave my lips, I watch the sorrow fade from Stella’s face as a smile begins to blossom from her.
​
“(Sniff), I feel the same way Anon.”
​
And before I’m able to say anything else, Stella pulls me into a tight hug, her arms wrapping around my torso tightly as her tail coils around my back, a feeling I’m sadly familiar with, but I mimic her actions nonetheless.
​
“Thank you, for being here… Thank you.” Her muffled voice rises as she nuzzles her snoot into my chest.
​
Feeling her embrace, I could get lost in this moment. But it sadly comes to an end as Stella pulls away from me while simultaneously unwrapping her tail around me.
​
“When I’m with you Anon, I don’t feel so alone anymore.” She says with a sad smile as she looks away for a brief moment. “You make me feel at ease, I feel safe when I’m with you…”
​
“You don’t feel safe when around Rosa?” I inquire, slightly confused albeit touched by her revelation.
​
A look of surprise shoots across her face as she defensively raises her hands. “Oh no, of course, I feel safe with Rosa! She’s like a sister to me.”
​
“But even then, we have our differences, and I feel as though there are parts of me that she doesn’t truly understand.” The Stego’s azure eyes point towards the gap between us on the bench. “But with you, I feel a sense of belonging, that I’m not alone, that I’m not afraid to show who I am with you.”
​
Her words speak to my very soul, for the longest time I’ve put up this barrier in front of me, so afraid to let anyone in due to fear of rejection and ridicule. That’s why I behaved the way I did to so many people who have tried to reach out and get to know the real me.
​
Naser, Reed, Rosa, Stella…
​
Fang…
​
But now with Stella, I feel like I no longer need this barrier, and I’m not afraid of letting her close, because I see a part of myself in her.
​
“Me too Stella… Me too…”
​
Stella’s smiling deepened as the silence followed my words, I feel a warm fluttering feeling in my chest, as our hands remained intertwined.
​
As her facial expression softened, Stella began to lean in ever so slightly, and my instincts compelling me to mirror her actions. It feels like an eternity as we close the distance, her lips nearly meeting mine.
​
Except that moment never comes, because I feel a strong blunt force impact the side of my head, sending me onto the concrete below as I land on my crippled leg too, causing me to cry out as the explosive and painful sensation envelopes my leg. Completely eclipsing the pain on my cheek..
​
“NO, ANON!!”
​
God… FUCK… Who?....
​
Stella speaks a single word, but the ringing in my ears muffles them preventing any comprehension of it.
​
I take a moment to gather my surroundings, still slightly disoriented from my mysterious attack, looking up I see Stella standing in front of me, her body painted with fear as she gazes at…
​
Wait… Trish?
​
No… How is this even possible?
​
“H-How did you… You’re not even real…” My voice calls out the personified memory of my nemesis, my accusation causing her to grit her teeth with vitriol.
​
“Oh, I’ll fuckin’ show you real, Skinnie…”
​
“Why are you doing this?! Anon didn’t do anything wrong!”
​
Wait, did Stella just… Then that means… She’s actually real?
​
“It’s okay, here!” Stella turns around and reaches for my hand, helping me off the ground.
​
The process is difficult and awkward, as she uses all her strength to lift me up as I shift all my weight onto my right leg. Grabbing hold of the crutches on the bench, I manage to find my footing, staring into the eyes of my assaulter at the equal ground, as the violet triceratops facing me huffs with hate.
​
“He didn’t do anything wrong?! ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?!” Trish points towards Stella before pointing in front of me. “THIS MONKEY DESERVES TO DIE FOR WHAT HE’S DONE!”
​
I know exactly why she wants me dead, even as I’m staring at Trish now, the image of her being held back by faculty as she screamed at me when everything went down flashes across my mind, the memory practically seared into my psyche among other things. But that’s not what I want to ask here.
​
“So that was you at Dino Moes last week… Why didn’t you finish the job then?” I call out to her, no emotion other than stoicism accompanying my voice.
​
“Moe got in the way, as usual…” Trish growls as her hand curls into a fist. “If it were up to me, I’d break the other leg too, right before breaking your fucking neck.”
​
I’m taken aback by Trish’s confession, but I honestly can’t say I’m surprised for one second. If there's anyone who would have it out for me, it’s her.
​
“I had a feeling it was you that broke my leg… I can’t say I blame you, there isn’t a second where I-”
​
“It was you?! Why would you do something so horrible Trish?!” Stella raises her voice towards our purple adversary, effectively cutting off anything I had left to say.
​
Trish’s whole being shaking as her anger grows like an inferno. “Don’t you get it you fucking sperg?”
​
“HE TOOK AWAY THE ONLY PERSON I EVER LOVED.”
​
Trish has assaulted me, doxxed me, bullied me, and even threatened to murder me. But out of all of the things Trish has said and done, the words that just rang from her mouth surprise me the most.
​
“You took them away from me, I helped them figure out who they wanted to be, I was there for them, ready to take on the whole world by their side…” Trish’s eyes meet the ground as her voice faltered, and the sorrow from her words came leaking through. “I loved them… More than anything else in this shit world.”
​
The vitriol returns to the Triceratops as her malicious gaze returns to me.
​
“But because of you, you ruined everything, the band, our friendship, YOU KILLED FANG!” Her voice roaring with hate, causing Stella to quake slightly. “Leave him alone! Anon didn’t ask for this fate!” Stella steps forward inching away from me slightly. “F-fang hurt people too, she killed-”
​
“It’s THEY YOU FUCKING RETARD! AND ANON DROVE THEM TO IT!” Trish slams her foot onto the ground as she pointed her finger at Stella. “And what the hell do you know about it?!”
​
The discomfort on Stella’s face becomes more apparent as the vengeful Trish continues her verbal assault.
​
“You’re probably only standing up for this damn skinnie because he’s an anime-loving loser like you, birds of a feather right?” Trish begins slowly walking up to Stella as she begins taunting her. “Even back then, you were nothing but a sad little aspie that NOBODY liked, we all thought you were a fucking joke, Rosa probably does too!”
​
A new sight begins to unfold before my eyes as I can see the discomfort in Stella turn to anger as her hand curls up into a first as she grits her teeth.
​
“If you died that day, nobody would ever even miss your re-”
​
But before Trish is able to finish uttering her cruel remark, a blur of green and purple flashes before my eyes.
​
*THWACK!*
​
I stare in disbelief as Stella’s fist shoots towards Trish’s face, the impact of the punch sending her to the ground, causing the lavender-coloured Dino to cry out in pain.
​
“I SAID LEAVE US ALONE YOU FUCKING TRIGGER CUNT!!” Stella yells out with an anger that I didn’t even know she was capable of. “TU N'ES RIEN D'AUTRE QU'UNE PUTAIN DE BRUTE!”
​
My attention is drawn to Stella speaking in French, but is quickly pulled away as I catch Trish’s face quickly fading into a primal rage, completely eclipsing Stella’s anger as she lunges off the ground towards the Stego.
​
“I’M GONNA KILL YOU!”
​
A sudden protective instinct takes hold of me as I dash to get in between the two, dropping my crutches in the process while completely ignoring the pain in my broken leg.
​
“LEAVE HER OUT OF THIS!”
​
It’s me she wants! I’m not gonna let anyone else get hurt for my own failures!
​
The impact of the diminutive dino sends us both towards the pavement, Trish manages to recover quicker than I as she pins me to the ground.
​
The pain in my leg begins to flare even further, but before I can react, I feel a tightening and constricting feeling in my neck as I try to gather my bearings.
​
“YOU….”
​
That’s when I notice Trish’s tiny hands currently wrapped around my throat as she squeezes the air out. For such a small girl, she is surprisingly strong.
​
Unable to shake her off as she pins all of her body weight on me, I can only watch her eyes fill with murderous intent as she begins to crush my windpipe.
​
“Stop! Please!” Stella cries out from behind us, my vision begins to spin as I’m further deprived of oxygen.
​
Everything begins to feel light as I can feel my consciousness slipping away further and further, so this is how it ends huh?
​
I lose the urge to fight back as my life fades before my eyes, accepting this fate as my penance. However, even amidst my faint hearing, I manage to make out a nearby voice.
​
“¡DEJA QUE SE VAYA!”
​
Rosa?
​
A mysterious force suddenly yanks my would-be killer away from me, setting me free as the air returns to my lungs.
​
“NGRGH! LET ME GO YOU FUCKING PIGS!” The enraged triceratops calling out as she’s pinned down by two security guards, one of them being a Human and the other being a Raptor.
​
Fuck… I thought I was going to die there…
​
“Anon!!” Stella cries out to me as she lowers herself to the ground, her voice trembling as she places a hand on my shoulder.
​
“You… You saved me, even though you..”
​
“Are you two alright?!”
​
Our attention is pulled towards the familiar voice as our eyes spot Rosa walking towards us, the fear and concern painted across her face made apparent.
​
“S-s-she was gonna, I…” Stella weakly chokes out, seemingly on the verge of tears.
​
“ Hey, shh shh, Está bien, está bien.” Rosa kneels down next to us both, placing a hand on each of our shoulders as she directs her attention to me. “How about you An-on? Can you walk?”
​
“Y-yeah, I think so.” I rasp before descending into a coughing fit.
​
“Save your strength Niño, let’s get you two out of here.” Rosa places a hand on my chest as she motions me to be quiet. “Stella, could you grab his crutches for him?”
​
“I…I…y-yeah.” Stella utters, clearly rattled by the events that transpired before her, but rises from the ground and retrieves them nonetheless.
​
Rosa takes hold of my hand and lifts me off the ground as I shift my weight to my somewhat functioning right leg, the motion becoming almost routine at this point.
​
“N-NO!!!! LET ME GO!! I’M GONNA KILL HIM! FUCK YOU!!”
​
As Stella places the crutches between my arms, I notice Trish currently screaming as the security guards restrain her.
​
“YOU’RE GONNA DIE ANON! YOU AND YOUR FUCKING RETARD OF A GIRLFRIEND!!” Trish shrieks before her words became completely incomprehensible.
​
“We’ll take it from here, you three get out of here okay?” said the Raptor security guard as he begins to retrieve a set of handcuffs from his utility belt.
​
“Rosa… H-how did you find us?” Stella asks Rosa as she faces the parking lot.
​
“I got lucky, vamos, let’s bring you home, my car isn’t parked too far away.” Rosa turns to us both, barely answering Stella’s question. “You’re coming too An-on, I fear it isn’t safe for you out there right now.
​
Despite the indomitable fear on Stella’s face, she nods in approval.
​
They want me to come with them, to Stella’s house? I mean… I guess they’re right, I don’t think Trish found us by mere coincidence. But then again, how did Rosa?
​
“T-thank you. You’re probably right, she’s also the one who broke my leg when you two found me.”
​
“Esa perra cruel…” My revelation causing a look of surprise and anger to grow on Rosa’s face as she curses in Spanish, while looking towards the perpetrator in question who is currently flailing around in a frenzy as she’s carried away by the mall’s security.
​
“It’s going to be okay you two, we’ll talk in the car.”
​
Rosa takes hold of Stella’s hand, who’s still clearly in shellshock over my near-death experience, and the three of us begin to walk towards the parking lot in silence.
​
Raptor Jesus… I almost died… If I had been one second too slow, that could have been Stella.
​
I can’t… I won’t let anyone else get hurt because of me…