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Friendzone
In popular culture, friendzone is basically you falling in love with your best friend or friend and that person only wants to be friends with you.
In the case of these two teenagers - June Del Toro and Jack Sullivan - the feeling is reciprocal, but they both think the same thing: I'm in the friendzone. In capital letters.
It's a very terrible feeling, where your heart breaks into pieces when you imagine not being able to have that person by your side, as your partner for the rest of your life. Everyone yearns to find their soulmate during their lifetime, even if it is their friend.
And Jack is sure that June Del Toro is his soulmate.
On the post-apocalyptic journey to go to the Tower - a very dangerous instrument to bring Rezzock to the human dimension - destroy it and end the villain Thrull's plans once and for all, saving all of humanity and taking the opportunity to take a car trip with Dirk, who had these plans with his father, the quartet rested in the trailer behind Big Mama, sleeping with one eye open, especially Jack.
All the memories of that day passed by like a flash of lightning: the vines trying to take Big Mama down, the little monster's death after being pulled by the plants, June's scream, unhappy with what had happened and trying to grab the little creature's hand, but it was, them stopping at THE WETEST ROOM OF WOOL IN THE WORLD, them playing Risk and June losing her city - Kamchatka - and going to sleep.
“Okay, I lost Kamchatka, that's enough risk for me. I hope the vines don’t come knocking on our door tonight.”
Jack, as always, shows no fear and challenges, brandishing the Slicer, which was now under the bunk. Sullivan couldn't sleep; The idea of suffering a surprise attack manipulated his mind and he thought: that's ridiculous! I should be sleeping right now!
Left, Alfred and Glumm rested in the van; Could it be that zombies rest? Could it be that the zombies were still in that catatonic way they were before?
Is June alright?
He turned upwards, seeing the top bunk that belonged to the girl, the weight didn't reflect on the boy's sleep, but he had to force himself to sleep, otherwise he wouldn't have the energy to continue the journey.
As he fell asleep, he heard an echo next to him, a quiet sound of footsteps around the mini room, and slippers scuffling across the floor. Sullivan opened his eyes and saw the silhouette of June going to the freezer to get a grape soda with tired eyes, their brown color very empty from sleep, her hair all messy and her red shirt over her white long-sleeved blouse completely crumpled by the sleeping position. She opens the seal, leans against the wall and takes a sip, grimacing as she feels the gas bubbling in her throat.
Maybe she couldn't sleep.
Or woke up after having a bad dream.
Probably.
"Is the soda any good?", The leader looked at her in the dark fidgeting in her corner.
"Yeah, relatively", the girl circled the circle with her thumb". What are you doing awake?
"You woke me up."
"Stop lying, I heard you shifting in bed"
“I couldn't sleep,” he admitted, placing his hands on the mattress. He gets up, crawling to the edge. "And you? Why are you up?"
"Bad dream", June drank her soda again.
"Don't you want to... talk? You know, it can help you alleviate what you must be feeling. I guess."
Incredibly, June followed her advice; She sat next to him, with the can in her hands, staring into the darkness that her eyes had become accustomed to.
"Yesterday was a hard day" he Irishman ran his tongue over his lips, moistening them. "How are you really?"
"I don't know how to process it ", the Latina left the liquid at the foot of the bed and puts both hands on her own thigh. "The little monster shouldn't have died! I failed, again!", she got excited and punched his thigh. "I failed Neon once and I regret it to this day. Of course he's alive and with Johnny Steve, but the other..."
"It's not your fault, it's Thrull's", Jack puts his hand on the girl's shoulder, who looked at the boy. "You tried, that's what matters!"
"Yeah... but that's not enough for me to feel good", she runs her hand down the boy's leg, massaging his knee. "I still feel his gaze becoming empty and surrendering to the vines, knowing his fate. I feel like I have a little bit of guilt."
"You're wrong, June! You tried a lot! Even when I told you to leave him, you didn't want to listen to me and kept holding his hand! This shows how much you risk to help people, regardless of the danger. This is something I admire so much about you."
June blushed, she didn't expect an unusual compliment from him, although it was good. She could have died trying to save the life of a being that isn't even from her dimension, but she did it. Without thinking twice.
That said a lot about her character.
"Thanks, Jack", he smiled, with a slight tired smile, leaning on the boy, who freaked out internally.
Moments later, she freed herself, grabbed her soda from the foot of the bed and turned everything over at once, leaving an astonished Jack Sullivan staring at her in his bunk. She was going to go upstairs to go back to sleep, but he questioned her with a risky proposal:
"Don't you want to sleep with me? Down here is better."
“WHY DID I DO IT?? SHE NEEDS TO BE ALONE, YOU ASS!”, he fought with himself for his language being unfiltered.
"Ok", It seemed that June's tired expression had improved as Jack gave her space to position herself on the bed, with her pillow in hand and placing it next to Jack." Aren't you coming or are you afraid I'll bite you?"
"Of course not, you fool!", The brunette crawled over and lay down with his back to her, leaving her confused about her intentions "Hug me."
“Are you serious?", The Latina's sarcastic tone sounded like music to hers as they heard the blankets moving as she approached.
"Yes. Have you ever noticed that I sleep hugging?"
"Yes. I saw you sleeping."
"And I like being hugged… from behind", he felt the blood rush to her face as she admitted this.
"Oh my god, you like being the smallest spoon!", A low laugh audible between the pair of friends as they absorbed the information.
"Stop making fun of me, June!", he grumbled, making a pout and making a big deal out of pretending to snort. "I can see you don’t want to hug me anymore!"
"Stop being dramatic, Sullivan. I'm still going to hug you."
He felt the brunette's warm body passing through his arms, keeping a minimum distance between their bodies, with one arm passing around the young man's waist and the other arm following the same path, but then going to his chest, with his hand closed in a fist. The hot breath of the strategist's breath sent shivers down the back of her neck and her perfume soothed Jack's screaming anxiety.
He only realized that she had fallen asleep when he felt her relax her body, allowing herself to be hugged completely, with his light snoring filling her ears.
He managed to fall asleep only with the soft snoring of her crush.
The duo realized that they were not in the friendzone: it was evolving into something beautiful.