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As usual, Joe looked over his shoulder to check if Nicky was still there when they left the cinema.
Joe: "How many popcorn buckets did you eat today?"
Nicky: "Five, I think. Why?"
Nicky stuck his face into the popcorn bucket so he could get the last popcorn out.
Joe: "Your old record was seven popcorn buckets in one day."
Joe grabbed Nicky's collar to prevent his best friend from walking into a wall. It was there that Joe noticed they were missing one.
Joe: "Nicky? Have you seen Nile?"
Nicky made a noise from inside the popcorn bucket before pointing in the direction of the bathrooms. It didn't take long before Nile joined them again.
Nile: "I see Nicky is still snacking."
Joe: "Yes, give him a moment to get the last popcorn out. Then we can have burgers."
Nicky removed the popcorn bucket from his face.
Nicky: "Did someone say burgers? I'm hungry."
Joe: "You're a bottomless pit, my friend. How much have you eaten so far today?"
Nicky: "Not that much. And my Papa says the reason why I'm hungry all the time is that I'm having a growth spurt, whatever that is."
Joe had a pretty good idea of what a growth spurt was. Joe had known Nicky since they were two, and for the first time in ten years, Nicky was starting to get taller than Joe.
Nicky: "Okay, I won't eat burgers, just a salad."
Joe: "Wow, wow, hold on a minute. I refuse to eat salad at a burger joint; I can do that at home."
Joe always ate what Nicky ate because Nicky always found the best food.
Nile: "Is your Mother still on that healthy thing?"
Joe: "Yeah, I'm considering moving in with Nicky. There, they eat normally."
Joe and Nile sat down at their favourite table while Nicky still stood.
Nicky: "I need a bathroom. Look out for my jacket, place."
Joe: "Sure thing. Give it to me."
Nicky gave Joe his jacket. Nicky's jacket weighed a ton, as usual, because he had snacks in all the pockets. Joe laid Nicky's jacket next to his. Then Joe noticed that Nile was trying very hard not to laugh over something.
Joe: "What's so funny?"
Nile: "I just had a realisation about you and Nicky. And it's very funny."
Joe: "Mind elaborating?"
Nile took one of the straws on the table and started to bend it.
Nile: "You and Nicky remind me of Simba and Nala."
Joe looked confused. He couldn't see the connection between the movie "The Lion King" they watched this afternoon and him and Nicky.
Nile: "You and Nicky have known each other since you were toddlers. You play together, well you do everything together, so the last thing that is missing is that when you grow up is to kiss and get married. Then you have done everything Simba and Nala did, minus the bad things. Something I don't hope happens to any of us."
Joe looked horrified at Nile. It made Nile chuckle.
Joe: "Ewwww, that's disgusting. Nicky is my best friend, and you don't kiss your best friend."
Nile: "That's basically what Simba and Nala said in the movie."
Joe: "Stop teasing me, Nile. That's not funny."
Nile: "It's very funny. And one day, you'll see I'm right because girls are always right. Something you should remember, given you have five younger sisters."
Nicky sat down and looked at his friends.
Nicky: "What did I miss out on?"
Nile: "Just teasing Joe a bit. It's always funny to see him panic."
Joe: "For once, don't ask, Nicky. You need to sleep tonight."
Nile looked at Nicky with a mischievous look on her face.
Nile: "I dare you to ask, Nicky."
Nicky looked back and forth between Joe and Nile.
Joe: "If I pay for the next movie ticket, could you please leave Nicky alone, Nile?"
Nile: "Okay, and I know what movie we're going to watch next: "The Mask"."
Nicky: "You mean the green man with the cute dog?"
Nile nodded.
Nicky: "Joe, please. Let's watch that. It looks like a fun movie."
Nile knew that whenever Nicky begged Joe for something, Joe would give it to Nicky. No matter what it was.
Joe: "We'll go if Nile stops teasing me."
Nicky looked at Nile with big sad puppy eyes.
Nile: "I'll keep the peace as long as you're here, Nicky."
Nicky: "Great. Let me find Dora so we can get burgers. I'm hungry."
Nicky stood up and walked over to the counter.
Nile: "Just like in the movie."
Joe: "Nile, you promised Nicky not to teach me."
Nile: "Only when Nicky is here. I didn't promise anything more than that."
Joe rubbed his face, wishing Nicky would hurry back soon. Joe then looked after Nicky while Nile still teased him. It didn't take long before Nicky was back with Dora, and they ordered burgers. While eating, they talked about what to do for the rest of the weekend. When they left the burger joint, Nile pulled Joe to the side and asked him if everything was okay between them, something that Joe reassured her it was. Then, they caught up with Nicky before they headed for the arcade.