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“We modern, urban, educated folks yell at traffic and umpires and bills and banks and machines- especially machines. Machines and relatives get most of the yelling.”
Robert Fulghum, All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten
“Weeeelcome back!”
Regulus stops in his tracks and lets out a groan as the Addams Family Pinball machine abruptly starts up, accompanied by flashing lights and noisy clanging. He turns toward his friend, who is already positioning himself at the controls of the machine with an eager expression on his face.
Regulus punches Barty in the shoulder with more force than a friendly jab would warrant. “What the fuck, Barty? I thought we were going to play the Ninja Turtles game.”
Barty grimaces as he rubs his shoulder, but he refuses to be distracted and resumes his position at the machine. “Reg, when this baby is available, you don’t just pass by it,” he yells over the clicking of the flipper buttons and general din of the arcade.
“You play this game all the time! It’s not like there isn’t one at the arcade next door to City Hall downtown where you spend every afternoon until your dad gets off work. They don’t have the Ninja Turtles game there.”
Crossing his arms over his navy blue Abercrombie & Fitch t-shirt, Regulus’s pout becomes even more pronounced, frustrated by his friend’s priorities showing a complete disregard for logic.
Barty remains focused on the ball, grinning while his eyes dart around. “Exactly! The Hogsmeade County Fair will finally get to see how an expert does it! Besides, there’s already a line at the Turtles game. Why would you want to waste time waiting in line when you could be watching me dominate the Adams family mansion? Just chill. Sit back and enjoy the show, Reg.”
Next to him, Evan, who Regulus had considered a friend until this undeniable act of betrayal, nods in agreement with Barty, sending Regulus a disapproving look. Distracted by a bright tune from the game, Evan whoops and slaps Barty enthusiastically on the back, marveling at the machine’s digital display of Thing — the disembodied hand from the Adams Family — flicking a ball and flashing the message “BALL LOCKED FOR MULTIBALL”.
“Multiball! Move over!” Evan crowds in next to Barty taking over some of the button slamming. “Anyway Reg, I just saw your brother and his loser friends heading to that game. Why don’t you just go join them?” he casually suggests to Regulus without taking his eyes off the pinball game in progress.
Regulus’s face flushes with anger, and he seethes at the callousness of being so blatantly dismissed. He wants to yell and shout and kick at the machine that has inspired such treachery from his so-called friends. Instead, he continues to pout, he turns away from them and glances over to the arcade game in question. He sees Sirius, James Potter, and Peter Pettigrew talking animatedly, their voices filled with excitement as they eagerly await their turn on the Ninja Turtles game.
Sirius calls out, “Moony, hurry it up, it’s four players! Peter calls Master Splinter.” He laughs as Peter shouts and shoves him. But Regulus isn’t interested in their antics. His eyes track his brother’s line of sight and land on the tall boy with disheveled light brown hair, sporting an oversized flannel shirt and worn-out baggy jeans. Remus Lupin. He feels a small jolt in his stomach.
“Just a sec, I’ve almost got it,” Remus calls back. Biting his lip in concentration, he carefully maneuvers the joystick of the huge claw machine in front of him. He lets out triumphant cheer, throwing his hands in the air, before crouching down to push back the flap door and retrieve his prize. As he straightens back up, he turns around and Regulus feels his breath hitch in his throat when their eyes meet.
Remus breaks into a wide grin as he holds a black cat Beanie Baby up to his face and playfully manipulates its paw, making it appear as if the cat is waving, and he winks ! Regulus’s face flushes in embarrassment, and he quickly averts his gaze, pretending to be engrossed in his friend’s game.
“They have four players already. No room for me, anyway,” he grumbles.
Evan perks up and steals a quick glance toward the Ninja Turtles game. “Oh, they got ol’ Fruit Loops to join them.” He returns his focus to the steel ball bouncing around. “Dude! Bart, we only need two more rooms to enter Wizard Mode!”
“Fruit Loops?” Regulus leans over the pinball machine in an attempt to talk to Evan without having to shout. “You mean Lupin? Why’d you call him that?”
Evan barks a laugh, “‘Cuz he’s a faggot, get it? He’s fruity!”
Regulus rolls his eyes at the crude joke and looks over to where his brother and friends are now taking their places at the controls. Remus Lupin was always a little strange, sure. When Sirius first befriended him several years ago, he remembers him as a shy and sickly boy. There was something about his quiet and unassuming nature, combined with his gaunt appearance, that made him almost blend into the background whenever he was around. But lately, he has become increasingly outgoing and self-assured. Not to mention, tall, and surely he could be considered attractive, in his own way. It was nearly impossible not to take notice. Regulus has certainly noticed.
He takes a couple of deep breaths to regulate his heart rate before he leans back over the machine to shout to Evan over the noise. “Are you saying Remus Lupin is gay?” he asks, his voice laced with skepticism. “Where did you hear that, anyway?”
Evan nods and grins enthusiastically. “Bertie saw him making out with that Benji guy at Flo’s party last summer.”
Barty makes a loud, derisive noise. “Jesus, Ev, what are you doing still hanging around with that fat Jorkins bitch?”
“Fuck you, Asshole! She’s got a good personality,” he says with a smirk. “Helps that she lets me touch her boobs! Besides, I don’t see you doing any better.”
Regulus shakes his head and turns around, leaning back on the machine. “Well, hurry up, I want to get something to eat. This is boring.” He doesn’t really listen for the response as he watches the four boys laughing and shoving each other as they play the Ninja Turtles video game.
Remus Lupin is a homosexual.
That is, if he believes the word of the school’s biggest gossip. He never would have considered that to be the case, but now that he thinks about it… every smile and wink suddenly has new meaning. As his mind reels with this new information, Regulus is beginning to find the atmosphere in the arcade stiflingly warm. He is becoming lightheaded from the continuous noise and flashing lights. He closes his eyes and focuses on his breathing until the voice of Morticia Adams announces the game’s end.
“REST IN PEACE!”
Barty and Evan loudly complain about how they almost reached 20 million bonus points, as they leave the arcade, following a pale-faced Regulus, and are soon overwhelmed by the enticing carnival aromas of fried meats and sugary kettle corn in the crisp evening air.