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The warmth of spring had long settled, flowers began to bloom, colours perking up from every corner. Below an emerald tree sit three high school students, soaking in the shade.
Scar closed her eyes as she let her head fall back. A joyful, calm breeze whistled a song through the leaves, soothing her. It was a moment she wanted to hold onto whenever winter would arrive - which wasn’t soon, but she wished this could last for eternity. The most beautiful season surrounding her, and her friends.
Just to the right, the pair was consumed in some kind of conversation, though Scar didn’t catch its start. She sat in the ambience of the environment, enjoying the wave of coolness the tree’s shadow provided.
Eventually, though, something caught her attention. One of Scar’s eyes came open as her vision settled on her two friends - whose conversation had gotten more agitated. Coming from the girl currently struggling to keep herself sitting straight, an aggressive cackle shook the blonde’s frame. Further, the other had his face buried in his hands, yelling about something.
She couldn’t help but laugh seeing the scene, “Mumbo- are you okay?”
“No- Have you heard what Grian just asked me?” He glared at Scar, allowing her to see the rather embarrassed shade of red that washed over his usually pale face.
Scar raised a brow. Grian, still failing to contain her amusement, wiped a tear from behind her glasses. “Oh- oh, that was-” She stumbled, out of breath.
“What did you say to him?” Scar inquired as she leaned over to Grian, who looked as if she was going to fly out of orbit.
Grian coughed, cheeks remaining flushed with a rosy pink, “Okay- How about we play a little game?” A mischievous grin spread across her face.
Mumbo jolted forwards, “Don’t! Scar, don’t play any of her games, she is an evil, wicked-”
The blonde slapped a hand on his mouth. Puzzled, Mumbo froze. Grian fluttered her lashes in innocence, “What? Me? Evil and wicked? Why would you ever say that?”
“Now I’m confused.”
Mumbo’s shoulders drooped as he sighed, “It’s- I’m not gonna stop you. You’ll see for yourself.”
“Thank you!” Grian beamed up, “Now, Scar.”
Scar sat patiently, observing as Grian reached into her bag. She could hear the clinking of miscellaneous objects inside, until finally, she found what she was looking for.
A packet of goldfish crackers, which Grian tore open.
“What are those for?” Scar asked.
“For the game! I’m going to ask you questions, and for each one you can have a cracker! Simple, right?”
She nodded. Grian seemed more than glad. Mumbo, focused on a schematic in his notebook, muttered something about him not having gotten crackers.
“Question one!” She chirped, presenting the open bag for Scar to take the promised cracker. Once it was in her hand, Grian asked, “Pink or green?”
“Uh- huh? Green, I guess?” Scar answered. She was really not understanding what Mumbo meant by ‘evil and wicked’. This was just a simple ‘would you rather’ game! Nothing to be scared of. Though, on the other hand, decision making was not Mumbo’s best suit.
“Very well. You can have another one.” Scar took out another cracker, popping it into her mouth.
“Question two! If…” She searched around the park, crowds of people gathered in various places. Grian pointed to a man sitting on a bench, occupied by reading a book, “That guy, yes, if he walked up to us right now and confessed his immense love for you, what would you do?”
“I’d be really confused.” Scar squinted, “And probably assume he’s a creep.”
“Excellent!” Grian reached out with the packet once more. “Question three! If Etho, you know, the one from our school, asked you to go fishing, would you go?”
She brushed a strand of hair away from her face, “Uh… maybe? I don’t really know him that well, I wouldn’t really go fishing with him, but-”
“Stellar!” Grian cut in. “Question four. This is the important one.” Suddenly, her tone got more grim, and if it weren’t a sunny day, Scar imagined a lightning strike behind her.
She gazed over to Mumbo, whose expression of pure dread and terror spoke for itself. He desperately tried to keep his attention on the page, writing something down, but Scar saw he was simply tracing over his own writing.
“Bring it on.” Scar grinned, much to Grian’s pleasure.
She took in a deep breath, slowly presenting Scar another goldfish cracker. Courageously, she accepted it.
“If you had to choose between kissing me or Mumbo, who would you pick?”
…
WHAT?
“Ex- excuse me?” She spluttered, eyes shot wide open. Was this what Mumbo warned her abou- oh, yeah. Seeing the look he was giving her, most definitely.
“You heard it!” Grian smiled, “Now I’m waiting for the answer.”
Scar, in no universe, expected to be debating the logical aspects of making out with her best friends at that moment. But there she was - sitting in that same shade she was enjoying, with people passing by in the same park as before. Only now she was about to make a possibly life changing decision.
“I can’t pick both or neither, can I?” She squirmed.
Grian shook her head vigorously, “Nope! One or the other.”
It wasn’t that serious, was it? So why was Scar burning up at the thought of either option? Was this some form of a friendship test? She liked both of them the same!
Mumbo could only be described as smart, always out to figure out a problem, and he had that adorable dorky attitude. It was always a delight to watch him make his way through situations, and how easily flustered he got at little comments and compliments.
And he allowed Grian and Scar to paint his nails red that one sleepover, and would always provide insight whenever they needed advice.
Though, from a different angle, she wouldn’t find him particularly… kissable. The mustache (which appeared out of nowhere over one summer break, Scar and Grian barely recognised him!) would make it hard, for sure. She winced at the thought of accidentally touching her lips against the spiky hairs above his upper lip.
Mumbo was also known for being the most awkward man alive. If there was a “possible chemistry” meter for him, he was below it. And Scar was saying that as one of his best friends! But she loved him, truly.
Grian, on the other hand, was a joy to be around. A room was never quite full without her spark in it, how she always managed to entertain with a witty remark and that captivating personality. She always seemed to be there for Scar, and she always tried to return the favour.
Scar never had a better taste-tester for sweet treats! And she was never hesitant to admit that Grian was simply beautiful. The black mirrors of her eyes hypnotised whoever looked closely, and her blonde curls glowed like a sunset in the light peeking through the tree’s leaves. The way her cheeks were always left rosy when she laughed, and gosh, her laugh.
One could call it a cackle, able to be heard from miles away, but Scar knew that was a sign she was genuinely amused by something. And that’s what made it the sweetest sound.
To decide between her two amazing friends, it was impossible.
“Time’s ticking, Scar!” Grian sang, tapping on her watch-less wrist. You’re not making it easier!
Though, maybe there was a way. Scar’s mind lit up like a lightbulb, and she straightened herself to speak, “I have an idea. Whoever flirts with me better, that’s who I pick.”
Grian froze for a moment, analysing Scar’s words. Quietly, she chuckled to herself, still holding eye contact with Scar. “Oh, bring it on.”
“Wha- Scar!” Mumbo yelled, dropping his notebook.
“You heard her, Mumbo!” Grian wrapped an arm around his, pulling him closer to where they were sitting. With a soft thud, he fell onto the grass. “Hey, you go first!”
“I cannot with you two…” He muttered as he picked a blade of grass from his shirt.
Mumbo cleared his throat, putting on his best attempt at a “sexy face”. Oh my god. He looked constipated rather than any sort of flirtatious. Scar was going to lose it. “Hey, uh- darling. Did you fall- fall into heaven- No, wait.”
Grian instantly exploded in laughter, falling back onto the ground. If she could, she’d be rolling around. Scar doubled over as well, deaf to Mumbo’s protests of “it not being that bad”.
“Oh, you poor, poor soul…” Scar put a hand on his shoulder. “We need to give you training.”
Grian finally hoisted herself up after a full two minutes of wheezing and spitting air back out. She blinked herself conscious, chest heaving. “Mumbo- never do that again, for everybody’s sake.”
“You asked me to flirt with Scar! You’re absolutely stunning, don’t get me wrong, but come on!” He threw his hands up.
“Okay, okay- my, that was great.” Grian let out an exhale, shoulders bouncing up and down as she extracted the last of her laughter.
“I guess it’s your turn then, huh, G?” Scar asked. Something tightened in her chest at the vision of Grian flirting with her. She wasn’t… disgusted at the idea of being flirted on by a girl, right? Oh, no, no, no. Grian was her friend! She was just her friend, she would never do that to her!
Grian stretched like a cat as she prepared for what was coming. “Scar, stand up.”
She did as she was asked, seeing Grian pull out a book from her bag.
“Catch!”
The book flung straight into Scar’s direction. She leaped over to the side to catch it in mid-air, stopping just for a moment before Grian launched herself at her.
They tumbled over to the ground, a mess of limbs and the book’s pages. Scar’s eyes shut closed when she hit the ground, feeling the weight of her friend’s body pressed against hers.
Oh.
Oh my god.
Once she opened her eyes to see, just slightly, realisation struck. She was lying down, on the floor, with Grian on top of her, staring right at her. Grian had her pinned down against the ground.
Her heart raced, and she could hear the pulsating of Grian’s heartbeat too. Her breathing sped up, and she could feel her breath too. Their chests were pressed against each other. Their bodies lay close. Grian’s face was just a couple inches away from hers oh my god.
“Are you enjoying this?” She whispered ever so softly. Scar melted right there on the spot. Her brain short-circuited, that was it.
Grian’s hand travelled up to Scar’s neck, up to her long brown hair, she was still maintaining eye contact. With the proximity, Scar could see the flecks of amber in her irises, like sparks of the energy that filled her.
“Good.” Grian muttered. Scar could only imagine how flustered she looked at that moment.
Slowly, Grian slipped away from their tangled mess, leaving Scar lying on the ground, staring at the sky, face red.
She put her hands on her hips, looking over Scar, who was going to have to re-think all of her life choices leading up to that moment.
“So, who do you pick?”