Chapter Text
Hi, I’m Cosmo, and I have been best friends with Sprout, ever since I was created, mostly because it is in the show, but he doesn't treat it like one, when we are alone, he gets close and makes me blush, and he flirts, but since I’ve shown him Ginger, my cousin, things felt different. He was getting distant, complimenting her, doing what he did to me, but now, I feel as if he’s best friends with Ginger now. I love my cousin Ginger, she’s so sweet.. So protective, but she pretends she doesn't know me, but today was the annual festival where every toon in Gardenview would meet up to celebrate another year of Gardenview's show’s reopening.
I woke up, excited, finally I could bake and get to hang out with all my friends! I walked towards the kitchen and grabbed some stuff out to get ready to bake, and, crazily, Sprout wasn’t in the kitchen. I mean, it's early in the morning, but he's usually awake early on this day. I set the tray of cupcakes on the stove, and ran back to my room as soon as I realized I was wearing my pajamas, then changed into my baking clothes, and walked back into the kitchen, and started getting the cupcakes ready. This time of year, we have to cook until 4pm, then we gather up all the toons near the elevators, and celebrate with treats and tasty foods. After baking half of the food Sprout walked out talking to Ginger.. I mean, I’m happy to see him smile.. I really am.. But he never smiled at me like that. Since lately he hasn't talked to me, it shocked me when he waved at me, and maybe him and my cousin ignoring me was a prank!
Anyway, Shrimpo walked in, talking to Bassie, and then Gourdy and Toodles ran in, finally, some people poured into the kitchen, excited about the festival! “I can’t wait to play the games!” Gourdy said with joy in his voice, “Absolutely! I heard Rodger say there's gonna be a laser tag area on the giftshop, which we can do, it's FREE” Toodles says in response to Gourdy. I smile, then Sprout bumps into my shoulder and I blush. “I think me and Ginger can take it from here, thanks I guess.” Sprout says, then I nod and walk away, towards my room again, and closes the door behind myself. I look in my closet and find the outfit I wear to the festival every year, and grab it. ‘Dammit Cosmo, come back down to Earth already! He’s not interested in you— at least you don’t know yet, though.’
I then made my way to the giftshop, following Gourdy and the others’ lead and trailing behind like a lost puppy. I was stuck in my own thoughts, I just kept thinking about Ginger, and Sprout… ‘Oh, Sprout. Everything about Sprout makes me smile, his voice, his smooth red berry skin, his green leaves… It’s just perfect, but I’m not good enough for him. I wish I was, I really do, but the past days and the signs from both of them makes me think that they’re secretly dating behind my back. No, silly Cosmo, now why would Ginger— your OWN cousin betray you like that? You’ve been close since you both were the start of the recipe!’ I was still arguing with myself in my head. I hadn't noticed I stopped walking and everyone else just… left. Leaving me alone in the middle of Gardenview like I’m as worthless as one singular alone. Does everyone hate me? Am I being neglected? I hope not. I’m overthinking again, I just need to try and look around to see if I can find anyone who was in our group.
“Left once again!” I said, the words slipping out of my mouth, then a tap on my shoulder startled me. I slowly turned and saw Dandy, THE DANDICUS DANCIFIER! “No worries here! They went down your best friend's elevator down to floor 11!”. “Oh okay.” I managed to say. I walk to Sprout’s elevator, look down at my hands and stand there, wondering if I’m even wanted here. I then walked into the elevator, just to be a chaperone while Dandy and Dyle decorate the lobby for the evening.
I sit down in the corner of the elevator as it goes down to floor 11. ‘Oh god what if Sprout and Ginger are actually dating! Then I..I would be worthless, it’ll be weird being best friends with somebody I like, while he’s dating my COUSIN.. Oh my god.. You know what! Tomorrow, right in the morning, I’ll tell Sprout, I’ll confess my love for him!.. Then maybe, maybe things will go back to normal, maybe me and Sprout could.. Be more than best friends.
The elevator door opened, and then I walked out, and saw Eclipse helping the toons who wanted to join in on the laser tag, but then I saw Sprout, with.. Wait, why does he have a bracelet, that isn’t our matching ones? I stood there, mind racing, ‘why does he not have the bracelet that isn’t the one I made for him..? Does he hate me?’ I kept saying in my head, then, the laser tag started, then I saw Ginger, coming back and talking to Sprout. JEALOUSY JEALOUSY JEALOUSY JEALOUSY, COSMO HE DOESNT LIKE YOU, HE LOVES GINGER, K*LL THEM, K*LL THEM, K*LL THEM! “NO I CAN'T!!” I could feel the eyes on me, after I screamed. ‘you IDIOT.’
I stood up and ran away, towards the elevator, and the door closed. I slipped down to the floor, ‘you idiot, you idiot you idiot you idiot YOU IDIOT.’ echoed through my mind as the elevator started moving up. ‘I’m nothing more than Sprout’s “best friend”, I'm not even his best friend anymore! God FUCKING dammit.. I’m nothing.. I started tearing up, then the elevator door opened, back in the lobby, so I rubbed my eyes and walked up to Dandy and Dyle who were just about to finish decorating, and I pretended like nothing happened, not what happened on the gift shop floor, not even.. The betrayal I felt. My heart ached, my throat felt closed off, restricting my speech, so I just waved at them and smiled, “Heya friend! Back so early?” Dandy said, and I just nodded and sat down, watching them finish.
“I- I can bring in the food from the kitchen! And bring the toons up early!” I stuttered through the sentence, my grin felt too much, but too less, all at once. ‘Oh Cosmo, you think that will make you better than who you are? You’re nothing, you were a mistake since Authur and Delilah, and Ginger will replace you. YOU ARE NOTHI–’ “Yeah sure! That’ll be useful since us Lethals are busy decorating! Heh, Lethals! That’s a funny word!-” Dandy said, closing out my thoughts, “Okay Dandy, he gets it” Dyle said.
I started walking back to the kitchen in the toon rooms, and started gathering the stuff and walking back with items basically surrounding me, then I made my way back, and set the things on the tables Dandy and Dyle put down. The silence made static go through my head, “I’ll go get them, majority is on the early floors!”, I said breaking the TV static in my head. “No, Cosmo, It’s okay! They know when it's time to head back up, relax a bit!” Dandy said, then I heard the elevator door open, as all the toons filled up the place, then I saw Sprout and Ginger. ‘FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK.. PEOPLE ARE GONNA LAUGH AT YOU COSMO, THEY ALL HATE YOU, YOU’RE A DAMN MISTAKE, WORTHLESS, AND UTTERLY USELESS.’, then Rodger walked up to me, and lead me away from the crowd.
“Hey Cosmo! I know I'm more of a closed off, old guy nobody talks about often, but I saw what happened, are you feeling alright?” Rodger said once we were far from the crowd.. Far from Sprout and Ginger, ‘Maybe they’re talking about it, talking behind your back!’, “Cosmo?” Rodger said, “Yeah!! I’m fine!! Sorry about that, something ‘minor’ is on my mind, don’t worry about it!”. “Okay.. Just remember, this festival is for fun!” Rodger responded to my stupid pile of words, then he walked away, and Toodles ran to him and jumped into his arms.. ‘I wish somebody could love me..’ Time passed pretty quickly, I hid in a corner, lost in my thoughts, a few glances throughout, but overall, better than expected.. If Sprout and Ginger didn’t dance, I swear it was to make me jealous! It always has been! Since they met, always! I have to end the relationship between them, one way, or another.