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After the events of the photo challenge in the late afternoon, Ukulele and Bubble Wrap were walking in the grassy field near where the competition was being held, trying to distract themselves from the fact that they were both up for elimination. Ukulele was rambling about some silly thing that she witnessed before the events of the second season, giggling every few seconds. The other girl was walking right besides her, staring at the landscape in front her and listening to Ukulele's sweet, high-pitched voice.
Bubble Wrap couldn’t help but nod at everything that Ukulele said with no other thoughts in her head, occasionally staring at her grin and how it seemed to lit everything up with joy. She felt her heart beat faster and the world around her seemed to melt away as she began to place her focus on Ukulele and Ukulele only. She knew that she had a crush on Ukulele for a while now, but only seemed to fully acknowledge it after Ukulele offered to hold her hand at the dropper ride at the carnival.
Her admirable face, her precious voice, the way she moved ever so gracefully, her adorable laugh, her gentle touch.. Is this what true love feels like?
Bubble Wrap thought about the things Ukulele and her could do, from gently holding one another and peppering eachother's faces with soft tiny kisses.. to just simply talking about their lives and hanging out like they were right now.
And that’s when it hit her.
This blissful moment of spending time together wouldn’t last for long. Bubble Wrap or Ukulele could be eliminated at any moment, separating one from another. Sure, it wasn’t a permanent thing. But it would feel like a painful eternity to both Bubble Wrap and Ukulele. Bubble Wrap felt herself get lost in her thoughts, staring into space as she thought what her elimination would look like. How would she say her goodbyes to Ukulele?
…
“Bubble Wrap?”
Startled, Bubble Wrap immediately snapped out of her thoughts and stopped walking, looking over at Ukulele who just called out her name.
“Is everything okay? I think you spaced out a bit there..” Ukulele frowned slightly, concerned about her friend. “Is it about the elimination?”
Bubble Wrap stuttered, struggling to form a normal sentence. She knew that it was most likely a coincidence, but how the heck did Ukulele know that she was just thinking about the fact that they were both put up for elimination?!
“I- Eh- Y-Yeah! Everything's.. fine! All good!” She tried her best to keep herself perfectly composed, especially because Ukulele's face was so close to her.. but she obviously failed.
Ukulele only seemed to get more worried, which certainly didn't help Bubble Wrap's rising thoughts about her. “Well.. if you need anything, I'm here, okay?” Ukulele took Bubble Wrap's hand and lightly squeezed it, smiling at Bubble Wrap tenderly. "I'll always be here." She said, her voice softening.
Ukulele's touch only made Bubble Wrap's face even more warm than it already was and she froze up for a few seconds before nodding quickly. “Yeah! Y-Yeah..!” Bubble Wrap tried to slow down her slightly irregular breathing, avoiding eye contact with Ukulele.
Ukulele, though still concerned, seemed to shrug this off as Bubble Wrap being the awkward person she always knew. She let go of the other's hand and put her hands on her hips.
As soon as Ukulele let go, Bubble Wraps heart sank a little. She wished that the gentle and warm feeling of her crush holding her hand would last just by a little bit longer. The girl sighed quietly and fidgeted with the fingers of the hand that Ukulele just held.
Ukulele cleared her throat, gaining Bubble Wrap's attention back to her. “Alright, where was I?” She scratched her head. “Oh yeah! And then…” Ukulele continued to talk and she gestured to Bubble Wrap to follow her and walk alongside her again.
Bubble Wrap tried her very best to focus and listen to what Ukulele had to say, but she couldn't take her mind off the feeling of her dearest crush holding her hand and being so close to her. She thought back to that moment of Ukulele holding her hand.. both in the carnival challenge and just now.
Bubble Wrap wanted to confess her feelings to Ukulele so badly.. but she just didn't know how to do it. She was too nervous to admit to her feelings right in front of her, worried that she would say something by accident and ruin the precious friendship the two girls have.
While they walked together, Bubble Wrap thought carefully of how she could tell Ukulele how she feels about her.
She of course tried her best to listen to what Ukulele was talking about and added small comments to their conversation, some of which made Ukulele giggle. Bubble Wrap adored the way Ukuele's eyes would just glisten whenever she would laugh.
Bubble Wrap went back to her thoughts before she thought of something. What if she wrote a letter.. Yes! This was perfect for Bubble Wrap. She wouldn't have to say it right in front of Ukulele and she has many chances to re-read the letter before sealing it for good and giving it to the love of her life.
Bubble Wrap felt herself smile more at the thought of this, and she noticed her worries slowly melting away as she began to focus on what Ukulele was saying once again.
The next day in the early afternoon, Bubble Wrap had asked for a few pieces of paper and a pen from Bronze. He didn't seem to mind and he gave Bubble Wrap what she had requested for.
The girl entered her currently empty team cabin and sat down on her bed, placing the paper on the nightstand as she leaned her elbow against it, quickly getting lost in her thoughts.
She thought of how she would format the letter.. and what she would write.. but she didn't let the thoughts consume her, she had plenty of chances of writing the letter again just in case she would mess something up.
Bubble Wrap straightened up her back and grabbed the pen that she borrowed. The black ink followed what Bubble Wrap wrote in almost perfect cursive writing, and she began to write the first few words of the letter.
‘My Dear Ukulele..’