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What a wild ride it was for Wile E. Coyote. He had just managed to successfully take down the corporation that has harmed him for over 70 years. With the help of his lawyer and other cartoon comrades. He would definitely have to send them all thank-you cards in the near future. But he was now safe and sound back at his place in the desert.
And right now, he was preoccupied.
Wile E. was back at his usual, and practically, traditional routine. Trying to catch that speedy bird. The Road Runner. This time, there weren’t any gadgets or traps that needed to be used. Why should they? ACME was already being sued by countless cartoons already, so why bother? No, it was just a simple chase. The Road Runner always being in front, and Wile E. treading behind.
Wile E. would be lying if he said he didn’t miss this at least a tiny bit.
He didn’t want to dwell on it too long. He should just focus on the chase.
-
As usual, Wile E. was left empty-handed and empty-stomached. That darn bird. Even after decades of chasing him, he always had luck on his side.
It was nighttime now. Honestly Wile E. hadn’t been keeping track of time. He was tuckered out from all that non-stop chasing. The coyote was resting on a rock, wiping the sweat off of his tan brow. The Road Runner was right next to him, looking chipper and energetic as always. How did this bird never run out of energy? It was a little silly. The Road Runner tilted his head side by side with that big smile on his beak. As if he was waiting for Wile E. to continue the chase.
To answer the bird’s silent demand, Wile E. pointed at his comically large wristwatch, and tapped on the time with his claw. Midnight. Luckily, that was enough for the Road Runner to sigh and sit next to Wile E.
This action surprised Wile E. a bit. The Road Runner being so close to him, at an arm’s length. Wile E. could easily just grab him, take him to his cave and roast him on an open fire. Maybe even flambé him if the coyote was feeling fancy.
But even as Wile E. slowly reached with his shaky hand to grab the Road Runner’s long neck, the bird turned to look right into the coyote’s eyes. Still with that adorable smile. Wile E.’s hand backed away. This was all so confusing to the coyote. Especially with everything that had happened in the past few days.
The Road Runner lifted a white sign that said “I had fun today.” Of course, it was no surprise that the Road Runner found some form of entertainment from these chases. So the coyote just nodded to let him know that he knew.
Wile E. had never said it – mainly because he can’t talk – but chasing the Road Runner had added some form of flare to his life. He would wake up every morning, grab his binoculars, and search for the bird that was always miraculously everywhere in the desert. Then he would spend the rest of his day using ACME’s corrupt products to catch this bird and try to eat him. And rinse and repeat that routine for 7 decades, and that was Wile E.’s life story.
Every time that one of his plans would fail, the Road Runner would always stick his tongue out and “Beep, beep!” at the coyote before getting back on the road again. Wille E. had seen this as some form of mockery. That no matter what Wile E. did, the Road Runner would be one step ahead of him whether he liked it or not. That always infuriated the coyote to no end.
Wile E. was taken from his ever running thoughts as the Road Runner tapped him on the shoulder. The bird was frowning again. It was unusual and kind of worrying whenever the Road Runner frowned. He rarely does it, and Wile E. has almost never seen him not smiling. The Road Runner even did the same thing when he appeared in court. Wile E. had a strange urge to do anything to make the Road Runner smile again, but he clearly had something on his mind.
The Road Runner didn’t pull out a sign, though. Instead, he got back up on his chicken-like legs, and began to drag his toe in the sand. It was lighting fast, but the Road Runner had written something in the sand. Or, more accurately, he drew something.
Wile E. sat up straight to analyze this doodle.
The first doodle in the sand was the word ACME, but it had a big ‘X’ over it.
The second doodle looked like stick figures of him and the Road Runner. The Wile E. stick figure seemed to be walking away from the Road Runner stick figure.
To top it off, there was a question mark next to the second doodle.
It took Wile E. a second, but the message was clear.
“Now that ACME is down, will you stop chasing me?”
Wile E.’s ears drooped slightly, as he looked back at the Road Runner. He was still frowning, but his pupils looked dilated and wet. Was he about to cry?
It was mostly due to panic, but Wile E. quickly scribbled a big “NO” in the sand next to the Road Runner’s sad doodles. This didn’t fix anything, because a small tear was starting to form in the Road Runner’s eye.
Wile E. smacked his forehead. Right. Road runners couldn’t read. Unless it was on a sign for some reason.
Why did the Road Runner look so stressed about this? Surely he didn’t think that Wile E. would leave him, right?
But he did… When he set out to sue ACME…
“Are you coming back?”
After the rocket-rollerskates mishap, the Road Runner was ready and eager for another chase with Wile E. But wherever he ran, he couldn’t find him anywhere. There were no binoculars watching him like a hawk. No traps set, or any rocket’s charging towards him. And no bird seed on a plate right in the middle of the road. The Road Runner called out many, many times, but no coyote was seen. It worried the bird to no avail. He felt lonely. Wile E. was always there. Whether the Road Runner wanted him to be or not, he was always out to get him. So for the coyote to just up and vanish one day with no warning or information, it made the Road Runner think that something bad might’ve happened to him. And just the mere thought of that made the Road Runner panic. If he didn’t have the coyote with him to chase, what could he do? They’ve been an iconic duo for the past 70 years.
And when the Road Runner saw the newspaper that showed where Wile E. was, he wasted no time in running as fast as his speedy legs could take him just so he could see his friend again.
It was a short reunion, but the Road Runner had made his point in the courtroom.
He wanted Wile E. to come back.
He missed him.
The tear in the Road Runner’s eye started to drag down his beak, so Wile E. had to think quickly. He sharply pointed to the bird’s doodles, and then shook his head ‘no’. The Road Runner let out a small whimper, but let the tear fall down onto the sand. He looked a little calmer now, but was still frowning. He seemed more confused than worried now.
Now it was Wile E.’s turn to draw in the sand. With one swipe, he erased the Road Runner’s doodles, and began dragging his finger to make his own.
When he was finished, the Road Runner cranked his neck forward to get a better look.
It was only a single doodle, but it looked like Wile E. chasing the Road Runner, but there were smiley faces and what looked like confetti around them.
The Road Runner wasn’t exactly as sharp as he was fast, so it took him a little longer to figure it out.
“Chasing you is fun for me.”
The Road Runner’s eyes widened. Wile E. was worried that he had done something wrong.
But finally, the bird’s smile appeared once again. Wile E. finally got the message across. And it was true.
The entire time that Wile E. was in the city, all he could think about was the Road Runner. Even if his thoughts weren’t always exactly pleasant, that bird was on his mind the entire time. He had based his quest to sue ACME around the Road Runner by using it as a trap. When the Road Runner appeared in court to save the day, nothing else was in Wile E.’s big brain. He had the bird and his trap, and he would finally catch him after all these years.
But that one instance during the final trial…
“Did you witness the pain and suffering of Mr. Coyote?”
That single strand of “Beep, beep”s were strong enough to put Wile E.’s initial plan at a complete halt. The way that the Road Runner looked at his so-called friend, it drove the coyote to tears. It was a mixture of sadness, a bit of relief, and the crushing weight of everything he had thought about the Road Runner being proven wrong. By the bird’s own words.
Even after the Road Runner left, he was occupying every part of Wile E.’s mind. Though these thoughts were less violent. He wanted to see the Road Runner again, not just because he wanted to catch him again.
But because he missed him.
It seemed like Wile E. and the Road Runner were a lot more alike than they thought.
They both relied on each other for their happiness and stability, and if one of them was gone, they would think of nothing but how to get the other to come back. Their co-dependency would be the death of them one day. And they both knew it well.
But right now, they didn't need to worry. Because they’re both here now. Smiling at each other because of the worrying weight being lifted off both of their backs.
It was only now that Wile E. saw how awkward this whole interaction was. So he pulled out his giant wristwatch for the second time, and pointed to the ‘9’. Meaning that they would chase each other again in the morning.
The Road Runner swiftly leaped up and clapped his feet in excitement. With a high-pitched “Beep, beep!”, the Road Runner dashed away.
…
Until he came back and licked Wile E.’s nose.
Then he really dashed away. Wile E. got startled by that sudden lick, and wiped his nose.
Still, even after everything that’s happened for the past few days, and their earlier chase ending in failure once again, Wile E. felt strangely at ease. He looked back down at the doodle he made and smiled.
The Road Runner really was his way of fun.