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Minute sighed and looked towards the rear-view mirror.
A flash of blue and purple was seen before a loud session of shrieking.
The car was full of noise and it was only 10:00 in the morning.
Yet, he couldn’t help but smile.
A few weeks ago, his 10 year-old son, Wemmbu, had made up with this kid named Jaden.
Before that, they were rivals.
They had gotten into a fight at school and Rejoice; another one of Wemmbu’s friends, was beaten up during the fight.
Having gotten caught in the middle while trying to stop them.
Now, he was at the hospital getting treated.
Because apparently—Wemmbu broke his jaw, while Jaden punched out a few teeth…
But that’s sorted out now!
And ever since then those two became inseparable.
They even made a trio!
Jaden, Wemmbu, and Egg.
Wemmbu’s best friend.
But Egg was sick right now, so he wasn’t able to go to the hangout.
That leaves Wemmbu and Jaden.
The pair was currently ‘play’ wrestling each other in the back seat.
They were rolling around and pulling each other’s hair while screaming at the top of their lungs.
But what Minute noticed was that they weren’t wearing their seatbelts.
“Hey.”
Nothing.
“You two.”
Nothing.
He cleared his throat.
Still nothing.
“Ok, that’s it I’m bringing you two back home.”
That got him something.
“WHAT?!”
“HUH.”
“Wait, why?”
Wemmbu asked innocently.
Jaden stared at him like a cat—very judging and observant—like a puzzle.
Minute was amazed.
“Because”
He began.
“I have been telling you two for about two minutes to put on your seat belt and stop fighting and so far, nobody has been listening.”
Neither of them blinked.
Then Wemmbu and Jaden slowly turned to stare at each other.
Very slowly.
They locked eyes.
Then suddenly burst out laughing.
“THAT’S IT?”
“BRO!”
Minute narrowed his eyes and swerved to park at the side of the road.
“...”
“Why’d you stop…?"
Wemmbu asked.
“Because we’re going home.”
...
...
...
“WAIT!”
“I’ll put on my seat belt!”
“Jaden put yours on too!”
...
“Ok!”
Damn.
These two really wanted to hang out.
Ok, fine.
He’ll give them one chance.
One.
That’s it.
No more.
No less.
He started the car again and began the journey to the arcade once more.
The rest of the ride was quiet.
Not really.
But no shouting and fighting type of quiet.
Jaden and Wemmbu were still talking in the back.
But they were no longer out for each other’s throats.
Wemmbu gazed out the window.
“Hey.”
“Yeah?”
“What do you wanna play first?”
“Like…game?”
“Duh! What else dummy?”
“Oh…umm…”
“Go on!”
Jaden put his hand on his chin.
“Hmm…”
“You wanna do basketball?”
“Sure!”
They giggled and soon settled back into their seats.
Discussing what games they would play and the prize they wanted.
They arrived at the arcade about 15 minutes later.
“Ok boys.”
Minute looked back at the two of them.
“Don’t get into any trouble, don’t finish all of your money, and most importantly…”
“Don’t get hurt!”
Wemmbu finished for him.
Already wanting to go inside and play.
Minute sighed.
“Yes.”
“And don’t get hurt.”
“I’ll be back at 2:00 to pick you guys up, ok?”
“Don’t go anywhere else.”
“Yeah yeah…”
Wemmbu looked away.
Minute squinted his eyes at the kid.
'He’s definitely not gonna listen…'
“Well, I’m off now, have fun."
“Bye…”
“Bye Mr. Minute!”
The two kids waved excitedly at him.
Well, one of them did.
The other one had a small frown and was crossing his arms while pouting.
“Hey Jaden!”
“Uh-huh?”
“Let's go to the ice cream shop across the road when we’re done playing!”
“Yeah, sure!”
“Let’s go, ice cream!!!”
“Ice cream!”
The two children laughed as they ran inside the arcade.
Putting in a 20-dollar bill into the token dispenser and placing all coins into a small pouch.
"Let's go to the basketball one!"
"Ok!"
Once they reached the machine Jaden looked at Wemmbu.
"Wanna do it together?"
Wemmbu's eyes widened and he nodded furiously.
"Yup! And we'll beat the high score!"
They looked at the board.
The current high score was 201.
"That's easy!"
Jaden looked at Wemmbu, who had a huge grin on his face.
"I've gotten at least 300 something before!"
"Then we'll win."
Jaden smiled.
His eyes crinkling with a large grin hidden underneath his mask.
The two continued throwing and shooting basketballs into the net.
Eventually, the timer ran out.
New high score! 215
Tickets streamed out of the little hole on the side of the machine and they shrieked in happiness.
"WE DID IT!"
...
"...Are you ok, Wemmbu?"
"Hmm?"
"Oh, nothing."
"Really?"
"Really."
...
...
There was a long pause.
Then they looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"That was so fun!"
Wemmbu threw a coin in the air.
"Let's go to this game next."
He then proceeded to drag Jaden to one of the boxer machines.
Completely forgetting what he had been upset about.
Wemmbu smirked.
"Think you can punch?"
"Oh definitely."
"Go on then."
Jaden stepped forward.
Standing right in front of the machine.
Then he threw his right arm back and flung it forwards.
BOOM.
The sound echoed across the arcade.
And Wemmbu looked back and forth between Jaden and the machine excitedly.
Patiently awaiting the score.
76.
140.
332.
599.
713.
800.
880.
899.
Stop.
"OH, COME ON!"
Jaden stomped his foot on the ground.
He grabbed Wemmbu by the shoulders and began furiously shaking him like a ragdoll.
"I WAS ONE AWAY. ONE."
"ONE FROM NINE HUNDRED BRO."
Wemmbu glared at him.
"RELAX. I KNOW YOU WERE ONE AWAY FROM NINE HUNDRED."
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND."
"IT'S JUST A GAME."
"IT'S NOT JUST A GAME!"
"YES, IT IS!"
"NO, IT'S NOT!"
Wemmbu's face went blank.
Jaden released his grip from him.
"Ok, bro."
"If it's not just a game then what is it?"
That, he had no answer to.
Jaden looked away.
"Um..."
"...Something else...?"
"That's bigger than a game...?"
His eyes crinkled and nervous smile hid underneath his mask.
That earned him a face palm from Wemmbu.
"God, this chud bro..."
"Hey!"
"I'm not a chud!"
"Yeah, yeah."
"Lemme show you how a master does it, little one."
"D'alright buddy."
Wemmbu stepped forward, shooting a smirking glance back at Jaden, who had two thumbs-up raised.
He twisted the upper half of his body slightly back and raised his right arm into a flat V-shape, his fist curled into a fist.
With his arm bent back as well, he propelled himself forward.
Sending a surging impact to the punching bag, (glove? fist? i rlly don't know...) with his punch aiming slightly upward as to gain more collision.
WHAM.
His score appeared.
217.
360.
500.
677.
801.
870.
899.
919.
Stop.
...
...
"YESSIR!!!"
"WHAT?!"
"THAT'S HAX."
Jaden whipped his head towards Wemmbu so fast it hurt.
Wemmbu simply shrugged.
"I'm just better bro."
...
...
"Cat got your tongue?"
"WHY YOU—!"
"Hehehe!"
A bout of laughter was heard across the whole arcade.
They continued playing and eventually it turned 1:30.
"AH!"
Jaden flinched a little at Wemmbu's sudden outburst.
"Jaden! The ice-cream shop!"
He tilted his head.
"Oh, yeah..."
"You wanna go now?"
"Uh-huh!"
"Ok..."
"Race you Jaden!"
"Wha—hey, that's not fair!"
The pair laughed, running across the road.
Not noticing the incoming car.
SMACK.
CRUNCH.
CRACK.
THUD.
Came a series a series of sounds.
Followed by panicked screaming.
"JADEN!"
Wemmbu shrieked.
Tears began welling in his eyes.
He ran towards the mangled body in front of him.
His dear friend barely looked like himself anymore...
His oh so sweet friend, that was now dying in his arms.
His body was gruesome.
Both of his arms were visibly broken.
Having the lower part been bent at an impossible angle backwards.
His chest had a deep mark in it.
Slowly, but constantly pooling out blood.
In that deep crimson red that Wemmbu now decided he absolutely hated.
Especially seeing it all over his friend.
While Jaden's legs were scratched.
Scraped and bruised beyond repair.
What was only meant to rot on a dying corpse.
All because of him.
"Jaden..."
His voice was croaky, and it was difficult to speak.
Jaden looked at him sweetly smiling.
He lifted Wemmbu's hand in own weakly.
"...Hey..."
"You, ok?"
Wemmbu began crying even more, as he held Jaden's hand against his own up to his left cheek.
Here, his friend was, slowly dying, and still wondering if he was ok.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine..."
"You're fine too...you'll be ok, right?"
"Jaden?"
...
Nothing.
...
"Jaden..?"
...
...
"Yeah...I'll be ok."
"...I promise."
"...We'll do this arcade hangout again. And we'll actually get ice cream..."
"Promise?"
"...Promise."
"Ok..."
Wemmbu desperately looked around.
Sure, he should've done that first, but he wanted to hear Jaden's last words reassure Jaden and himself before that.
Though there was nobody there.
That was the cruel fate he realized.
They were on an empty street, several blocks away from any sight of society.
If he screamed here, right now, at the top of his lungs.
Even until his voice runs out.
Nobody would hear them.
Minute didn't know where they were either.
The guy was probably gonna be worried sick when he gets to the arcade and they aren't there.
But only one of them is coming back.
He slowly gazed back down at Jaden.
Whose eyes were currently closing and breathing slowing moving to a stop.
But Wemmbu knew he couldn't do anything, so he did what he could.
He held Jaden close.
And he held him for what felt like forever.
And to Jaden, it was.
"...Hey."
Wemmbu only heard Jaden's whisper due to how closely he was hugging him.
His eyes widened.
"Jaden..?"
"...Go bro..."
"I'll catch up."
Then he felt the body he was holding go limp.
"Jaden?"
"Yo..."
"...Are you good?"
"Jaden, are you good?"
...
Nothing.
...
He waited.
He didn't know how long it was, but he waited.
Even as the body he held closely grew colder.
Even as the sun began to lower in the sky.
Even as, somewhere else, Minute called their names, hoping they'd show up.
And even as it began to rain.
As if the world, the sky, the sea, and the water began to cry to today's lost.
Jaden always wanted to be a pirate.
That was what he told Wemmbu.
Wemmbu thought it was ridiculous.
But now he wished it were possible.
He didn't know what to do with the body in his hands.
Nor how nobody had found or at least seen them yet.
All he knew was that Jaden left.
He left him alone.
Alone with a promise that he failed to keep.