Enjoy!
"Asshole."
The nerve of Enid to mutter the very word when she saw the satisfaction of Red remaining awake on time to surprise her in the bed, whose smirk faded away very quickly from the jumpshot of a silence-breaker.
Enid hopped out of bed and put on her flip-flops one by one, while the light in the room dimmed over the bare body of a pouty Red Action.
"Y-you aren't h-happy?"
"Huh!? I didn't know it was a requirement to take in your shit-flinging exit out of my life as nothing."
Heavy sigh, following by Red playing with her fingers in front of her face.
"Look, E, I didn't stay in that long in the future. It's only been a day in the capsu-"
"DAY!? I'VE BEEN WAITING FOR PRACTICALLY A WEEK!"
The tone, the projection, and the gesture of Enid glancing over her made Red shrink inside the room. It wasn't even dusk outside, and the only glimmer of light between the two was the bright radiation of the haunting alarm clock that continued playing DJ Fireball's "greatest hits" at minimal volume.
Meanwhile, Red put away the fidgeting act and got down to business.
"Look, I'm just as mad as you are. I got precious time wasted, and this buggin' ass capsule won't take me places in time! I'm sorry babe, but how am I just going to ignore the Communicator?"
"Well if you did, your time wouldn't have been wasted."
Enid excused herself out the door while a stunned Red got quick to change to an oversized white top and some joggers from her bag.
Breakfast was awkward. Maybe not as awkward as the family getting together, but there was tension prepared in the room.
However, Red seemed very eager and concentrated on her own cellphone. She had been typing away while Enid took big mouthfuls of some cereal puffs. She was halfway to the bowl.
The red-headed trooper? A banana bunch. She was helping herself to her third.
As for the silence, it would only be broken once the whole banana was consumed.
"I didn't want to leave. In all honesty, I regret finding out what I saw back there."
She paused, with her lips puckering and her eyes staring down at the three peels and whole banana. They later shifted to Enid, who looked like she was ready to spit on her grave with that devilish smile.
"You love me?"
"Infinitely."
"Then tell me what you found."
The pressure set in, and for every spoonful in her mouth, Enid got more anxious to see if she'll even respond to her request. However, the bowl was finished in mere seconds, whereas Red shamefully looked down.
"Wow. That's what I thou-"
"Yellow wants me."
Anger was soon substituted by confusion.
"Wants you? What do you mean?"
"I never thought she had the time or soul to even think any good of me, but when we got waste-e-exhausted from town..."
That stutter forced a laugh from Enid in an untimely manner.
"You drank? With her?"
"I didn't have too much. She was knocked out, but at the same time, she no longer wasn't."
"Huh?"
"She had some stupid potion of some sort. Never had the heart to tell me what flavor it was. Strawberry? Aprico-"
"Damnit Red, I don't care! Just get to the point!"
The sudden temptation of Enid to grab her own girlfriend by her throat, shake her of all her dignity, and leave her defeated in her own ego shook Red, who finally took the last banana on her right hand.
"I looked at some crazy freaky stuff. She knew Professor Venemous light years ahead, she had a printed image of some messed up corpse, then she had...a list. A cute little list of my craves and hobbies. Except it wasn't cute. It got stupidly aggressive to the point where she said she'll alt my liking of you!"
Enid listened very closely, but she did not change out of her damp state.
"Anything else?"
"It was in parentheses."
"Dear God. What a creep."
"Right? But she's not a creep! She was my best friend! My right-hand, before she got promoted...in front...of me."
They stared.
"Damn, guilt trippin'?"
"God. I just wish YT would just look at it through my perspective."
"And what would it be?"
"Two words. I'm. Taken."
Enid hopped out of her chair, carried her bowl and placed the emptied banana peels inside, while giving Red a peck on the lips.
"You're damn right."
Sunrise. The couple were warming themselves up for another day of shit to do.
They were already jammin' it up in the tank. Drifting around the strip and getting a good sniff of the fresh air outside. The plaza could wait. They got arrangements.
Or so at least Enid thought.
"So, where to? I was thinking abou-"
"Oh, getting greedy now?" Red shot one of those signature smiles that meant something was up.
"Um, what?"
"We're heading down south for some good ol' hazing."
"I thought we came here to spend time together."
"Oh, we sure as hell are. You're gonna love this..."
"How is hazing going to chee-"
"Times are changing. We're in a more hostile ecosystem where the floor for every one is far from a hustle."
Enid just sat there in the taped up passenger seat, wondering what the hell that was all about. Red caught on with her look, and felt it was necessary to break it down.
"We're essentially going to find info."
"On?"
"Excuse me?"
Within thirty minutes, the couple found themselves inside the living room of what can be described as a spacious and minimalist villa with a modern design of geometric simplicity on the walls and roof, complemented by black and white. The cave belonged to Drupe, one of the most socially-open patrons of the plaza, who is also known for having at least 3.5k followers on each of her social media profiles.
Popularity can be bought, even if the receipt has to be at the hands of paternal business.
Drupe, however, was confused by the request.
Red glared at her. "Don't play dumb, sweetie. I've seen your post. Prepping yourself for that fake lavish shitshow tonight?"
"You mean Elodie's joint? Of course!"
"Well it's gonna be traaaashhh. Don't waste your time."
"Girl, what's there to reveal about Elodie? She's rich, talented, badass at archery, occupies P.O.I.N.T, and got more influence over this county than me and you do at that basic ass plaza!"
"You know where the inherited money comes from? The invitation to the biggest hero bureau?"
"I can pinpoint whatever you can toss me, 30 minutes tops."
Red sat there in the leather couch, content by the eagerness that Drupe had on herself and her dirty business. As for Enid, it was all too fast for her.
Enid couldn't help but ask. "How the hell can she do all this s-"
Drupe interrupted. "Connections, honey. Worth more than money if I were to be honest."
"Makes sense."
"Alright, you two. Give me a phone book and direct me to Elodie's FaceBook friends."
"Wait, why FaceBook?" Red was expecting her to reach a little more, Like Snapchat or Instagram.
"Because...it was the dark ages where nobody had legitimate dignity and only old people and children bothered to add everybody."
"Makes perfect sense. Go get em' tiger."
The trio each got out of the couch, one by one. Red shook hands with her partner-in-crime, handed Drupe her phone, and proceeded to help herself to the fridge, while Enid departed for the corridor by the kitchen on the left.
The hall was...interesting, to say the least. Every few meters, there was a printed copy of fruit bowl photographs and strawberry farms. It was disturbing as hell, but it's probably what propelled them to aristocracy status.
She did not want to ask.
There was a half opened door closest to the living room, revealing a tidy bathroom just reeking of bleach. Felt like a typical Sunday morning where she would avoid her parents. Across the wide corridor was a elevator with a gold-plated frame. Real fancy, but cliche.
Next door up.
It was dark and extensive, though. No windows, and nothing in sight but the wardrobe by the door.
There was no light inside. She proceeded to close the door.
Enid knew there was a switch somewhere. She turned the flashlight on from her phone, but was surprised to see there was no source of light. No switch, no lamp, nothing. Nothing but boxes.
There was also a staircase leading to the basement.
Slow steps.
Why is it empty?
Enid turned left and found a laundry room full of red-stained clothes piled up above the washer. Somebody needed to take care of the mess.
On her right, she found a TV set and an old and rusty table. Nothing out of the ordinary.
One more door just ahead.
She was just about to rush in.
BANG BANG BANG
What the hell?
Enid was thrown back by the sudden banging on the other side of the door. Something bad was brewing, and she couldn't take the risk of getting mauled alive. Except she couldn't help it.
Her hand slowly turned the doorknob.
The door slowly opened.
All of a sudden, a thousand cries yelled out.
Minature green strawberries.
Locked.
In a cage.
Enid slammed the door. The only thing she can think of was "What the f-"
"Love the cake, D. Vanilla?"
Drupe was typing away on her phone, while Red was enjoying the champagne and golden plate full of cake on the dining table.
"Um, Red..."
"Who were the lucky bastards to be wed? Is this ganache?"
"Red..."
"Wish I rocked a dress like this broad. They really emphasized her ass."
Now Drupe rocket jumped out of the couch and turned swiftly to her friend.
"RED! THAT'S MY AUNT!"
"Oh, my baaad."
"I was gonna tell you that cake is seven months old, but it seems like you don't mind."
All of a sudden, the vulnerable Red eyed the dry slice. She proceeded to shift her focus to her rumbling stomach.
"Ah crap." Red got out of the tall black chair. "Excuse me, I gotta use your shitter."
"Um, too much informa-"
"Oh noooo, it's fine. Just gotta vomit." By the time Drupe turned around, Red faded into the hall.
"GODDAMNIT RED!"
Enid was thrown off by her girlfriends marching steps to the can as she advanced towards the center of the villa where Drupe reluctantly got back to her "digging".
"So, hope you don't mind if you let me in on this progress."
The living strawberry tilted her vision over her shoulder.
"Huh?"
"You know, your modus operandi."
"Oh, we speaking Latin now, huh?"
Enid, as if a hand was forced in between the two, was thrown back from behind the couch.
"What? N-no I wa-"
"Hear this out. When I'm through with this blonde chick, it will still be canis canem edit out there. Don't be sorry when your girl gets rung up."
"Are you threatening me?"
Long pause. Drupe took a sip of the champagne from the glass on top of her coffee table. She stared dead in Enid's eyes.
And kept staring...
And kept staring...
And kept star-
Until Drupe bursted in laughter and broke out of a straight face. Her wrists were flicked forward
"Haha! I'm just playin'! No need to trip."
"Uh, okay?"
Red and Enid were well on their way back to the house. Apparently Red got all the information she needed, but for some odd reason, the long time rival and bitter victim of the Elodie Express was not qualified enough to butt into the huddle. That really got to Enid's head.
As usual, Enid had her hand way up her cheek, just looking out the window as Red drove on in determination.
She was also determined to catch up with ol' E.
"Ain't she a fine bitch? Someone's ought to take her cherry tonight!"
The bored teen snapped out of it and looked to Red Action focusing on the interstate road.
"I'd prefer the term 'berry'."
"HAHAHAHA! Ohhhhh damn!"
"Yo, is this wagon we heading down to practice?"
"Wait, I thought we were getting ready for the party..."
"Party?"
The tank swerved to the right. Change of lanes. The exit was going to be here anytime soon.
"Well we got the info on Elodie now. That biker bastard's been tormenting you all these years, yet now we know that she can't handle a little f-"
"Wait, This is a little weird. How'd you even know she was a bi-"
"Good ol' Rad helped me catch up on the DMs while we ate some breakfast."
A small little "Oh" escaped from Enid's lips. She was a little disappointed that they couldn't spend further time alone, but what truly caught her attention was the wheel.
Not entirely the wheel, but rather the hands on the wheel of the car.
The exit was right there. Red began turning the wheel over slightly.
Now two hands were facing Enid's sight.
Two bare lightskin hands.
Two bare hands that were too bare for Enid's liking.
Only one person in the tank had a matching ring, and that was Enid
Should she tell her?
No.
Red was a little distracted in the midst of this race. She's been paying less attention to detail and has found a way to solve her own problems with dirty associates. You'd think she would at least acknowledge themselves affectionately. Show each other off. A small peck or two on their visits when they're away from the tank.
So was Enid going to remind her?
No.
She should figure it out herself.
Damn, did Red really lose that ring throughout this whole story? Talk about doing the other dirty! Leave some feedback!