Pre-chapter Conversation
"I can't believe you're actually doing another Lars/Otto fic." Izzy said to me.
"What's wrong with doing another Lars/Otto fic?" I asked innocently. "This fandom needs a whole lot more of these, anyway, not to mention fics for other slash couplings."
"But what about the age gap?" My partner asked. I waved a dismissive hand.
"That's easy to overcome."
"Whatever." Izzy sighed. "So what's the plot of this fic?"
"Basically, the great Lars will challenge Otto to a race in the most popular game in town. But there's a stipulation: The loser has to tell the winner his darkest secret."
"So what's the game?"
"In due time. In fact, the gamers in the audience should be able to guess the game or at least the series immediately because of the fic's title." I answered. "One more thing before we begin, here are the ages for the remaining characters in the fic:
Otto and Sam: 18
Reggie: 19
The great Lars: 21"
Izzy's eyes widened.
"Twenty-one!.?"
I shrugged. "Give me a break. At least I made Otto eighteen. That makes everything all nice and legal." I turned to the camera. "And another thing, this fic also features the secondary coupling of Sam/Reggie. Enjoy!"
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Race across Rainbows
Chapter One
The Bet
°First Person POV°
"I'm so alone." I said to myself as I sat on a bench at the strip. I looked to my right and saw movers carrying huge boxes into a building that used to be abandoned. I heard it was bought by a couple of guys. But why, I have no clue. I got up from my spot on the bench and walked home.
It was true. I am alone. My friends, or lackeys, depending on your point of view, have long since either moved out of the coastal town I call home, or are rotting in some jail. I forget which.
I guess I should tell you my name before we continue. It's Rodriguez, Lars Rodriguez. I'm currently twenty-one. I'm a sophomore in college, but right now, it's my summer break. I'm pretty close to six feet tall. I have dark brown hair and a dark tan. I wear a purple shirt with a yellow star pictured on it. I outgrew the one with a red star on it. I'm also wearing a pair of blue baggy shorts and white sneakers. Finally, I'm wearing the same gray hat I had since I was a kid.
Well now that I think about it, I'm not really alone. I mean, I got my family. My mom and dad, who are on their second honeymoon, and my younger brother, who has gone to Hawaii to see his boyfriend… Keoni, was it? Man, I'm jealous of him. Not only does he get to go to the hottest vacation spot in the world, again, but he has someone who cares for him. I used to have someone who cared for me, but we broke up because of… Hmmmm… Why did we break up in the first place?
Anyway, that Twister… How does he do it? I heard that long distance relationships always fall through, but they've been together for years. Not to mention it's hell on Mom and Dad's wallet.
So I guess I am alone, after all.
By now, I reached the cul-de-sac where I lived. I walked up to the door of my house and grabbed the knob. I was about to turn it when I let go.
"Ugh… I don't want to be alone in that house right now." I grumbled as I walked back down the stairs. When I reached the bottom, I looked around for something to do. Then I laid eyes on that house. The one right in front of me. With a ship's bow serving as the patio. I shrugged and walked towards the front door.
Scratch my previous statement. I'm not completely alone. I forgot some people. That little dork's friends. Actually, they're my friends as well. We used to fight years ago, but I've grown up a bit and apologized to them. We became good friends and now, I hang around with them whenever I'm not busy with school or whatever.
I walked up to the door and knocked on it.
"Come in!" I heard a female voice yell. I smiled as I let myself in. I walked into the living room and saw two of my brother's friends playing some video game. I decided to just stand and watch.
On the screen, which was split in two, two teams of two were racing in pretty strange-looking cars. On the top screen was an old-looking car that looked like it belonged to a rich person. Driving it was what looked like a princess wearing a yellow dress. In the back of it was a pink monster with a ribbon on its head. On the bottom screen was a tank-like car that was made to look like a monster. Driving it was a fat guy wearing purple and yellow. In back was a small turtle wearing a green shell. It was balancing a stack of red turtle shells in its right hand. They all seemed to be racing in a snowy track.
"Hey Lars." The female of the two started before turning to the guy sitting next to her. "You're not gonna beat me this time!"
That was Reggie. She's a bit smaller than me and has purple hair. Recently, she started wearing it long. I guess she got tired of being a "tomboy," like my cousin Clio always called her. She's a couple of years younger than me, but she's still as beautiful as ever. Remember the someone who cared for me that I used to have? That's her.
"How's it going?" The guy said to me before turning to Reggie. "I'll beat ya hands down!"
And that was Sam, the "Squid," Reggie's new boyfriend. I know what you're thinking. I couldn't figure out what they saw in each other either. I think it's probably a personality thing or some romantic crap. That and they're both pretty smart, not to give the Squid too much credit, of course. Anyway, Squid has gotten better-looking in the last few years. He went on a diet and is now slim, which I'm glad for. Although we broke up, I refuse to allow Reggie to date a slob who happens to work with computers. Also, Squid got rid of the buzz cut he had and let his blond hair grow. He was still much shorter than his girlfriend.
Back in the race, Reggie's team, which was in the top screen, was far ahead of Squid's team. Her team drove through a row of boxes with question marks on them. After a few seconds, a pink, polka-dotted egg appeared in the pink monster's hands. They were nearing another group of boxes when suddenly the princess and the monster got out of their seats and switched positions, while the car was still moving! They drove past the boxes and the princess got a banana placed into her hands.
'Weird.' I thought.
Anyway, Reggie's team drove onto an icy path that had giant things that looked like icebergs sliding along it. Suddenly, her car was struck by lightning, making it shrink. The car spun out of control and hit one of those icebergs. The car was instantly frozen.
'This is one freaky game right here!' I thought, watching this.
On Squid's screen, his car was getting close to where Reggie was. He made the turtle in back fire a shell just before switching with his other character. His team drove through a block and the fat guy got a shell with spikes and wings. Reggie's team broke out of the ice just in time to get hit by the shell. Squid then launched the spiked shell. It soared through the air and right into Reggie's car, causing an explosion of blue smoke. The classic-looking car was tossed into the air, allowing the tank to pass her and cross the finish line.
"Man, I didn't see that shell coming. Good race, Sammy." Reggie said with a grin.
"Yeah. Same here, Reg." Squid replied, giving her a kiss on the cheek. I can't help but feel jealous. I can't stand not having anyone sometimes. "I'm going into the kitchen. Do you want anything?" He asked, getting up.
"Just a soda, thanks." Reggie answered.
"What about you, Lars?"
"Huh?" I blinked.
"Do you want anything from the kitchen?" Squid asked, giving me a strange look.
"Nah. I'm cool." I replied casually. He nodded and left to go into the kitchen.
"So what's up?" Reggie asked, switching the VCR off and putting the TV on mute. I sighed as I joined her on the couch.
"It's just that—" I was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and closing.
"Hey guys." I felt my breath catch in my throat at the sound of that voice. Slowly, I turned my head and looked at him.
Otto Rocket, the most beautiful boy on the face of the earth. His fiery red dreadlocks hung down the side of his head, one or two of them getting in the way of his gorgeous eyes, which were further blocked from my view by those damn sunglasses. How I would love to run my hand through those locks and stare into those eyes forever. Despite the fact that he was the shortest one in their group as a kid, next to the Squid, he has grown to be much taller than Reggie. He'll probably outgrow me by a few inches by the time he reaches my age. His cinnamon-colored skin is still the same as I remembered.
Oh yeah… Now I remember why Reggie and I broke up. I realized about a year into our relationship that I was bi when I found myself often looking at this fine specimen of a skater. If Otto ever walked into the room while Reggie and I were talking, I would completely tune her out and watch the smaller boy's movements without moving my face towards him. Luckily, no one ever found out about my… I guess you could call it a crush. Of course, Reggie thought I was ignoring her completely and because of that, we fought a lot, so we broke it off. As you probably guessed, we patched things up and we hang out together. Of course I haven't told anyone about my preference or that I was in love with the boy.
Yes, you heard—or read—right. Lars Rodriguez, the toughest kid in Ocean Shores, is in love with his rival, Otto Rocket, the greatest athlete in town.
Right now, he was wearing a blue shirt and a pair of red shorts. He was also wearing a dirty pair of white sneakers. No matter what he wears, he looks good. Ugh! I sound like some girl or something.
"Uhh… Hello? You in there, Lars?" I broke out of my trance and looked sheepishly at the auburn haired boy of my dreams. I found him looking at me as strangely as Squid was a second ago.
"Heh. Heh. Sorry about that." I said with a nervous chuckle. I could feel my face heating up as I turned away and faced the TV. I heard footsteps go past me and up the stairs. I resisted the urge to look at his retreating form. I sighed with relief when I heard his bedroom door close.
"So, would you mind telling me what that was about?" I turned towards Reggie with a goofy smile on my face. Sheesh. I must've looked pathetic right there. I've seen Twister with grins more serious than that. I waved my arms frantically.
"Oh it's nothing!" I said as quickly as possible. Reggie crossed her arms, clearly not believing a word.
"Uh-huh… And you call your face being red 'nothing'?"
Damn! I thought for sure I would've calmed down. I turned my attention to the floor. I shouldn't be thinking about him like that in the first place. I felt Reggie put an arm on my shoulder.
"Lars, what's going on with you?" I turned to her, probably feeling stupid for what I'm about to say, but if I don't tell somebody, I'm going to go insane! I sighed and faced her.
"Reggie, there's something I have to you." I started, breathing heavily. Please don't toss me out of the house. I won't have anybody to turn to if that happens.
"Lars, relax and tell me slowly." She said. I closed my eyes and breathed slowly. It was now or never.
"Ok. Just promise you won't freak out."
"Alright. I promise." She replied. I mumbled my response. "What?" I repeated, getting a little louder. "I'm sorry?"
"I love Otto." I finally said in a high enough volume for her to hear. She gasped.
"YOU'RE GA—MMPH!.!.!" I covered her mouth before she could finish that sentence.
"Is everything ok in there?" Squid asked as he looked in. Otto also cracked open his door to take a look. I chuckled nervously as I let go of Rocket Girl.
"Yeah. Everything is just peachy." I glared at the girl, who suddenly flushed red with embarrassment. The other two shrugged and went back to their business. I sighed as I sat back down.
"Thanks a lot." I said, crossing my arms.
"Sorry about that, but how? I mean you, Lars, the biggest bully in Ocean Shores, in love with Otto? How? When did that happen? And since when were you gay?" She whispered. Again, I glared at her.
"First of all, I'm bi and don't forget it. Second…" I suddenly blushed. What would she say if I told her when I did develop a crush on him? She looked at me expectantly. I sighed.
"I fell in love with him a year into our relationship." I closed my eyes, expecting a good, hard slap across the face.
°SLAP!°
Yep. She didn't disappoint. I winced as I rubbed my left cheek, which probably had her handprint on it.
"Well, at least now I know why you stopped paying attention to me." She started. "Now we have to think of a way to get you and my brother together." I gaped at her.
"What?.! Who said I wanted to get with him?.!" I hissed. She only glared at me.
"I could see it plain as day. The way you were staring at him." I blushed for the third time in five minutes.
"Was I that obvious?" She nodded.
"Now help me think." She said. Man, I hate it when she gets like that. I put a hand to my chin to try to think of something, but nothing came up. Only the burning pain Reggie's slap left in my cheek. We stayed silent for a few more minutes when she stood up.
"I got it!" I raised an eyebrow at her.
"What?"
"You know how you always challenged Otto to stuff when you guys were younger?" She asked.
"Yeah…" I nodded. "What about it?"
"Duh! All you have to do is challenge him to something and make a bet. You know he never backs down from a challenge."
"What kind of bet?" I asked.
"I don't know. Something along the lines of the loser has to tell the winner something private."
"Oh, you mean like his worst secret?"
"Exactly!" Reggie answered with another grin.
"And what makes you think he's gay?" I asked. I knew damn well that there was no way he'd have the same feelings for me as I do for him. I'm starting to regret telling her in the first place.
"I honestly wouldn't be too surprised." Reggie said thoughtfully. "He didn't have any girlfriends in high school. Also, he hasn't seemed to be looking for anybody since he started college."
"Hmmmm… But what do I challenge him to?" I asked, still not believing the possibility of him being gay. Reggie didn't seem to have an answer. We stayed silent for a few minutes before we heard the sound of a door close and someone coming down the stairs.
"I'm gonna go surfing." Otto announced. I turned and my eyes went wide. When the hell did he get so good looking!.?.!
He was just wearing a pair of purple swimming trunks almost identical to the ones he had as a kid. He had tight abs and a washboard stomach. If we were in one of those Japanese cartoons, I'm pretty sure my nose would have started gushing blood. For my sake, I had to turn away before I started drooling. I was sure Otto gave me an odd glance as he started walking towards the door.
"Lars! Now's your chance." Reggie whispered to me. I gathered up my courage and got up from the couch.
"O-Otto?" I said with a squeaky voice.
"Yeah?" The hottest boy in the world asked as he turned towards me. I gulped and tried to focus on the task at hand. I suddenly found myself glaring and crossing my arms.
"I challenge you!" I yelled. Otto looked shocked. I was sure Reggie and probably Squid had the same expression, but I didn't care.
"Err… Ok. To what?" The redheaded beauty asked in confusion. I started sweating. I still had no idea what I wanted to challenge him to. I frantically looked around before I found a case on the table. It must've been for the game Reggie and Squid were playing. I quickly read off the name.
"'Mario Kart: Double Dash?'"
"What?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. I only glared in response.
"That's right! I challenge you to a race in this game!" I held up the case.
"A video game? You want me to play you in a video game?" Otto asked dubiously. I had to admit, he was right. What the hell was I thinking? I have no idea how to play this, but I couldn't back down now.
"Yeah, a video game! Why? You afraid to race me, Rocket Dork!.?"
I heard everybody gasp at that one. I hadn't used that name in years. I hope I didn't hurt his feelings. It seemed like I didn't because the next moment, he gave me a dirty look.
"Fine! I'll race you!" He barked with much ice in his voice. It didn't matter to me though. I then remembered the other part of Reggie's plan.
"Good. And just to make things interesting, the loser has to tell the winner his most cherished secret." I saw his eyes widen for a moment but he quickly regained his glare.
"Alright. It's a bet. We'll race in a week." He said. I grinned. That'll be more than enough time to practice.
"Cool." I shook his hand, almost melting at the warmth. When we let go of each other, he picked up his surfboard and walked out the door. I sighed as I moved towards Reggie, who still had a look of shock.
"L-Lars, what was that about?"
"Sorry. I just lost it." I replied. I thought for a moment. "Uhh…Reg?"
"Yeah?"
"Could you teach me how to play this?" I gave her a lopsided grin as I held up the case again. She sighed and held her forehead with a hand.
"Yeah, but not now. Sam and I were in the middle of a tournament when you came in." I raised an eyebrow at her. Since when did she play those games like that, anyway?
"Tomorrow, then?" I asked.
"Sure, but we shouldn't do it here. After all, you wouldn't want Otto to find out your strategy." She winked at me. I guess she was right, but strategy?
"What did you mean by 'strategy'?"
"Don't worry. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow. In the meantime, we have to decide where you could go to practice."
"How about that new place?" Sam spoke up. We turned towards him. I hope he didn't catch too much of our conversation.
"What new place?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. Sam pointed at the TV, which was showing a commercial. Different pictures of video games were being shown. Reggie picked up the remote and raised the volume.
"…And many more games can be found at the Yaoi Brothers Arcade." A male voice said. The TV showed some pictures from, I guess, that Mario Kart game. "Remember, that's the Yaoi Brothers Arcade, located at the strand. Come on down for our Grand Opening fifty percent off special." The screen faded and a surfing show came on.
"'Yaoi Brothers'?" I repeated. Now where have I heard that word before?
"Hmmm… They've been showing that commercial all week. I guess it's finally been completed." Sam muttered.
"So how about it, Lars? You want to go to that new arcade?" Reggie asked. I nodded.
"Yeah." I replied, clenching a fist. "I'm gonna train and then I'll beat Otto! Thanks a lot, Reg!" I said as I left. I only hoped that I wasn't in over my head and that Otto will be mine.
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°Third Person POV°
"Reg, what was that whole thing about?" Sam asked, sitting down next to Reggie. They got ready to start playing again.
"I'll tell ya all about it later." Reggie replied as she picked up her controller.
Elsewhere…
"What was with him?" Otto asked himself as he sat at the beach. "He just called me a dork like I was still eleven."
He hugged his legs and gave a heavy sigh.
"But why does it make me feel like this? Just because he hasn't called me that in years… I thought I earned his respect."
He blinked.
"Woah… Where did that come from!" Pushing the thought to the back of his mind, he paddled out and started surfing.
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A/N:
Well, that's it for the first chapter. Sorry if I made anybody sound terribly out of character. Anyway, will Lars' training go over well? What is the Yaoi Bros. Arcade like? Hell, who would actually name themselves "The Yaoi Bros.!.?" Find out next time!
