Angering Pressure

Weeks and weeks of taunts surrounded Wally. Apparently, everyone except Kuki knew that he liked her. He had been receiving annoyance from the gang, his parents, his little brother, the gang's families and everyone else who knew him. Everywhere he went, there were torments waiting to victimize him. At home his family would "plan" his future wedding with Kuki and outside his friends would follow him around teasing him or dropping hints for Kuki. Even in school things turned out different. The guys who used to court Kuki backed off for they feared that Wally might go after them. All the girls who were after Wally kept coming up to him asking him if he was really going out with Kuki. Of course, he denied it aggressively. Fortunately though, Kuki remained oblivious to the whole thing.

At first Wally thought that it would pass. After all, it was nothing serious. But what he didn't know was that the taunts had a very negative effect on him. The more agitation he received, the more he became an ass to Kuki for cruelty was his cover up for his feelings. And unless he admitted those feelings, his friends would keep irritating him until it drove him mad. And soon enough, it did.

It was an afternoon after a huge load of head aching comments for Wally and the gang was at Hoagie's house. Wally wasn't in the mood to talk, or do anything else for that matter. All he wanted was peace and quiet, a break from the mockery from other people. He sank on the couch on the living room as everyone else did something for fun. The noise was driving him crazy. The laughter from Abby, Nigel and Hoagie as they played Monopoly and the endless humming and singing from Kuki as she played with her Rainbow Monkey stuffed toys. Wally tried massaging his temples with his fingers but it didn't work. Out of desperation, he walked out into the TV room where he sank into a soft chair and he finally got the peace and quiet he had longed for.

"Are you alright, Wally?" Wally winced at the sound of the last person he wanted to be with right now.

"Kuki, please. I just wanna be alone right now"

"What's wrong?" She approached him.

"I just had a hard day and I really want some peace and quiet. I wanna relax…"

"You know what would make you relax?"

Wally didn't answer.

"Rainbow Monkeys" She smiled, "Come on and play with me. It'll soothe you, I promise"

"I'd rather not…" He grunted.

"Come on" She tugged his arm.

"Kuki, this is not really a good time to annoy me…"

"Just play a little while, Wally"

"Kuki!" Wally jumped. Luckily, he got hold of himself. And so despite his hands trembling intensely, he continued through ground teeth, "I just…wanna…loosen up…"

Wally sat back down and leaned his head back. Meanwhile, Kuki quietly stood behind the chair, her head hanging steadily directly over his face.

"Okay" She said in a soothing tone, "Just relax…"

Kuki placed her hand on his shoulders and started massaging his neck. Although Wally wanted to be alone before, he liked this better. He rolled his eyes back as he sighed, letting all the pressure out. Kuki was a talented massager and Wally found himself feeling better by the minute. As a few more seconds passed by, Wally slowly fell in a trance, just like when he sniffed her hair once. And without knowing it, he had leaned his head against her forearm and after closing his eyes, he started brushing his golden hair against it. There was only one thing that got Wally out of that trance. It was the next thing that Kuki told him.

"Now let's go play Rainbow Monkeys" She said.

"KUKI!" He whined.

"Please Wally? Just a little bit"

"I don't want to play!"

"Yes you do!"

This was it. The last draw. Wally couldn't take the pressure anymore. He had to let it out. And unfortunately, he had to let it out on her.

"WILL YOU STOP!" He screamed at her, "I DON'T WANNA PLAY WITH SOME STUPID RAINBOW MONKEY STUFFED TOYS ESPECIALLY NOT WITH YOU BECAUSE IT ANNOYS ME! DAMMIT KUKI, COULD YOU JUST GROW UP FOR ONCE! I AM SO TIRED OF YOU ALWAYS CHASING ME AROUND TRYING TO GET ME TO DO THINGS I HATE! JUST STOP IT, OKAY! IT'S ANNOYING, AND YOU'RE ANNOYING! SO JUST SHUT THE HELL UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE!"

For a second Wally felt a huge weight lift off his shoulders, but then the sight of Kuki's dreary face made him realize what he just did.

"Hey, we heard someone scream, what happened?" Hoagie arrived in the doorway along with Abby and Nigel.

"I…I just…" Wally couldn't speak. He didn't know what to say. When he turned back to Kuki, she had her arms folded sadly with her watery eyes looking away from him.

Wally felt like falling apart at that very moment. He wished for nothing more but for the regretful emotion inside him to go away. But it wouldn't. And it seemed like an eternity as he stood there. "Kuki I…" He didn't know what to say or do. And the stares from his friends made it harder for him to think. The thought of hugging her passed his mind but he couldn't do that either. He could only lift his hand and place it on her shoulder as he tried to apologize, "Kuki I didn't mean to-"
"I'm sorry…" Kuki suddenly whispered with a breaking voice. And then she walked away.