Reviews :
marinetanker97 : Yes, Berri definitely still has a few things to learn, a bit more growing up to do, but she is well on her way :) And yes! I haven't forgotten! I think I'm going to lump it all into the 150 requests, since I'm only 7 chapters away from it :)
Nikki Firesong : Thank you SO MUCH! That really means a lot to me! Gunner isn't out of the picture just yet! ;) He may be booted, but he's slick.
faolan1230 : LOL! He nearly ruined their show! I'd be slightly pissed too! xD Thanks for your support :D
Song Listened To :
Stick the Kettle On (ft. Scouting For Girls) by Lucy Spraggan
*Chapter 143*
"It's not something I can explain, mom, I just... I feel so confused," Berri's gentle, exhausted voice meeped. Entirely nasally and stuffed up, she continued on through the continuous spill of tears down her cheeks, her bare feet paced, "I just left. I know I'll feel lonely come tomorrow morning, but I just... Left."
"Well, you're safe and secure where you are, just... Promise me you won't go ANYWHERE without security, Bear, you're outside Sugar Rush with no one but the small security team that followed you," Tessa warmly pressed, her and Zed were hovered tight to the phone, which was on speaker so they both could talk to their daughter. Tessa heaved a long, wary sigh and gazed across her's and Zed's dimly lit bedroom; they both were dressed down for the night and enjoying a lazy, rainy evening in their fluffy downs. Tessa almost bravely smiled, caught eyes with Zed and shook her head as she pressed on, to her lonely, lovely daughter, "Berri, I'm really... Really proud of you."
Berri's cold, bare feet scuffed to a stop on the glistening, still marble tiles under her feet. She peered about her current situation, and although she had taken a nearly hour-long excursion to the next city their up coming concert would be in, inside Dig Dug, she cooped up in a single studio hotel room in the center of town. A few men from her security team adamantly tracked her down and begged her to stay somewhere hulled up, in a place with high security. Not one to argue over the fact of not being found, Berri agreed to have said security team hover outside her hotel room's door and hallway for added safety. Berri grimaced a small noise of a cry and peered her wet eyes around her lovely little studio of a temporary room.
Her high heels were haphazardly thrusted to the kitchen's miniature mudroom, near the door of her room, such a tiny place had a lovely couch that folded out into a Queen bed, a television, a teensy bathroom and a view that was to die for. On top of the world, glistening city lights that made her heart just pang for that Orion City view, from a certain someone's sixty-fourth floor loft, she sagged to her kitchen counter a little and allowed herself to show vulnerability, to her parents. She let out a few sobs of exhaustion, both physically and mentally. With a plow of her palm into her forehead, her blue hair was wind whipped and now very messy and tangled. She had taken off her street clothes and stripped down to nothing but her normal black underwear and her massive black t-shirt, the one she had slept in the night prior. Bare legs that trembled over the cold kitchen tiles, she softly sobbed as she set her phone on the counter top. She was well aware her parents likely didn't want to deal with this, and she potentially needed to stiffen her upper lip and get a good night's sleep, though she peered her scared, glassy eyes to her illuminated phone and felt her heart crave the sound of her mother's voice.
"That... That must've been really difficult for you to do, hun," Tessa sighed, "To abandon the situation you were comfortable in, to run off and stick up for yourself, like that. Sounds like Gunner just... Has some soul searching he needs to do."
"Growing up, more like it," Zed muttered in cold annoyance, in plight of Gunner; Tessa shot him a dull look of understanding.
"Thanks for the emergency funds and... This light cycle, dad," Berri's voice wavered through her tears, she tried to collect herself, "When you gave it all to me, before our very first show in EZ Living, I... I was sort of insulted."
"I could tell," Zed mumbled gently with a small smile down to the phone Tessa held out for the both of them.
"... Now I understand what it was for," Berri mumbled weakly, her eyes peered across her smaller studio, the gorgeous sight before her comforted her in this trying, lonely time, "Thanks for looking out, dad... I... Would be no where without you guys."
"Hey, we... We just gave you that nudge," Zed chuckled, though Tessa gave him a surprise look as Zed, too, began to get choked up. He urgently cleared his voice and did everything to blink back tears, "Y-You... You did all the leg work from there, my love."
"Not you too, dad," Berri surprised herself by choking a small laugh and standing up a little bit straighter; Tessa and Zed easily joined in on her laughter, though Zed could be heard sniffling and trying to collect himself.
"I just love you, bub. You make Sugar Rush proud, okay?" Zed affirmed, he cleared his throat and continued on, "Just... Please be safe. Please keep in touch with your cousins and Throttle."
"And try and get some sleep," Tessa pressed, "Take time to be with yourself. It's okay to feel sad and to grieve the loss of yours and Gunner's relationship... But, pick yourself back up and press on. Don't stay and wallow in that feeling, don't allow yourself to be defeated."
"You're a Kalivar," Zed added, Berri crumpled into a smiling fit of tears as she could practically hear the smiling, loving tone in her father's voice, "Tough as nails, girly."
"Thanks, guys," Berri sighed a nasally, collected breath of relief and sagged her shoulders, though before she could continue on, she flinched in whole terror as there was suddenly a few gentle knocks on her studio's door. Berri raised an eyebrow in nervous surprise and froze in her positioning, though she was surprised that Tessa and Zed could hear said knock through their phone call.
"Who just knocked on your door?" Zed demanded nervously and quietly, the air of agitation very quickly came rushing back to the conversation, though as Berri so silently hovered to her door, so to look through the peep hole, she held her breath in anticipation.
As if something out of a comedy sketch, a warped, fish-eye sight of Wren, Theo and Throttle could be seen. Each boy was carrying a bag, or two, whilst security hung tight to them, as if to assure Berri's worries that these visitors weren't just anybody. Berri beamed a nervous, teary smile and quickly went to unlock the door.
"Bear?" Tessa nervously staggered, though as Berri unlocked and opened her door, she swung it slow and wide whilst she revealed her gentle answer.
"I-It's Wren, Throttle and Theo," Berri stated in a lilt of loving, surprised disbelief.
"Alright, chickie, we got a bone to pick with you," Wren blurt; all three boys looked mildly disheveled, each one grunted and picked up their bags, though Berri jolted in surprise the second Wren firmly let himself in without question, as did Theo and Throttle. Wren cocked an eyebrow, smiled a genuine smile down to Berri's phone, which was still extended in her hand and on speaker, "Hi Tessa and Zed, you guys like the show?"
"Did we?" Zed blurt a hard chuckle, Theo and Throttle grunted to get their stuff inside, though once in, they shut and locked the door behind them, "It's all Tess and I can talk about."
"Babe, who is all there with you?" Tessa worried above the chatter, though as Berri's red, glassy, swollen eyes gently glossed the group about her, she sagged her shoulders in warm relief and lulled her eyes closed in tenderness.
"It's just Sugar Rush, mom," Berri stated in warm, soft joy. Her eyes welled with tears, once more, the flood gates had long been opened, and with such a sweet notion to the group about her, Tessa and Zed both gently laughed on the speaker of Berri's phone.
"You guys take care of each other, now," Tessa stated gently as everyone finally tidied their stances about Berri's fragile disposition, "No matter what... Y'guys gotta have each other's backs."
"Yes ma'am," Theo warmly assured, and with such, Berri held her phone closer to her and lulled her eyes closed.
"I'll text you later, mom," Berri confirmed gently, she sagged her shoulders and heaved a nasally sigh of relief, "I love you."
"We love you too," Tessa concluded, and with such, everyone said their soft goodbye's to Sugar Rush's King and Queen, and Berri hung up the call.
In the still, calm silence of the studio, Berri gently set her phone to the kitchenette's little counter space and finally landed eyes on Wren. All three boys were dressed in their concert clothes, as if they had landed at their previous resort reservation, didn't dare to unpack, and high-tailed it out of there. Wren put his hands on his hips and eyed his barely younger second cousin. Berri looked entirely disheveled, make up-less and dressed in nothing but her big, baggy t-shirt, she almost pleadingly peered to Wren and didn't move a muscle, as if she was certain she maybe didn't deserve a hug for practically abandoning everyone. Berri sighed through her mouth, looked down to her bare feet and allowed the warm kitchen light to illuminate the becoming sappy group of lovey boys she was now thrusted into. Wren finally lifted his gaze, looked about Berri's small little studio, meant for one body, and heaved a long, raspy sigh.
"Welp... It's gunna have to do," Wren barked with a small laugh, to which Throttle and Theo beamed knowing smiles, "I don't think you'll particularly ENJOY three of your brothers to be invading your sleep space, and I can't guarantee you probably won't be farted on in the middle of the night, but..."
"Wren," Berri started through a nervous, small giggle down to her feet.
"Look, I'm pissed at you for running off, you could've been hurt," Wren firmly started, though he gently stepped into Berri's bubble, gripped her upper arm and was thrilled she finally stabbed her scared, teary eyes up into Wren's, "But, wherever you go... We'll follow."
Berri hovered in Wren's loving, brotherly presence, and as her gaze broadened to Theo's and Throttle's still, patient and warm dispositions behind and to Wren's sides, Berri felt a flood of further tears come on. In a crumpling mess, Berri grimaced a small cry and, in the act of going to cover her face to continue to softly cry, Wren was quick to tug Berri into a firm bear hug. In said tight squeeze of a sudden hug, Theo and Throttle urgently wasted absolutely no time in wrapping themselves inside the large group hug, and with Berri at the center, Wren heaved a hard, annoyed sigh and tucked his chin to the top of Berri's head. The group tightly wove Berri into their loving arms, a protective squeeze of brotherly love, fierce loyalty and protective dominance Berri easily allowed herself to be swallowed by. Wren gazed across Berri's little studio, a cozy little abode all four would call home for the next two nights, and although cramped, the view was to die for, and the company was perfect.
"You're our future Queen," Wren's deep voice was tender and certain, he lulled his eyes closed and soaked in the warmth of the still, squeezing group hug, "You know our allegiance is to you, no matter what."
"I needed this," Berri meeped through her tears, she squeaked a small few cries and buried her face into Wren's broad chest, and as all three boys did what they could to tenderly rub her arms, back and tidy her hair, Wren finally eased off of her a little, tilted his head down and gained her swollen, glassy eye contact. Berri rapidly inhaled in a cry-hiccup kind of way that she couldn't help, "Wh-what about... Gunner?"
"The second we got to the resort, he did nothing but give you terrible, back-handed compliments, so," Wren shrugged and locked eyes with Throttle, who grit his teeth and blurt a chuckle of understanding, "We left."
"It was either we leave, or... Wren and Theo murdered Gunner," Throttle choked a small laugh, to which Theo bobbed a nod of assurance and bugged his eyes, "Poor guy is just... In that four bedroom suite all by his little lonesome."
"And here all four of us are, in this silly studio meant for one," Berri complained in a slope of teary sorrow, though Wren firmly shook his head and caught Berri's chin with the side of his pointer finger in a hook.
"There's nowhere we'd rather be," Wren firmly assured as both beings locked eyes, "It's gunna be tight, but we'll have a world of fun. We don't have to adhere to Gunner's weird lights-out rule."
"Nor hear his random bouts of belting random notes out of nowhere," Theo mumbled.
"I wasn't too fond of how dirty he always left the bathroom, too," Throttle staggered nervously, "For such a cool dude, he's... He's kinda only got THAT on-lock. Which is deceiving."
"Yeah, the rest of us just suck all-around," Wren blurt with a hard laugh, to which he felt his heart soar at the fact that said outburst shook a genuine laugh and a smile out of Berri's figure.
"I don't want to think about Gunner right now," Berri muttered as she heaved a long sigh and pleadingly peered to Wren, "Can we just... Order some greasy food and sit on the kitchen floor and tell jokes or something? Like old times?"
"Anything you want," Wren assured, though he cocked an eyebrow and waggled his finger in pause, "But, first... I think a certain TurboTime guy has something to admit to you."
"What?" Throttle complained nervously, to which Theo eased a knowing laugh and covered his face. Berri curiously peered to Throttle and glanced back to Wren in warm confusion, "No, dude, come ON! Come on, I... It was a stupid decision and I don't want it brought up, right now, not while the wound is so fresh."
"Throttle," Wren argued as he gestured to Berri's disheveled demeanor, "Hate to say it babe, but, you spear-headed this WHOLE night. Now, why don't you tell Berri just how Gunner's mic got muted?"
Berri's gaze had gone from furrowed into Wren's eyes to lit up like the fourth of July, a wide, shocked gaze of whole entire bewilderment, she urgently peered into Throttle's eyes in pin-prickled, frozen shock. She finally gaped her mouth, covered it with both of her hands and watched as Throttle's smile crumpled to that of sheepish terror.
"Throttle, you DIDN'T," Berri hissed, she finally narrowed her gaze and shook her head in confusion, "Y-YOU muted Gunner's mic? How?... Why?"
Throttle's scrunched, sheepish grimace gently began to sag to that of a knowing, understanding frown as he softened his shoulders. He glanced all about Berri's face and felt his heart swell in her direction, a hot feeling he only really ever dedicated for his brothers, a yank and a tug his heart only easily swayed to when it came to the ones he considered family. With such a warm feeling that flood his coding with understanding, everyone softly peered to Throttle in question, and although they knew just why he had gotten Gunner into trouble, at the root of it, they still so patiently awaited his answer. Throttle held his breath and so gently shook his head. He shrugged slowly, glanced about Berri's shoulders in contemplation and finally gave her an honest look of warm humility.
"Because I love you," Throttle tenderly revealed. Berri softened her gaze into Throttle's and soaked in his deep, reverberating voice, "I have little brothers, and I love them to death but... There's a special duty a big brother has to a little sister. I know Ace has taken great care of you, as your big brother, but... I felt as if I owed it to you. I... Maybe should've just minded my own business and not jeopardized the entire show, but, I just couldn't sit back and watch you take second place, any longer. I wanted you to have that mic. You deserve that spot light. Of the weeks and months you've been on the side, strumming away, singing out into the void for no one to hear you."
"Tee, I... I can't believe you'd do that for me," Berri staggered nervously, she finally gave him a humble smile and lovingly peered up into his unsure, muted eyes, "That took guts, and... You didn't just jeopardize the show, but also the ability to even tour with us."
"Yeah, what have we learned?" Wren stabbed playfully, though he gave Throttle a look as if to assure him that messing with knobs and buttons, that he didn't know anything about, was unwise.
"I learned that... The good in you will always win out, but..." Throttle choked a laugh as Wren slumped his hand to his side and annoyedly looked off, "I knew I had to help it along."
"I don't think he's sorry for nearly jeopardizing the show, Wren," Theo muttered through a deep laugh, he gave Throttle a wide smile of encouragement as everyone burst out into louder laughter, something Wren finally caved too.
"I'm not," Throttle braved, he gave Berri a loving smile, "I was, but... Even though you've been crying and you're upset, I don't think I've seen you look so relieved in such a long time."
"He's right," Wren was quick to agree, which was telling due to how playfully aggravated he was at Throttle, in this instance.
"I'm feeling a LOT right now," Berri mumbled with a gentle chuckle as she rubbed her eye, she gave Throttle a sweet smile and narrowed her gaze, "And although a lot of it is just emotion that will come and go, I hope you know that I love you too..."
"You're my family, now," Throttle assured sweetly as he reached out and tenderly caught Berri by the shoulder, in a tug he successfully wrangled her into yet another hug, "I gotta protect you from all the baddies."
"Too true," Berri muttered as she sagged into the comfort of Throttle's embrace, though she popped her eyes open in a ping of curiosity and finally pulled her head away from Throttle's chest, "Wait a second... H-How did you even get into the sound booth to mute Gunner's mic in the first place?"
"Hoooooo boy," Wren dragged, Theo immediately burst out into hard laughter, to which Throttle sheepishly smiled into Berri's eyes.
"Tell'yah what," Throttle started, he peeled from Berri's hug and gingerly picked up Berri's still unlocked phone from the kitchenette's counters. He choked a small laugh, jostled Berri's phone around and was surprised he was actually getting away with swiping through Berri's phone, like such. She exhaustedly peered to him in question and let it happen, though she cocked an eyebrow in gentle confusion as he pressed on, "I'll tell you exactly how I accomplished muting Gunner's mic, iiiif... You give this person a call. A white-listed baddy, if you will."
Berri furrowed her eyebrows in further confusion as Throttle slid the phone back into her hands. Through her glassy gaze, she peered down to her phone and felt her heart quickly begin to climb from the slump of the pit of her being, straight into her throat, where it then began to throb with reignited purpose. Proudly displayed was Turbo's contact information, cozily nestled with his contact photo, an adorable selfie her and Turbo had taken weeks prior. He had successfully pulled her worn beanie over her eyes, and with his arm lovingly grappled about her neck and shoulder, cheeks smushed into each other's, grins and Turbo's glowing, confident eyes, Berri finally felt a wide, nervous, nostaglic grin nearly crack her face in half. A bittersweet moment of gentle solitude with her thoughts, something all three boys tenderly hovered in, Berri finally unglued her eyes from Turbo's contact information and peered up into Throttle's familiar eyes, those creepy square pupils she had come to know and love from every single TurboTime boy she had the pleasure of knowing.
"We're gunna go grab said greasy food, and when we come back, we can sit on the kitchen floor and talk about nothing," Throttle assured with a small chuckle, he shook his head and gestured down to Berri's phone, "In your given time of privacy, methinks a certain TurboTime guy would love to hear from you."
Berri heaved a shaky sigh and now felt a swell of brand new feelings coat her heart in a vat of giddy anxiety. She bobbed a nervous nod, peered down to Turbo's full name, splayed across her screen, and felt butterflies line her empty stomach. Although she was due to hitting a third wind, sometime soon, she already felt exhaustion promise her that she'd sleep very well tonight. Before she could somehow nervously weasel her way out of giving said shining individual the call of the century, Throttle gestured to Theo and Wren, they all loudly began to converse on just where they'd grab some grub. In the act of kindly beginning to bicker, they said their temporary goodbye's to Berri and, as quick as they arrived, they were gone.
Berri stood now motionless in her tiny, temporary kitchen, bare foot and hot. The warmth of all three boys' bodies radiated her once cold and lonely studio with all the glow and love in the entire Arcade. No longer did it feel like a stiff, cold place to lay her head, how quickly all three boys had the ability to make any four walls feel like home. She sagged her shoulders and felt whole, even in the midst of being heart broken, and although she was terrified to speak to Turbo in this instance, she lulled her eyes closed and urgently promised herself that she wouldn't rebound into Turbo. How delicate their relationship was already, she sagged her finger into the 'call' icon and assured herself that she'd tread lightly, from here on forward. With how fresh this wound was, she gently brought the phone to her ear and feared she'd only make it bigger, though with the sound of Turbo's warm, deep, familiar voice that tenderly soaked through her head upon picking up her call, she felt every pixel in her body firmly enlighten her with the fact that home didn't technically have to be a physical place. The simplest, shortest greeting from her very best friend was enough to assure her that she was home, safe and sound.
