Chapter 12
The sunlight caresses my face in the mid early morning. Last nights sleep was surprisingly peaceful. No murder dreams or anything of the sort. Those dreams were starting to get annoying, even though I've only had two of them.
It seems so long ago that I met Neptune and the others. I feel like all of us are actual good friends now. Even though all of them have their own unique way of showing it, I like it none the less. Not to mention, I think a few of them like me, like like-like me.
This is more than likely my ego getting too high, but if I have the slightest bit of joy at this point, I'll take it. After my own living hell for those years, I think I deserve this feeling. Point is, life is pretty good at this point in time.
*Ring, Ring!* I just received a new text message. The message was sent from Blanc of all people. She's the last person I'd expect to text me. Might as well see what she has to say. "Hey Jack, I was wondering if you could my sisters and I that pool hall in town."
If this were any other person I'd decline in an instant, but I have a sneaking suspicion I'll enjoy today. It's not like I have anything else better to do anyway. What the hell have I got to lose here?
"Sure, let's meet up there in an hour. If you need a ride, I can con Maurice to do it."
A few minutes later I get a reply. "It's fine, we can walk."
I personally find it rude to not give a girl a ride. But hey, better not upset her or else it could end badly. First things first though, I need to get my wallet. I do a lot of oddjobs around town that my money accumulates rather quickly. So today shouldn't be a problem.
Looking in my wallet, I see eighty dollars. I haven't had the urge to buy anything in weeks, today I should be set. The pool hall isn't that far from my place, so walking to it shouldn't be an issue.
I have ample funds to buy us all three lunches there then some. But more importantly than that, I get a chance. The chance being to hang out with Blanc, Rom, and Ram that is. All three of them have been really nice to me, it's time I pay them back a little.
No going back now. Today I'll pull out all the stops and show them a good time. I am so ready for a simple lunch and maybe a game of pool. One problem though, there's still an hour before I have to be there. And everybody knows time slows down when you're expecting something.
About forty-five minutes have passed and I'm just making my way out the door. As I said before, it's not that long of a walk, I could easily make it there in five, seven minutes tops. Just getting a head start of the crowd is all. As I make my way out of the door, Maurice calls to me.
"Hey Jack, where are you going?" I really don't want to have to deal with him today. Ever since I made friends with all of them he keeps blabbering on about dating and whatnot.
"Oh, I was just heading out to the pool hall." Not even lying on that part. Maurice doesn't seem all too convinced on his end. "uh huh, and you're sure you're not sneaking off to be with your lover?"
I hate it when he gets like this. If I say anything else though he'll just get more and more into this act. Even though he's the one watching over me, I still hate him at times. "Relax, I'm just yanking your chain."
"Whatever, I've got to get going or else I'll keep them waiting."
Smiling, my brother goes back to his bedroom to sleep again. I'll never understand how he can sleep all day. Enough of that thinking, I need to focus on my running. I open the door to a rather sunny looking world.
It's more serene than I remember it being. Closing the door behind me, I begin my run. If I want to get there, I'll have to run past my friends' apartment. It just so happens that my favorite lilac haired girl is out and about.
"Oh, hello Jack." Nepgear says to me while I'm running as the wild blue hedgehog would. I don't have time to chat. Maybe if Maurice didn't keep me busy with all of his joking I could. But that's not the case I'm in right now.
"Sorry Nepgear, don't have time to talk." Looking at her face as I run by, is almost saddening. Her expression is a mix of disappointment and unsettled. I feel bad now, I should talk to her. No I can't I have prior commitments.
I'll make it up to her later somehow. Damn I feel bad about that. Nothing I can do about it now, I'm already away from the complex. It only takes a couple minutes to get to the pool hall from here, no pressure. From the speed I'm going at, I should arrive shortly.
Sure enough, standing outside of the pool hall is Blanc. I thought Rom and Ram were supposed to be with her. Surely she wouldn't leave her sisters out of something for her own benefit. I mean she can be cruel at times, but not that cruel.
"Hey *haa* Blanc. Sorry *haa* to keep you *haa* waiting." Now I just sound ridiculous. Gasping for air is the best I can do. As well as an apology? I'm not mister smooth I know that much now.
"It's ok." At least she's not pissed at me for my tardiness. Still though, Rom and Ram should be with her. "Hey, I thought your sisters would be joining us?"
"Oh they… decided last minute they'd rather sleep." Hmm… now who does that remind me of? I could see it in Ram, but Rom doesn't seem like that kind of person. If anything, she'd break through her shell and try to convince Ram of her side.
That's not the case at all. Little kids never turn down a meal outside of the house. This is getting more suspicious by the second. At least I still have one friend here. Thinking back to Nepgear, I wonder if I should've invited her. Nah, I think she'd say something along the lines of not wanting to third wheel it.
"Well, ok then. Shall we?" Going up to the entrance, I open the door. For a hot tempered person, Blanc has extremely good manners. Not only did she thank me for holding the door, she also bowed slightly to show gratitude.
The inside of the Pool Hall isn't anything special. It has maroon colored carpet with wooden walls. Booths and tables are in the first half of the area. The other half has pool tables and an arcade system with sixty games on it.
Blanc has a little white purse on her. I won't deny that it adds to her cute meter, but I won't say it publicly. "Son of a Bitch! I forgot my money!" I can finally tell that even the slightest things will make her angry if provoked enough.
"It's alright, my treat." Not like I have any other choice. Part of me just wants to get rid of my money so I can't spend it later on stupid things. Another part of me says that I can't leave a lady hungry in a place of good food. Curse my gentleman's nature.
"Thanks… are you sure though? I'm not that hungry anyways." It's like she's begging to be hit on right now. Control your emotions Jack. Don't want to get into another internal conflict that will end up in the psych ward. "It's fine, you'll love the food here. It's to die for."
"Th… thanks." Damn, she's blushing. At this rate I'm going to have to convert to a new religion. Mormonism or Islam? Either way I get a harem. It seems like all of them show base traits of liking me, some more than others. This is all getting too weird even for me.
Nodding, we begin to walk up to the counter. Upon arrival we are met with a friendly smile who fills the customers with warmth. "Hello, may I take your order?" A simple question, but so hard. There are so many things I want to get. I can't though, I'll ruin this figure that I have.
"I'll just have a plain cheeseburger with a side of fries. Oh and a coke." Short and simple. Not to mention a classic meal that anyone can enjoy. Blanc prepares to place her order. "I'll have the catfish sandwich, a side of onion rings, and sweet tea."
I didn't take Blanc as the type of person to order onion rings. Nice choice I'll give her that. After receiving the bill, we find a booth in the back. It's one of those booths where only one person can be on either side. Surprisingly, Blanc said we should sit there, more peaceful and all.
It's funny, from a distance we look like a… damn. Is she trying to get us to look like a couple? Yep, looks like I'm getting a harem. Personally, I couldn't stand to be with multiple women. One would be enough for me. Like that's ever going to happen though. What girl in the right mind would like a guy like me?
Pondering these kinds of things takes a lot out of you. It's making me hungrier by the minute. This would soon subside at the arrival of out meal. Thanking the waitress, and properly salting my burger, time to dig in.
It's like a little slice of heaven. Screw that fancy food from Italy; I'll take these burgers any day. Blanc appears to be enjoying her food as well. Even though her manners are well, she doesn't like to talk much while having lunch with somebody.
To my surprise, it is Blanc who breaks the silence. "I've never played pool before, could you teach me how?" Oh lord why must you torment me so? Normally teaching someone the fundamentals of pool wouldn't be an issue. Knowing my luck though it'll turn into something I never intended to do in the first place.
I don't give a damn about it anymore. If I'm going to have a lot of weird moments with these girls then so be it. A harem is still out of the question, that's just unnatural. "I see no harm in it, we'll give it a go after our food then." That's the best I can offer her at the moment. I at least want to return to Maurice with news that it was just normal friends having lunch and playing pool. Otherwise he'll never shut up about it.
Ever since I moved in with him, I think he's just been worried that I'll remain a recluse all my life. Can't say I blame him, a few years ago it seemed rather likely. Those days are over, I have some great new friends now. One of which I can say I've hung out with in public.
"That was nice…" Glad to hear that Blanc enjoyed her lunch. I was worried that she would've been one of those people that has to get used to the cooking around a new area. I'll have to remind myself to ask where each of them moved from. That can wait until later, we have some pool to play.
"Yeah, the food here is great." My plate sits empty, so does hers. You said you wanted to learn pool, now's as good of a time as any." Nodding to me, she stands up. Leaving five dollars as a tip on the table, we head over to the pool area.
Today it's pretty crowded back here. Not to mention the amount of smokers in the area today. Personally I don't mind cigarettes that much. Blanc on the other hand… doesn't take too kindly to them. She puts a hand over her nose, she must really not like the smell.
There is only one open table at the moment. We're lucky, I thought for sure we'd not be able to get one. Around this table are wall racks with cue's on them. Taking two standard sized cue's off the wall and walking back to the table. Of course the first thing to do is apply that blue cube that nobody knows what it's called.
Blanc copies my movements and applies it to her own cue. I insert two quarters in the slot and push in. The pool balls come to an opening where I take them and set them up. After that's said and done, I can see Blanc making a mental note for later.
"You want to break Blanc?" It's only polite after all. She must not be into speaking today, because all she does is nod at me.
"I… don't exactly know how to hold this." It's adorable how she's fiddling with the cue. I kind of feel bad for the first few moments watching her place it in various holding positions. None of them were correct to say the least.
"haha, here let met help you." Placing my body to her side is the best angel of approach. If I get straight behind her then it'll look and feel extremely awkward. Putting my hands on hers for guidance isn't right? My hands are directly on hers, placing her fingers in the right holding position.
Not going to say that I do like the position we're in, but it isn't all that bad. "Alright, the point of this part of the game is to break the formation nice and good. Hit the cue ball with a lot of force." Again with a simple nod, she prepares to hit.
When she does however… the formation breaks up extremely well. Three striped balls went in as well as a solid. That settles it, she's stripes. "Since you hit a ball in, as long as you didn't scratch, or hit the cue ball in that is, you get an extra hit."
"Ok…" She hits the cue ball again with great might. A few more striped balls go in the pockets. This is going to be a losing game for me I can already tell. I'm an average at pool and that's being generous about it. Blanc is good, too good to be a first timer at this game.
"I'm going to get us some milkshakes, what flavor would you like?" This isn't me being a gentlemen. It's sort of a tradition for Maurice and I to get milkshakes while we're playing pool. Might as well keep that tradition alive even though he isn't here. "Vanilla… please."
Something tells me that the please she just said took a lot to actually get out. Walking up to the counter again, I'm met with the same friendly smile as before. I don't need to hear what she's about to say to know what to do. "I'll take two medium vanilla milkshakes please." Truth be told, vanilla is my favorite of the flavors.
I hand the cashier the money required, then something catches my eye, well ears more like. "Hey! What do you think you're doing?" I know that voice, it's all to familiar to forget. 'Andrew' I thought to myself. When I look back at the table area, Andrew is rubbing his head. Blanc just hit a ball off the table by accident and it hit him.
"Look, I'm sorry now leave me alone." That's not an apologetic tone, that's more like a pissed off at you tone. I know what's about to happen, but I'd rather not get involved. "Can I get that to go now?" Sensing the impendent doom, that's all I can do for now.
"Wait, you're that bitch who punched me! You're dead." He gets up to Blanc's face and stares at her with provoking eyes. I know Andrew is an idiot but I never knew he liked knocking on death's door. "Get the hell away from me!" Ladies and Gentlemen, Mt. Blanc has just erupted.
"What's a raisin chest like you going to do about it?" Does he not remember she was the one who broke his nose? Good lord I knew he was a few screws loose but this is ridiculous. "What did you just say!? No one mocks my chest!" Lifting her leg up slightly, since he's so close to her, he starts to fall down.
He's met by a knee which hits his chin. In the air now, this last part makes me cringe. She took her pool cue and broke it over his head. That didn't just look painful, it sounded painful. The cashier is in total shock. From the looks of it, she's never witnessed this sort of event before. Taking my wallet, I pull out a twenty.
"This should cover the pool cue." I know Andrew had it coming, but I still have to pay for it. The cashier doesn't seem to mind, if anything she was on Blanc's side. Another employee walks up to our friendly cashier with two Styrofoam cups. Upon being placed in front of me, I pick them up. Again leaving a tip for the food.
Two straws are in my pocket as I walk over to wear Blanc is. I know the look in her eyes, it's nothing more than pure anger. She had all rights to as well, self defense and all. When actually get a better look at her though, she's completely changed. Her arm rises again to hit an already injured Andrew on the ground. As much as I'd like to see him squirm, I just feel sorry for him.
"Blanc! I think it's time we get out of here." Her eyes return to there normal state. The look of sudden realization fills them up. She didn't mean to break the pool cue I'm sure, it just happened. "Oh… I'm sorry, I got a little carried away there." Hell yes you did, and it was awesome for every moment. Offering her a hand, I lift her up off what I presume unconscious asshole. We head for the door, halfway to the exit I hand her the milkshake.
"It's alright, bitch had it coming." If I could take one lesson from Maurice it'd be that. The sun is brighter than I remember it being. Directly outside of the entrance is a sidewalk, which dips off into a slightly inclined street. From what she just said to me, we have to hop off into the street to get to the other side.
She slightly stumbles on the drop, causing her to drop her milkshake. The street takes care of the rest. Being inclined, the cup roles down it too fast to catch up to. Even if we did catch it, tiny pieces of asphalt have rolled into it. I think she actually has a kid side to her, she has watery eyes from the drop.
"Here, you can have mine." Taking off the lid, I lift my straw out of it and offer it to her. I knew I was a gentlemen but this is ridiculous. At a loss of words, she just wipes her tears with her sleeve. "Re… really?"
"Sure, I don't mind, you'll like more than I will anyways." I offer her a comforting smile as I say this.
"Thanks… we can… always share it you know?" What is this 1950? Boys and girls don't share milkshakes anymore. I'm not one of those boys though. If that's what she truly wishes then who am I to argue?
"Alright." Placing my straw back in, she follows and does the same. My hand is holding the cup naturally. I'll try not to drink when she's drinking but these things happen. Walking with her isn't so bad really. It's just two friends walking together… while sharing a milkshake.
Her house isn't too far away, I wouldn't mind if it was further though. This is the most relaxing thing I've done all week. No avatars making out, or almost kissing someone in a dog pile. Just nice and peaceful walking.
My thoughts grow too distant as I go to take a drink. Neither of us have to bend a little since I'm as short as she is. It just so happens that she decides to take a drink as well. Our faces mere inches apart. Remember when I said this was relaxing? It just became weird.
Both of us pull our heads back rapidly. As well as both our cheeks having the most delightful shade of red stained on them. Why can't I just have a normal day this week? I don't know if I liked it better before or after they showed up now. And I have four years to spend with them?
Somebody save me from my own personal hell.
A break finally occurs when I see her house not to far from where we're walking. As soon as I drop her off I'm going home. If she asks me to stay for a little I'll just say Maurice needs me. 'Sigh.' I can't wait until tonight, then I can get some peace from this insanity.