Age Seven

"Bro! Do you wanna see a movie?" I said excitedly, waving the poster I'd snagged from the mall, "It's the new X-men!"

"Aw, sorry lil' man, I've got a damn meeting to go to." Bro said, apologetically ruffling my hair. "Another time?"

Another time.

"Oh, yeah, sure! I understand!" I said, tucking the poster behind me. As Bro walked away, I shuffled to my room, turning all but my robot lamp off. The dim glow didn't light much, just made me feel less alone. He always had meetings.

"Bastard movie directors," I muttered, sliding under the covers on my bed. Who cares if racecars weren't ironic? They were fucking cool.

Another time.

This was another time! Another time from the last time I asked, or the time before that! I groaned, tugging the covers over my platinum blonde head.

I'd go see it myself.

Age Eight

I chugged another Mountain Dew furiously, eyes locked on my computer screen. I had to beat this level. Just one more boss! I couldn't fall asleep yet!

Bro wasn't home from work yet.

I had to stay up. A quick glance at the clock sent me worriedly reading his note, for what, the hundredth time? He said he'd be home at midnight! It was one-thirteen in the goddamned morning and he wasn't home yet.

I couldn't be mad for long. Bro was a film director! He got busy. I understood that.

Or, at least, I told myself I did.

He'd get home safe. And I was going to stay up until he did. Just one more level, and then he'd get home. He would get home.

One more.

One more.

One more.

Age Eleven

So help me, if I couldn't get Bro to drive me to the movie, I was driving myself there. Well, if driving myself meant engineering a brobot to rocket power me over there, cuz that's what I was doing. Like hell was I missing a group movie again.

I cast a glance at the towering pile of brobots behind me, almost reaching the ceiling. Let's just say I've been at this for a while. Not much else to do, except pirate anime and my little pony. At least brobots would play video games with me.

Although, I probably built them 'cause Bro was impressed when one of the lil' fuckers actually worked. And I planned to impress him.

Behind pointy shades, I winked at a pair of identical sunglasses on my desk.

Age Thirteen

TT: Testing.

TT: It seems that you are running diagnostics. No need bro, I'm all good.

TT: It worked?

TT: Hell yeah, it worked. I'm fanfuckin'tastic.

TT: Cool.

TT: Dude, are you crying?

TT: No! Why, in the name of all that is good and holy, would I be crying?

TT: It seems that you are denying how badly you want to show Bro this. By this, I mean me. Obviously.

TT: Shut the fuck up.

TT: It seems I am right.

TT: I've got to delete that phrase, holy shit.

Age Sixteen

Why did I let Jake drag me here? I wonder aimlessly. This is a total geek week. So not cool. I am above this.

(Apparently, he isn't too cool to buy every Rainbow Dash thing he sees.)

I anxiously scan the lobby for the British motherfucker that is my best friend, and the four kids. Two, his siblings, and two...apparently mine? Don't ask me to explain. I thought they were cousins, but apparently whoever the fuck my parents were had more fun than I realized. When my aunt died, they landed with me. Dave and I have always been bros, but Rose is a total ice queen. I can't get through to her.

"Dirk!" I hear my name, as usual, called in the jolliest "cheerio!" accent there ever was. Jake English. My best bro.

"Hey man," I say, nodding in greeting, "Where did the kids go?"

"Jesus, anyone listening must think that we're married!" He jokes, punching me in the shoulder. I don't flinch. "Ah, don't worry! They're all running around exploring and all that! I kinda want to join them, if I'm being honest."

"Yeah," I say dully, like I always do.

Must think we're married!

Small thing I may have neglected to mention.

I'm in love with him.

Jake English, my best bro. God, I'm so stupid! I hide it pretty well, so that's not really an issue, but it gets annoying as hell listening to him babble on about girls, like the apparent beauty he found. Blah, blah, blah.

"-had the prettiest friend. Blonde, just like you! Jeez, I wish you could have seen them! Perfect, they were."

You're perfect. I want to whisper.

He turns around, smiling like a dork. "Sorry, did you say something?"

"No." I blurt, no explanation, like always. "Why don't you go find the kids, I know you want to 'explore' or whatever anyway..."

His face lights up like a fucking Christmas tree and his megawatt grin gives me butterflies, like always. "Really?! Thanks Dirk!" He claps me on the shoulder again, then darts off, leaving me alone to sit in a crappy armchair.

I've always been in love with Jake. We met in an online chatroom one day and just...no matter how ironically I put it, it always sounds stupid.

He was just perfect. So perfect. It's so unfair for someone to be that perfect. Even his flaws just make me love him more! Those emerald eyes, his geeky personality, those luscious lips...

I can never tell him how I feel. He would say no, I'm sure of it. But a demented part of me keeps hoping.

I hear a burst of laughter and turn to meet eyes with a blonde in the corner. I recognize her cosplay instantly, and chalk up the fluttering in my stomach to costume admiration. She really is very pretty, with blonde hair and what looks like pink eyes, and oh fuck, she is still looking at me.

When she looks away, I awkwardly look down, unsure of what has just happened. Am I sick? I feel overheated, but Strider's never get sick. I cough experimentally, tapping my chest. Nope, all good.

I sneak a glance over again, and see her furiously whispering to a soft looking girl, dressed up like Princess Bubblegum. A shock of black hair is visible underneath her pink wig. I hear my name being called, and I turn, only half paying attention.

Who is she?

"Dirk! I found them!" Jake says cheerfully, as Dave unironically tackles me. Dammit, I've missed him. I can't see the girls anymore, and I briefly wonder if it was just my imagination. Maybe I am getting sick?

"Dude, you look like you've seen a ghost," snickers Dave, standing close to Jade. Smooth motherfucker.

"I don't know, maybe I did," I retort, trying to keep a blush down. No. No blushing like a fucking kawaii anime schoolgirl. Fuck. No. I did enough of that around Jake.

"Hey, wanna go check the booths out? I think that's where Karkat is!" John squeals, but I barely hear him because I'm following the back of a fem Tamaki Suoh with my eyes, watching as she links arms with two other girls. The don't turn around, and the weird sick feeling I acquired disappears with them.

"Yeah, sure."

The kids disappear a bit later, chatting wildly about a spin the bottle game. Fuckin' youngsters. I'm left alone with Jake, and my heart privately races. My best bro.

The man I'm in love with.

Every time I try to talk, I choke on my own leaden tongue, so I just stand there like an idiot, watching him. Perfect, lovely, wonderful him.

For once, I can't think of anything to say. I have to keep my cover, or else he'll find out, and I could never let that happen.

"Jake-"

"John says we should go to the game!" He says suddenly, staring at his phone. His attention is completely focused on the gadget, and I can faintly see his background, a picture of us with our matching shitty tattoos.

"Game?" I ask, mentally answering my question before he does.

"Spin the bottle of course!" He says excitedly, thumbs tapping wildly. "You want to go, right"

"Uhhh..." You want to, so... "Yeah. Sure. Whatever."

He zips off, and I have to pointedly direct my gaze upwards so I don't visibly check out his choice ass. I shuffle behind him with my cool-guy saunter, shoving my hands in my pockets, and giving a random girl a nod, watching as she dissolves into giggles. We duck under the stairs, and I stop when I see a pink eye flick open, and then a teenage girl snap up. This is the girl I saw earlier, the girl with the pretty friend who Jake is now excitedly talking to. This is The Girl.

Well, not THE The Girl, but like...The Girl. The pretty one, with a shitty pokerface.

I smirk a little, and sit to join the game.

Let's see where this goes...

I DID IT! FREAKING FINALLY GOT THIS DAMN CHAPTER DONE! ARE YOU PROUD OF ME? ARE YOU? YOU ARE? YAYYYY!

lol.

I did finish it, and I'm sooooooo pleased with myself! I guess some parts are a bit short, but still I like it. Please review and let me know what you think!