The sound of footsteps reached Cole's ears. He knew it had to be Zane returning. Cole stood, braced himself, and hid the medal in his pocket.
"I'm back. Did you miss me?" Zane asked. He had his hands behind his back, hiding something, and he was smiling.
The smile just made it worse. Cole bit his lip. "Yeah. Yeah. Hey, can we talk for a second?
"Wait. First, kneel down," Zane instructed.
"Kneel?" Cole repeated. He shook his head, eager to get this talk over as quickly as possible. "No, no, we really have to-"
"You have to!" Zane insisted.
"Okay, but this has to be quick." Cole said, obeying.
"Now close your eyes," Zane instructed.
Cole sighed. "C'mon, Zane, I have to tell you-"
"Just close them please?" Zane pleaded.
Cole shut his eyes reluctantly. He could feel Zane leaning in and a weight being laid on his chest, then something being tied around his neck.
"Ready. Open your eyes!" Zane said excitedly.
He looked down to see a small, handmade candy heart on a string, with words hand-painted on. He read it out loud. "'To Stink Brain.' Oh, thanks. At least you got the insulting thing down now. Taught you everything you know."
"Turn it over," Zane said.
Cole flipped the heart over and gasped when he saw the back, which was painted with the words 'You're my Hero.'
"I made it for you, just in case we don't win," Zane said shyly, then backtracked quickly. "Not that I think there could be even a remote chance we win."
The guilt was ripping Cole apart. He swallowed hard. "Wow, kid. Thank you. I'm really honored. Now, listen-"
"Now rise, for we've got a date with destiny!" Zane said cheerfully. He skipped to the kart and looked back to see that Cole hadn't moved. "Come on, Cole. Molasses moves slower than that!"
"Um, I've been thinking-" Cole said hesitantly, coming up behind him.
"That's dangerous," Zane quipped, then giggled at his own joke.
"Who cares about this stupid race, anyway?" Cole finished quickly.
Zane froze. Slowly, he turned back to Cole and looked him up and down. "Was that a joke? Because I don't get it."
"No, I'm serious. It was really fun to build the kart and everything but maybe you shouldn't do it," Cole explained.
That got Zane's attention. He tilted his head to one side. "Ah, hello? Is Cole in there? I'd like to speak to him please."
"Look, what I'm saying is, you can't be a racer," Cole said, then winced. He had sounded just like Taffyta and all those other bullies.
Zane glitched in pure shock. "What? Why would you-" He looked up to see something sparkle. His eyes narrowed and he stood tiptoes to pull the Medal of Heroes out of Cole's pocket. He shook it in the air. "Wait a minute. Where did you get this?"
"Look, I'm gonna be straight with you. I've been talking to King Candy," Cole confessed.
"King Candy?" Zane repeated, voice squeaking as he glitched again. "You sold me out?"
"No, no, I don't understand," Cole said quickly, trying to placate him.
Zane's face twisted up in fear and anger. "No, I understand plenty, traitor."
"I just-" Cole begin, then was delayed when Zane threw the Medal of Heroes at him. The medal bounced off his chest and fell to the ground.
Zane jumped back in the kart, scowling fiercely. "You're a tattletale. And I don't need you! I can win that race on my own."
"But I'm trying to save your skin, kid!" Cole protested. With no other ideas, he grabbed Zane and picked him up out of the kart.
Zane flailed indignantly. "You have to listen to me. Put me down. Let me go!"
Obligingly, Cole set Zane down. Zane immediately made a dash for the kart.
Cole blocked him every way he turned. "No, you need to listen to me. You know what's gonna happen when the players see you glitching? They're gonna think the game's broken."
"Stop talking! I mean, I don't care." Zane blustered.
"You better care, because if your game goes out of order, you go down with the ship!" Cole shouted back.
"I'm not listening to you! Get out of my way!" Zane ducked under Cole's leg and climbed back in the kart.
Cole pulled Zane out again and held the boy in midair by the hoodie.
"I'm going to that race!" Zane yelled, trying desperately to kick or push Cole into dropping him.
"No. No, you're not," Cole dictated. Gently, he hung Zane by the hood on the edge of a pointy gumdrop.
"Take me down from here, Cole, right now!" Zane demanded, thrashing around.
"I can't. You've got to understand, I'm doing this for your own good," Cole pleaded.
Zane just stared at him, betrayed.
Cole sighed, looking away. He turned back to the kart and raised his fists.
Zane struggled even more to get free. "Wait. Wait! No no no. Please, Cole! No! Stop!"
CRASH!
The front right wheel cracked and fell off its axle.
SMASH!
The seat crumpled, then outright shattered.
BAM! SLAM! WHAM!
Slowly, methodically, Cole destroyed the kart. Once it was completely shattered, he turned back to Zane to try to explain again.
Zane was sobbing. In the middle of his emotions, he glitched and fell to the ground.
There was something painful and tight in Cole's chest. "I'm so sorry. I had to-"
Wiping his eyes with his sleeve, Zane shook his head. He murmured sadly, "You really are a bad guy." Turning, he ran away sobbing into the mountain entrance.
Cole hung his head. He hated what he had just needed to do. He sighed, then leaned over and picked up his medal. He started down the road out of the game alone.