Chapter 22: Some Things Can Never Be Easy

Flaky was fidgeting on the spot. When Flippy 'answered' the door, she meekly raised a hand in greeting. "Um, hi…"

He hadn't presented himself fully and was staring at her through the gap in the door. Flaky only got a glimpse of his expression but could tell he was in a very bad mood.

Oh, maybe he's not having a good day. I should just leave.

She couldn't, though. Her feet felt frozen to the ground. Flippy thinned the gap in the door like he was a moment from shutting it completely.

Flaky snapped out of it, yelling, "No—wait!" She patted herself down, stammering, "I-I-I have something for you."

She thrust something forward in a shaking hand. It was a flower. Surprised, Flippy came out and took the honeysuckle.

"Thank you for, um…helping me," Flaky uttered, messing with her hands. "Y-You've done it several times lately, and…can I, uh…"

She looked down, guilty.

"There's…something else I want to say," she mumbled. "It's just…I decided…I-I don't want to…be afraid of you."

The silence afterward killed her. Flaky tried to keep her breathing steady. She held her arms behind her back, twisting her toes into the ground.

"I'm sorry for…being afraid of you. I mean, the—other you," Flaky whispered. "I know you can't help it. It's just hard…knowing that you've got that issue..."

She glanced at him. He was giving her a tired kind of look that made her quills stand on end. She quickly went back to talking to her knees.

"And, I understand…what's been happening. I remember what that Book showed me," Flaky continued, heaving out every word now. "It reminded me of how I've felt...about you before. Um, those…feelings…came back? And…they're not going away…

"There was something I wanted to know, if…you wanted to be friends…I-I mean, we already were, but…I mean…like…"

She lowered her head, feeling like it was about to explode.

"…closer…?" she whispered, finally relieved she got it out. She couldn't fathom looking up and waited to see if he would finally say something. Flippy sighed.

"…we can't," he answered, with the kind of hoarseness that suggested his voice hadn't been in good use.

Dejected, Flaky looked up to stare at him. He was covering his face with a hand.

"...it isn't a good idea," he hissed resentfully through bared teeth. "I just can't…control him."

"Can't the Book do something? Can't it…"

He shook his head. When he told her the very painful consequences of trying to write off his issues, she gasped and put her hands to her mouth.

"I thought it could do anything…!" Flaky whispered.

He just shook his head again, blinking a little faster than usual as he stared at the flower in his hands.

"If it weren't for that…I would say yes," Flippy said quietly. "I just can't put you in that kind of danger. I'm sorry. Just—I-I've got to go…"

He turned away, quickly slipping back inside. Flaky saw something on the shoulder of his jacket—long brunette hairs.

Whose fur was that?! she thought, heartbroken. Maybe…is it that he has someone else over? Is he seeing another girl?

No! She slapped the sides of her head. No, no, no. That was ridiculous.

He'd literally JUST said what was stopping them from being more than just friends. And now she wanted to sob and rip her quills out from the unfairness of it all. She couldn't understand how the Book was unable to change something so mundane in the grand scheme of things. It could literally distort and augment reality but couldn't solve someone's psychological issues.

If I could, I'd write myself to not be such a scaredy-cat, Flaky thought bitterly. Would that have been possible? From what she'd just heard, maybe not.

For her and Flippy both The Book of the World had unearthed potent memories and emotions—the bad, and also the good. She wished things were always good. But the Book was an object that seemed to represent a perpetual, underlying condition of discontent or incompleteness. Was its purpose to keep them all locked in some eternally fixed state?

Okay. Now her head hurt. But she wasn't giving up. On the contraire, she felt better and a little stronger after their talk.

Maybe that was the thing that rang true the most—how she felt after finally admitting what'd been on her mind. Yes, maybe she was an anxious wreck and sent out mixed signals, but it wasn't as if she were that way without good reasons.

It was just an awful spot to be in. She had no doubts that if it hadn't been for the the Book and its curators (worms, she thought she recalled) affecting their lives so much, she and Flippy likely would've been together by now. As she had been shown by the Book, there'd been plenty of points in their past lives where they'd been perfectly fine and comfortable with one another, but whatever relationship they'd had wound up being reset completely or walked back.

Lately she had been ruminating on the good times they'd shared and wasn't drowning in shallow or surface level feelings. It'd just taken her time to pony up to find out if her feelings were reciprocated. She liked Flippy for being polite, friendly, and most of all, gentle. She wondered what he liked her for, but there was no point in asking until that side of him was gone.

Flaky shivered. She was still on Flippy's porch, staring at his door like a creeper. She glanced around, hoping no one had been watching her, and hurried off.

…oh! She realized suddenly. Maybe…maybe a quick fix isn't the answer.

What if he went to therapy?

I could recommend it to him. Or…send a letter to suggest he go?

Because…

She looked both ways, and then quickly crossed the street. Her heart was still racing. Still racing!

I…

…

I really do like him. And he likes me back. It's just—

She stopped, confused. Just ahead of her a pair of binoculars were sticking out of the bushes. Sniffles poked his head up. "SHHHH!" he hissed, waving her over.

Flaky pulled a face. Her friends were so weird. "What are you doing?" she whispered, squeezing in next to him.

"Gathering intelligence."

Flaky thought he was a creep for spying on people in their homes. Sniffles held up a notepad full of his observations. He told her it'd started with a stranger he'd seen coming out of Lumpy's trailer. This stranger had lurked around the block for a bit. First to Pop's house, then to Flippy's house.

Flaky was startled. "Did they leave?!"

"Nope."

Who could that be? Flaky wondered. She asked Sniffles what he'd found so suspicious about this stranger. He told her this person was tall, seemed to be pale, and walked like a one-legged duck on speed.

"I couldn't see a face," he stated in annoyance, tapping his notes. "They kept it hidden."

Flaky was biting her nails, frantic. Oh, there was no way. "Wh…What else did you see?"

"Well, have you ever seen a bear and a worm fight?"

Meanwhile…

WHAM!

Flippy slammed the attic door open, absolutely heartbroken and angry. Despite still being tied up to the teeth, Oakie quickly read the room.

"Uh, hey." The human spoke up lightly. "What's going on, little guy? You want to talk about it?"

Flippy shook his head, wiping at his eyes. He threaded the flower into his breast pocket and headed for the Book of the World. After what felt like forever he opened it again and saw:

Zzzzz…

Zzzzzz…

Zzzzzz…

He managed to chuckle for the first time in a while. Who knew that books needed their sleep, too? He stroked it along the spine and it awakened, beginning to flop like a fish.

Ooohh hoo hoo hooooo! it cried. Hey! Heeeeeeey!

Well, isn't that a great way to wake up to my favorite person! Bear! You know this means you have to buy me dinner now, right?

Oh, uh—I mean, I'm not in trouble anymore, am I?

"I need to carry you around again," Flippy said.

Yay! I mean, why? What happened?

"You didn't see her?"

Who?

Flippy raised a brow, perturbed.

What? I've been sleeping most of the time I've been up here.

"It was a worm."

The Book popped up, fluttering its pages in surprise. Oh, criminy! You've got to be talking about Jo! She's the only lady Bookworm! She was here!? With me?!

Oh no. What if she did something and wrote in me without my consent when I was asleep? Check check check for me, please?

Flippy spent a while leafing through the book, checking each and every single page. He didn't discover anything new that had been written.

But what was she doing up here? Flippy wondered, sweating slightly. How long had she been up here?

The Book asked, Did you get her? Where is she now?

"She got away…" Flippy hissed, clenching a fist tight.

Oh, geez. I can't say I'm surprised. If any one of them could find me, it'd be her. She has like, discernment, and just knows things others don't. I'm sure you saw that she's a complete witch.

With his arms crossed Flippy raised a brow, huffing in disillusionment.

…yeah, I uh, know I told you they were just worms with writing utensils. At the time I was trying to keep things at ease! Besides, the trick is to separate them from their quills. Then it's a wrap.

"That did happen," Flippy sighed regretfully. "I almost had her…"

Well, whatever she may've done to me is escaping our notice. You know, each of those Bookworms have their own method and style. The way their ideas incarnate differ between them, The Book said. Due to her nature I think Jo might be the best at causing complex changes to come about. To be honest I would've preferred you to have snuffed her out first, not Stan. But I know that was out of your control.

"How do you feel?"

Not any different. I'm just a little shaken up.

Flippy nodded, managing a slight smile. He was feeling better after talking with the Book again. "That's okay. I'll keep you with me all the time now."

All the time?

"Mhm."

Good. I'm not simping if my feelings are reciprocated, right?

"Huh?"

"Okay, I'm chaffing like crazy here," Oakie whined in the background. "What sadist taught you how to tie knots? And also, who the heck are you talking to?"

The Book shuddered angrily.

WHO.

IS.

THAT? it demanded.

Flippy calmly held his hands up, stepping aside. "Do you know what it is?" he whispered.

OH! The Book exclaimed. That's a…

…that's a gorilla, right?

Flippy slapped his face. He explained that he didn't think this Thing was an animal. The Book of the World was stumped.

I mean, I have no clue. It said. In my opinion the guy looks as delicate as Paper Mache. How about some…bonding exercises to break the ice?

"Whuh?" Oakie noticed, moments later. "Little guy, I don't think I like that smile."