//------------------------------// // 36. Crashes and Crushes // Story: It's The End Of The World As We Know It // by Samey90 //------------------------------// There were a few things Ringo hated. For starters, there were jokes about bassists. Most of them were pretty repetitive and none of them appreciated the important role bass played in every band. What was worse, many bassists seemed to embrace them, which made them look rather pathetic. Then, there were guitarists who played bass. Or rather, tried to play. Ringo thought that anyone who played bass like it was fingerstyle guitar or didn’t master the art of muting the strings that weren’t currently played so that they wouldn’t make any unwanted noises should be forbidden from even touching bass. However, only one thing was truly Ringo’s bane. It was something that made him fumble his part of the song and change the fret just in time to complete ruin an intricate passage of sixteenth notes that no one but him appreciated. “Hi, Flash!” Muffins exclaimed. “How’s the rehearsal?” “Oh, no,” Ringo muttered. Flash finished the guitar solo with a loud feedback and shot Ringo a look. “Not bad,” he replied. “What are you doing here?” “Oh, I was just coming back from the judo practice,” Muffins replied. “And I was wondering if you’d want to go with me to get some frosty chocolate milkshakes or something…” “By that she means, ‘I’ll ruin your band forever’,” Ringo muttered. Muffins cracked her fingers. “I can ruin your ass, too,” she said in the most innocent tone before turning back to Flash. “So, are you going?” “Will I get to know your judo skills closer if I say no?” Flash asked. “Nah, this doesn’t help with maintaining a healthy relationship,” Muffins said. “Guess that’s one of the two things I learned this year.” Flash turned to Brawly Beats who shrugged. Sighing at that lack of support, he turned back to Muffins. “What is the other?” “That putting a GPS in my bicycle was the best idea ever,” Muffins replied. “So, what about milkshakes?” “Just one more song.” Flash looked at Ringo and smirked. “The best choice would be ‘Flashy Feelings’, because Brawly Beats wrote a bass line to it.” “So?” Muffins asked. “It’s thoroughly unimaginative and I hate playing it.” Ringo groaned. “But whatever. This band is gonna fall apart anyway…” Nurse Sweetheart sighed, seeing the visiting room. She’d hoped it’d be completely empty, which meant she could leave it for a few minutes and smoke a cigarette in the boiler room. However, it seemed that young Sour Sweet still had a visitor who, to Sweetheart, appeared even more insane than some of the patients; this wasn’t helped by the fact that she apparently kept trying to teach Sour Sweet some foreign language. “I don’t get it,” Sour Sweet said. “Don’t they speak English there, anyway?” “Een taal is nooit genoeg, nie,” replied Sweet Leaf. “One language is not enough.” “Ek verstaan nie.” Sour Sweet shrugged. “That’ll be my go-to answer to anything.” “Well, that’s always something.” Sweet Leaf smirked and looked into the phrasebook. “What if I told you, Ek’s lief vir jou?” “I’d ask you to repeat it in a language I know,” Sour Sweet said. “I love you.” Sour Sweet frowned. “What?” “That’s what it means,” Sweet Leaf replied, getting closer to Sour Sweet. “Ek’s lief vir jou, Sour Sweet.” “Umm… Okay.” Sour Sweet blushed. “Seriously, I can’t wait until you get out so we can go away and never come back.” Sweet Leaf sighed. “Nothing really holds me here…” “Well…” Sour Sweet smiled sheepishly. “I guess there are other people… Friends, maybe?” Sweet Leaf pouted. “You don’t love me?” “Nah, I’m just not sure if getting into a relationship with someone like me is, you know…” Sour Sweet lowered her head. “Reasonable.” “Oh, don’t worry.” Sweet Leaf leaned over to Sour Sweet and kissed her, leaving her blushing profusely and staring back at her with raised eyebrows. “What the–” “I have to go,” Sweet Leaf muttered, grabbing her phrasebook from the table. “Catch you later!” She rushed out of the room, carefully watched by Nurse Sweetheart. Another nurse let her out of the ward and she walked down the corridor towards the elevator. “Hey, you! Sweet Leaf!” Sweet Leaf shuddered, recalling the days at school shortly after her photos were leaked. She raised her head to see Sweeten Sour passing by. She smiled at her; they’d often see each other at school, but only recently she realised Sweeten was Sour Sweet’s sister. “Hello there,” Sweeten said. “Still trying to teach my sister Afrikaans?” Sweet Leaf nodded. “Well, she isn’t the fastest learner around, but we’re getting there.” “You’d better teach her Zulu and Xhosa too.” Sweeten Sour smiled. “They have more speakers than Afrikaans, I checked. She’ll get them right in time for you two to leave. Assuming nothing changes.” Sweet Leaf frowned, furrowing her eyebrows. “What do you mean?” “Didn’t she tell you?” Sweeten Sour waved her hand. “Man, my sister can be forgetful sometimes. She’s not getting out anytime soon. Like, Suri Polomare’s parents said in court that she’s still traumatised, can’t leave her house, and that they wouldn’t be comfortable if my sister ever leaves the hospital, so she’ll spend at least ten years here, it seems. And even then it may be a bit hard to go abroad for her.” Sweet Leaf froze. “W– wha–” “I mean, she’s my sister, but she is crazy.” Sweeten Sour shrugged. “Besides, you know how that looks? Shrinks’ daughter goes on a rampage. Sour Patch and me get shit at school. Sweet Dreams and Sour Grapes keep asking me where’s Sour. I know you like her, but I hope she keeps away from them.” Sweet Leaf didn’t seem to listen, staring blankly at the wall. “I guess that’s how Indigo felt where her sister was arrested,” Sweeten Sour said. “This really sucks a big one.” She looked at Sweet Leaf. “I guess you know how it’s like, huh?” “Indeed.” Sweet Leaf took a deep breath, trying to calm down. “Just… I have to go home.” She walked past Sweeten Sour and rushed to the elevator. It was empty; Sweet Leaf stood in the corner, waiting for the door to close. When it happened, she sniffed, lowering her head. A moment later, she started to cry. Flash closed his eyes. He had heard somewhere that facing the deadly threat with eyes open would be more dignified, but on the other hand he thought that dignified or not, the result would be exactly the same. Muffins pushed the front brake of her bicycle and leaned forward, making a front wheelie. She was about to kiss Flash, but the handlebars slipped out of her grasp, causing her to lose balance. Luckily, Flash opened his eyes right in time to catch her before she followed her bike in a short trip down to the pavement. “Okay, stoppie kisses are not my thing,” Muffins muttered. “The pavement is too wet.” “Yeah.” Flash nodded. “You can fall or run me over.” “Not really.” Muffins picked up her bike. “I know those brakes. At worst, the frame could hit you in the nuts.” “That doesn’t make me feel better.” Flash shuddered, looking around. The street was mostly empty and while it wasn’t dark yet, it was getting slightly cold. “Maybe we’ll do something less dangerous? Maybe getting another milkshake?” “Yeah,” Muffins said. “Or we can go to my house…” Flash froze, raising his eyebrows. “Really?” “I recently got my hands on KPz-70,” Muffins replied. “I wanted to take it for a ride and shoot some noobs thinking a medium tank is an easy target.” “Oh.” Flash nodded. “Well, I could, umm… cheer on you then?” Muffins smirked, winking. “Not the kind of ride you expected?” Flash backpedalled, blushing. “Well, it’s not like…” “Am I going too fast again?” Muffins asked. “Don’t worry, we can just ride a tank.” She shrugged and took Flash’s hand. “Or better I’ll do that. You’re not very good with tanks, I’ve seen it.” “We’re still talking tanks, I hope,” Flash replied. “Of course.” Muffins smiled. “Though I need to play some planes too. Indigo shot me down with a goddamn flying boat with the manoeuvrability of a brick. I need my revenge.” “Well, I’m not sure Indigo will be around,” Flash said. “She has other things on her head.” “Oh, fuck this!” Indigo exclaimed, throwing the studded shoe against the wall. “They don’t fit anymore. None of my shoes do, in fact. What’s going on?” “Swollen feet,” Bulk replied. “I’ve read that it’s common. Besides, I don’t know why you bother with soccer now. I don’t think you’ll be able to play even after your disqualification ends. It may be too dangerous.” Indigo furrowed her eyebrows. “Don’t tell me what to do!” She rested her head on her hands. “I know I won’t be playing. Just… This whole thing pisses me off. I feel weak, I throw up all the time, and I know it won’t get away from this for a while. And I can’t do anything about that.” Bulk shook his head. “I’d start with talking to your parents. That’d be one less problem to deal with.” Indigo sighed. Since she ran away from home, she lived at Bulk’s house. Not that it was a great hideout, especially that she kept going to school. Her father came to Bulk’s house on the same day as her, asking her to come back. For a moment, Indigo wanted to do just that, but instead, she told him that she needed some time to think. “And what will I tell them?” she asked. “That I want to give the baby up for adoption?” “Well, that’s what you’re planning to do,” Bulk said. “It’s our baby and our decision, right?” Indigo nodded. “Yes, but it’s also their grandchild. Mom will be pissed. She often talked about how she raised Lightning Dust against all the–” Bulk nodded. “Yeah, because that went well…” “Tell that to my mother,” Indigo muttered. “Of course I’d want to stay at my house, but I just don’t feel comfortable with all that… My mother, my decision…” She sighed. “Those two don’t seem all compatible.” “Well, if you talked with her…” “That’s the problem,” Indigo said. “I’m just not good with talking about such things. I guess you know that.” “Yeah.” Bulk chuckled, patting Indigo’s head. “Don’t worry. She’s your mother, after all.” “That’s what I’m afraid of,” Indigo said. “We’re kinda similar.” “Then she’ll understand you, I guess.” Bulk sighed. Indigo shrugged. “Maybe. I’ll never know if I don’t go to her, right?” “That’s the spirit,” Bulk replied, looking at Indigo’s shoes scattered all over the hall. “Also, I think Featherweight’s old sneakers should fit you.” “They’ll look weird with my uniform,” Indigo replied. “Though going barefoot would probably be even weirder…” In the end, Indigo went to school wearing a pair of sneakers with some anime character on them. No one commented on that; Indigo hoped they just didn’t pay attention. Besides, the shoes were pretty comfortable. Driving a car in them was a pleasure; she could feel the pedals better than in her regular shoes, making for a smoother ride and a relief for her troubled stomach. Indigo drove out of the parking lot. Technically, there was a soccer training awaiting her, but she didn’t care. She wanted to go to her house and talk with her parents. It wasn’t something she could do over a phone; she just had to talk to them in person. The roads finally dried after winter so Indigo could drive a little bit faster. She pushed the accelerator, leaving the school behind. Suddenly, she noticed someone standing on the edge of the pavement, far away from any crossings. She pushed the brakes, slowing down before the pedestrian decided to run in front of her car. “Watch out!” Indigo exclaimed, greeting the girl in front of her car with her middle finger. As far as she could tell, she managed to stop a few inches from her legs. Indigo opened the window. “Are you crazy, suicidal, or retarded, you idiot? I could’ve ran you over!” “I’m sorry!” the girl exclaimed. Indigo only now noticed that it was Sweet Leaf; she hadn’t seen her in a long while. It seemed, however, that not much changed in her life; Indigo noticed tears on her face. “Sweet Leaf?” Indigo asked. “Sorry for yelling at you. What happened?” “Sour Sweet,” Sweet Leaf replied. “Sorry for asking… but could you give me a lift?” “Sure.” Indigo unlocked the car door, letting Sweet Leaf inside. “So, what about Sour?” “They’re not letting her out of the hospital,” Sweet Leaf replied. “She never told me. I only heard about it from her sister.” “Knowing Sour, she didn’t get it yet,” Indigo shrugged, pushing the accelerator. “I guess your holiday in Cambodia is cancelled, then?” “South Africa.” Sweet Leaf produced a napkin and wiped her eyes. “Whatever.” Indigo turned right at the intersection and looked at Sweet Leaf. “Time to face the truth, though: if you want to still play with Sour, prepare for a sick ride. I guess Lemon told you how bad she can be, right?” “She changed,” Sweet Leaf replied. Indigo shook her head. “She changes quite often. Sometimes for better, sometimes for worse. Try to disagree with her and  you’ll see how much she changed.” Sweet Leaf clenched her fists. “She doesn’t control it. She’s sick, but aside from that she’s a great person. She’s your friend!” “But also an abusive idiot,” Indigo replied. “Besides, I have my own problems, okay?” She looked at Sweet Leaf again. “Fasten your seatbelts, by the way. I don’t like when someone drives without them.” “What problems?” Sweet Leaf asked. Indigo rolled her eyes. “For once, my friends didn’t turn out to be gossipy hens. And, no offence, but  you’re the last person I’d want to talk to about my problems.” She looked around. “Where do you even want to go?” “Oh, just drop me off somewhere in the centre,” Sweet Leaf replied. “I have to think of a few things before going home.” “Hope it doesn’t involve jumping in front of other people’s cars or asking Lemon to come to South Africa with you.” Indigo said, pushing the accelerator harder; she’d seen the green light in the distance and wanted to get there before it turned to red. “Actually, I thought more of weed and self-loathing,” Sweet Leaf replied. “You ever have those days when nothing seems to go right?” “Sometimes.” Indigo sighed. “Except I don’t smoke weed or drink.” “Straight edge?” “No, I just don’t give a fuck.” Indigo noticed that the light was about to turn to yellow. She pushed the accelerator, trying to turn left at the last moment. “Though I like the songs.” “Watch out!” Sweet Leaf exclaimed. “What?” Indigo looked left. She opened her mouth, but her words drowned in screeching of the brakes and the sound of a car horn. Instinctively, she shielded her face with her hands, closing her eyes. Suddenly, everything went silent.