"So, As-ter Money-go-to-me, why's your class so shit?" (Madelyn)
They we're walking along a hallway, people giving them looks as they walked past.
"Damn you do not have a filter with your language." (Leonz)
"I'm not about to be all girly princess on people, okay?" (Madelyn)
"Fair point. I see why you don't have many friends." (Leonz)
"I have more than you!" (Madelyn)
"It's one more, it basically doesn't count." (Leonz)
"Your only friend literally left you." (Madelyn)
Leonz clutched his chest dramatically.
"Ouch." (Leonz)
"I'm not apologising." (Madelyn)
"Apologise." (Leonz)
"No." (Madelyn)
"Apologise!" (Leonz)
"No!" (Madelyn)
Asher asked them, his voice soft.
"Can the two of you stop arguing like an old couple?" (Asher)
"Okay, one, As-ter Money-go-to-me, we're very young. Two, we ain't married." (Madelyn)
"We ain't even dating man." (Leonz)
They were already at a relatively empty spot where not too many people were at. There, were several tables and chairs for some odd reason.
Asher sat down, looking slightly annoyed.
"Bro, you gotta tell her to apologise. My best friend left me last night and I'm still in pain." (Leonz)
"You sound like your boyfriend left you." (Madelyn)
"We were very homoerotic at times! It doesn't mean we're in a relationship!" (Leonz)
"Bet you've seen his ***** before." (Madelyn)
"It was one time!" (Leonz)
There was a moment of silence.
"What*?" (Madelyn)
*Voice lowered by 50%
"Someone slipped his pants down in middle school, the whole class saw it.*" (Leonz)
* Voice lowered 60%
"That's fucked up*." (Madelyn)
* Voice lowered 70%
"Yeah, I know, he's still recovering from it to this day…*" (Leonz)
* Voice lowered 80%
"Bruuuuhhh*." (Madelyn)
* Voice lowered 90%
Leonz nodded slowly. Leonz mouthed the words 'Amen'. Madelyn nodded and also mouthed the words 'A man'*.
* This is intentionally mispronounced
"Ya done?" (Asher)
"Oh right, we're here to talk about stuff." (Madelyn)
Madelyn sat down across from Asher. Leonz made the decision to sit beside Madelyn since there was more room on the bench.
"Could ya tell that Trumpet girl to 'Blow a bubble*'?"
* Oh god. I'm not going to bother trying to explain this. In summary, not literal.
"What's that?" (Leonz)
"Just tell it to her." (Madelyn)
Asher sighed and shook his head.
"Too bad then." (Madelyn)
Asher rubbed his eyes, yawning before he asked them a question.
"Why did y'all find me?" (Asher)
"Right… what was it again?" (Leonz)
"We wanted to check if you were friends with this guy." (Madelyn)
Madelyn jabbed her elbow into Leonz's rib cage.
"Ow." (Leonz)
Asher looked at Leonz, looking as bored as ever, but slightly more annoyed.
"I guess?" (Asher)
"I still got one more friend than you in this school." (Madelyn)
Leonz ignored Madelyn.
"Anyways, with that bullshit out of the way, I wanted to talk Basketball." (Leonz)
"That wasn't smooth in the slightest." (Madelyn)
"What? Don't you wanna talk about basketball too?" (Leonz)
"Oh, hi I'm Leonz and I like talking about balls and what I do when I see balls*." (Madelyn)
* She's doing this in a funny voice
"Phrasing." (Leonz)
Leonz shrugged and looked back at Asher.
"Well, just wanted to ask about the middle school Championship." (Leonz)
The mood suddenly got heavy.
"Oh right…" (Leonz)
"Mine isn't interesting." (Asher)
"Didn't you get injured?" (Leonz)
Asher ignored what Leonz said.
"Kalakos had a much more interesting Finals performance." (Asher)
"I hate that game." (Madelyn)
"Why?" (Leonz)
"It was unfair as hell!" (Madelyn)
Madelyn jabbed the table with a finger.
"You know which team I was up against? These two girls, one of them ranked No. 1, and guess what? The other ranked No. 2. The only reason they ranked that higher compared to me is because they're like some 'Golden Duo' bullshit." (Madelyn)
"I felt like I heard about this before." (Leonz)
"Worse, they had the audacity to walk up to me and say that I was equally matched! Like, I'm sorry, do you see the rankings?" (Madelyn)
"What were your stats?" (Leonz)
"I dunno. Forgot." (Madelyn)
"Don't you have the Finals MVP?" (Asher)
Leonz turned his head from Asher to Madelyn faster than anyone had before.
"You. What?*" (Leonz)
* He says both words separately
Madelyn shrugged.
"I apparently made history when I took home the Finals MVP even though my team lost." (Madelyn)
"What the heck. That can happen?" (Leonz)
"Apparently so." (Madelyn)
***
Girl's Championship, Finals.
Hava Middle school vs Hawkwind Middle school.
Final score: 88-90
Finals MVP:
#12 SG Madelyn Monegotomy (Hava Middle school, lost)
Finals Stat: 43 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 7 steals, 2 blocks, 16/19 FG, 4/5 3P FG, 7/7 FT
Second highest scorer on Hava Middle school: 9 points
Highest scorer on Hawkwind Middle school: 23 points
***
"Why did you come to Zodiac then? Surely you could've gone to most other schools." (Leonz)
"I told you this when we first met. I'm here because it's convenient, and I don't wanna move all the way to City D just to go to school." (Madelyn)
"Makes sense." (Leonz)
"How bout you, As-ter Money-go-to-me?" (Madelyn)
"What?" (Asher)
"Wait, we asking the Finals or why he's here?" (Leonz)
"I guess the Finals first? What happened?" (Madelyn)
Asher did not look like he was red to answer the question.
"I left the game halfway." (Asher)
"You got a sprained ankle, right?" (Leonz)
"Yeah, whatever." (Asher)
***
Boys Championship, Finals.
Bats vs Gladiators
Halftime score: 54-43
Final score: 66-102
#21 SF Asher Monegotomy (MVP)
Played 16 mins total
Stats: 22 points, 3 rebounds, 0 assists, 1 steal, 1 block, 5/7 FG, 1/1 3P FG, 11/13 FT
***
"Then why d'ya come to this school then?" (Leonz)
"None of your business." (Asher)
Madelyn leaned closer to Leonz to whisper.
"This guy's kinda hard to talk to." (Madelyn)
"Yeah, I know." (Leonz)
"I can hear you." (Asher)
Leonz cleared his throat and put his fingers together.
"I gotta be honest, Asher. I gotta ask about why you don't talk to anyone else? I didn't even see you talk to anyone other than me, her and the Coach." (Leonz)
"Reasons. I talk to people I would trust with a shot." (Asher)
"I'm touched." (Leonz)
"Wait, didn't you say you didn't know who this idiot was? Y'know, when we first met?" (Madelyn)
"I searched up videos. You're probably the best teammate I've had so far." (Asher)
"Huh? Even though I'm ranked No. 43? What about your old teammates? Didn't one guy get ranked No. 25?" (Leonz)
"They're not as good as people say they are." (Asher)
Asher looked slightly annoyed.
"The only reason they even get to shoot is because I'm constantly double or triple teamed." (Asher)
"I get that a lot too." (Madelyn)
For some reason, Leonz felt left out.
"They barely make wide open shots, why would I trust them?" (Asher)
"Yeah, especially when you pass but they miss. So annoying." (Madelyn)
"So that's why you barely had any assists." (Leonz)
Madelyn jabbed Leonz's rib cage again.
"So what makes you trust this guy?" (Madelyn)
"In the video I saw, every open three point shot he attempted went in. That's good enough for me to work with." (Asher)
"I'm flattered." (Leonz)
"I'm changing the topic. As-ter, do you happen to like kittens?" (Madelyn)
"My family has a dog." (Asher)
Asher seemed more conversational than when they were playing basketball the day before.
"Ah, a dog person." (Madelyn)
"I like animals." (Leonz)
"What kind?" (Madelyn)
"…" (Leonz)
"What. Kind?" (Madelyn)
"Animals." (Leonz)
Madelyn gave up.
"So Madelyn, are ya gonna get piercings?" (Leonz)
"Why?" (Madelyn)
"You said that you would rather pierce your ear than know that Asher is smarter than you, so since he is, you've gotta pierce your ear." (Leonz)
Madelyn looked over at Asher pleadingly.
"What's your middle school score?" (Madelyn)
"187." (Asher)
"Die." (Madelyn)
Madelyn looked back at Leonz.
"You get one too." (Madelyn)
"What? Why?" (Leonz)
"We're in the same boat here man, you've got to do it with me." (Madelyn)
"What? No." (Leonz)
"Don't pussy out of this!" (Madelyn)
"I'm being logical here." (Leonz)
"I'm not being your friend anymore if you don't get piercings too." (Madelyn)
"Now that's just unfair." (Leonz)
Madelyn dropped her voice.
"Aight, so I'll pierce my left ear, then you pierce your right ear, okay?" (Madelyn)
"Can I do my left?" (Leonz)
"No." (Madelyn)
"Shit." (Leonz)
"Asher, you wanna join in?" (Madelyn)
"No." (Asher)
"Guessed as much." (Madelyn)
"Must I? This seems dumb." (Leonz)
"C'mon, one of your two friends is on the line, you've got to do this. Besides, it'll be hilarious!" (Madelyn)
Leonz touched his right earlobe, still hesitant as to whether he should actually do it.
"Listen here. If I don't see your right ear pierced by tomorrow, it's goodbye, Lover Boy*." (Madelyn)
* It's a play on his family name Lovehart
"Lover Boy?" (Leonz)
"Yeah, it can be your new nickname if you don't get your ear pierced. Lover Boy." (Madelyn)
"Fine, I'll do it when I get home." (Leonz)
They chatted about random stuff afterwards, like pizza or Italian food.
Just as he was told, when he got home, Leonz pierced his right ear.
It hurt, a lot.
* Please insert your own scream here.