Once we all settled in the van, Brian reversed and went into drive to who knows where. Mind you, I don't know these people pretty much, but I still acted as if I was very familiar with them, however, the one who left me dumbfounded the most was Leader. To me, he didn't seem affected by this whole confrontation of the matter with his girlfriend (now ex), so he's most likely to be in his little world for the time being.
Maybe from feeling my ugly stare for too long, his eyes suddenly glanced at me in the rearview mirror. I was startled by his abrupt action but didn't shy away and stared back this time. We both stared intensely for what seemed to be the whole day but soon ended when my eyes suddenly followed his movement with his wet tongue licking his dry lips. Fuck. I got flustered and stared away. Odd... This scenario gave me a deja vu feeling for some reason. Nonetheless, I couldn't comfort the guy since I sat in the back seat with other guys, who were doing terrible cheap tricks with one another. I was not left unmarked either. Ouch.
"Haha, No! John, I apologize for kicking your junk, leave mine haha!"
"Have pride like a man and take it like a man asshole!"
"Why involve me dickwads!?"
I stood my ground and kept pinching and punching back at them when I looked down my upper body. My favorite grey jacket is missing, but where?
"Ouch! Hey man, have you seen my jacket?"
John kept laughing and slapped the back of my head harshly.
"Coming up with excuses, what be you? Chicken? Even if you're looking for it, it may be in the trunk. Come here haha!"
I rubbed my head in grief but wanted to cry out more in misery when he slapped my backside again. Jerk.
We rough housed for the next 30 minutes before arriving at our destination. I looked up and realized that we were at the bottom of the ocean. An ocean city? What the eyes could see, there were many mermaids and mermen, your so-called normal cubby fishes, which were now the size of a Kraken, and many humanoid robots and humans. I was not too surprised, this was a dream after all.
The plateau itself seems the same as back on the surface as an air bubble surrounds us as far as I can see. It made me realize that all of us are either robots or mermen. I look down at the partly visible robot parts that I've never seen before, my entire right arm is all human flesh while my entire left arm is a three-finger metal machine. I seemed to have had a complete makeover once we arrived here, but it did not trigger the other guys either way. Leader seemed to remain the same, but the instant blue flash in his eyes told me a different story. Brian seemed to have parked at a amusement park where a racing tournament was being held. And some of us were participants ourselves.
We all simultaneously got out as we headed to the racing stadium, finding our place to sit to watch the race. I, of course, had a different mission in mind.
My grey jacket and those recordings!
I left the group quietly to look for CG back at the van, who said he would be busy setting up some filming production outside the sea cavan. However, once I returned to the van, he wasn't there but some of the film equipment that was left untouched next to it. I walk towards it and begin to look around.
Just when I thought of going back inside, a little fast movement was caught in my peripheral vision at the far end of the air bubble. I ran towards it, placing both my hands on the glass bubble, and spotted CG in his merman form. I got annoyed but smirked as I thought of something. I waved him over to tell him something as he swam towards me, his arms full of costumes. He mouthed out his question on what I wanted, with annoyance fully written all over his face. I smiled and mouthed about the recordings that I still wanted. He simply flicked his tail at me and flashed his sharp fangs at me, telling me off. I know his very busy but I've long waited for those recordings since I urgently needed to get home for some reason.
I retort by flashing him the finger and slapping my butt. He only got more annoyed but furious within a second when I pointed at his filming equipment. I. WILL. SMASH. THEM. I mouthed out as I ran for it. He urgently hit the air bubble, telling me to stop. Of course, that's not the plan. I simply skipped towards the equipment, giggling away as I saw in the corner of my eye, catching him swimming towards the parking entrance. I was already within reach when I heard him scream out my name. I immediately threw away the idea of smashing those things when I saw him running half-naked towards my direction with a scythe in hand.
'Where the hell did that thing spawn from!?'
I ran to the far side of the parking lot and towards a gas station. I skitted to a halt when I saw a truck exiting a huge garage.
'Bingo.'
Not far from me, CG slowed down, swinging the scythe in a large circle as he gasped for air smoothly to speak.
"You think you could easily threaten me? Watch me not give you a single recording just for you to curse my ancestors!"
"How else could I get your busy ass attention!? And F.Y.I, I respect the dead, jackass!"
I waited with perfect timing to duck under the levitating truck and slide under the now-closing garage door. Once the door fully shut, I jump back up and search for an exit. At the same time, my mind instantly became a 3rd person perspective, making me see the scene change to both Leader and John's side, who were speaking quietly to one another.
"Why is it that you dislike him that much? Did he hurt you somehow? Yeah, I've seen how you glare every time he turns his back."
Leader's expression continues to remain neutral, looking at the ongoing phenomenal race with his fingers interlinked. Explosions could be heard, with concerning quakes breaking through. He shook his head slowly no to the early question. That boy is far from making him mad but finds beautiful yet ironic ways to slice his heart. Stitch it back up? It gets its stitches ripped painfully off again. Mad is not the word that explains his indifference towards the lad.
Before John could ask the same question again, Leader stood up and quickly yet smoothly left his seat from the row of crowds, leaving John confused. Mad cannot be close to what he feels. Not at all. He sighs as he enters the locker room to change for the upcoming race with him and his partner. It takes two to tango but four to expose the ugliest nature, which is what this race is all about. Two against two, to see how strong a string that holds the heart could last. Leader slowly starts to take his top off, and with a flip of the fabric, a necklace is exposed on his bare chest. He took hold of it as he caressed the beautiful cursive outline of the pendant with great gentleness, his thumb flipping it open to reveal a boy with a dumb sexy smile on his face.
Leader leans his bare back against the cold metal locker, a shiver runs down his spine for a second before he slowly lifts the pendant towards his lips and kisses it delicately. He softly whispered to the picture.
"When will you remember?"
He closed his eyes from an upcoming rage when it abruptly stops from a Bang sound. A metal door that was harshly opened was immediately closed shut as a boy with a large smile plastered on his face, gasped for air urgently as his back stayed on the door. He stood that way for what seems to be a full minute before he moved away when his breathing pattern became normal.
"Hey, hehe. Sorry if I disturbed your time, but it seems like CG is after my life. Also, have you seen my grey jacket? It wasn't in the trunk when I got back."
When the boy looked up at Leader fully, he immediately turned around as he felt something dripping down his nose. Blood? The boy held his leaking nose for the time being but held it more firmly when he felt a half-naked Leader coming nearer.