[color=lightgray][right]TIMESTAMP: Flashback, Yesterday (July 18th)[/right]
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[color=fe6f5e]“I like shooting things.”[/color]

Why did that sentence alone frighten Marco? Not in the way that made him not want to keep this new budding friendship he was starting to develop with Poppy -- no, definitely not in that way, but rather his unexplainable curiosity. Like he actually wanted to know what she meant by that. Was it an actual gun? Or maybe it was about video games? Poppy didn’t strike him as the type that would be into that sort of thing, not like Lolly was, anyway. But then again, he didn’t think she really paid attention to his Rock Lee presentation back in high school nor had the same dorky personality he had, so maybe there was a lot about Penolepe James that Marco didn’t know yet.

Once they finished up eating, Marco offered to pay. Seemed like Poppy was against it. They had a bit of a back and forth. Marco was pretty adamant to pay for it all, but Poppy was equally so. After about a minute of passionate debating, they agreed to split it. Marco paid for what he ordered, Poppy paid for what she ordered, but Marco insisted she let him handle the tip, which of course was twenty-five percent. As a service worker himself, though in a very different way than what The Hole was, Marco knew just how important tips were. He didn’t get them, but he refused to undertip. Overtipping was probably a bad habit of his, but it didn’t matter: the deed was done. 

The time spent sitting down had done wonders to Marco’s leg because it wasn’t hurting as much when they left the Hole. It wasn’t a long trek from it to Swerve Arcana. Or at least, it wasn’t a long trek going into Westwood. Marco had taken the journey from his house on Scott Street to his oasis outside of his gaming PC setup, especially since he has been slowly but surely getting into better shape so many times that he had the right rhythm down to an artform that caused him minimal pain. He was just thankful that Poppy didn’t mind the slower pace.

Even before they stepped inside, Marco could hear the sounds that filled his heart with such a glee that he smiled at Poppy. [color=b8860b]“Get ready to have your world blown!”[/color] He excitedly muttered, walking at a quicker pace, which probably was normal speed for those who weren’t a literal limping man. When he opened the doors, all the familiar sounds that made him so happy showed in his beaming smile. The first person Marco saw was Avery and he nodded towards her. [color=b8860b]“Hey Avery! How’s it?”[/color]

Avery, as always, was reading something. This time she was scrolling on her phone down an article about the blockbuster film, Divided We Stand, which tied with Avengers: End Game for highest grossing film. She couldn’t wait for the next movie, seeing how this one ended on a cliffhanger and everything was going to shit. No spoilers, of course. When she heard a familiar face call her name, she placed her phone screen down on the counter and glanced up at Marco. Her eyes didn’t stay on him for too long when, to her surprise, she saw who he was with. Officer James’ little girl, Penelope James. 

This required her full and undivided attention. [color=fccb8e]“Hey homie,”[/color] she bobbed her head in greeting. Since it was late in the day, she really did not give a fuck, so Avery Kaine stepped a little back to give herself momentum. 

3… 2…. 1!

Rolling over the counter, like the fool she was, reckless and wild, until she not so gracefully landed on her feet on the other side, she caught her footing and muttered, [color=fccb8e]“Woah.”[/color] Adjusting herself, she grabbed her vest by the edge of the shoulders and acknowledged the presence of Poppy, [color=fccb8e]“I see you’ve brought a friend! Sup, I’m—”[/color]

[color=fe6f5e]“Avery Kaine, I know who you are,”[/color] Penelope responded matter-of-factly. Sure, it was a bit socially awkward but Poppy wasn’t going to pretend she was a charming wordsmith. If anything, she was still getting used to socializing without her face mask on. 

[color=fccb8e]“Damn, am I popular?”[/color] 

Penelope’s reaction to Aves’ response was a playful headshake. This girl was certainly an oddity in Edenridge. Unapologetically herself in the goofiest, weirdest ways. Poppy liked that. [color=fe6f5e]“Aside from you being close to my dad’s cop buddy, you actually got me out of a pickle freshman year.”[/color] Poppy stared at the older woman, with those big, curious, and pretty brown eyes, assessing Aves facial expression which seemed to be left in a complete state of shock.  As Pops waited for a response, she brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear and looked around. This place was kind of big in retrospect. The exterior was a little misleading. Made it out to be a lot smaller than it actually was.  

Meanwhile, in Averyland, she was stuck on the fact that someone that wasn’t in her year recognized her, outside of Swerve. Avery didn’t think her hanging with Clay was that noticeable since he always came to her. He knew where to find her. Sure, he was a once-upon-a-time Elite and now a rookie cop paired with Rocky from the SSS. But still! She didn’t do much. All she ever did was go for the ride and be a vibe. It was her philosophy to have no worries and coast through life completely under the radar, right here in Swerve. 

How did that Wicked song go? 

[center][i][color=azure]Dancing through life
Skimming the surface
Gliding where turf is smooth
Life's more painless
For the brainless
Why think too hard?
When it's so soothing
Dancing through life
No need to tough it
When you can slough it off as I do
Nothing matters
But knowing nothing matters
It's just life
So keep dancing through
[/color][/i][/center]

Yeah. A good philosophy to live by for sure. 

[color=fccb8e]“Can’t say I remember…”[/color] Aves frowned apologetically, having no recollection of any incidents with the pale beauty during her senior year. 

Having taken out a hair tie from Charlie’s jacket, Penelope started putting her hair up in a messy ponytail and admitted, [color=fe6f5e]“I don’t expect you to remember. A lot happened that year. It was in the girl’s bathroom by the library, you—”[/color]

[color=fccb8e]“That’s fucking right! It was like a week before graduation and these bitches we’re teasing about how your dad was the reason your sister unlived herself.”[/color] When she said it outloud, she realized how dark the whole situation was. [color=fccb8e]“I’m sorry, uh..”[/color] Avery became a deer in headlights, not knowing how to get herself out of this situation. 

Fortunately, Penelope didn’t let her stumble on her words for much longer and expressed her gratitude, [color=fe6f5e]“I never did properly thank you for standing up for Max and me. So here it is, thanks. Your part of the reason why that year wasn’t completely shitty.”[/color]

[color=fccb8e]“Anytime…”[/color] Anxiously tapping her foot, a sign that Avery wasn’t prepared for the gravity of this conversation, the nerd queen was quick to do the thing she was good at — entertain and leave the dark place right where it belonged, out the window, away from her, [color=fccb8e]“So what brings you two here?! Want to read comics? Look at some animu boobies? Build a lego castle? Shoot nerfs at each other’s faces? Go into the fun zone and get your asses kicked at Space Invaders? TMNT? Mortal Kombat? DANCE DANCE REVOLUTION?!”[/color] There were so many things they could do and so little time.  

As the exchange between Avery and Poppy went on, Marco just stood there, feeling maybe just a little bewildered only because he didn’t expect them to hit it off so well. He was relieved in a sense. Coming to Swerve, especially when he may have been feeling out of it himself, had always managed to center him in ways nobody else could. Only exceptions to that were Danny, his mother when she made Granny Carolina’s recipes, Lolly, and the people at Swerve. Even Oz, as wild as he was sometimes, whenever Marco was here and he was around, he could always smile at how he always behaved. 

Swerve was the place that Marco didn’t have to worry about acting a little silly. He could embrace his true self here. Pretend to weave handsigns? Shout at the top of his lungs any thing from anime to comics? Marco could do that and there might be even a few people (usually Rosie and Avery) that would probably join him in that specific endeavor. So, really, it made him happy that Poppy was already feeling comfortable enough. Maybe it didn’t hurt that she seemed to have some kind of connection with Avery, but Aves was so damn likable that, honestly, it wasn’t hard to feel comfortable around her.

Looking at Aves, Marco perked up. [color=b8860b]“We just came back from a bite to eat at the Hole,”[/color] Marco said, rubbing his tummy for a moment and patting it a few times. [color=b8860b]“Pretty full but I don’t regret eating as much as I did.”[/color] He laughed, looking at Poppy when Aves finished all of her suggestions. [color=b8860b]“Welllll, I don’t know if Poppy has come here often — wait, have you?”[/color] He asked her. [color=b8860b]“I don’t think I ever asked. Cause I had this idea of doing some fun stuff to ease ya into the real fun stuff, but if you have, maybe we can skip the initiation.”[/color] Not like it was anything bad, but Marco remembered his and it was a bit of an adjustment.

Penelope shook her head to Marco’s question. [color=fe6f5e]“No, actually. I’ve past Swerve a lot but this would be the first time I’ve walked in. I know Avery from school… many moons ago.”[/color] Pocketing her hands in Charlie’s jacket, Poppy scanned the general vicinity and shrugged, [color=fe6f5e]“I guess we could check out the arcade room? Do you have air hockey?”[/color] Her green gaze went from Marco to Avery, before adding, [color=fe6f5e]“I’ve always wanted to try that.”[/color]

Near immediately, Aves answered, [color=fccb8e]“Yeah, we got that, just over there,”[/color] she gestured to their right, her left, all the while leaning her backside on the counter, [color=fccb8e]“Follow the red arrows and bam, you’ll be in The Zone.”[/color] She paused, giving herself a big ol’ stretch before continuing, [color=fccb8e]“Oh, and Marco should know where the change machine is. We take quarters.”[/color] Just another way for Swerve to stay in business. Quarters and games. [color=fccb8e]“If you have any questions, I’ll be out here. And if you’re big on reading, maybe your boy could introduce you to a cool story or two. Here at Swerve, there’s a story for everyone.”[/color]

[color=fe6f5e]“I’d like that,”[/color] Poppy smiled at Aves before bringing her attention to the boy beside her, [color=fe6f5e]“Lead the way?”[/color] The James girl politely asked, not wanting to enter deeper inside the store of nerdom without Marco as a guide. Truth be told, she had more confidence maneuvering throughout the library than at Swerve solely because she spent most of her childhood in the library. From babysitting Danny Boaz to waiting for her dad’s safe return, to Charlie’s safe return, Poppy had her places she spent a lot of time at and Swerve was not one of them. The library though? Just like Kylee Grimm, it was Poppy’s preferred place of research, reading, and reclusiveness.

As he led them away from Aves and onto a short adventure to the game area, Marco was all smiles. He moved slowly just because he was walking more than he should have today and that wasn’t even factoring in his late shift. All in all, Marco shouldn’t even be on his feet right now, but there was a rush of good vibes and pure adrenaline of being in his happy place carrying him along. Swerve made him happier than most places ever did. When he was here, he honestly felt like he did before the shooting. Before he was subjected to the limp life.

Marco had traced his steps along the arrows, stepping from edge to edge of the arrows. It was a different side of Marco. A side that not many got to see - the dweeb side. He stepped on the tip to the bottom of the arrows, making noises as he did. [color=b8860b]“Floor is lava! Floor is lava!”[/color] He repeated, glancing back at Poppy. His leg ached and he knew, in the back of his mind, Danny would kill him if he knew how much Marco was ignoring the stifling pain, but he was literally in the zone. There was no way he’d let himself be dragged down by a physical ailment that was moderate on the pain richter scale at best. In response, Penelope silently played along and followed Marco’s lead, stepping on the tip and tailing his pace. 

Reaching their destination, Marco happily gestured to it. There was a singular air hockey table. He didn’t have [i]much[/i] experience with air hockey and he definitely shouldn’t be doing it, but Marco was up for it if Poppy wanted to play a little hockey of the air. [color=b8860b]“And here we are! Not bad, right?”[/color] He grinned, herold-hiding-the-pain he felt. [color=b8860b]“The machine to get some quarters is over yonder~”[/color] He gestured to the machine against the back wall of The Zone where all one had to do was insert cash and select payment type (AKA you get quarters). [color=b8860b]“We have a good amount left over from dinner, so we can totally make the most of our time here!”[/color]

In time, they were both situated at one side of the hockey table. Penelope slid the paddle back and forth, back and forth, straight into her hands. [color=fe6f5e]“Let’s raise the stakes,”[/color] Her playful, competitive side took the surface. A side that hadn’t been seen in awhile. Clearly, she felt safe with her new friend. It helped that no one else was in the room. [color=fe6f5e]“Truth or Dare style. I get a point, you pick, I give. And same goes for if you get a point, I pick, you give. Could be fun! Since this is like,”[/color] Catching and holding the paddle in her right hand, she pulled out the puck from her slot, and dropped it in front of her, [color=fe6f5e]“Our first ‘date’.”[/color] She chuckled at how unusual this was for her. Since when did a southie take Marco Brady out on a friend date? Unheard of! Unreal! Unlikely. [color=fe6f5e]“You game?”[/color] 

It took all of three moments for Marco to think it over. Three very short moments that was immediately followed up by a rather intrigued [color=b8860b]“you’re on!”[/color] from Marco. A grin was on his face. At Swerve, a different side came out in the young Brady. He was equally as competitive as Emil got at any given moment. Seldomly did anyone but Lolly see this side. She brought the best out in him in that sense. Always knew how to challenge him without being insulting. Marco did wonder if Poppy would be the same for him. Only time would tell on that one.

Taking a moment to prepare himself, Marco did a few stretches that he learned from PT. Making sure his leg was okay. When he didn’t hear or feel the cracks of pain, he took that as a good sign. [color=b8860b]“MacAttack vs Popalicious - let’s do it!”[/color] He was internally cringing at the on-the-spot nickname he just gave her but grinning like the dork he is externally. 

[color=fe6f5e]“Okay, I’mma be real. That was like… just call me Popcorn Playa’  or something. Anything else...”[/color] She could see it on his face that he knew how cringy the nickname was. He was a dork and she was relieved he felt like he could be herself with her. With gradual ease, Penelope prepared to strike. Part of her was debating to hold back, the other part wanted to show Marco that she shouldn’t be taken as a weak competitor. She chose the latter and like the sharpshooter she was, she harshly hit the puck and it went zooming to the otherside. 

Incredibly fast.

Slipping inches away from his hand and into the hole. 

GOAL! 

She fist bumped at her victory before putting her gamer face back on. [color=fe6f5e]“Truth or Dare,”[/color] she waited patiently for Marco to react to the speedy chain of events.  

The resident gamer was too stunned to speak. [color=b8860b]“H-how did you do that?”[/color] Muttered a bewildered Marco, he slowly brought his blue gaze, one that was mixed of shock and literal awe, from the sight of the air hockey table (specifically his end) to Popcorn Playa’s end to Poppy herself. It had been over even before he had a chance to defend himself and Marco wasn’t no slouch when it came to Air Hockey. He wasn’t the fastest anymore (for obvious reasons), but he could still move around when he needed to, but Poppy just completely wiped the deck (of sorts) with him.

Still in that state of absolute shock, Marco just chuckled and then chuckled some more. He didn’t know she was so good and that was his own fault for underestimating her. 

Never again.

With renewed focus and the dismay out of his mind, Marco grinned at his opponent that stood across from him. [color=b8860b]“Truth!”[/color] He answered back. Would he live to regret it? Possibly. Was he afraid of what she might ask? Also, yes maybe, but Marco was ready for whatever she had for him.

Penelope was never one to beat around the bush. Charlie knew that well. Those who knew her knew she wasn’t one to dance around subjects. If there was one thing she enjoyed it really getting to the root of a person. Over time, she’d find out things like their favorite food, their favorite hangout place, and their favorite movie, but what she really liked to know was their stories. Their experiences that made them who they were today. Marco would either like this about her or not, but there was no use in pretending to be someone she was not. 

[color=fe6f5e]“Have you ever experienced heartbreak?”[/color] She bluntly put it. [color=fe6f5e]“If you have,”[/color] Briefly, she paused, absentmindedly circling the paddle around on the table. [color=fe6f5e]“Mind telling me about it? No pressure though! It’s just, I feel like pain, especially when it comes to the heart, really shapes a person. I’m curious, I guess.”[/color] Curious if they could relate. Curious if he understood pain maybe not to her extent, but enough to empathize with her. Curious about Marco. It was that simple. 

[color=b8860b]“Well…”[/color] Marco hesitated. He looked down at the table, stalling for time. He looked at his paddle and slowly fished the puck from his end. He didn’t pull it out, but he had it in his hand. He didn’t know if this was something he was comfortable talking about. He and Danny were happy together now. They talked about their stuff. About what happened at junior prom. Marco was never one to hold onto grudges, anyway, so he never held it against Danny. Even if he did, it was past him. But talking about it so freely as during a game of truth or dare was a whole different matter altogether. 

He spent a few extra moments in thoughtful silence. He occasionally looked up at Poppy, muttering some stuff, saying others that would further halt time. Even though he didn’t necessarily want to talk about it, the rules of the game were whoever loses the round, does the truth or dare asked of them. [color=b8860b]“It’s not exactly heartbreak in what you might consider traditional, but there was this boy. Back in high school, we were involved. Not publicly because he wasn’t the kind of person who wanted to be out like that.”[/color] For a lot of reasons, Danny never did. [color=b8860b]“I’ve known him since I moved to Edenridge with my family the summer before Freshman year. Seen him around. Got to know him that year and sophomore year, but things…escalated. We became… intimate the summer before junior year. Spent that entire year dating in secret. He never wanted to go public. Or maybe he was too afraid to?”[/color] Marco looked down again at the table as he put the puck beside his paddle. [color=b8860b]“It…may sound odd, but despite not being able to flaunt our relationship for everyone to see, I never cared about that sort of thing…Until I did.”[/color]

Just thinking about the pain that night caused him, no matter how much flex tape, duck tape, and fresh coat of paint was plastered all over it, that wound never went away. Marco still held the scar from that night. Shaking his head, Marco looked back at Poppy. [color=b8860b]“As it turned out, he didn’t feel the same way and we broke up around Prom that year. Kind of was the start of my own personal hell…”[/color] Marco chose not to mention it directly, but Charlie shooting him in the leg was the icing on that particular cake. 

[color=fe6f5e]“Thank you,”[/color] Penelope genuinely gazed at the boy on the other side of the table, and complimented, [color=fe6f5e]“For being so real with me, even if I know it was part of the rules. Takes a lot of strength to go back in time like that. And I get it, I really do.”[/color] Penelope positioned herself, preparing to defend her goal, knowing it was nearing time for them to continue the battle. [color=fe6f5e]“Like my father, I wished Charlie and me…”[/color] 

Glancing down, imagining his goofy smile and all the what ifs she thought about when he was alive, Poppy was lost in her head, unintentionally dazing out. She could see it now, he’d become a writer like he always wanted to and she’d be his editor, maybe they’d marry right out of highschool and move to Colorado, like they joked about. Maybe he’d say it openly and often, maybe he’d say he loved her. In the morning. In the shower. In the car. From afar. From a letter. From a recording. Before they went to bed, after they slept together, and in her dreams. She shouldn’t have waited. It was her fault they weren’t together and it was her fault he lost his way. Even with her trying to convince herself that he chose his wolf, he chose, he made that decision, she knew deep down that it was her fault. She didn’t love him strongly. She didn’t need him fiercely. She didn’t show him that from when they were kids to the day he died, she wanted him. She still wanted him. It was always him. And unfortunately, heartbreakingly, it still was. It’s always been him.  

And yet, like Marco, she wanted to respect the wishes of the man she loved. He had too much on his plate. Too much to carry. Maybe he was scared. Scared of changing what they had because what they did have was good. It was constant. It was theirs. But her heart had a wish, her own ghost that was what she wanted, and she wished they… [color=fe6f5e]“...loved each other recklessly, foolishly, and so loudly, just like my dad with my mom. I wished we didn’t act like there wasn’t anything between us. I wish a lot of things, Marco. But I know there’s no point.”[/color] She picked up her paddle and dropped it on the table, causing a loud clap noise before shifting her pensive mood back to game mode, [color=fe6f5e]“The past is the past and ain’t nothing we can do about it. We’re here now! And it’s your turn to serve, MacAttack.”[/color]  

For the longest time, Marco used to think there was no point. The entire year after the shooting and when he was in recovery and PT, he had periods when he used to think there was no point in it all. That he would never be himself again. That no amount of small moments of joy would bring him the relief that was the suffering he felt all of senior year and even most of the past year. But within the past month alone, he’s come to believe differently. Talking to Jill, spending time with his family more, reuniting with the love of his life, and then working at his dream job -- all of it was slowly but surely piecing back together the person he was. He may not be the same, but Marco knew it in his heart that the light was returning.

As he prepared to set up the next round, Marco knew he had to say something. [color=b8860b]“I don’t know how much it’ll help, but it’s not for nothing. I don’t know nor will I pretend to know what it’s like for you and the feelings you have, but take it from somebody who had zero intention of living life again: it does and will get better. I think we slowly piece back our broken pieces, but we’ll never be the same again. It’s like…”[/color] Almost laughing as the first thing that came to him was something that only Poppy would appreciate. [color=b8860b]“When Rock Lee was injured in his fight against Gaara, he was told he’d never be able to train or fight again, but he did both of those things. Perhaps not as well as he did before, but he didn’t give up.”[/color] It all came back to that presentation, but there were so many lessons one could take away from Naruto. Marco was proving that. 

[color=b8860b]“Anyway, that’s all I wanted to say.”[/color] Marco positioned the puck in front of his handle and turned his somber frown into a competitive grin. [color=b8860b]“Now it’s time for Mac to attack!”[/color] When he saw that Poppy was ready (or as ready as she’ll ever be), Marco hit the puck as hard as he could, not wanting to let the past repeat itself. Whether a game of air hockey or at the game of life, both Marco and Poppy would push back with all they had in them. 

They were fighters who were no longer lost.
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