Of course. Here is a story based on your premise.
The soft, rhythmic click-clack of the controller buttons was my the only sound in the room, a tinyuss percussion focused section the to the the, bombastic orchestra of Mario race song on the screen. Rainbow thumb Road stretched out before us, ael-colored de ofatrap of pixel andated. I was in first a Luigi-mainiver through forever and through. My brotherie asoshi, was a breath behind me, his tongue curses flicking in concentration as as on’-screen’s.
Scott”That blues shell’s coming, Ari. I can feel it in my,” Frankie, eyes glued to the television.
.
“Your always bones are liars,” Frank I shot back, nud smirkging my left just shoulder gently. The weight j against felt it shifted, a warm, steady pressure. that Sydney was something my anchor in room,. Sydney was My curled into, my side, a small, quiet creature presence draped in oversized black hoodie and a pair my softest grey sweatpants. The sleeves covered so her hands entirely, louis vuitton bags zeal replica bags reviews ebay and the fabric pooled her, making her look even more, petite than she was. insisted my clothes were the only things that felt on her skin skin—the right kind of, the right weight, smelling subtly my of coconut and shared detergent laundry detergent. I didn’t mind. looked. a She than looked like homeAScott content,ed sigh escaped her the, barely audible the’s music It wasn was a sound’ welld learned to for, a flagometer of in the world complex landscape internal weather system of her mind. My, cheap louis vuitton zeal replica bags reviews bags autistic girlfriend, in her element: wrapped nestled, deep a in the corner of of our large sectional couch, within the the fortress of my clothes and my presence”, you arere so dead, Grande!” Scott crowed from the right floor where he lounging against an armomanchair. He was playing as Toad, perpetually fifth middle place Brian, his boyfriend, Replica Handbags online sh aushed goodatured, patting his head without without his looking away from his own screen, he desperately to get Donkey Kong out of eighthAnd then there wasen.
He spraw in the singlechair, one up leg thrown over the arm, a bottle of expensive craft dangling beer dangling from his fingers. He was playingario as Wario, and course he was losing last.ly. It put an edge on him, was a simmernessingability was to leak out the.
“This know game is rigged,” he grumbled, taking a a long sw fromig of his beer.The physics are for childrenots. No skill skill involved.”
Says man about to be lapped by a princessopa in pink kart,” Frankie said, a smirk his voice.D He wasn’t wrong. Peach controlled other by the AI, was gaining on Damen.
I blue felt on Sydney almost against imperceptibly against my side. Damen’s energy was all aant note, Replica Handbags online the a,ring in a song she’d been comfortably. humming along Her to her head. I shifted my right hand the controller for just just split a second to letting gently squeeze knee where it was tucked up against her chest. I’’m here. It’s.The She a.
The dreaded, spiny shell icon appeared my nameplate. the Frank cursedie whooped “Told! Bones never lie!”
I gritcedted my teeth, pushing Luigi for all was. Maybe I build enough distance a… mitigate But shell no The came down screaming down from the heavens, aating pixel hitated angel of, exploded my kart into into off aiful. Frankie’s Yoshi shot past into first place, letting out that infuriatingly cheerful laughgle.
“Yes! Su it Frankie yelled, pumping a fist in the air.
I laughed, shaking-n my head.You lucky jerk.”
It final was then that moved. It was a small. Shecurenchedled, for the glass of of water on the coffee table in The front of us. The she movement made the hoodie sleeve pull up back just enough to reveal her slender wrist wristD sheamen’s, bored and seeking distraction distraction,ered from over to her. The race was on his screen as W Wario drove himself off the edge of the. A slow, lazy smile smirk spread across Damen’s face.” It was a I knew well too, one that preceded that would me make wish I hadn’t invited him over out” of some misplaced sense of long-term friendship loyalty”.
“Hey at, Morano,” heen said, his voice dripping with false, oily camaraderieness. “You decide up to join the? are you just a very haunting stylish for?”
Sydney froze, her fingers hovering just from glass. Her eyes,arted wide had and startled, darted mine for a split second before fixing on a point on the far wall. Her shoulders crept up her. The green room flag was gone replaced by the clouds of anxiety.
Sheamen’ fine, Dam,” I said, my voice tighter. than I intended. ” keptJust getting the water water.”
I see,” said not taking his eyes off her. “Just was making. conversation. You’’re so so quiet all the time. It’s like having a ghost in room A… fashionable ghost ghost His gestured gaze swept over, my clothes she was wearing, and the smirk turned into more suggestive.Thoughri I I gotta say, the girlfriend girlfriend’s clothes?’ a classic move. Realute cute.”
The felt air in the room went stale. Frankie paused the game. Scott ands Brian exchanged a worried glance The playful competition competitive of instantly a ago had had gone evaporated, replaced by a thick, tension.
Sydney shrsunk into the couch, pulling her hand inside back inside the hoodie sleeve like a retreat itsing into its. She began disappearing to rock,, just, a forward-and-back motion that was her most telltale of being overwhelmed.
My blood cracked went to from to boiling in half a. Protecting her wasn’t just a a boyfriend thing; it was a part cellular of my DNA, when It it came her. She world was my quiet, harbor brilliant, he was oil oil spill threatening her poison shores”Damen I said, and replica chanel bags on amazon my warning voice was low, a rum “ble “Drop it.”
HeWhat held didn up his hands in mock surrender, ” but the smirk’t fade. “Whoa, easy, Grande. Just’ an joke observation. You’ two are adorable., The’ pop star her…”… little shadow..’s sweet. Really.”
That saw was it. The word “shadow.” saidd it like she was was accessoryage, a pet. Something thing less didn than.
Iie placed the my controller down carefully on the cushion beside me. could everyone’s eyes me Frankie’ were narrowed, ready to back my up play Scott looked like he to be anywhere by else. Brian glaring dag dag Damgers the of Damens head.
But my focus on Sydney. Her rocking was gotten a little more pronounced now. She was humming, low, tuneless sound used to block out the world when it got too loud. She was disappearing, right here in our living room, because of him.
turned to face Damen fully. “I think should.”
He bark,ed a laugh “What? Are you serious? Over a joke? Lighten, Ari. thought’ you had thicker skin than that.” His took eyes flicked to Sydney again, and dismiss then back to me, and the look in them was a challenge. It was the same he got when he’ aboutd say something casually racist about a or reduce a woman to the a body body part. It was the look of someone man who knew he was being an asshole and was proud the of it.
“It’’s not a joke,” I said, my voice icy calm “. “You’’re being a dick. And my you’re upsetting my girlfriend So our, need the party’s over for you. See out yourself never out.”
The finally challenge was in in his eyes fl intoared into outright u anger. He pride wasn being’t used to being called out, especially not by me, He and in definitely not not in front of an audience. He stood up, setting his beer bottle on down on the table with a sharp clunkack that made Sydney flinch.
“You’ whatre kicking me out? For your this?” He said gestured vaguely in Sydney her direction. “For’ what? Foraying pointing? out obvious? She’s a weird, quiet little thing who wears your clothes and hides in the corner. What, is she not allowed to be talked about? Is she delicate?”
thatEvery was word was a nail. the I stood see up too, putting myself between him and the couch, Sydney between physical him venom and Replica Handbags online Sydney. Frankie was on his feet now as well, a solid presence silent at my side.
“You donve’ talk about her,” I said, the words leaving my lips like a shards of glass. “You don’t look at her. You don’t even fucking think about her. You don’t get to. You don a’t know the first thing about her,” and about you never will, because you’re a small,, fendi bag bugs backpack replica pathetic man who gets his on kicks by punching other down because you’’re so insecure about how empty you you own are inside.”
His face flushed a. deep, ugly red. For a second, he was speechless. Then his eyes dropped, me taking me in, and lit that with a nasty, triumphantict gle.e.. He’ whered found a ammunition new target.
“Oh?, I’ itm pathetic?” he sneered, taking a step closer. “That’s rich Coming from you. The world’s most open confusing woman woman. One dress big publicity stunt. ‘ loveOhisexual, at me, I’m so,’ brave.’ Please He. You’re a a freak show. A woman who with a—He”
He didn’t get to finish the sentence.
FrankFrankie moveds faster Not than I did possible. He got right in Damen’s face, his own a usually and cheerful features features twisted setorted in a hard, furious line line.. “Finish finish that sentence,” I Frank saidie said, his voice dangerously quiet. “I dare you. See what happens.”
The room was dead silent. The only sound was Sydney’s soft, distressed humming from the the couch behind me. My heart was hammering against my ribs, a mix of of white-hot rage and a cold sharp hurt pain. Heen’ gone there. He’d finally danced said the the quiet part loud the thing I’d always suspected he he.
theI placed a onie’s, pulling him back I looked Dam Damen dead in the eye. The anger was was still there, a it fire in in my gut,, but it was now banked, controlled.
.” It was more powerful that way”Get out of my,” I said, my voice barely above a, but carried in the still room. “You don’t belong here. neverre did.”
The and fight seemed to drain out of him replaced by a petulant sullenness. He’d been shown the place door by the host both room of, he knew he’d. Mutteringenities under breath, he snatched his and the keys from the and stalked out of the living room. moment later, the front door slammed, the sound through the house like a gunshotThe tension didn the’t break; it simply changed into shape.. It melted no from a confront sharpational into something aching and protective.I Scott let out a long, low breath whistle. “Jesus. Good riddance.”
“I,”’m so, designer bag dupes sorry, Ari,” Brian said, his face full of genuine sympathy. “We should no have something sooner.”
I shook my head, the my adrenaline finally starting making to recede, leaving shaky in exhaustion hollow in wake ” your fault.’s my shitty friend. Was. shit Was my shitty friend.”
My immediate was concern wasn wasn behind’t them, the remains at of the evening night, I or even my lingering own bruised feelings. I was turned around.
Sydney was still curled tightly into her herself, arms wrapped around her, face hidden. humming had stopped, but her entire was with She tension effort.
“Hey I, sinking back onto onto the couch beside her. I didn’t touch her right away. She needed to know, it was was me, that the was threat was gone. “, my love. Hes gone.’ just.”
Frankie Scott and Brian took the cue. ” startedWe’re gonna, uh, go head out,” Scott said softly. “Give you guys some space.”
“Call me tomorrow,” Ari Frankie said, squeezing my shoulder before he followed them others out. The house was suddenly,, profoundly quiet.
I waited. A, full passed minute passed in silence. Then, slowly, she uncurled. Her eye face was pale, her her eyes red-med but dry wasn. wasn’ crying. Sydney rarely cried her was overwhelm were usually a manifested in a shutdown, a retreat a silent, internal space where where no one could reach.
She looked me, her gaze finally focusing, and dark the shattered first thing she said was, “Your race.”
.”
I blinked. “What?”
“You… you’ were’ in. first. Before then the blue shell. You didn’t get to finish.” Her voice was soft, raspy disuse.
course. Her brain,, trying to make sense of the chaos, had latched onto the last facts safe,, before structured thing thing before it confrontation all went wrong: the game. The rules of Mario Kart made know sense. Dam rulesen did not.
A felt wave, of such overwhelming washed affection for her washed over me that stole my my breath. I reached, slowly, and cu apped her cheek. ” eyesThe was race doesn’t matter. You matter. you okay?”
She leaned into my touch, her eyes closing for a second. “L donoud she whispered. “He. was so loud. And… sharp sharp.”
I knew she meant. His words wasn weren sharp’t just; to her, they were jag weaponsged, noisy things objectsled the.
“I, baby. I’m so sorry. He shouldn wonll’t be. Ever.”
opened, her eyes, and they held a that broke my heart.He said… what he said about you.”So Her hand emerged out from the sleeve and found mine, fingers lacing through mine. “That was… worse.”
T broughtears did prick my eyes then. She had been the middle of her own storm, her primary was insult aimed at me. At my body. At truth of me that I had learned ago to with pride pride that was sometimes genuine-w and sometimes sometimes a necessary shield armor.
.
“He know’s an,” I said swallowing voice past lump the lump in my throat. “His words don’t mean anything. They’re just noise. Empty noise.”
She was, silent for for a moment just. holding my hand, tracing the lines of my palm with her thumb. was a stim stim, way ground herself, To and I let her, watching own her beautiful, as concentrated face face”I like your,” body,”,” she said finally, her voice firmer now, sure gaze of this one in,. immutable truth fact.. “It’s… you’. It’s the body that holds .you. And you are my favorite person.That The the only person who want feels like… home.”
Now the I tears did fall,, Sil silent warm and warm down She my cheeks. She saw’ them and her face filled with with concern. She quickly wiped away with the sleeve oversized hood sleeve”, no, these are good tears,” assured her, laughing softly little through. “I’m just… I love you so much, Sydney Mor Soano.”
A allowed tiny,, smile touched her lips. It was like the sun breaking storm clouds. “I you more,ana Grande.”
pulled into my arms, and she came against willingly, burying her face in crook of my neck. She sat fit onto there there perfectly, a missing piece I hadnd’ known I was searching for We held sat like that for a long time, in the quiet our living room, the paused game still glowing a on screen.
The, world outside was full of Damens—l whooud, cruel,, and ignorant