the vampire of happiness

09 | light bulb

♡˗ˏ✎*ೃ˚ : twentieth april, 23 :;

SHOULD I tell him? Should I not?

"Everett, you forgot Doritos."

Must I? I mean, it can be matter of life and death. The fog was amiable as fuck but who knows what it'd do to my mum if I turn it down. I can't risk her safety.

"And fruit punch too." Raycon pulls a face. "Aw man?"

Raycon has read a boatload of fantasy books. The library lady knows him like the back of her hand.

"I heard from Ria this afternoon."

Or maybe he did to her something unholy.

Honestly, if I were Mr Flecker, I'd keep this one under ball and chain. He has this raw fucking magnetism and a can do attitude. Makes you believe in fairytales and shit. Which is exactly why I feel reluctant in opening upto him.

Heaven knows, Ray has never called me crazy before.

I do so multiple times in one day. "You're insane if you are thinking about it."

"It what?"

"The jelly doughnut taking in the banana."

He corrects, "my banana."

We continue unraveling the secrets of the universe or whatever. Ray gives me curious looks. I swear — if he doesn't stop, I'm gonna rip out his eye balls from the sockets.

"Something's up with you," he's mumbling, oh god, he knows I don't like mumblers. Or coming to the roof when it's chilly. I'll piss, I'll piss, I'll piss my leather pants—

"No, nothing's up with me, what's it to you? You come here to stare at stars or at me?"

"You're acting more pissy."

"I'm just my regular pissy self." I squirm. Celestron cannot possibly hide my feelings, the discomfort, the comical anxiety. How do I even tell him I've been hearing voices?

"What's that deep sky object?"

"What."

"Come look," he says in a soft voice. "Is that a new planet?"

I zone out for one minute and motherfucker discovers a new planet. I hiss a painful hiss, when one of the celestron foot lands on mine. Apparently, the universe hates me. It's getting back at me, for whatever reason, and when I put my side next to Ray's — he readjusts the 'scope, hitting me in that place. The frozen globes—

"You butthole!"

"Sorry!"

So for the time being, our star viewing session is on pause. As Ray gets me a ice-pack and ranch-Doritos for himself, as I glare down. "Are your pants okay, man?"

I groan. "That's a negative response. Do you want me to buy you a new pair or something?"

"Would you?"

"I was just offering, don't count on it."

I exhale. Deep breaths, Everett. If you kill him, the foggy idiot will be back and then at the mercy of loneliness, you'd recruit him as ally.

Also, murder is illegal.

Raycon doesn't have a boyfriend, otherwise I'd just fool him into killing this person for me. Would be awesome. Most of the time, Ray is listless.

As now. Sat on the beach chair by the door, fluffing his blues up. "I am dead beat."

"Wanna crash here?"

"You'd let me?"

Jesus. When Taylor said you got a smile that could up this whole town, she meant this moron. "I mean sure. You did that accidentally, didn't you?"

"No hard feelings?"

I hummed. Vaguely.

He did being me a can of frozen peas. It's all better now. The area... It's not swollen. Do you know how awkward it is to tell your doctor momma somebody hammered your man parts? Very.

Plus, we're doing a silly astronomy assignment. Giggling like girls, munching on Doritos, talking about Saturn's correlation to Satan and Saturday... Usual. Her? She works a fucking ton.

I don't wanna act like a privileged moron and wake her up. I'm no monster. Not moron.

I give the ice a resting, setting it down. For days now, I won't be able to sit okay. All because of Raycon. This bastard—

"Hey Ray?" I say, trying to sound nonchalant as ever.

"What's your favourite superpower?"

He clips his bangs. Looks nice. You can see his forehead now, which is dainty. Well kinda.

"I told you — time manipulation. Haha, you should note it down or something."

Not at all suspicious.

"I will.. what'd you even do with it?"

"You serious?" The change of tone is generally a positive sign. In case of outrageous cases of... Magic. "If I can bitch time, what else is there to bitch about? I'd be the king, the paradox, the person who's got time loops and shit. I'd be so cool. I can get all the cool technology from the future here, within a snap of band."

"What else?"

He lets out a humourless chuckle in response. "What else, Ray Flecker?"

He kicks his feet. "I'd make the red haired woman fall in love with Dorothy. She's a good woman. They'd suit each other..."

"..Like pair of socks!"

"Precisely! Precisely!"

And with that resolution, he eats the remains of Doritos bag.

I've a light bulb moment. Technically, the electricity came from his head but whatever.

*＊✿❀○❀✿＊*

ooh so Everett also has good ideas aka light bulb moments... interesting
— ori