How to love a devil

blackness.

WUM!

Wow, lucky again! That shot almost got me!

We long-distance players are back on the delimited practice area in front of the Brawl Stars Hero Academy, practicing our skills with a paint bag battle. I'm wearing my gray stuff again, you can still see the pink Bullseye stain, but today we're using orange paint.

I'm not so focused today. I'm excited because I'm going to take a botany test later, overexcited because I found a Poco guitar string, and pensive about Edgar.

Now that we both work in the gift shop, I see him a lot more. He's always on the move between the delivery point and the warehouse while I'm busy in the store, but we take breaks together and we also go from school to the gift shop together when we're off at the same time. While still not very talkative, he is a good listener.

Of course, by now I've secretly taken a picture of him and stuck it in my book for his signature, along with a thread from his scarf, which I plucked off during alchemy class.

I also managed to arouse even more emotions in him. In this week alone, I've had a frown, a blink of an eye, a look of disgust, and almost a laugh.

That's when I was mimicking a move Piper made and fell into our stuffed animal display. He almost had a note out before he managed to put his hand over his mouth and fish me out.

The day after tomorrow the gift shop is throwing a party in honour of Lola, the new brawler. She was a tour guide in Brawlywood for a long time until she passed the brawler- and film-actress-exams and completed her first major film. I can't wait to see when they release it, I absolutely must see it!

Despite my mental absence, I manage to dodge the many paint bags and meet almost as many other players. Finally only Penny and I are in the game, in a real match it would be a showdown and here Penny cannot activate her cannon. I quickly dodge all her shots, then sprint forward and throw my paint bags at her. Clicked! Missed! I quickly distance myself again and duck behind a bush. I can make out nine people at the fence.

Wait, nine people? We were only ten and Penny and I are still here!

There she is already, not that far away from me. I jump from my cover, aim, shoot, and hit!

"Woo-hoo!" I cheer and run to Penny to help her up, because my shot must have been so unexpected that it threw her to the ground.

Thunderous applause and cheers break out behind me, I turn to the fence again to count the people there again. Yes, there are actually nine, everyone else who played along - and Edgar! He waves to me! No wait, his scarf is waving at me. Is that intentional or not?

Strange, why are my cheeks only glowing? Probably the heat and exhaustion after the game. Surely Edgar is waiting for me so we can go to the gift shop together right away. There is definitely a lot to do today.

-----

Well, what can I say? I was right; it was actually very busy!

Edgar and I had to carry the shelves and displays into the warehouse, clean all the windows, turn the counter into a kind of mini bar, decorate everything and, finally, lay out a red carpet in front of the entrance. All in all, a lot of work that took us several hours while Griff used the staff tip jar, which is his weapon, to brawl in important tournaments. I told Edgar about that, as well as the last sensational attack by Dynamike and Nita's new panda skin.

When Edgar is there, I think I talk even more than usual. Maybe it's because he's just a good listener. While he's constantly trying to keep up his sarcastic emo facade, I have a feeling he hears every word I say.

Tired, I now lock the front door, knowing that the next time I open it, it's going to be the coolest party Lola's-movie-celebration-brawl-party ever! Is that a word? Yes, it is!

Edgar is about to leave, but I stop him with a simple "Wait!" on. Luckily, I haven't stuttered at the sight of him for a long time, otherwise the scene would have become super awkward for me.

Embarrassed, I dig out his umbrella and hand it back to its rightful owner. I can't believe I haven't done this before.

"Won't you need that?" the emo asks me, looking up at the black-grey sky.

"Today I'm prepared!" I answer and present him with my own umbrella: pink, glitter, cacti, and more glitter. Definitely mine!

We both must go in the same direction for a moment, then we part, and I continue my way home alone. Something is itching under my skin, but I can't tell exactly what.