Beyond Flames

“So, takeout?” Sarah guessed with one look at our faces. She immediately closed her rooms’ door behind her and narrowed her eyes at us.

You see, all of us wanted a different takeout, every. single. time. Whereas I loved Mexican, Sarah disgusted it and wanted Chinese. Emeka enjoyed a pizza most, whilst Seden was team fries all the way. And instead of solving their problems like the adults we were, we always held onto our own ways of deciding takeout. It was a combination between rock-paper-scissors and a staring contest, really. It goes like this:

First, you have to sit in random pairs across each other. The next step was to press on the count of three a number of fingers on your forehead, and whoever had the same amount of fingers were paired up. If there was one pair made, the other two were automatically in the same team, too. If necessary, change seats so both teams are on the same side. Then, each pair starts having a staring contest with the person across them. If you blink, smile or move even the slightest, you’re out. Once there are two winners, the rock-paper-scissors match starts. At this point, the losers are sulking whilst the winners are getting more fanatic with the second.

The rock-paper-scissors match ends when one of the two lucky winners has seven points. At that point, it is guaranteed that every other person in the room is yelling at the (possible) winner to pick their favorite takeout, which rarely happens. When a winner has emerged from the almost deadly battle of rock-paper-scissors, the beggars in the others rise. They will beg, plead and trade with possessions just so they can have their favorite takeout. Once, Seden traded her lacy new bra with Sarah just so she could have fries.

Now you may think that it would be way easier if we all just ordered what we wanted, but you’re missing the goal here then. This isn’t about the takeout anymore. It’s about pride, about winning and about good food.

Those were Sedens’ words every single time she had her other friends over and they had to pick out takeout with the rest of the band. Needless to say that her other friends rarely came over.

We all ran to the couch without a word, and sat down. “Wait a second!” Sarah yelled. She sprinted to her room, seemed to be rummaging through her stuff, and then jumped back on the couch next to me, a bright pink handkerchief held in her hand. She then tied the thing around her head, the knot on her forehead, and looked at us. “What? It’s for good luck, okay?”

We all shrugged. Let the war begin. And I was certain I’d win.

That was until I spotted Seden across me. She was an animal, willing to fight everyone and everything just for her stupid fries and burger. I had lost on too many occasions from her and her hungry stare, but this time I was not willing to back down.

I stretched and flexed my arms for the idea, and then sat down in an as comfortable as possible position, crossing my arms over my chest. Sarah, next to me, counted down fast.

“One, two, three, go!” She yelled, and then went completely still as all of her attention was focused on Emeka and his ever unmoving chocolate eyed stare. I turned all my thoughts out, except for the image of the amazing Mexican food I was determined on devouring, and stared with a merciless stare into Sedens goldish eyes. When we said takeout meant war, we meant war.

This went on for a couple of minutes, and I caught myself wandering off in my mind, but I set my focus straight. Seden was obviously having more difficulty with our stare-down since her eye started twitching about a minute ago and it hasn’t stopped. Next to me, I hear a victory screech from Sarah, which meant that Emeka had probably given up. On purpose, of course, but Sarah didn’t know that. The screech distracted Seden for a second, but it was enough as I saw her eye move to the extremely happy Sarah next to me. I pumped a fist in the air, my delicious Mexican food was within reach! That didn’t happen as often as you would think. Seden sat back in her seat, her angry-face put on as she glared at me and Sarah. Then, I turned to Sarah as well, ready for the last match standing inbetween me and Mexican food.

“Ready to get your ass kicked, Holland?” Sarah said, a devilish glint in her eyes.

“Same goes for you, darling.” I said, winking at her. That seemed to catch her off guard for a second, so I sent her a kiss in the air, too.

“Three, two, one: Rock-paper-scissors!” I called quickly, before she had time to refocus. She quickly fisted her hand into the rock, but since I have known Sarah for a while now and have played countless games off The-Takeout-Wrestle with her, I foresaw her move and am ready to beat her with a paper. She grunted that I was cheating in response, and in the second game I was ashamed to say she bested me. This went on for a while, until Seden and Emeka were yelling at us to stop the stupid tie we had going on and win for once in our lifes. Emeka was usually a very calm, relaxed guy, but with The-Takeout-Wrestle he sometimes blew up when it took him too long and he wanted food.

A second before the last point could be made, I threw Sarah another wink and, just like the previous times, it caught her off guard, crowning me the Takeout-Wrestle-Winner. I cried out in victory like a little child, and did my usual victory dance on the couch whilst the others watched in envy. Then, the begging began.

“C’mon Daniel, just this once can we have fries? We haven’t had fries in a million years!” Seden whined. Emeka threw in his coin, too. He climbed on the couch and stood behind me, one hand resting on my shoulder blades which I personally found very awkward. He leaned to my ear, and whispered two words: “Pepperoni Pizza.” I had to bite back a moan, because Emeka knew how much I loved a good peperoni pizza. With a grin, he jumped off the couch, predicting he’d already won. He probably would have, because my appetite for Mexican had been replaced by my beloved Pepperoni pizza, which I hadn’t had in such a long while, if not for Sarah. She grabbed my hand, pulled me off the couch and wrapped her arms around my neck. On reflex, I stepped backwards, my calves hitting the couch. She leaned forward, brushing her mouth over mine and swiftly made her way to my ear. “We can have Chinese, right?” She whispered, and an unnoticable shiver spun down my spine. I started shaking no already when she pressed her soft, so soft lips on my cheek. “Please?” She whispered against the sensitive skin. Another kiss. “For me?”

Seden must have noticed my walls coming down, because she nearly ripped Sarah from me, screaming something about cheating as I stayed in my daze longer than I should have. Seden started a rant about how Sarah could not, and was not allowed to use her sex appeal to win the Takeout-Wrestle. I could honestly say I didn’t mind. It would hurt like a bitch, yes, but that was later, and now I was still enjoying the feel of Sarahs arms around me, her lips brushing over my cheek, and was no where near ready to let go of that image.

“Are you coming, Daniel?” Seden’s voice called. They were all in the door opening, their coats on already as they shook him out of his daydream.

“Y-yeah, just let me-” I said, looking around frantically for my own jacket when I saw Emeka holding it in his hand. “Yeah, that.” I sighed, and made my way to the door.

“You really shouldn’t play with him like that!” Seden softly scolded Sarah, in hopes he wouldn’t notice. But he did, and he also saw the shrug Sarah gave as response, which broke his heart a little. But only a little.

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yes this is a shorty and yes I am aware it is about basically  nothing but enjoy anyway (:

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dedicated to sigrist because I love "TGIF" dearly (: