Camp Murder (Inanimate Insanity)

Chapter 6 - With You

"What? They're gone?" Paintbrush's jaw hung agape.
"No, just come see, Painty!" Lightbulb begged, taking their wrist. They obliged, disappearing into the darkness and leaving the other three dumbfounded.

They stood silent; the room was heavy with anticipation. Fan was growing erratic- he didn't know how he'd feel if the Cherries were truly dead.

'If that's the case, nobody can know. They'll rip me in half- I'm too young to die!'

Pressing himself against Test Tube, he held his shaking body. His thoughts began traveling to dangerous places as they continued to wait.

Later in the day, the overcast weather had cleared. Apple insisted that her and Marshmallow draw outside together to 'eliminate, whatever that means, negativity.'

"You ready, Marsh? You're gonna draw me, right?"
Marshmallow covered a giggle with her hand at Apple's hopeful expression. "If you insist. Look this way and please- stay still for once?"

Marsh took a pencil from the grass but was taken aback after gazing over at Apple. If she was being honest, she never really looked at her face that much.

'Wow,' Marshmallow thought, pinkness creeping to her cheeks. 'she's really cute.'

Sunlight streamed through the trees and onto Apple's face. Her nose was peppered with freckles. When the light hit them, her green eyes shone silver. Her head was framed with light like a halo.

As Apple's content smile turned to one of confusion, she queried, "Marsh?"
The unresponsive girl opposite her blinked.
"Is there something on my face?"

'Crap. I'm staring.'

Marsh recoiled with embarrassment. "N-no! Nothing, Apple. It's nothing."
Apple pulled Marshmallow's stockinged leg into her lap. "Okay, Marsh, whatever."
She did her best to ignore the contact and began sketching. She hadn't noticed herself gnawing on a lock of ivory hair.

Apple waited a few minutes before mentioning it. "Taste good?"
"Yeah," Marshmallow muttered, "tastes great."
"I bet it does. That's 'cause it's you."
She almost let go of the pencil, stunned.

'Did she just call me tasty?'

No, she wouldn't. It took her moments to realise that Apple had no idea what half the things she said even mean. That didn't stop her from blushing like an idiot, though.

"Don't say stuff like that, Apple..." Marsh whispered, surprised when the redhead heard her.
"What? Why?"
She didn't reply. She instead let her hands drift across the surface of the paper, leaving loose lines behind. 

"I wonder what happened to Cherries."

Marshmallow slapped her hand to her mouth in shock of what had just came out of it. 

Apple, however, was unfazed. "What do you mean?" She fiddled with the buckle on Marsh's shoe.
"Nothing. Forget about it."
"No," Apple insisted. "If you're talking about what happened, didn't they just fall? They're fine."

Marshmallow's stomach turned.
'That can't be right. It makes no sense.'
"I think somebody hit them and hid the body on the roof."

"I- Wh-" Apple choked on her words; the concept of murder seemed a little out of her reach.
"I-I don't understand why that even matters. MePad told us they're fine."

Marsh gritted her teeth over a mouthful of hair. "It matters," she growled, "because somebody here could be trying to kill us, Apple."
The other threw her head back and laughed heartily. "Oh, Marsh! This is why I love you! You're so f-"

Her friend was stone-faced.

"...You're serious?"
Marsh fiddled with the pencil, feeling slightly guilty for lashing out. "Yeah. I guess I'm just worried about losing anyone else."

"Like me?" Apple scooted towards the shorter girl and took her free hand.
"I was going to say Bow, but yeah. Like you." Marshmallow let her and Apple's fingers intertwine. She felt her heartbeat increase.

Apple gasped when an idea slotted itself into her head. (That's a first)
"Marshy, wouldn't it be cool if we were a detector duo!"
"Detective?" She corrected.
"Yeah, that. Wouldn't that be fun?"

Fun was not the word Marshmallow would use to describe investigating  attempted murder.
"I....I mean... We can try."

"Great! Well, if you're sure," Apple handed her a new sheet of paper. "I'll take a defective nap and you can write clues."
Marsh narrowed her eyes. "Detec-"
But Apple was already laid on the grass, her chest rising slowly.

Marsh hissed, "You little-" before rolling to Apple and grabbing her from behind. She dug her fingers into the redhead's ribs and tickled intensely, making her squeak with laughter.

"M-Marsh! St- aha! Stop! Stop!"
The pair giggled together. Marshmallow didn't know if she'd even laughed since before she arrived.
She rested her head Apple's back and sighed with the thought.

Apple, on the other hand, was buzzing with joy. The fact that Marshmallow was returning affection for once made her unexplainably happy. She closed her eyes, cheek pressed to the cool grass and her best friend close in her proximity.

Not too shabby.