On A Mount

9

Don't copy, just enjoy.
TAndPens.
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Archie was excited when Leon cheered up, seeing him sad and vulnerable wasn't something that happened often but when it does, Archie always makes sure he's at a top-notch behavior to pick him back up because that's what best friends do, well that's what secondary family do.

In the extra effort to cheer him up, Archie took them both to a cheap icecream store 'round the corner, of course Leon paid but Archie brought up the idea and it's working.

Archie looked at the crowded store, a few people standing in line and some huddling together on a flat bean couch, laughing and talking loudly, making the store even more stuffy without the Air-conditioning on. Archie went straight to the line, looking infront and counting at least ten people before his turn, he looked at Leon who groaned and shook his head.

"Should we just-"

"No, I want icecream. We must get icecream." Archie said.

"We'll be here forever, let's just get a tub and head over to my house."

"I don't want some cheap convenient store icecream." Leon sighed and turned away from Archie, spotting a free booth for them to sit and claiming the spot.

Leon leaned his head back on the seat, some rough tearing spots grazing his dark cheek that he shrugged off. He looked at the blonde little kid clutching a slim teenagers hand before looking away when the teenager stared back at him.

"Why is he staring at us?" He heard the little girl say, she wasn't quiet either, and they were a few feet away from Leon.

"I have no idea, maybe he's staring off into something." The teenager replied.

"Is it because you're dressed like a boy?" Leon's brain felt something hot hitting the back of his head: their staring.

"No, it's not that."

"But then why's he staring-"

"Stop talking." The teenager chastised harshly.

Leon didn't know why he stared at them. He didn't mean it in anyway of her tomboyish, he just honestly looked at a random person, he tried not narrowing down to his colour.

He's over reacting, he told himself and forced his heart to calm down.

"Heyy-y I got the icecreams." Archie slid into the booth opposite him, his eyes disappearing as his smile widen, but that's just Archie. "I got the chocolate, and your strawberry?"

"Coconut but thanks anyway." Leon took the spoon and swirled it in his thick fingers.

"You okay?" Archie asked.

"Yes." Leon felt his heart slow down with the icecream melting in his mouth.

"Okay then." The store was noisy, but not the noisy in an annoying way, it was the overlapping voices of the customers.

"Hey Archie?" Leon adjusted himself in his seat, his mouth was holding the plastic spoon firmly.

"Yes?" Archie's tongue darted out to lick the icecream from the spoon over and over until it was clean, even after it was clean he kept licking the spoon until he looked up at Leon.

"How's your mom?" Archie sighed, he was hoping they wouldn't talk about that.

"Good." Short and simple always ends the conversation.

"Okay, but how is she?" Leon persisted.

"I said she's fine." Leon brought out his phone blinking with missed calls from Ray and Cherry, he didn't want to investigate them so he didn't. He placed his phone screen on the table beside his cup of icecream.

"What about the vacation? Are you sure it isn't all a scam?" Leon felt the abandoned match of his anger get picked back up.

"It's not a scam."

"And how do you know that?"

"I just know it." Leon responded. "Can we drop it?"

"No Leon, we can't. What if the man never calls us again?" Archie innocently took another lick of the icecream.

"He will. I know, he will." Leon bit the inside of his cheek.

"Be realistic Leon, what if he doesn't?" Archie asked again.

"Then I'll apologise and pay back the money." Leon knew a match was struck against a matchbox. "Simple."

"No, it's not simple. What about getting the money and Ray? You know she'll flare up." Archie swirled his tongue on the spoon again.

"Then let her flare up, I don't care."

"Leon?"

"What."

"Are your grades consistent?" The match was lit and now close to a fuel. "Remember the whole-"

"Shut up Archie! Shut up okay! I'm fine, now let's drop this topic." Leon blew up.

"Okay. Okay. Sheesh, it was just a question." Archie raised his hands in mock surrender.

The conversation died, the air was tense, the air-conditioning behind their booth made a crank noise, when they looked behind it, it wasn't working.

"We ap-apologize for the air-conditioning." A shaky voice from the cash register said slowly, his voice immediately overshadowed by the eager voices of random children.

Leon looked at Archie then back down at his empty icecream cup and Archie's, he looked back up with a small smile on his lips. "I'm sorry."

"Shut up dude, you're embarrassing me in front of these girls." Archie groaned out, his eyes followed some college students seating behind them.

Leon laughed. His eyes rolling behind his head and a long laugh escaping his lips.

"Dude-e!" Archie groaned again, his bob-cut bouncing on his head and looking behind him at the girls.

"Sorry, sorry. I thought you like Cherry?" Leon sobered up.

"I don't anymore. Maybe we should just be friends or something." Archie fingered the empty icecream cup and scooped some into his mouth.

"Why?"

"She won't ever like me, what else should I do? Besides, maybe it's better to be friends than telling her and ruining everything." Archie said. "I'm a free bird dude, ready to go for this vacation, come out without dying, and find myself a girlfriend."

"You, and a girlfriend?" Leo laughed again.

"Leon, come on, stop this." Archie tried so hard to look angry.

"Okay, okay. Sorry. So who do you like?" Leon took deep breaths. "Ray?"

"What! Ray! Ew." Archie rolled his eyes. "I don't have a crush now but maybe later, soon, I could get a smooch."

Leon smiled at Archie. "Keep dreaming Archie, keep dreaming."
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