Playing Death |ONC 2021 Longlister

Chapter 09

"This is absolutely ridiculous!" a frustrated growl escaped the boy's lips.

"Per se, our management is." James twirled around in Vance's spinning chair, zooming back and forth across the room, screaming once he hit the wall.

"And so are you! Why do my parents even like you!"

"I'm charming, suave, and look," James discarded the chair and took Vance's hand as Vance looked at it in disgust, as James took a low bow and mimicked kissing it. "Which girl wouldn't like that, unless they're not straight of course."

"Well I'm straight too," Vance jerked his hand back. "Do you have any ideas yet?"

James snapped his fingers. "I know, we could write a gay song. Between us."

He winked at Vance as Vance looked repulsed. "I hate you. Then, and now."

James shrugged as he walked out. "Be right back. But keep lying to yourself honey."

As James walked out, Vance chucked his expensive pen across the room and pulled at his hair. "How. Can. He. Be. So. Fucking. Stupid! After what he did!"

"What did he-"

"Do you want me to throw this table across at you?" his dark eyes glinted.

I felt a chortle rising at his absurdity. "Sure but then you can't kill Death themselves can you?"

His eyes narrowed maliciously as he rolled them after a while, giving in.

"Look. I said I'll help you," I pointed out the obvious fact that he seemed to be missing.

Vance pinched the bridge of his nose and then walked over to his CD collection, browsing through all of them, and then picking a hot pink coloured one that had splayed pink clouds on the cover.

He inserted it into his laptop, mouse scrolling aimlessly until he picked a song.

[Maybe if you remembered how we were

Playing in our backyard

Singing old tunes as we climbed trees

What took you away like the

Breath of wind my friend,

What made us seem like the stars

Were so much more closer]

The song kept going on as Vance closed his eyes, sighing. His soul smelt like soft fresh flowers adorning a garden and it shone brighter, the smell overpowering my senses, until James. James was outside the door, breathing heavily. He didn't enter but he could hear the soft tunes radiating around. I couldn't place his feelings soon enough as he entered soon enough throwing his hands up.

"Playing our old songs eh!" he hollered with much too enthusiasm as Vance jumped in fright, shutting his laptop.

"Goddammit!" Vance screamed.

"Now now," he waggled his finger. "I know you miss the old days." James was laughing and saying everything in a sing-song voice. I had to admit that his voice was rapturing. And I knew it wasn't his best yet.

Vance groaned and huffed. He shoved a paper and pen in James' face as he took one himself.

"Ideas?" James asked, seriously.

"We have only done love songs and heartbreak so far, I wish we could do something different," Vance said, looking away. "I've been thinking about this for a long time, and I have different themes, but, I, uh, the management discarded all of them."

James nodded sorely, his eyes darkening. "That's shitty. Well, we should do something about it no?"

Vance sighed. "Both of ours are pretty shit. Are you telling me yours will allow whatever we have in mind?"

James frowned. "Yeah they're both shitty. I have plans to break free from this and find a new label that doesn't mind what I do and what I wear. They're setting up a ridiculous straight image of me and all. All for the fangirls. I assume you have it worse."

James cut his rant short, taking a deep breath.

Vance nodded hurriedly. "I guess...from both of our management, yours is less shitty."

The door opened to reveal Vance's mother, Mrs.Dolly. The boy's mother pushed herself in amidst the mess of crumpled papers and ruffled CD stacks on the floor as she pressed on a tight smile that stretched her wrinkled skin like used cellophane.

"I told you to clean this mess when guests come," she hissed at the boy, gripping his arm tight. Vance looked away, shuffling his feet, and staring at the door.

The mother pressed a plate full of oily and crisp hot snacks the other boy. James gave a full blown smile, his pearl whites shining. "Have some snacks, mon."

Mon meant son. He wasn't her son of course but everyone who had the pleasure of receiving hospitality from the mother was called mon. An endearing term. Just like how all the mothers were called aunties by the younger ones.

"Thank you auntie! You're too sweet! Thank you for having me here."

As the mother cooed and marveled at the boy's pleasant manners and endearing smile, I saw Vance get irritated by each passing second, gritting his teeth- a warning.

"Amma we are working, no? Why don't you give us some time off?"

"I know mone," she waved her arms off. "But this boy needs some amazing food if he's here."

She huffed and went out as James bit into another crispy fried cutlet. "This is good, mm."

The boy picked up the snacks and plopped on his sofa, the powdery remnants of the finished cutlet sticking to his lips as he licked it off and the other boy watched him with the most forlorn expression since I had seen him. It was plastered away, hidden and tucked somewhere as far and deep as Vance's secrets, a graveyard waiting to be unearthed. 

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Weeee another chapter! Vote and comment what you think lovely people!