AGAINST THE RULES

Chapter 9

Win broke off another piece of the uncooked instant ramen. He sprinkles some of the flavor powder on it and he takes a bite. His phone is fully-charged now and he is using it as a speaker.

The winds and the rain have finally ceased but the ocean in front of him still looked like an angry god waging war.

It was almost pitch black on the island, the stars and the moon hiding behind storm clouds. He takes another bite of his uncooked ramen.

He was bone tired but too anxious to sleep. He would very much like to jog off this excess energy but that would be a death wish. He envied Bright who was fast asleep in the set.

'He really can do everything, can't he? Even with sleeping, he's better.' Win thinks as he takes another bite.

"Who listens to EDM at two in the morning?"
Win hears a sleepy voice say behind him.

"Did the music wake you," Win asks Bright who sits on the sand, wrapped in a blanket.

Bright shakes his head and yawns.

Win pops the last chunk of noodles into his mouth. He eyes Bright, a bit weirded out that he sought him out.

"So," starts Win. "You needed something?"

Bright shakes his head.

"Do you want some food?,"Win asks.

Bright shakes his head.

Win shrugs. Silence it is then. His ramen all finished, he gets the bag of chips beside him and opens that up. He begins to chew, letting the loud crunching sounds drown out all the worried thoughts in his head.

"Do you want earphones?" Bright suddenly asks.

This annoys Win. He left the set to make sure he didn't disturb Bright. Bright was the one who came to him. Why does he keep complaining about the music? Why was he even here?

"Is it bothering you?" Win snaps.
"So sorry, my music is actually cool."

Bright looks taken aback. "I just meant, I found an extra pair in my pockets. If you needed one."
He hesitates then adds. "I should head back."
He gets up.

Win feels bad but he doesn't know what to say. Bright turns on the flashlight on his phone and is about to walk away but Win stops him.

"Stay. I shouldn't finish this big bag of chips alone," he says with a small smile, offering chips to Bright.

Bright hesitates but sits back down.

"Sorry, I snapped. I'm just not used to you being nice," Win says.

"That is a very interesting apology." Bright says with a smirk.

Win can feel his face flush red.

"It is also very interesting that Lord Bright suddenly deigns me important enough for his attention," Win says sarcastically. "Why are you even talking to me? You don't do that."

"I talk to you!" Bright protests.

"Well, there must be some other Win you're talking to because it sure as hell wasn't me."

"We did an interview barely a week ago."

"I don't count on-camera talking as talking. Do you?"

Bright looks uncomfortable and Win shakes his head.

"That's sad," Win says. "You only talk to people in shows?"

"I talk to people!," Bright protests.

"Sure."

"I have a lot of friends! I talk to my friends!"

Win rolls his eyes and crunches on his chips. "Real ones? Like other people can see them? Are you sure?"

"Ass!," Bright snaps.

"I have a very nice ass, thank you for noticing," Win retorts, biting on another chip.

Bright laughs at this. Long and hearty. This surprises Win - he begins to laugh too.

Bright grabs the bag of chips from Win and begins eating.

"Hey! Those are mine," protests Win.

"You offered to share, dummy."

Win grabs the bag of chips back.
He grabs a handful of chips and is about to shove them into his mouth when he notices a spider crawl out of the bag and head for his arm.

Win lets go of the chips and begins shaking his arms wildly. He jumps up and starts shaking every body part hoping to get rid of the spider.

Bright is alarmed. "What's happening," he asks.

"Insect! Insect!," Win shouts, pointing in panic at the spider running around his torso.

"Spiders are technically not insects. They belong-"

"I don't care!" Win explodes, still panicking.

"Hold still! I'll get it off."

Win tries to stand still. Bright carefully steps closer. He searches Win's arms and chest for the offending spider but cannot find it. He steps even closer and that's when he sees it.

"Don't move," Bright whispers. "It's on your neck."

Bright should not have said that because Win panics again. He starts flailing around and as if crazed removes his shirt and uses it to start scrubbing at his own neck. He then throws the shirt as far as he can and it lands on the water. Win freezes. What he just did dawns on him.

"I said don't move," Bright said , looking at the now half-naked Win incredulously.

"That was my only dry shirt," Win laments.

Bright opens his blanket up. "We can share," he offers.

Win blinks. Did he hear right? "What?"

Bright sighs and pulls Win down until they're both sitting back down on the sand and without any fanfare drapes one end of his blanket over Win's bare shoulder. Win shivers.

"You want to head back," Bright asks. "I may have a dry shirt somewhere in my bag."

Win shakes his head, heart still beating fast. 'Calm down, it was just a small spider,' Win tells himself over and over. He pulls the blanket tighter around him, hoping to cover his bare chest from the cold night air.

Bright scoots closer so Win could have more of the blanket.

"See? I can be nice," Bright teases.

'This blanket is magic,' Win thinks because suddenly his whole body feels uncharacteristically warm.