Inside Out {{Karl Jacobs}}

𓇚 two 𓇚

It was incredibly anticlimactic.

There was a large cheer then nothing; just one hundred people meandering around a red spray paint circle, getting accompanied with their new social space.

"Well, this sucks" Henry spoke, spooking the younger girl as he shook her shoulders, "I don't know if I've got another month in me, El"

"Giving up so soon?" She turned to him, "colour me shocked" her mouth opened in mock surprise, a fake gasp expressed.

"Okay, okay," he shook his head, swatting her away, "leave your weird sayings in London"

"I would, if I was from London" she teased, shrugging. Henry only smiled back towards his British friend, his eyes squinting as he searched her face, probably waiting for her to crack.

"I'm being serious here, Elsie," his face fell back into mock upset, "I wasn't made for the circle, maybe it's time I quit"

Elsie watched, unimpressed, as Henry turned whilst taking a large step in the direction on the red line, his hands clasped behind his back.

He took another step before pausing, turning his head in her direction, but soon turned back again with a dramatic spin when she only shrugged.

One more step and he suddenly turned, striding in the opposite direction and towards a group of people in the primary coloured t-shirts.

Elsie shook her head at her best friends antics, it had barely been ten minutes and she was already regretting doing this with him of all people, but at least she'd never be bored. A silver lining.

Who knows how long they'd be in this circle, some people had already set up tents and were getting comfy; something she should probably start doing herself.

Elsie pushed herself to her feet, spinning slowly to eye up everybody in the coloured t-shirts; mostly ignoring people outside the circle, as they wouldn't really be involved in her next few days.

"Hey! I'm Lola" a girl smiled up from her position on the floor, she'd set up a tent right next to the massive pile of money, "this is Cian and Mack" she pointed to the other two, Elsie smiled before sitting down across from the small brunette girl.

"Elsie" she replied studying each of them.

Cian didn't seem too interested, he was laid back with his hands running through the money, his long brown hair tied upon his head. Much like Lola, he seemed nonchalant of the whole set-up, as if it didn't matter much to him.

Whereas Mack looked less nonchalant and more bored. In fact, he was already studying the red line they were trapped within, surely he couldn't be thinking about getting out already.

"Too much for you?" She teased, nudging his knee with her own to get his attention.

"It's like he's determined to be the first one out!" Lola interrupted, leaning forward with her hands on her knees, shaking her head jokingly in his direction.

"Then what's the point?" Elsie tilted her head.

"Exactly!" Lola backed her up, but Mack only laugh and shook his head, his wild blond hair dishevelled.

"What can I say?" He shrugged a slight twang to his accent.

"Already getting out Mack?" A teasing voice called as a weight landed on Elsies back, Henry soon dropped to sit basics on top of her.

It didn't remotely surprise her that Henry already knew the small group, it also wouldn't surprise her if he knew everybody in the room- inside of the circle and out - as well as what they had for dinner last night.

She'd never understood how he could do it, truly anybody that met Henry could tell you that he'd be able to get the time of day from a mute. It was easier to converse with the short, fluffy-haired flamboyant boy than to ignore him, as then he'd only see it as a challenge.

"Any minute now" he replied, stretching his hands above his head before standing, shaking off his leg as if it had fallen asleep in the last half hour.

It didn't take long for a crowd to be created, in fact, the second Mack got a bit too close to the red line people were already perking up in their direction. That and the fact Mr Beast himself had come over to scout out what was happening, obviously bringing an entourage of a film crew and other people wearing beast clothing.

Mack lifted a foot, hovering it over the red line, waving his arms in an attempt to get the crowd going; which he most definitely did.  All one hundred players were cheering and clapping, including Elsie herself.

However, her eyes didn't stay on the blonde for too long, actually the second she looked slightly past him her whole focus was gone.

There, just past the circle, stood in between two very tall men was a boy that made her cheeks flush just from looking at him.

Although he was dwarfed by his friends, he too was tall, clearly bordering six feet. He wore a slightly oversized light blue hoodie, the sleeves pulled over his hands like mittens. The smile on his face was contagious, and enough to make her head feel light.

How could one person make her feel so dreamy in a matter of seconds and without even looking in her direction?

However, before she could answer her own question, Mack jumped as high as he could over the line, almost as if he was trying to cannonball into a non-existent pool.

The crowd erupted, all clapping for the first one out before Mr Beast turned, putting a finger to his lips to quiet them down.

In this time the two tall people and the breathtaking boy had disappeared, without Elsie even realising which was strange since she had been almost studying him.

"Even though you got out first I still have a prize for you," Mr Beast told him before he started walking away, "just wait here"

The whole group waited in anticipation, watching as he slowly wondered towards a large door, before pressing a button to open it. As it slid up she could see a set of headlights, then the sleek black design of a new car driving into the warehouse, being driven by no other than the mystery boy.

"No way!" Henry shook her shoulder, "it's all your fault I'm not first out, I could have had a car!" He teased, rolling his eyes sarcastically.

"You can't even drive" she quipped back, watching the brown-haired boy exit the car, and shake his hair out before turning to talk to Mack, hugging him tightly whilst talking to a camera.

"I could learn" Henry mused, but the short girl could hardly hear him, she was too concentrated on the pair of grey eyes that had connected with hers.

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Written: 6th October 2021
Published: 14th October 2021
A bit of a longer one