Slow and Speedy Win the Fight

35. Messages

Haresa

I think I got a breakthrough.

I leaned back into my seat and stared at the screen in front of me. I grabbed my glass from my desk and took a sip of water while I processed the information.

There was a company that had purchased Goosette's voice clip but didn't seem to use it for anything. Not a commercial, not to sample in a song, nothing. The downside was there wasn't much to know about the company aside from it being some sort of associate with a big tech company called WebSpun.

"Haresa?" My dad opened the door and poked his head out from behind the door.

"Yeah?"

"Rudra on phone." He showed the phone in his hand.

I placed down my glass. "Ah, thanks Pa."

He handed over the phone and patted my head. I swatted it away with a pout and he left while chuckling.

"Dude, why did you call my landline? I told you I got my phone back a while ago." I shoved the phone between my shoulder and my cheek.

"You weren't answering it!"

I turned on my phone's screen to reveal I got forty-three messages from Rudra in the last ten minutes.

"Oh my god, are you trying to spam me to death?"

"Pffft, always." I heard Rudra laugh from the other side of the receiver.

"Okay, before I even look at the messages, I have to guess... Sheldon."

"Yes, okay, but he's so cute."

My mouth formed a thin line and I scratched my cheek. "I can listen to you ramble but you know how I feel."

"Yeah, yeah, mortal enemies since children. Tortoise and the Hare fable as reality."

"I didn't ask to be branded that way," I said. "And we're not mortal enemies."

"It's still so adorable that the news made that connection though. I can really see it."

I sighed. "Just talk about what you wanted to tell me."

"Mm, anyways." There was a static crackle as he raised his voice. "I'm home alone so I can scream about boys all I want!"

I laughed. "Okay. What's on your mind, lover boy?"

"Okay, okay. I had to tell you what happened the other day since Sheldon visited my place so..."

Rudra rambled about the time he and Sheldon had while I continued to look over my work.

"So, I dragged him to my place then we talked about our exes..."

"Sheldon has an ex?"

"Yeah, apparently they broke up recently. It's why he showed up to school and the bracelet freaked out."

I frowned to myself. That explained a lot. Did that mean he really wasn't up to anything?

I thought back to the conversations we had and I thought about what he had said. Did he have no one to rely on? It would explain why he was so defensive.

Then it clicked.

"Wait, did you just say you dragged a supervillain home?" I asked.

"Oh, come on. He's our classmate too."

I readjusted the phone on my shoulder. "But you don't have any powers, what if you got hurt?"

"Then you can just come and save me."

My mouth went dry. "Mm, I guess."

"What is it? Is something on your mind?"

I stayed silent as I looked at my phone screen. Mia had messaged me to remind me of the weekend plans we had set up. I had forgotten about that.

"Nothing," I said quickly. "I mean. Mia wanted to hang out this weekend."

"Going on another date?"

I rubbed my eye with the back of my hand, making sure I didn't smudge my glasses in the process. "No... we actually broke up over the break."

I heard a gasp. "What? Why didn't you tell me? Wait, are you even going to be okay to go—"

"No, I have to go. I don't want to disappoint her."

"Alright... if you say so."

Rudra and I ended up talking a bit more before we called it a night.

It was just a day I had to spend with Mia. I should be fine.