In The Spotlight

Part 3- Easy to Learn, Easy to Play,

Pin had had enough of being this 'petitioner' character and not knowing what that really meant. At about 4 PM on Friday, with nothing better to do, she decided to take action.

She texted 4 (who's phone number was completely lacking the number 4, to her dismay) and the answer was pretty open to interpretation. The reply was in a group text with all the other petitioner people.

What she gathered was that it would be more important the less people were still in. She was supposed to be the person who like, convinced people of things? 4 and X, and also her fellow contestants, across teams. She supposed that meant she'd 'petition.' Made enough sense.

Of course, Coiny had already done her job. The little convention thing (which she recalled was supposed to reoccur, but hadn't, and Coiny had seemingly forgotten about that) totally would've been in her wheelhouse.

She pictured his little face in her mind and tried desperately to get angry at him instead of herself for not knowing. She tried all afternoon, she tried all evening, she tried at dinner.

Her efforts were futile.

All she could see was his subtle smile, hair blowing in the wind, on that beautiful morning. How happy he'd been yesterday, he seemed so confident with those little studs. Not very business man-like.

She had an idea, but she needed to run it by somebody first. That smile popped in her mind's eye again.

God, he was hard to stay mad at.

Easy to call up, though.

Coiny did not much like the sound of a ringing phone. Doesn't matter what he changed his ringtone to, it stressed him out. Unfortunately, he was currently covered in saline solution. After he finished cleaning his new piercing and wiped his hands dry, he picked up the call.

"Hey, you good? Who calls at 9:30 without a reason?"

"Me."

"No shit, Sherlock."

She had a good plan. Organize a mixer on our last 'free weekday.' Everyone benefits. Get to know each other. Plus, it's fun.

The two continued speaking for a good while. About nothing and everything. They ran through topics like a kid runs through candy. Pin, Coiny thought, was something not a ton of people were, at least not to him;

Easy to talk to.

Firey didn't want to admit it, but the total lack of communication he'd had with Coiny had slipped his mind almost completely. He had been so preoccupied with Leafy, and the show, and his parents, and Leafy.

Oh yeah, his parents.

They were driving him up the walls bonkers crazy. His family wasn't super duper close, and they only talked when something important happened.

Apparently their failure son being on TV constitutes something important.

It was really annoying, because he expected a shallow text message saying something like "I always knew you'd make it!" Even when they definitely hadn't. But, no. It was worse.

Awesome. Wasting even more time on your fading youth. One of these days you won't be so young. Can't you give me a grandchild? Your cousin had no problem, and let's be honest, she was never the most eligible bachelorette.

Disappointed in you.

Attached was a video of him, a particularly odd one, with music and a filter definitely meant to look sexy. Although it was flattering, he never in a million years would want his mom to see it.

Those last three words stung. It was far from the first time he'd read or heard them, but he didn't think he'd get used to it.

Maybe he'd just have to win this whole thing. Prove it isn't a waste of time.

Easy to say, he thought.

"Have I not done enough of raising your children for you?" Leafy yelled. She knew it was too far, but in the moment the only thing on her mind was pure rage at her mother. She wanted her to watch Grassy for a week while she was Upstate on some bullshit mental health thing. She was coaxed into it by her new shady boyfriend, and of course Leafy had to deal with the consequences.

There was silence on the phone call. "If that's how you feel... I can get your brother, I'm sure, he's just a whole lot further from where we'll be. I don't want to bother him on a work trip in Germany..." Her tone was somber, and it always worked on her daughter, no matter how logical she tried to be.

Leafy took a breath. "Why can't dad do it?"

"He's on holiday in Vegas. Probably gambling and messing around with hookers and such."

'On holiday.' Her eyes rolled intensely. No doubt this new vocab came from this month's love of her life. Regardless, she probably was right, at least about the casinos.

"And Eve?"

"Aside from the fact that she'd be utterly lost, she's currently MIA."

"MIA? Like, gone?"

"Yep. Went pretty off grid. Not my concern, for all I know she's in Cambodia right now."

Jesus. Typical of her mom to do something so idiotic as to go on a 'Wellness Retreat' when her daughter has so little wellness she up and disappeared. "I can't believe you. I'll do it, but I hope you know you're a psychopath."

"Great, you'll do it. You'll be a great temporary mom."

She face palmed. "No. No I fucking won't!"

"Easy to learn. I did it, so..."

4 walked out of the negotiations feeling like a bit of a dunce.

X kept telling them all of the generic supportive crap. "You tried very hard! Better than I could do, for sure."

But the lawyer knew the truth, and his words rang in their ears. They could've done better. They could've come out on top.

It was just a few slip ups. And now they had less money than they could have gotten.

4 and X walked all the way to their hotel rooms in a heavy silence. They couldn't get the events of the evening out of their head.

Once they reached X's room, 4 stopped to say goodbye. But X reached up and gave them a tiny peck on the cheek.

And just like that, in a moment, they had something new that wouldn't leave their head. From the lawyers, to the kiss keeping them awake at night, they felt they were learning something about themself. 4 added a new one to a long list of their weaknesses:

Easy to play.

(And we're back... Hope you enjoyed this one! I know I enjoyed writing it and I'm glad to be sharing it with you! 1079 words)