Dear DoubleO

Friendly Advice

Beef stared at the text for the billionth time this week. Etho had finally reached out! So why couldn't he find the courage to respond? It had been days since he had gotten the message, and it had wracked his brain ever since. Yes, he wanted to meet up with Etho, of course he did! But he was also still hurt. So, he did the only reasonable thing to do in a situation like this: Go whine to Stress about it.

Beef burst into the sundae shop, despite the sign still saying closed. He huffed and sat down dramatically at the counter. Stress, who was watering the hanging plants, just sighed and set down her little watering can.

"Well what's got your mood twisted up like a pretzel luv?"

"Etho texted me."

"That's good!"

"No, it isn't." Stress tilted her head in confusion.

"Beef you've been moping around my parlor for weeks because he wasn't talking to you. Now he texts you and it's a bad thing?"

"No, it's great that he finally reached out! I'm just... I don't know how to reply. And he wants to meet up and chat. What would I say? What if he brings Bdubs along? It's been like four days since he texted and I-"

"Hold on, four days? Beef..."

"I know. I should've responded. Or came and talked to you sooner... It's just that getting forgotten by one of your best friends hurts. And I don't know what to say to him because it still kinda hurts." Beef pulled out his phone and stared at the message again. He sighed and buried his head in his hands, leaving his phone on the table. Stress saw this and immediately took the opportunity to steal it.

"Wha- STRESS! What are you doing?"

"If you're not gonna text him I'm texting him for you. I'm tired of you moping around here all the time. You two need to sort this out. You're both acting like children."

"No! Give it ba- wait... both?"

"Yes both! You're not the only one who comes crying to me." Beef sat in stunned silence. He should have realized that Etho would come here for advice too. After all, Stress was friends with Etho before she was friends with Beef.

"Look luv, Etho is a busy guy. He just wants to talk it out and remind you that he still has time for your friendship. He didn't mean to ignore you. You know how he is."

"So what should I do?"

"You should let me send this message so you can meet up and talk to him like a normal person." Stress flipped the phone to show the response she had typed out. It was simple, but it got the point across.

Coffee sounds good. Tomorrow 8am? We need to catch up.

Beef leaned across the counter and pressed the send button before he psyched himself out. Stress nodded at him and smiled.

"See? That wasn't so hard was it?"

"Yeah but now I have to follow through..."

"You two are friends. It'll be fine."

"Thanks Stress. I owe ya one."

"Anytime luv!" Stress handed the phone back to Beef and returned to watering her plants. "Oh and flip the sign on your way out!" Beef nodded as he stood and walked to the door. He flipped the closed sign to open and left. He felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders. Now all he had to do was chat with his friend tomorrow. How bad could that be?

//////////////

Xisuma was warm and comfortable. Sleep clouded his senses. Slowly, his eyelids started to drift open and let in the soft glow of the sunlight from the window. As his eyes opened, he saw something blurry in front of him. His frazzled brain tried to focus his eyes, but the sleep tugged at his vision. But something was in front of his face and....