Skyline Gang

Chapter 21

Pip had the right idea to offer those headphones.

Even if Bud was playing alone, the other games still had loud music and sound effects. Yes, he had been around the area during his investigations, but that was only for a minute. He was staying here longer than that. When he started to feel overwhelmed by the sound, he chased down Pip to request the headphones. Once he had them, he synced it up with his phone via Bluetooth. Instead of blearing music and obnoxious sounds effects, he was peacefully listening to classical music to keep him calm. It did the job perfectly. It allowed Bud to focus on the games he played without any problems. Dude offered to stay close in case anything happened and he needed help. Rainbow was pretty much glued to Bud's hip, remaining as loyal as ever. He was ready to step up if Bud had another meltdown. So far, everything was okay.

After Bud started a different game, Mimi found Dude just a few ft away from him. She hadn't heard from either of them for a while, so she felt the need to check up on things.

"How's he doing?" She asked, giving a small smile.

"Better than earlier." Dude smiled back. He broke into a small grin. "Don't tell Pip this, but he's beaten all of her high scores."

"I won't tell if you won't." Mimi grinned back. She observed a little more, taking note of how peaceful the air seemed. "Rainbow hasn't left him either."

"I think he's appointed himself as a support dog." Dude agreed, crossing his arms a little.

"Well, who wouldn't want a fabulous dog like Rainbow as a support dog? He's a natural at it." Mimi agreed. Her smile faded a little as she started to get curious. "How did you know that Rainbow would help?"

"There's this kid at school who is also on the spectrum." Dude explained. He recalled the days in class that the student in question would be somewhat open about his autism. It was his own way in ensuring that people would understand, both teachers and students alike. "He'd often talk about his own support dog and even brought it to school on occasion. I witnessed him having a meltdown similar to Bud and his dog helped him calm down immediately."

"Lucky thing you're here, otherwise we might never have figured it out." Mimi muttered, glancing back over at Bud and Rainbow.

"It's lucky that Rainbow is here too." Dude added. In all honesty, if Rainbow wasn't here, there probably wouldn't be as much emotional and mental support for everyone here. Bud absolutely benefitted the most from it all. A part of Dude wondered if Rainbow was trained in being an assistance dog before he came here. It would make sense of some things.

"Are you okay?" Mimi suddenly asked.

"Me?" Dude spoke with wide eyes.

"Yes." Mimi insisted.

"I'm fine." Dude shrugged, directing his eyes away from her. First Bud. Now Mimi. Was he being that obvious with his troubles? "Why are you asking?"

"You just seemed a bit worried." Mimi answered, not fully convinced. Dude continued to not look at her. Just act like nothing is wrong. Try to keep everything together. Don't start crumbling now, or else they'll see every crack on the surface. Thankfully, Mimi was done asking questions. Not because Dude was denying his troubles, but because Bud had finished his game and made his way over.

"I believe that I have beaten Pip yet again." He smiled triumphantly as he slipped off the headphones.

"She is probably going to get competitive once she finds out." Mimi grinned, washing away her previous concerns.

"Is that a bad thing?" Bud asked, his voice quiet.

"No, not at all." Dude smiled reassuringly. "Maybe a little competition but that's somewhat normal among friends."

"Friends?" Bud echoed, his voice almost drowned out by the arcade. The word felt foreign for him to say. He wasn't comprehending anything. He just didn't know how to process the words that was said to him. "Do you really consider me a friend? Especially after finding out about my disability."

"Bud, what did you think that we were?" Mimi asked with a raised eyebrow. "Of course you're our friend, silly."

Bud didn't react to that. At least externally. Internally, he's probably been put into a spin to Dude and Mimi. Rainbow could feel the distress, and gently prodded Bud's hand. The boy responded by a small pat on the head to help calm him down. It was like that for a while, making the air thick with tension. Bud opened his mouth to speak. However, his voice came out as a shaky scream. Rainbow started growling. Dude turned his head, looking out of the corner of his eye. He immediately grabbed Mimi, pushing her behind him. He held his arms out, acting as a shield. Standing before them was Dawn. She loomed over them, making the arcade cold. Even the lights from the games dimmed a little in response to her appearance.

"What do you want?" Dude demanded.

"Another challenge is being set." Dawn sighed, rolling her eyes.

"Wait! Now?! But Candi had already-" Mimi exclaimed, eyes popping out of her skull. Dawn disappeared before Mimi could say anymore. The three teenagers stood still, drinking in what just happened. Dawn was taking things in a drastic direction. She was becoming impatient. She was starting to get desperate because she was losing. She was at a huge disadvantage. Even if this challenge was won by her, she won't be able to win. Her chances were impossible at this point. She could just let everyone go home. Why can't she just do that already?

"It's all wrong again..." Bud muttered, his hands shaking. Rainbow nudged his hand, already sensing a meltdown that was erupting.

"Are you going to be okay?" Dude asked calmly, forgetting his previous anger. Bud only patted Rainbow's head to calm down. He appeared pale among the various lighting in the arcade. He looked like he was ready to go to his safe space. However, he had a feeling that even if Dawn was aware about his autism, she wouldn't allow him to do so.

"Don't worry, Bud!" Mimi smiled encouragingly. Bud looked up at her, still looking anxious. "If you need calming down and such, Rainbow will be right there. Right, Rainbow?" Rainbow wagged his tail and barked in response to that. Bud patted Rainbow again, becoming more relaxed. This was unavoidable now, but at least there was going to be someone to help with his meltdown.

"I suppose you're right." He muttered again. Dude smiled a little and gestured for Bud and Rainbow to walk in the front. They slowly started to head out of the arcade, the tension and anxiety looming over Bud like a dark cloud. However, he tried to think of how he can calm down on the way there. Einstein, Pi, chemical formulas came to mind which helped a little. Rainbow was the biggest source of comfort out of all of that. As he calmed down, only one more distressing thought entered his mind.

Time for another round.