Bell was out on her own, minding her own business; the last thing she wanted was anyone repeatedly asking the obvious questions about her string.
Just as she was *about* to finally feel at peace, in harmony with the world despite the constant battling and arguing throughout it, a giant avalanche suddenly started making its way down, headed straight for her; the moment Snowball got too close for comfort, she'd immediately swing away. The same thing would happen as soon as he took another step closer. And another. And another.
Snowball got tired of the shenanigans immediately and folded his arms. "What?" He'd angrily ask. "*What*?" Bell looked at him as well. "*What*?" Snowball reiterated. "Can a guy *not* hang around with his pals in his team anymore?" "Can a gal *not* be harassed about the same thing every day?" Bell groaned. "What're you even talking about?" Snowball replied. "Is it suddenly not allowed to go to you, or something?" Bell grumbled; that lump of snow really wasn't the brightest. "You *can*." She replied. "It's just-" Snowball then immediately took another step forward, and she'd then travel a few dozen feet. "*WHAT*?" Snowball shouted. "You *CAN*!" Bell shouted back. "It's just that you're not allowed to if you're *clearly* up to some funny business!" "Funny business?" Snowball grew irate. "The only funny business going on around here is from you; why do you keep going away?" Bell groaned again. "The only time you ever talk to me outside of challenges is to ask me about the obvious questions!" She'd finally explain. "Oh, what's your string attached to? How long is it? How high up does it go? Can I climb it? Can *we* climb it? The answer is the same each time!" "Which is?" Snowball asked. "NO!" Bell shouted. "YOU CAN'T!" The ball of snow raised an eyebrow. "Your string's attached to... 'no, you can't'?"
Bell sighed. "YOU GET THE POINT!" She'd march (well, float; whatever it's called) on over to Snowball. "You can come over, we can talk, just *don't* even *think* about it!" She'd take a deep breath. "Now, is *that* all you wanted to come here for?"
There was a tense few seconds of silence; Snowball folded his arms, sighing. "What's even the big deal?" He'd ask. "Why don't you like others to ask about your string." "Because I just don't like it!" Bell answered. "It's a part of my body; how would *you* like it if someone started tugging your arm around like it was nothing?" "I wouldn't let them." Snowball answered. "I'd just punch them immediately." "EXACTLY!" Bell shouted. "How do you think *I* feel about it? So stop!" "Yeah, but..." Snowball took a moment to let the gears start turning his head. Slowly. Ever so slowly. "Like, why not *us*? We're your teammates; can't we get a pass?" "Are you *KIDDING*?" Bell shouted. "NO! None of you get a pass! Nobody! I don't want anybody asking me about my string, and that's final!" Snowball sighed. "Alright, alright. Sure. Whatever." He'd scoff. "No climbing up your string. Got it. But still; we can't climb, but why can't we ask about it? It's just a couple questions-" "YOU JUST CAN'T!" Bell shouted. "Sheesh, why is this such a *DIFFICULT* thing for you to grasp? I just don't wanna talk about it to anybody! That's why!" Snowball remained silent for a bit. "Yeah, but... why?"
Bell groaned. "Because I just want to keep it a secret! You know about secrets right?" Snowball was about to respond to that, but Bell was on a roll already. "Or maybe you don't actually; I always knew you weren't that bright. You don't know your name, or how to act when you're with your teammates. Of *course* you don't know what secrets are!" Snowball frowned. "Okay, Bell, I-" "That's probably why your friends left you, didn't they?" Bell continued her rant, much to SB's frustrations. "Yeah, I know about how you guys got split up back during BFB; word gets around. Sure, it may have been because the teams got full, but *really*, if you think about it, they've had to put up with you for *so* long. It almost seems inevitable!"
"ENOUGH!" Snowball shouted; awkward silence fell upon the fields shortly afterwards. "I know about secrets, alright? Sheesh!" He'd fold his arms. "You didn't have to do such a low blow; that's *not* cool. Like, at all." The adrenaline started to leave Bell's system, and she'd quickly realize that perhaps she *may* have gone a bit too far. "...Sorry." She'd frown. "Yeah, I shouldn't have said that about your friends; I'm sure they miss you just as much as you miss them." She'd look away for a minute, almost ashamed to look at the big pile of snow in the eye. "But... you get it, right? Sometimes you just don't want *anyone* knowing something." Snowball remained silent for a little while. "Yeah. Yeah." He'd sit down. "Sorry too; I was just... really... *really* curious." Bell sighed. "And *why* is that?" She'd ask, trying her hardest to suppress her lingering anger. "I just don't get it; what's so alluring about this little piece of string?" "Well, ain't it obvious?" Snowball asked. "Not a single one of us has something like that; everyone can see it for miles around, and nobody knows where it ends, or what it's attached to. It's a mystery, and everyone's had enough of mysteries as is. If we even have a *slight* chance of figuring things out, we'll immediately jump at it."
SB sighed. "There's also... what you said." "Hm?" Bell raised an eyebrow. "As much as it hurts, you're right; I'm not the smartest. I don't know my name, I don't know how to act. But I try to be better, alright?" He'd grumble. "I've been trying to write my own name, I've been trying to be more supportive, I..." He'd pause for a moment. "I wanted to know more about your string because I wanted to know more. That's it." Bell thought about it. "Oh, uh..." She'd look down. "I mean, that's nice to hear, of course; I'm glad to know that you're trying your best to overcome your... shortcomings." She'd then awkwardly look around. "But seriously; don't. Don't mess with my string, I mean. There's plenty of things to know about that *aren't* so secretive. Basketball knows quite a few things; maybe you can ask her about stuff instead?" "I've tried." Snowball remarked. "But she's always been a bit reluctant. She's always out there somewhere, doing her own thing. Some..." He just didn't know how to put it; all that weird science and tech stuff was still *way* beyond him. He'd sigh.
"Speaking of which." He'd glance at Bell, growing redder. "Can you, uh... keep a secret?" Bell was stunned. "I, uh... what?" "Can you keep a secret?" Snowball asked again. "I mean..." Bell looked away. "I don't know about..." Snowball squinted at her. "You shout at me about not knowing secrets, then *you* don't know about it either?" "W-Wha- Huh?" Bell snapped out of it. "No! I meant... I didn't think you'd want *me* to keep *your* secrets." She'd explain. "I was just... confused. Surprised. Maybe I misheard you, I thought." Snowball sighed. "I don't really know why I'm asking either." He'd awkwardly look away as well. "I guess there isn't anyone else I can..." He'd trail off.
Bell frowned. "So, uh..." She'd come ever so slightly closer so that he'd just have to whisper. "What is it? You can tell me anything." Snowball grew more reluctant. "Uh... I, uh..." He'd start kicking his feet around. "I can't believe I'm..." Bell took the hint and floated off. "Alright, alright." She'd reply. "if you changed your mind, that's fine; I'll respect that, just as you respect me." "No, no, no." Snowball took a deep breath. "I'll... I'll tell you. I just..." He'd groan. "Haven't really told this to anyone else." "...Alright." Bell wearily went closer again. "Just tell me when you're ready." Snowball's face grew even more red the closer she went; she was close enough that snow could brush up against metal if the breeze blew strongly enough. Finally, Snowball swallowed his pride and whispered.
"...I've been feeling a strange way towards someone."
Bell immediately pulled away, giving herself some time to think about it. "I... hm." She kept on pondering it, much to Snowball's dismay; he'd become even more upset when a smile started growing on Bell's face. "*Oh*, I think I know what this is." Snowball grew flustered. "*What*? You knew already? I was trying so hard to hide it!" "Yeah, I knew it for quite a while now." Bell remarked. "Eraser told me about it back when we were still in a team together; he told me how when you guys were still competing in BFDI, you-" "NO!" Snowball shouted. "*WHAT*? That wasn't what I was talking about at all!" He'd groan. "How does he even still remember *that*? That was all such a long time ago, and even back then it wasn't true!" He'd angrily kick some dirt. "I know erasers don't have brains, but I still thought he wouldn't be *DUMB* enough to believe that in the slightest!" "...Oh." Bell dropped the smile. "Then, uh... who is it?" She'd ask. "Hey!" Snowball interjected. "I thought this was supposed to be a secret!" "You're the one that decided to reveal it." Bell replied. "Besides; you don't plan on just hiding it forever, do you? What if they feel the same way, and you just don't know it? You wanna just live with that for the rest of your days? Die in regret?"
Snowball grumbled, still hesitant. "Well, uh..." He'd scratch his head. He didn't know what he was more embarrassed of: the fact that he felt this way in the first place, or the fact that he couldn't even remember the name of who made him feel this way. "If you wanna know that, you're gonna have to guess." Bell chuckled. "Well, if you wanna play *that* game, sure. Go ahead." "Well, she's..." Snowball struggled to recall her image in his head, despite seeing her almost every single day. "She's, uh... orange-ish... got some black string... high-pitched... hates my guts..." Bell fell silent as she put two and two together; it *can't* be, can it? "I... I feel like I know who this is; there's only *one*..." Snowball looked at her, frowning; was it *that* obvious?
"It's Basketball, isn't it?"
Ellipsis.
Snowball blinked. "...Yeah. Basketball, that's it." He'd scratch his head. "Well..." Bell sat on it a bit more. "Why does... she... make you feel that way?" She'd pry a bit further. Snowball frowned. "I dunno either." He'd fold his arms. "I think it's just... the passion, the enthusiasm." Bell nodded. "Right, hm..." She'd think about it some more. "I dunno how I can help you there; I don't think we've actually talked much, despite being on the same team." She'd ponder on it for a little while longer. "One thing I do know, though: doesn't matter who you're talking to, the most important thing in conversation is to just be honest. No point in trying to cover things up under so many lies, you know?" She'd pause for a moment to breathe. "You guys spend so much time together, and you can basically pick any time at all to say it; though, one bit of advice: *do* try and pick a calmer moment. Try not to admit it during a challenge." She'd look around. "Something like this would be *perfect* actually. Just you two, sitting around, talking to each other with nobody else." "Oh. Really?" Snowball raised an eyebrow. "Yeah!" Bell chuckled. "I know from experience that it works like a charm..." She'd grumble. "Anyways, that's what I can say: just be... straight to the point. Don't mess around with it. Just say it, let it all out! And even if they reject it, at the very least you'll know they did. No need to think about it anymore! You can move on."
"Hm." Snowball nodded. "Yeah, that makes sense. I think." He'd smile weakly. "I'll keep that in mind; thanks." "Don't mention it!" Bell smiled. "What're teammates for, right?" Snowball awkwardly chuckled. "...Yeah. Teammates."
All of a sudden, he'd lean closer to whisper to her again.
"I love you, Basketball."
Bell couldn't even process that before Snowball started rolling down the hill.
