Alternate Battle for Dream Island

ABFDI 11a: Often Struggling

Pin saw Tennis Ball feeling all sad and blue again.

She already had quite a lot in her mind. Just how much longer was this competition going to take? How long was it gonna be until the eliminations started up again? How likely was it that they were going to make it out of here alive? Just what were the other teams planning? What was that speaker box planning? All this and around 2,763 other questions continued to flood her mind, always battling and competing for her attention and focus. But seeing that forlorn ball all by himself once again, muttering to himself about things, and especially considering what happened just a little while ago...

No, this *had* to be the priority.

"TB, you alright?" The pushpin asked; Tennis Ball scoffed. "What do you think?" He'd answer rhetorically. Pin frowned. "TB, you *do* know I didn't mean any of that, right?" She'd continue. "I even said it back during the challenge." "I *know*." TB interrupted. "Stop bringing it up." "And..." Pin rolled her eyes. "What if I keep doing that, though? Bringing it up, I mean." Tennis Ball seethed, turning to face her. "What, now you're trying to push me away too?" He'd interject. "I thought you and I were on the same wavelength; we knew that this team, this... *group*, they needed better management, better leadership. I thought, with GB gone, you could be the next-closest thing." Pin frowned. "Well, *that's* not very nice of you." She'd remark. TB grumbled. "*That* wasn't very nice of you either."

The thumbtack sighed. "*Obviously* I'm not gonna push you too far." She'd clarify. "You're a valuable member of the team, and we shouldn't lose your expertise over something so dumb." She'd briefly glance around. "All I'm concerned about is... all of this. This whole thing with you and GB seems to be hitting you pretty hard, and I'm starting to get worried that maybe it'll start affecting your performance. *Our* performance." She'd hesitate for a moment. "I mean, you were probably keeping tabs on it, but we've lost three challenges in a row. That's the *exact* opposite of how we were doing at the start." "I thought you guys would be there for me?" Tennis Ball interrupted. "You guys said it yourself, right? Being a leader involves helping others, or something like that." "Well, of course that's true." Pin nodded. "And that's still the case; we'd *love* to help you out with... whatever it is you're dealing with."

Pin grumbled. "That's the thing, though." She continued. "You *aren't* telling us what it is; you've definitely been making progress- and that's good -but it isn't happening quick enough." Tennis Ball's eye twitched. "Well, I'm sorry that this whole thing is taking me a while to get through, okay?" He'd interject. "I thought you'd know a thing or two about that, given how you keep talking to Leafy. Or how you have common sense." Pin chose to just push that aside for the time being. "Yes, of *course* I understand that fully." Pin nodded. "That's my whole job. But just think about it: we're willing to let you take your time, but what about the other teams? That speaker box? *Time*?" She'd look up at the sky, taking note of how low the sun was. "The longer you're just sitting there, sulking, the longer it'll set in. The more you'll have to work to undo it." She'd take a deep breath. "There's gonna be a time where the world just isn't gonna let you rest; it'll keep hitting you with whatever it has, regardless of whether or not you can take it. That's just life. Nature is unpredictable, isn't it?" She'd pat him in the back. "Know that I did all that because I care about you. It hurts, but it's true. We've got other things to deal with, and-"

"I *KNOW* ALL THAT!" Tennis Ball suddenly shouted, taking the red one by surprise. "Of course I know all that; I know far more than all of you ever could!" Pin blinked. "Well, yeah." She'd nod. "Nobody ever doubted how smart you are, but I thought-" "Life has been throwing more than I could handle ever since day one, even before I started studying so much!" TB continued. "I mean, just look at me; they call me clumsy for a reason, you know?" He'd sigh. "I thought following in GB's footsteps would be the solution to everything; I thought knowing what I do now would prove to everyone that I'm more than just some... object used for sport. That I had more to offer, more to show, more to *be*! And yet..." He'd groan. "All this time, all this effort, all this research, and for what? I'm still not *any* closer to anything! I still don't know why I was born without any arms, or why we're alive, or why we all ended up here. And what's worse is that now there's this whole competition thing and that speaker box! Now not only do I have all these questions about the world and how it works, I'm *also* being dragged around by it in ways I couldn't have ever possibly anticipated! I just..."