Nega Scott takes on (the world!)

5. It's a Date? Hell No!

Negascott stepped out of the Chruch with a sigh, he held the door open for Ramona out of respect. "I'm more annoyed than depressed after that, you want to get something to eat? Unless you're working on a Saturday."

Ramona chuckles. "You did not just ask me out on a date after a funeral."

Negascott's eyes widened, and he groaned in dismay. "What?? No! The last thing I need right now is a girlfriend. I was thinking like fast food anyway, the least romantic thing possible."

Ramona shrugged with a slight smile. "Sure, why not." the two of them began walking.

"You sure are bundled up, I guess it is winter, but people around here to my knowledge don't usually go around wearing facemasks?" Ramona comments, her step almost in sync with Negascott's. 

"About that..." Negascott debated with himself if he should show her his face or not. Should he? I mean it seems like things are less embarrassing between them, and if he stays living with Wallace... he'll have to show some people at some point anyway. Fine, He'll do it. "Uhm, don't freak out, okay?"

Negascott slipped his beanie and facemask off. Ramona looked at him in surprise. "Scott...?"

"No, not Scott, I'm like, his shadow. His doppelganger. This is probably a lot to process, but I'm very serious. I am NOT  Scott." He affirms adamantly. Right now being compared to Scott was the last thing he wanted.

Ramona just stood there for a second. Was he lying? He looked a lot like Scott, besides a few things. Did Scott fake his own death? Why would he? Did Scott come back to life like in a bad horror movie? Why should she take this guy's word for it that he isn't Scott? She just sat there in awe before speaking up. 

"You're joking...?"

"I'm serious!" Negascott protests. "I don't know how to prove it... unless... well Wallace knows at least. He'll confirm if you can't trust what I say."

Ramona sighs, mostly just to herself. She then shook her head. "No no... I'll take your word for it. I'll just... make my own judgement if things don't add up, alright?"

Negascott let out a sigh of semi-relief.

"Thanks, I guess, let's get going, I'm hungry as fuck." Negascott put his beanie and facemask back up and started walking down the road.

"In that case, I'm not taking you to a fast-food place, we can go to an actual restaurant alright? I'll pay." Ramona offered, and Negascott didn't care to refuse so he nodded in response.

"Hell yeah, thanks a lot Ramona."  Negascott smiled under his face-mask.

Ramona took a note of this, he certainly didn't speak like Scott, so she decided she would take his word for it then that he wasn't Scott.

"So what's your real name?" Ramona asked curiously. "Because knowing what you told me it's definitely not Nougat."

"Ughhh, it's Negascott, that fuckin'... Scott named me that. Like I said I'm the basically the personification of all his insecurities and all the bad things he's done. I guess I was that for a long time. Just till the night after yours and his little date" He groaned, putting date in air quotes.

"Wait, so you know what happened?" Ramona's eyes widen in realization.

"I remember everything Scott remembers, I mean, it's a bit fuzzy but if I try, I can remember it. And that memory is fresh, especially since that was the night I came into this world." Negascott proudly pointed to himself as he thought back to his escape of Scott's mind.

"Thats not exactly what I was asking, I meant... why did he run away that night, what really happened?" Ramona presses in concern.

"HA no, he was just feeling insecure, the bum would rather face a blizzard than the chance of you thinking less of him for the way he acts," Negascott rolls his eyes at the memory, continuing to walk down the road casually.

Ramona lets this set in before asking another question. "How are you the personification of all the things wrong with him? I've only known you for a few hours but... you really don't seem that bad."

"Well, I'm not REALLY the personification of all the things wrong with him, I'm more like what he thinks he would be like if he was bad. Or maybe just the polar opposite of him. I know it's one of those. In the end I'm just what he projected onto. I've seen every screw-up, every lie, and every shitty thing he's done. I guess it's natural for me to want to be better than him when I get a life of my own." Negascott explained, walking into the restaurant with her. "Eh, I don't really want to talk about my past anymore."

Ramona chuckles and shakes her head. "That's fine, I get that."

Both began to order and Negascott began to talk again while they waited for the food. "So, what's this whole sub-space thing about? Is it about sandwiches?"

"Oh that? It's just something my college roommate taught me. It's fast travel I guess, people have highways running through their head, some are way more convenient than others, like Scott's was, but I guess I won't be seeing it now that he's gone."

"So that's why you were always in our dreams! I thought he just saw you somewhere and became obsessed or something dumb like that."

"Wait you share dreams with him?"

"Well, shared. I would always be chained to him in the dreams. Anyways, I guess this means your little shortcut still exists. Guess that'll make your job easier again." At this point both of their food came to the table and Negascott began poking at his.

Ramona hummed to herself and then spoke up with another question. "Are you... going to stick around Toronto? Maybe you'd like to show me around."

Negascott replied with a little "mhm" and then pulled his facemask down. "Hope nobody recognizes me here. People usually go home after funerals, right?" He began to bite into his food.

"Probably... but I haven't been to many funerals that I can remember." Ramona replied, taking a drink of her water.

"Aw cool, I don't like wearing this dinky little hat." Negascott pulled off his beanie as well, his hair all messed up from it causing Ramona to chuckle a bit at him.

After devouring his food, he sat back up.

"You sure dye your hair a lot" He suddenly said with a stupid grin. "Er, not that I think that it's weird, it's pretty!" he nervously added on at the last second.

"You sure you aren't flirting with me?" Ramona playfully asks.

"Uh, NO! Can't a guy compliment a girl without it being flirting?" Negascott groans. "Let's change the subject, did you know that... I can play Bass? I have all the skills Scott did!" 

"I did go to his band's performance, so yes. Sorry." Ramona giggles.

"Aww damn! Well, I guess there goes that talking point. I'm gonna head out anyway, it was nice talking to you Ramona, I guess we're friends then?" Negascott says, one foot out the door.

"Sure, friends."