Chapter 11: The Prank War
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Vapor was in his usual mischievous mood, a glint of playfulness in his eyes as he paced back and forth, scheming. Mira was reading a book nearby, her nose buried in it as she occasionally sipped her drink. Rosie, ever the voice of reason, sat beside Mira, shaking her head.
“Vapor,” Rosie said, giving him a disapproving look. “I swear, if you prank Mira one more time today, I’m going to lose it. She’s too smart for you, and you know it.”
Vapor grinned, already planning his next move. "Don’t worry, Rosie. I’ve got it all under control. She won’t see it coming.”
Rosie sighed, clearly unconvinced. “You really need to stop. Mira’s not someone you can out-prank. Just… please, no more pranks today.”
But, of course, Vapor wasn’t the type to back down from a challenge. He waited until Mira was fully engrossed in her book before slipping behind her and setting off his prank: a small whoopee cushion hidden under her chair. When Mira sat back down, the noise filled the air, and Vapor stifled a laugh, watching her reaction.
Mira’s face twitched, and she looked over her shoulder with an eyebrow raised. “Vapor, really?”
Vapor couldn’t contain his laughter any longer. “Gotcha! You didn’t see that one coming, huh?”
Mira smirked and closed her book. “Vapor, you’re so predictable.”
Rosie, noticing that things were about to escalate, put her hands on her hips and shot Vapor a stern look. “I told you not to, Vapor.”
But Vapor wasn’t paying attention. “Come on, Mira, you’ve gotta admit that was a good one. I bet you didn’t even know what was going on.”
Mira stood up from the chair with a cool expression, walking toward the back of the room. “I’ll admit, you got me for a second. But now, it’s my turn.”
Vapor froze, his heart skipping a beat. Mira’s playful tone was always a warning. “Uh-oh…”
Rosie, sensing trouble, stepped between them. “Mira, don’t… please. He’s just messing around.”
But Mira was already on the move. She quietly snuck out the door and returned a few minutes later, her eyes glinting mischievously. Behind her was a rather large box, and she smirked as she set it down in front of Vapor.
“Okay, Vapor. You’ve had your fun. Now it’s my turn,” Mira said, and she lifted the lid to reveal… a large, frilly pink dress.
Vapor’s eyes widened, a wave of embarrassment crashing over him. “Wait… no, Mira! You can’t be serious!”
But Mira was already holding the dress up to him. “Oh, I’m serious. You pranked me, and now I’m returning the favor. And trust me, you’re going to love this. You won’t be able to escape.”
Vapor tried to back away, but Mira was too quick. She caught him by the arm and, before he could react, she slipped the dress over his head. It was tight, sparkly, and very girly—definitely not Vapor’s style. His face turned redder than a tomato.
“I… I look ridiculous,” Vapor groaned, feeling utterly mortified. "Rosie, help!"
Rosie couldn’t help but burst into laughter at the sight of Vapor standing in the frilly dress, his hair poking out under the neckline. “Okay, I did warn you, Vapor. You’re really lucky Mira didn’t do this sooner.”
Mira crossed her arms, satisfied with her handiwork. “You look... adorable,” she said with a smirk, trying to hold back her giggles.
But Mira wasn’t done yet. She pulled out a small, mechanical device from her pocket—a little contraption that, when activated, caused Vapor’s dress to light up with soft, glowing pink lights and emit tiny sparkles that scattered through the air.
Vapor, now fully mortified, groaned, his hands trying to cover the lights as he muttered, “This is a nightmare... I can’t believe you did this to me, Mira.”
“Didn’t you learn your lesson about pranking me?” Mira teased, looking utterly smug.
But Mira’s pranks had only just begun. She didn’t stop with the dress. She’d also found a few stray dogs in the neighborhood—innocent enough, but ones that were known to be a little more skittish than most.
“Hey, Vapor!” Mira called with a grin, holding the leashes of two of the dogs as they barked. “Check this out!”
Vapor, still wearing the frilly dress, froze when he saw the dogs. His face paled instantly, and his eyes widened in panic. “Mira… Mira, please, no! Not the dogs!”
Vapor was terrified of stray dogs—his deep-rooted cynophobia taking hold instantly. His heart raced as he stumbled backward, panic starting to set in.
“Mira!” he pleaded, his voice shaky. “Please… no, not the dogs! I— I can’t—”
Mira couldn’t help but laugh at Vapor’s reaction. “Oh, come on, Vapor, they’re just dogs! You’re fine!”
Rosie, realizing that Mira might have gone a bit too far, rushed to Vapor’s side. “Mira! That’s enough!”
Vapor was nearly shaking at this point, trying to keep his distance from the dogs as they barked excitedly. “I— I can’t… I can’t be near them!” he gasped, trying to back away, his face filled with fear.
Mira looked at Vapor, finally seeing how genuinely terrified he was. She gave him a sheepish smile. “Alright, alright… I went too far. I’m sorry, Vapor.”
Rosie quickly shooed the dogs away, pulling Vapor into a comforting hug. “It’s okay, Vapor. The dogs are gone now. Deep breaths.”
Vapor’s hands were still trembling as he took slow, steady breaths, trying to calm himself. “I… I hate those things…” he muttered, still shaken.
Mira, seeing the genuine distress she’d caused, softened. “I didn’t mean to freak you out that much. I’m sorry, Vapor.”
Vapor sighed, finally feeling his heart rate return to normal. “Next time, Mira… just a warning would be nice.”
Rosie chuckled and ruffled Vapor’s hair. “Don’t worry, Vapor. We’ve got you. But maybe… lay off the pranks for a while?”
Vapor smiled sheepishly. “Yeah, I think I learned my lesson.”
Mira, still wearing a hint of a grin, turned to Rosie. “Next time, Rosie, I’m pranking you.”
Rosie rolled her eyes playfully. “Bring it on, Mira. But only if you want to lose.”
The three of them laughed together, the prank war ending in a draw—at least for now. As Vapor looked at Mira and Rosie, he couldn’t help but feel lucky to have such crazy, funny, and unpredictable friends. Though their pranks could get out of hand, he knew they’d always have his back when things got serious. And for that, he was thankful.
