Team Blue

8 ; 08200

     "Meow."

     "No."

     "Meow!"

     I turned to the tortoiseshell demon of Hell and glared at her as she pawed at the sofa.

     "Echo, please, she's just a cat," Theron chuckled as he walked past me.

     He was walking so heavily, he was practically stomping. I couldn't blame him, though, I had just woken him up after screaming when Snuggles (a very inappropriate name for the demon of Hell) "accidentally" bit my hand.

     "A very rude cat," I grumbled back, not breaking eye contact with the demon.

     I suddenly felt a pair of arms lazily slide around my waist.

     "Just let it go. You're already late," I heard Theron mumble into my nape.

     I gasped and grabbed my bag, sprinting out the door.

     "Nova, Orion!" I frantically greeted my neighbors.

     They gave me confused looks, but I didn't care enough. I had known them for half a decade at this point.

     By the time I was halfway to my destination, I quickly checked my smartwatch. 9:24. I was ten minutes late. I picked up my pace again and eventually arrived at the coffee shop. I saw four familiar figures chatting inside in a booth.

     Ekon saw me through the window out of the corner of his eye and smiled, waving. I grinned back and headed inside.

     "What's your excuse this time?" Kian chuckled as I sat down next to Anakin.

     "Snuggles bit me again," I replied.

     "Oh, that sucks. She really hates your guts, huh?" Renzo laughed. "We already ordered for you."

     She slid a caramel macchiato to me and I smiled in thanks. I went to lift it up, but Ekon interrupted me.

     "Wait, wait, wait, don't-! Don't touch it yet!"

     I quickly remembered how Ekon had wanted to take a picture of all of us first. I sighed.

     "Right, right."

     Ekon took out his phone and we all pushed ourselves together, lifting our drinks so they could be in the picture, too.

     "Three, two, one, smile!"

     I grinned for the camera and put my mug back down once I heard the SNAP! of his phone.

     "Oh, yeah, where'd you park, Echo?" Kian asked.

     "Uhh... park?"

     "...Don't tell me you walked here."

     I had forgotten to drive here.

     "You spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the exact 3030 Envoy Aurora you drove in the simulation and you still forget to drive it?" Renzo sighed.

     "I'm still not used to driving everywhere! I was in a rush, it slipped my mind," I quickly defended myself.

     I heard Ekon snort and I wrinkled my nose.

     "What should I caption it?" he asked.

     "Uh... Team Blue go!" Kian suggested.

     "Dear lord, no," Anakin refused.

     "Oh, I've got it," Ekon said, quickly typing on his phone. "Done, it's posted."

     Notifications rang through all our phones and I looked at his post. The picture turned out nice, but the thing that concerned me was the caption.

     "Kian burped on my tea again. #pleaseno"

     "Kian, you what?" I cried, hugging my coffee to my chest.

     "It was a joke!" Kian quickly responded.

     Laughter rang throughout the booth. The golden light of the morning sun found its way between the crack of two buildings and shone through the window, bathing the shop in its golden glow. The hours that passed might as well have been minutes, but it didn't matter. All that mattered was that I had people in my life now who I loved.

     As crazy as it was, I had to thank the nameless bald man who was never caught for his crimes.

     If it wasn't for him, if it wasn't for technology...

     I wouldn't be in Team Blue.