What It's Like to be Loved (Inanimate Insanity)

*3*

"Marshmallow, Test Tube, and Apple are safe."
They all catch their sticks. Apple swiftly turns to Marshmallow and smiles. "Here, Marshmallow. You can have my stick!" Marshmallow collects it from her hands. "Aww, thanks Apple. ...I guess?" For the rest of the elimination ceremony, Apple either complimented Marshmallow or just stared at her. She never realized she had faint freckles. It was just like hers (obviously Apple's were more visible). She thought Marshmallow's eyes were like a trap. She could stare at them, and never take her eyes off.

***

Apple woke up. She found herself on the ground puzzled.
         "Why am I here?"
She tried to recall what happened last night, but nothing seemed to ring a bell. Normally when she wakes up, she would lallygag in the sun. Sometimes with Lightbulb. But Apple clearly wasn't in the mood for that. She rose up from her previous spot, and reluctantly sauntered into the Bright Lights cabin.

When she reached the cabin, the door was slightly open. "Huh." It was odd. She turned her head to check if anyone else was there. No one. She could tell it was the Bright Lights's cabin due to the giant logo of their team on the front. She tugged on her hair, slightly reducing the volume of the curls.
                                 "Ah, screw it."
She pushes the wooden door open and sees everyone asleep. But she still wondered why the door was opened. Maybe sh—
                              "—There you are!"
Apple jumps and tumbles over. Heavy hands catch her in time. She turns around and backs away quickly as if they were going to eat her. "Paintbrush?" She asks. There they were, none other than Paintbrush standing before her. "Apple! You have to return back to the cabin at the right time! We could've been worried! What happens when you get lost! Huh?! Then you'll be eliminated, and we'll have five people left on our team, Apple! Five!" She was to afraid to ask Paintbrush what 'eliminated' meant, so she had decided to ask Lightbulb when she wakes up. It was as if Paintbrush was her mother; scolding at her like a child. Well—Apple had the mind of a child, but she didn't like being treated like this. Like a little kid.

If she was brave enough, she would have yelled back at Paintbrush right then and there. But that plan would probably fall shortly. Paintbrush would get so mad. So Apple nods, and climbs to the top bunk with Fan underneath snoring loudly. She was surprised he wasn't awake starting at a screen. It was pretty early in the morning so Apple decided to rest. She fell asleep, but not for long. She kept falling asleep and waking up about thirty minutes later. She woke up once more, and she was aggravated.

Apple looked out the small window across from her. It was still dark outside. She then looked at the clock on the wooden nightstand. Two-forty three. Apple furrowed her eyebrows, and closed her eyes, trying to fall asleep. But then she hears the crickets chirping.
             "Were crickets always this loud?"
Apple groans. Then she pulls her covers off her legs and climbs down the ladder as quietly as possible. She gently shoves the door open. It makes a creek. She flinches and tries to fit through the tiny crack she had opened. She squeezes through and runs off back to the fields. She began to pick up tulips again, making sure she didn't cut herself on the thorns. She wasn't giving up. Not on Marshmallow.

Apple picks up several flowers, and then sits in the grass. She had remembered when Marshmallow taught her how to make a flower crown. But it was so long ago, she forgot most of the steps.

                                **Flashback**

"Tie the flowers together." Marshmallow stated. She was focused on her flower crown so she wasn't paying much attention to Apple's sloppy one. "Like this? Ugh, it's too hard." Apple complained, sighing heavily. Marshmallow peaks up at her and giggles. "No, silly. Like this." She sets down her flower crown next to her and gently takes Apple's. Apple looks over her shoulder. She could feel her breath on her neck. Marshmallow turned a bit pink, but she ignored her and continued with the flower crown. Apple's had crimson roses with bright green leaves, totally different from Marshmallow's. She preferred daisies.

"And there you go." She places the beautiful flower crown on Apple's head and smiles. She then puts her own crown on. Apple gasps.
                     "It's so pretty! Just like you!"
Marshmallow feels a blush warming her cheeks. "O-oh, thank you. I really wouldn't consider myself as prett—."
              "Does this mean we're twins now?"

Marshmallow smiles at her. "Sure, Apple. Sure."

****

Apple grinned at the thought of them two. And before she knew it, her flower crown was finished. It wasn't as perfect as Marshmallow used to make them, but she was still proud of it.
             "Hey, what are you doing out here?"
Apple froze. She crossed her fingers, hoping it's not Paintbrush, and she slowly turned her head. Microphone.
                              "Oh thank God."
    "Oh, I'm just making a flower crown for Marsh."
Microphone sits next to her and watches quietly. Apple smiles to herself and then turns to Mic. "Why are you out here?"
Microphone chuckled nervously. She wasn't the best at lying.
              "I was get getting some fresh air."
Apple eyed her suspiciously for a while, then she turned back to face the flower crown. Mic sighed in relief.
       "Did you ever realize how pretty Marsh is?"
Microphone didn't really know how to reply. So she said the first thing what came to the top of her head. "No..?" She stood up. "Anyways, I gotta go back to the cabin, bye!" She scurried down away from the field into the forest. Microphone knew for sure that 'getting fresh air' was not even close to what she was doing. She came to a stop and bent down, breathing heavily.

"Nice job." Taco took of her headset and fixed her hair. "However, you do need to work on your lying skills."
Microphone took off her headset as well. She scoffed. "I bet you're an expert at that." She crossed her arms. Taco froze. She's been insulted, hated on, and hurt. But that was nothing close to what she just heard. She snapped. "You are not allowed to bring that up ever again! Understood?" At this point, Taco looked like she was about to explode. Her face was turning cherry red. Mic was trembling, but also taken aback. She'd hadn't seen Taco really snap at her like this. She nodded hastily.

Taco's posture softened a little. She sighed. "Good, let's go now. Chop, chop." She stood up from her tree stump. Mic raised an eyebrow. "Why?" She questioned sheepishly. Taco ran her fingers through her dirty blonde hair. You could tell she was stressed. "Because I'm pretty sure someone heard me yell. Follow me." She ventured deeper into the forest, with Mic following cautiously.

•••

Apple opened the door to their cabin, flower crown clutched in her hand. She shut the door and cringed at the creek. Apple then tip-toed over to Marshmallow's bottom bunk. She admired the way she was snoring. It was a cute snore. Apple placed the crown next to Marshmallow along with a thin slice of paper with scribbled words on it. She climbed to her bunk and collapsed on it, smiling.
                          "Good night world,"

—-

Word count: 1,240

~Joy