New Beginnings

Chapter 7

Garu came by that night to make sure she had made it home safe. He sat in her bedroom window watching her sleep until daybreak when he silently made his way back home, knowing she would be waking up soon.

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The next morning, Pucca felt parinoid. She had hardly slept at all that night and hadn't been able to shake the feeling that someone was watching her.

She went through her morning routine about a half hour before she normally would before realizing she had today off. It was Sunday after all and the Go Rong was closed.

She decided to take her day off and go around, maybe window shop a little.

She bumped into Tobe, who was currently threatening Garu off to the side of a small road.

Getting closer, she could hear their conversation.

"You have to stop trying to control her, it's super creepy and doesn't look good on you." Tobe jabbed Garu in the chest.

"Oh what, like it looks good on you to suddenly ask out the town's golden girl? You're a villain, Tobe, whatever hairbrained scheme you've got going on will backfire on you harder than any failed invention ever could," Garu retorted, shoving his face closer to Tobe's.

"I don't have a scheme, for your information. Unlike you, I actually care about her emotional well being. You don't deserve her. She's a pure, kindhearted individual, completely devoted to you, and you are constantly breaking her heart. If she's upset, its because you've destroyed her in a way that not even I would think of doing. I may be evil, but I have standards, and a woman like Pucca deserves to be cherished.

"Now, if you'll excuse me." Tobe turned, getting ready to walk away, but Garu grabbed him by his shoulder, spinning him to face him, then punched him square in the jaw, knocking him to the ground.

"You think you're better than me just because she showed you a bit of affection? Watch. I can win her back in one hour." Garu towered over Tobe, looking down on him with disgust.

"Why do you even want her back? You've spent your whole life up to this point running away from her and drilling into her that you don't like her." Tobe didn't make a move to defend himself.

"Because she'd be better with me than you."

"But you don't like her. The relationship would be toxic at best and abusive at worst." Tobe sat up a little straighter.

"Like she would fare better with you." Garu scoffed.

"I didn't make her cry once on our date."

"She only went with you to spite me."

Tobe was silent for a second before quietly reporting with, "you said I think I'm better than you because I got her to go on a date with me. That's not true. I think I'm better than you because I actually respect her. You just think she's a prize to be won."

Tobe then reached into his pocket, pulled out a smoke bomb, then detonated it, escaping with the last word.

Pucca blinked a couple times. What in the world had she just witnessed?