Same Time

four.

j a i m e e

+

I stand with my head in my hands, "Wow. I don't know what to say."

"Mhm." Libbie hums, her arms crossed. "What an achievement, Ward. I'm speechless."

"Come on, guys." Taylor moans, huffing. "It's an improvement!"

"You burnt it again." I deadpan, eyes narrowing.

"But," Taylor says, "It's not as bad as the first time!"

"You've said that the past five times." I exclaim, pointing to my trash can that was practically filled to the rim.

"You've actually done it." Libbie sighs, pinching her nose with her thumb and index finger. "You managed to mess up toast. Who can't make toast?"

"Obviously me!" Taylor shouts exaggeratedly, "Right I give up. I'm done. Why am I even friends with you guys?"

"God, go cry somewhere else." Libbie kisses her teeth, rolling her eyes at him as she grabs a chocolate bar and goes over to the couch.

"Shut the fuck up, Elizabeth." Taylor shouts. I suck in a breath at his words. Libbie despises her birth name, having literally given every boy in 4th grade a bloody nose for calling her anything but Libbie. It's the one thing that I've ever seen her get truly angry about, and was the exact reason why she legally changed her first name to Libbie the moment she turned 18.

"What did you just say?" She asks slowly, dangerously. After a few moments of tense silence, she collapses down onto my couch and shakes her head, "I can't. I can't do this anymore."

She continues once Taylor's confusion was made apparent.

"I can't speak to you when you're so emotional. Is it that time of the month again?"

Red heat travels up Taylor's cheeks and I could tell he was trying to stop himself from reacting like a typical man who was suffering from a masculinity crisis.

"You're so cute when you get angry." She coos. He just sends her a glare, his mouth opening and closing with no words coming out. "Calm down, Ward. You're not a fish."

"Can we just go and get food seen as Taylor messed up my kitchen?" I complain, nose curling as the burning smell literally stains my entire senses. "I'm hungry."

"Fine." Taylor huffs, "Seen as you can't appreciate my cooking, we'll go to the diner."

Libbie holds her hands up, shaking her head before Taylor even finishes speaking. "No. I'm on a diet."

"Libbie, eating a diet that is solely carbs is not a diet. You can't just eat fries for the rest of your life."

"I can try!" She exclaims, offended. "You don't understand! If I eat any more chicken, I'll actually turn into a chicken nugget."

"God we can only dream. At least chicken nuggets can't talk." Taylor mutters under his breath. I'm almost certain that he hadn't intended for us to hear him but we do, Libbie's face turns red with anger as I try to physically stop myself from laughing aloud.

+++

"This is incredibly stupid." I state. "Like completely crazy."

"I agree." Libbie nods her head, eyes wide. "100%"

"Bordering insane." Taylor grunts.

"You guys ready?" I lift my eyes up from the plate of chicken wings, eyeing my best friends readily.