ORPHANED

:: fifteen ::

"for no real reason dream, did you bring your skateboard with you?"

dream turned around to cock an eyebrow at karl. "i might've, why?"

karl shrugged, "you know, running from the cops together and all i feel like we've really gotten closer."

the conversation caught bad's attention, "cops?"

sapnap quickly cut into the conversation, "no it's just a phrase bad, nothing to worry about over here." dream, karl, and sapnap awkwardly smiled at bad who shrugged and turned away from them. sapnap shot a glare at karl, "could you have said that any louder?" karl laughed, and too be honest, who could be mad at him with that contagious laugh of his.

"what does me having my skateboard have to do with that?" dream dried his hands on the apron tied around his waist. karl smiled.

"i wanted us all to go to the skatepark, you know before it starts to get super cold again."

several questions lined themselves up inside of dream's brain. "there's a skatepark around here?" there was definitely a more important question that he should've asked first. karl nodded with a giant grin on his face.

"is that a yes?"

dream held up his hand, "i don't get out of work for hours?"

karl's smile fell and he shook his head, "didn't think about that."

"i have an idea."

both karl and dream turned to face sapnap who wore a mischievous grin. sapnap walked up to bad and wrapped an arm around his shoulder, pulling the older man into the back of the shop. both dream and karl looked at each other with wide eyes. and the most obnoxious laughing could be heard at the register of the relatively empty coffee shop. dream was glad he wasn't the only one thinking...things.

when sapnap returned not even a minute later karl could hold back, "that was quick."

"he's good at what he does." dream's remark sent karl into orbit, the poor boy couldn't contain the laughter that bubbled inside of him. to quiet his laugh karl bit down on his arm. dream smiled at image of karl desperately trying to mute the laughter that he had caused. dream was kinda funny, only sometimes though.

when karl calmed down sapnap spoke up, "are we ready to hear about how amazing i am yet?"

"yeah sure go ahead." dream leant on the counter in front of karl.

"we need to call in thomas." sapnap said, crossing his arms.

"then why would you ask us if we wanted to hear about how amazing you are if we had to wait anyway?" karl spoke up from behind the blonde, again trying to stifle a laugh.

sapnap rolled his eyes, "no you nimrod, i got thomas to take our shifts." dream turned to karl with a big smile.

"wait really? we can go skate?" karl asked smiling back at dream.

"don't smile at him, he didn't do anything." sapnap scoffed, dream dropped his jaw open in faux offense.

"heck yeah sapnap, my man." karl turned to smile at sapnap now. dream's jaw got tired so he closed his mouth.

"i know, i know, i'm pretty amazing. don't worry there's enough sapnap to go around for everyone." just as he finished his sentence a girl walked up to the register with a look of confusion on her face. karl and dream began laughing again. after sapnap finished tending to the girl he rolled his eyes at his friends who were still laughing.

"karl, why are you laughing, dream isn't that funny. he's never made me laugh once." sapnap squinted his eyes.

dream turned to sapnap, unbelieving. "fart noise."

sapnap giggled.

karl full on started laughing again. the noise of karl laughing bringing another smile upon dream's face.

"wait, that doesn't count, i wasn't trying."

dream rolled his eyes and planted both of his hands on either side of his friends shoulders, staring right into his eyes. "fart. noise."

sapnap tried to press back a laugh and let it free anyway. the noise of karl laughing filled the shop.

"no fair, you can't use the same joke twice, that's unfair."

"i think i made my point." dream stepped away from his younger friend shaking his head.

"sapnap i can't believe you really laughed at that, he didn't even make a fart noise he just said it." karl smiled from behind the counter.

"that's what made it funny. karl you can't even say anything you were laughing too." sapnap accused karl, smiling at the grin that never really seemed to leave the other's face.

"sapnap you're literally so predictable." the three boys turned to see george smirking.

"guys he's alive." sapnap joked making george roll his eyes. dream smiled at the older, he had been quiet for a while, he was thankful he was back.

thomas bursted through the door of the café. his eyes were wide and he seemed to have been running. "bad said there was an emergency?" he huffed out air as he walked behind the counter put on an apron and headed to the back.

when the door closed behind him sapnap rushed "go. now."

dream didn't hesitate to lift the apron from around his neck, he grabbed his bag and his board before the four of them ran out of the small shop. after they got out of The Grind, they kept running, no one knew why.

dream, being the last person out of the shop was the last person to meet the group at a bench where they regained their breath.

"can someone explain to me why we just ran?" george spoke, hands on his knees bent over next to the bench. dream couldn't help but notice the way the t-shirt the older had been wearing loosely fit his thin torso. dream hated the cold, but now he was glad it had warmed up for more than one reason.

"george is that your shirt?" dream noticed too late that the word had left his mouth to take them back.

george looked down at the white vans t-shirt. "yes, why does it matter?"

—

loving the references in the comments, you guys make me genuinely laugh