Day three of studying.
Brains were fried. Patience was thin. Coffee was the only thing keeping everyone alive.
Ci-n was sprawled on the floor, staring at the ceiling.
Ci-n: "I can't feel my brain."
Rakki: "You have a brain?"
Ci-n: "I DID. IT LEFT. ON VACATION."
Rakki: "Can't blame it."
Percy was across the room, editing footage on his laptop. Honey beside him, watching.
Percy: "This angle is perfect. This lighting is divine. I am an artist."
Honey: "You're something."
Percy: "ARTISTIC SOMETHING!"
Ci-n rolled over. Looked at Percy.
Ci-n: "Hey, uncircumcised brat."
Silence.
The room froze.
Percy slowly looked up. "What did you call me?"
Ci-n: "Uncircumcised brat."
Percy: "You—I—THAT'S—"
Honey burst out laughing.
Percy: "HONEY, NOT YOU TOO!"
Honey: "That's the best insult I've ever heard."
Percy stood. Pointed at Ci-n.
Percy: "YOU. SHORTY."
Ci-n: "Shorty?"
Percy: "YES. SHORTY. BECAUSE YOU'RE SHORT."
Ci-n: "I'M AVERAGE HEIGHT!"
Percy: "YOU'RE SHORT TO ME!"
Ci-n: "THAT'S NOT HOW HEIGHT WORKS!"
Percy: "IT IS TODAY!"
The war had begun.
Rakki: "This is going to be entertaining."
Mica: "Very entertaining."
Calix: "Popcorn?"
Freya: "I need to see how this ends."
Edrix: "It will never end."
Freya: "Even better."
Rory: "I'm documenting the insults."
Drew: "New bet! Who wins the nickname war?"
David: "Nobody. They both lose. 500."
Drew: "Interesting take."
Eren: "Wait, what's happening?"
Josh handed him popcorn.
Ci-n: "AT LEAST I DON'T DOCUMENT EVERYTHING LIKE A CREEP!"
Percy: "I'M A DOCUMENTARIAN! THERE'S A DIFFERENCE!"
Ci-n: "SAME THING!"
Percy: "NOT THE SAME THING!"
Ci-n: "IT IS IN MY HEAD!"
Percy: "YOUR HEAD IS SHORT!"
Ci-n: "MY HEAD IS PROPORTIONATE!"
Percy: "PROPORTIONATELY SHORT!"
Rakki: "He's got a point."
Ci-n: "RAKKI, YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ON MY SIDE!"
Rakki: "I'm on the side of entertainment."
Jay and Keifer watched from the couch.
Jay: "This is ridiculous."
Keifer: "This is beautiful."
Jay: "Same thing?"
Keifer: "Same thing."
Jay: "Tss."
Keifer: "Stop."
Jay: "No."
He kissed her forehead.
Percy pointed. "SEE? JAYFER SUPPORTS ME!"
Ci-n: "THEY WERE KISSING! THAT'S NOT SUPPORT!"
Percy: "IT'S EMOTIONAL SUPPORT!"
Ci-n: "THAT'S NOT HOW SUPPORT WORKS!"
Percy: "IT IS TODAY!"
The insults continued.
Ci-n: "AT LEAST I DON'T WEAR SCARVES INDOORS!"
Percy: "SCARVES ARE FASHION!"
Ci-n: "THEY'RE ACCESSORIES FOR PEOPLE WHO CAN'T ACCESSORIZE!"
Percy: "THAT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE!"
Ci-n: "IT DOESN'T HAVE TO! I'M ON A ROLL!"
Percy: "YOUR ROLL IS SHORT!"
Ci-n: "STOP CALLING ME SHORT!"
Percy: "STOP BEING SHORT!"
Ci-n: "I CAN'T CONTROL MY HEIGHT!"
Percy: "SKILL ISSUE!"
Aries and Ella arrived during the chaos.
Aries: "What's happening?"
Ella: "Why is Percy yelling?"
Jay: "Nickname war."
Aries: "Nickname war?"
Ella: "With Ci-n?"
Keifer: "Yes."
Aries: "This should be good."
Ella: "This should be loud."
Aries: "Same thing?"
Ella: "Same thing."
Ci-n: "UNCIRCUMCISED BRAT!"
Percy: "SHORTY!"
Ci-n: "SCARF WEARER!"
Percy: "FLOOR DWELLER!"
Ci-n: "DRAMATIC DOCUMENTARIAN!"
Percy: "ENERGETIC GREMLIN!"
Ci-n: "THAT'S NOT EVEN AN INSULT!"
Percy: "IT IS TODAY!"
Freya: "They're running out of material."
Edrix: "They've been at it for twenty minutes."
Freya: "Impressive stamina."
Edrix: "For insults?"
Freya: "For everything."
Edrix: "Tss."
Freya: "Did you just—"
Edrix: "Maybe."
Freya: "I hate you."
Edrix: "No, you don't."
Freya: "No, I don't."
Tita Gema came out from the kitchen.
Tita Gema: "WHAT IS ALL THIS NOISE?"
Percy: "TITA GEMA! CI-N CALLED ME UNCIRCUMCISED BRAT!"
Ci-n: "HE CALLED ME SHORTY FIRST!"
Percy: "YOU STARTED IT!"
Ci-n: "YOU EXISTED FIRST!"
Percy: "THAT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE!"
Ci-n: "IT DOESN'T HAVE TO!"
Tita Gema looked at them.
Tita Gema: "You're both ridiculous. Now eat."
She handed them snacks.
Percy: "I'm not hungry."
Ci-n: "I'm not either."
Tita Gema: "EAT OR I HIT YOU WITH SPOON."
They ate.
Rakki: "Tita Gema wins."
Mica: "Tita Gema always wins."
Calix: "Undisputed champion."
After snacks, the war cooled.
Slightly.
Percy: "Fine. Truce?"
Ci-n: "Truce."
Percy: "But you're still short."
Ci-n: "And you're still uncircumcised."
Percy: "HOW DO YOU EVEN KNOW THAT?"
Ci-n: "I DON'T! BUT IT'S FUNNY!"
Percy: "...It is kinda funny."
Ci-n: "RIGHT?"
They laughed.
Rakki: "They're friends again."
Mica: "Were they ever not friends?"
Calix: "They're always whatever this is."
Freya: "Chaotic."
Edrix: "Perfect."
Freya: "Shut up."
Edrix: "Never."
Study session resumed.
Books open. Coffee flowing. Chaos settling.
Jay leaned against Keifer.
Jay: "I love this family."
Keifer: "Even when they're ridiculous?"
Jay: "Especially then."
Keifer: "Tss."
Jay: "Stop stealing my thing."
Keifer: "OUR thing."
Jay: "Same thing?"
Keifer: "Same thing."
He kissed her.
Percy: "DOCUMENTING!"
Ci-n: "FROM THREE ANGLES!"
Rakki: "They're back."
Mica: "They never left."
Calix: "They're eternal."
Freya: "Unfortunately."
Edrix: "You love it."
Freya: "Shut up."
Edrix: "Never."
The night ended peacefully.
Ci-n and Percy sat together, reviewing footage.
Percy: "This angle of Jayfer is perfect."
Ci-n: "This angle of you calling me shorty is perfect."
Percy: "You called me uncircumcised brat."
Ci-n: "Iconic."
Percy: "Agreed."
They high-fived.
Rakki: "Those two."
Mica: "Dangerous."
Calix: "Chaotic."
Freya: "Perfect."
Edrix: "Agreed."
Freya: "Shut up."
Edrix: "Never."
Jay and Keifer on the patio.
Jay: "Today was weird."
Keifer: "Today was normal."
Jay: "For us?"
Keifer: "For us."
Jay: "Tss."
Keifer: "Stop."
Jay: "No."
He kissed her forehead.
Inside, Percy's voice: "THEY'RE KISSING AGAIN!"
Ci-n: "DOCUMENTING!"
Rakki: "GO TO SLEEP."
Percy: "HISTORY NEVER SLEEPS!"
But he yawned.
Ci-n yawned too.
They fell asleep on the couch, phones in hand.
Rakki covered them with a blanket.
Rakki: "Idiots."
Mica: "Our idiots."
Calix: "Same thing?"
Mica: "Same thing."