story11111


??   galo!

??   i got in!


She shrieks like a banshee - a sound mitigated by placing your hands over your ears - and rustles around. Presumably rolling around on the bed, which she's always done whenever she's stressed or excited.


??   did you hear me? i got in!

GL   people on mars could've heard you with that volume.

??   then why are you ignoring me?

??   ...hello?


You hear her make her way out of bed and over to the desk. You re-arrange your papers, placing your more important binders on top.


??   you're making me anxious.

??   come on. celebrate with me.


You swivel your chair around, facing her pouting but undoubtedly bright expression. Your lips form a flat line.


GL   hip. hip.

GL   (hooray...)


You turn back to the desk as she groans.


??   i'm not just gloating, you know. i'm giving you credit.

??   i couldn't have ever gotten through auditions without you.

??   so you have to be a little invested in this too, right?

??   can't you support me even a little?

GL   ...


You stand up.


??   i came all the way home, and i wanted to read the letter just for -


You tackle her to the ground. She yelps as the both of you land on the carpet, the force briefly knocking the wind out of her.


??   wh - what the -

GL   congratulations!

GL   you did it.

GL   if anyone deserves this, it's you. i'm so damn proud of you.


She laughs as you pepper kisses on her cheeks, right on those sparkly freckles of hers.


??   st-stop!

??   galo! this isn't what i meant!

GL   too late. you've already convinced me that you're champion material.

GL   the crowds go wild! they love her!

GL   why, i can see the headlines now - valedictorian lee, winner of the class of -


Still giggling, she manages to push you off of her. She gives you a kick for good measure.


??   lame.

GL   sorry for the unconditional support.

??   you make unconditional support feel lame.


They're flutter-kicking you, now.


??   what's next? you're going to come to the trials yourself?

??   cheer me on from behind the film crew?

GL   hmm...

GL   no. i don't think i will.

GL   you'll do great on your own.

GL   i'll watch every episode and argue with everyone on the forums.

GL   you'll see.


The kicks stop. You sit up and glance over.


GL   hey. i mean it.

GL   if anyone has podium potential, it's you.

GL   give yourself some credit.


She sits up, too. Now that the two of you aren't joyously attacking each other, it's like the mood has changed. A temporary high, then a crashing down to reality.


GL   i know what you're thinking.

GL   and it wouldn't make sense for a couple of reasons.

GL   but most importantly, they need competant, likable people for the show.

GL   is it so hard to think that you're both of those things?

??   ...


She brings her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on her folded arms.


??   it's not that i'm... ungrateful, to have made it this far.

??   the chances must be so low.

??   but that doesn't mean i'll actually do well.

??   remember a couple of seasons ago? those competitors became military leaders!

??   it feels like the bar is being raised higher and higher each year.

??   and i'm just me.

??   ...

??   how did... how did i even get here?

??   what were they thinking?


You crawl over to her side as she leans her head on your shoulder. Even if she's the older one, she has a knack for making herself seem smaller.


GL   it's like you hate good things.

GL   you always find a way to turn it around. (into something sad and miserable...)

??   hah.

??   you overthink too, you know. you're just more... neutral about it.

??   i can't help but feel all of it.

??   because i might be right.

GL   not this again...

??   it makes sense.

??   if you only expect the worst outcomes...

??   then you're either proven right or you get something good.

GL   you say all that.

GL   but in reality, you end up feeling the same no matter what. (sad and miserable...)

??   ...

GL   just look on the bright side for once.

GL   yes, things can go a lot of ways from here. but you won't know until it happens.

GL   worse comes to worse? you come back the realm of us normies.

GL   and while you cry and draw your heart out, i'll make your favorite soup.

GL   deal?

??   ...

??   i wish...

??   there wasn't something wrong with my brain.


You give her a smooch on the top of her head, right above that messed-up brain.


GL   you know, it's 11pm.

GL   didn't you say that you shouldn't trust what you think about yourself this late?

??   i guess.

??   actually, yeah. maybe that's it.

??   maybe a moon's in a weird orbit, too.

??   retrograde.

GL   ...

??   i'm joking.

GL   you know i don't like that pseudoscience stuff.

??   astrology isn't a replacement for science, galo.

??   it's more similar to astronomy than you think.

??   and it's spiritual. in a good way.

??   you'll learn to like it.

GL   sure. (keep dreaming...)


She stays over for the night, since you don't want her traveling all the way to her place this late. She goes to bed almost right away; exhaustion tends to hit her after big emotional moments, you think.

As they lie on your bed (you're taking the floor, like any good host) you rifle through your papers once more. Dr. Esenyel loves giving you clerical work on top of research assignments, so a good deal of your work binder is filled with matters better suited to a secretary. Not that you're complaining; his company is strangely scintillating, even if he likes to stop mid-conversation to saunter off and bury his nose in an old tome.

Underneath that is a folder.


??   snrrrk...

??   shooo...


You flip open the folder. It's full of feverishly scribbled notes, based off of the interviews, the articles, and miscellaneous forum posts you've seen online. It also describes your experiences online with one MintTechnician, someone who claims to have intel from the inside. He's become one of your closest friends - Internet or otherwise.

It'd be nice to talk about it with her. She'd tease you about befriending some Huetuber, and you'd retort about that 'online girlfriend' she once made through that art website she used to post on. AnalogousArt, was it? The thought makes you smile.

But that's all it is. A nice thought. Any possibility of discussing this with her went out the window as soon as she broke the news.


GL   ...


Even if this means you've done all this work for nothing, you hope your hypothesis is proven wrong. For their sake.