Life is funny.
Soooooo funny.
NO NO! I'll stop you right there man. Don't worry!
I'm not going to bully Jenna. Not again.
I'm saying it for real this time, Life is pretty funny sometimes.
"Be careful, don't push yourself too much" talking about the worryheart. Talk and she shall be summoned.
"Don't worry Jenna, I'm not that injured" pushing against her constant worrying is starting to be a bit of a running gag somewhat.
"Indeed. Believe me or not. But Ludger is actually made of human flesh, not dough, pretty tough."
I give a glance to my right, where malfoy is. Hands tangled in bloody fur. Arms straining as he pull his part of the boar up.
We're all like that. All five. Surrounding the boar. It's pretty heavy for sure. But teamwork make the dream work!
...always dreamed of saying that.
More seriously though. We're all here. Carrying the dead boar to the outside, it's heavy, but not more heavy than some heavy furnitures would be. I may have overestimated it's weight too.
Annie, who's the only one on none of the corners. Just one the side, helping as best as she can with her small body answer malfoy first.
"Yep, pretty tough." She stare right at him. Shuffling awkwardly as she pull up all while following our lead. "Tougher than you"
Malfoy brow twitch as she look her down "oh you little mongr-!"
ANOTHER FIGHT!?
In the span of a single second. My head whip out. Jenna head whip out. We stare at each other. Eyes widening.
She give me...morse corde? Or mental code? Or whatever. Just staring at them, eyes exploding.
I do the same.
For some reason Jenna is in the habits of stopping small fights like that from happening. She's a softy. And for some even dumber reason, I'm in the business of helping her.
"Malfoy you too slow" I pull back, harder. My biceps straining as my feet barely keep up from our speed.
He stop mid talk. To stare at me, his eyebrows telling me he doesn't know if he should tell me he's called Matthew.
Again.
Or if he should fall into my bait.
"You are the slower one"
Hook. Line. And sinker.
We compete a lot together, he remind me of someone too.
As I think that. He start pulling harder on the boar. And balrow, on the other extremity, in front of him. Start walking faster and pulling harder.
"I don't think so, no."
A small challenging smile spread on his face as he pull, harder and harder, small steps, like a fucking crab. Pushing us closer and closer to the entrance of the cave.
Jenna look at me, just from ahead of me. Eyes widening as she put up more work too.
Stopped a fight.
Made a challenge happen instead.
Her constant worrying and eyes tell me that's not really the kind of help she hoped for but...whaaaaatever. You don't have everything in life.
She worry a lot for sure.
"Fasterfasterfasterfasterfasterfasterfasterfasterfaster"
I give a glance at annie on the side, she's almost under the boar. Practically RUNNING. To keep up with us.
"Ignore the minimoys Ludger, you're slowing down"
Wait wait. I'm slowing down? Crazy fuck. The small comfortable rise of competitiveness fuel my body "Malfoy, malfoy" I pull. Harder. FUCK OFF I'M WINNING THIS SHIT! "You're the one slowing down!"
I don't know what he saw in my wide eyes and manic smile, but that made him move faster.
Don't know why though. My manic smiles are really user friendly.
As all of this happen. Balrow just look at the crazy sight like it's routine.
Yes.
As I said.
Life is funny.
Sometimes.
Annie is being a crazy fuck that manage to make me laugh, and sometimes wonder if she's mentally sane. As always.
Matthew is being a competitive fucker, having some fun fighting and improving with me. Like everyday
Jenna just being an exageradly concerned mother. Stopping fights and maintaining more of a less a sense of peace. As usual.
And Balrow is just being silent. Looking around, and enjoying the sight while popping up to make things interesting, or share his thoughts. Like normal.
Everything is normal. A small routine we devlopped, enjoyable, fun, and relaxing.
So I'll repeat it, Life is funny.
It's relaxing, it helps me put my mind away from what just happened, and what happened before, and even before...
Some talking get me out of my pulling reverie. "You slow looooook ludger faaaaaster!"
Malfoy snap back, looking over his shoulder for a second. "Why are you even talking!? You're not even being useful!"
She gasp and stare at me "Ludger! Tell him I'm useful"
"Beep beep boop I'm a robot."
She snap her head toward jenna, understanding I'm a robot. "Jenna tell him I'm useful!"
Jenna look between Mousy and Malfoy, a small smile on her face, uncertain. "Uh...you're very useful Annie. Don't worry."
Malfoy roll his eyes. All while we start placing the boar down. Finally finished. "It does not count. Jenna agree to everything" he raise his hand and pat my shoulder a little bit.
"Don't you agree Ludger" DON'T ADD ME IN YOUR RIDICULOUS GAMES!
I swiftly dodge the hand, pass between the two fighters and take some steps back, looking at the sight from afar like balrow would do.
"Don't add ludger into this! CHEATER!" We talking about me?
"Cheater? I am the cheater? When you are the one who involved Jenna first?" Ohhhhh some reasoning, that's dangerous.
"Yeah! You ugly cosplay of draco malfoy" But completly countered by the mouse!
Balrow come to stand beside me as he look at the sight too.
I turn my head to look at him "have some popcorns?"
He shake his head.
"Unfortunate."
He nod back.
As he does Jenna come on my right, and look me up and down "Are you fine? You pushed yourself hard on the last one"
I almost roll my eyes. But just look at jenna instead. "I'm fine Jenna. Really" she raise one eyebrow and look at me with those eyes that just scream.
'Are you lying? Or not' and I'm not. Fortunately, I'm not that hurt.
Taking us out of our thoughts though, the FIGHTING forward is getting more intense.
"Children. A litteral child"
"Blabalablabalabla, don't hear losers, uh who's that. A loooooooser"
Malfoy look up to look at us, shaking his head, he doesn't stop though.
"Very well. You leave me no choice. You stole Ludger nickname and called me draco malfoy earlier. Truly no originality"
Mousy stop mid bla bla bla, what the fuck does that even mean!?
"Waitwaaaait so actu-!" She doesn't have the time to answer.
IT WAS A TRAP!
"Oh. You heard me? Didn't you said you don't hear losers, so I'm not a loser?"
My head turn right. "Impressive. Using children tactics against children tactics." Jenna nod at me, a small smile on her face.
It is kind of funny.
"You sound like those guys that explain the protagonist techniques mid fight for the readers."
What? The fuck is Jenna saying now?
Oh right, almost forgot she was weird too.
Wisely enough, I turn my head and look at balrow "did you understood that?"
He shake his head.
Life is pretty funny indeed.
We continue as such for a while, just enjoying our company.
I stand there. Participate. Throw some oil in the fire between Mousy and Malfoy, in the resigned dismay of Jenna.
My body move normally. Not automatically, nor do I need to overthink everything.
I'm just feeling good.
Not angry. Not raging. Nor full of despair.
I'm just feeling normal for once.
My feelings of some minutes ago are controlled, calmed down.
By this, this chaos.
By some talking, a good relationship with people. And some funny people around me.
Jenna inspect me from time to time, overthinking my injuries.
But I let her prod me around. Don't know why, but I let her for some reason, she's just concerned, that's fine.
I turn back to balrow from time to time to spice things up, and avoid any of the crazyness around too.
Life is funny. Life is good.
A small smile is on my face. Pretty much constantly. And even if I barely think about it, I know this.
Yes this.
Is helping me, a lot more that I would like to admit.
They remind me of someone.
Life is funny. Life is good.
We're all close, having fun.
All while I stand there, benefiting.
All while I stand there, ignoring.
Ignoring the low feeling in my belly that wonder, that suspect.
That's just telling me it's not normal.
It's too fast.
We're getting close, way, too, fast.
Did I forgot something?
"We need to clear your hair."
"What?" I get popped away from this weird thought.
Jenna look at me with utmost seriousness. Holding a bloody strand between her fingers.
Putting my suspicion aside, I realize something!
It's time to CLEEEEEEEAN MY HAIR! WOOOOOUHOU!
EXXXXCITING I KNOW!
LET'S SEE EACH OTHER IN THE NEXT EPISODE OF 'THE ADVENTURE OF LUDGER THE SMART COOKIE' FOR SOME....HAAAAAAIR CLEAAAAAANING!
.....the forced excitement doesn't work.
It stay there, low in my gut. A strand of thought, a small detail, just like my shoes helped me to figure out my title mind control.
Am I forgetting something?