Chapter 94
A Close Monster
“...Excuse me, could you repeat that?” Lexton asked with wide eyes. “Did you just say that one of the three warlords of Golorath is located here?”
“Well, not exactly here, but very close,” Durge answered. “Apparently, there’s a hidden fortress within that cave system on the outskirts of the city. However, only very few people actually know the correct route to take in order to reach it.”
“I see… And did you by any chance happen to hear the name of this warlord?” the kobold asked further.
“You’re probably not gonna like this,” the orc said. “It’s apparently Gotzmeyer.”
Silence fell over the room upon hearing this revelation, with the only sounds coming from the kitchen where Arkay was busy cooking. While Erin hadn’t heard any of the stories the others had, she knew from just the very little she had heard from Zeldana that this wasn’t a person one should take lightly. The fact that such a terrifying person was essentially living as their neighbor was something that could terrify even the most hardened killer.
“Uhhh… Lex?” Ryle called out to the kobold. “Correct me if I’m wrong, but wasn’t that the name Zeldana gave us, when we learned about what happened back at that creepy house she was living at?”
“That’s him precisely. This situation has turned out to be far more dire than I could have ever predicted,” Lexton said as nervous sweat began to run down the sides of his face. “Out of all of the warlords, Gotzmeyer is easily the most terrifying. Just saying his name is enough to strike terror into just about anyone and for good reason as well.”
“You’re referring to those stories Zeldana told you about, right?” Erin asked. “Could it be possible that those are just tall tales made up by whatever propaganda publishers work for the Five Overlords? I mean, the idea that somebody is able to walk through numerous battles without ever being so much as wounded seems pretty insane to me.”
“While that would normally be a reasonable explanation, I’m afraid that’s far from the truth when it comes to Gotzmeyer,” the kobold began to explain. “Even though the forces of the Five Overlords certainly spread their fair share of fake stories and exaggerated accomplishments, the things about him is that those stories haven been proven to be true. There have been public displays of him going into battle and cutting down opponent after opponent, all of whom weren’t able to even draw a single drop of blood out of him. Not only is Gotzmeyer a terrifying opponent to face, but he is also an efficient enforcer, as the mere chance of having to face him has caused numerous potential rebels to surrender outright. That’s the kind of entity that he is.”
Hearing such talk come from Lexton of all people left the others completely silent. While they had faced their fair share of dangers, ranging from horrible beasts to deadly killers, this time they might be up against something that was far above anything they could even hope to reach. They might have come to this city in high spirits despite the challenges they knew were ahead of them, but coming face to face with them was another story entirely.
The question on everyone’s mind was simple. Did they really have what it took to face this?
Actually, there was one person who didn’t have that question on their mind, as they already had their answer even before they could ask such a thing. That was none other than Zeldana.
“So are we going after him or what?” the elf asked bluntly without even a hint of the fear and anxiety the others were feeling. “I mean, I know that it’s the Overlords that we’re after, but shouldn’t we also take out some of the other big fish out there along the way?”
“WHAT!? Do you even understand what we’re talking about here!?” Lexton asked angrily. “We’re talking about one of the most powerful warriors this world has ever seen! A monster that no one has managed to wound a single time! How can you be so relaxed about facing a being like that!?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Because we are already aiming at somebody even more dangerous than Gotzmeyer,” Zeldana replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Did you forget that we are ultimately going after the Five Overlords themselves and they are the big bosses that the warlords simply serve. Gotzmeyer and the others might be strong and all, but they are nothing compared to their bosses. If we are going to start pissing our pants just from the thought of fighting one of the warlords, how can we ever face the real threats that are the Overlords?”
“I.. I get what you’re saying, but-!”
“No. Zeldana is completely right,” Erin said, cutting off Lexton. “If we are going to be scared by the warlords, we have no hope facing the Overlords themselves at all. We need to steel our resolve now or we might as well give up and hide in a hole somewhere.”
“Like I said, I understand where you’re coming from, but it’s Gotzmeyer,” Lexton tried to argue. “He isn’t someone you can take lightly!”
“I am not taking him lightly. In fact, I’m taking this quite seriously,” the redhead said. “Facing off against someone like Gotzmeyer is something that is probably going to happen sooner or later anyways, even if we do manage to avoid him for now. What if we come against such an opponent, but we have no experience when it comes to fighting people like him? Not to mention, if we ever truly want to see any meaningful change in this world, we need to defeat people like him anyways.”
Seeing as there was no convincing Erin of the threat Gotzmeyer posed, he turned to look at the others in their group, hoping that they might talk some sense to her. However, he didn’t receive any such talk at all from them. In fact, they were in full support of her.
“You said it, Erin!” Ryle cheered. “No way are we gonna get scared by some overrated punk with a fancy title! We are going to kick his ass as a warm up, before moving towards his boss next!”
“I agree. We already knew that what we were doing was dangerous, so having regrets now would just show that we didn’t understand at all what we were setting off to do,” Durge said with a smile. “Also, this might just be my warrior tribe blood in me speaking, but I can’t help but be curious to see if I could make this guy finally bleed.”
“I gotta say, I like the energy I’m feeling from this group!” Zeldana said with a grin. “I personally never faced Gotzmeyer back when I was part of the resistance, but that might be the reason he never bled! I guess it’s time to go and take him on and see how it goes.”
Seeing how the others were in support of her, Erin turned her attention to the one person who seemed to still be hesitating, Lexton.
“What about you, Lex? Are you with us?” the redhead asked. “I get why you’re anxious, so you don’t need to feel ashamed over that. Nor will anyone here blame you, if you want to stop this.”
“...No. You guys are right,” the kobold said with a sigh. “I let my fears get the better of me, but it’s just as you all say. We want to change this world for the better and are aiming for the ones on top of it all. If we can’t face someone like Gotzmeyer, we have no hope of facing the Overlords either. I apologize for acting like a coward.”
“Hey, no need to apologize over being afraid. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t afraid myself,” Erin said with a kind smile. “I’m just glad to know that you’ll be sticking with us. Your help is honestly irreplaceable to us.”
“Yeah! Besides, when it comes to you acting like a coward, it’s no big deal,” Ryle said with a mischievous grin. “We’re pretty much expecting it from you at this point anyways.”
“Rather a coward than a brainless moron!” Lexton shouted back at the blonde.
“Oh really!?” Ryle shouted back. “Let’s see if you still feel like that after I-!”
Right before a new argument could break out, Arkay returned to the rest of the group just in time to put a stop to all the fighting.
“Dinner is ready!” the cat boy said happily, completely unaware of the serious atmosphere that had just been hanging over the group just seconds ago. “I know it’s not much, but I tried my best to make something that you all would enjoy!”
All the tension and aggression that had taken over the others seemed to disappear in an instant, as the smell of delicious and freshly-made food came. Almost simultaneously all of their stomachs grumbled, as they hadn’t realized just how hungry they were.
“Oh… That smells incredible!” Ryle said with a hazy look in her eyes as she took in the sweet aroma of what Arkay had just made. “I can feel my mouth watering already…”
“Your mouth isn’t the only thing that’s watering, but the floor as well,” Lexton said, disgusted by the blonde’s drooling. “However, that does smell great. If it’s even half as good as that, I’m sure this will be a great meal.”
“I fully agree,” Erin said with a smile. “How about we put a stop to all this talk and just go enjoy some homemade food? I’m sure it will do wonders for all of us.”
The others nodded in agreement and moved to a table that was set up at one end of the room for the people to have their meals at. The food that Arkay had prepared was rather simple, but still very tasty and filling. What the cat boy had prepared was meat stew, along with a refreshing salad to go along with it. To say the least, the group was quite happy with what they got.
“This is really good, Arnie. Great job,” Lexton said as he ate the stew happily. “I honestly wouldn’t mind if you prepared all of our meals from now on.”
“Yeah, I totally agree!” Ryle said happily. “Honestly, how much of a blessing can you be? Not only are you absolutely adorable, but you’re a great magician and even a cook!”
“I’m glad you all like it!” Arkay said with a bright smile on his face. “I made sure to make plenty, so don’t hesitate to have more!”
“That’s great! I was hoping to ask for more,” Durge said. “I was afraid that there might not be enough for a second serving, since I’m not exactly one for light meals.”
The group had a laugh at the orc’s comment, except for one person. While everybody else was happily eating their food and chatting, one of them was just sitting in silence and not even moving their hand to eat. Erin was so lost in thought that she had completely stopped moving, as the world around her seemed to disappear from her mind as well.
“Erin, what’s wrong?” Arkay asked in a concerned tone, breaking the redhead out of her thoughts. “Is it not to your liking?”
“Huh? What?” Erin managed to say in confusion having broken out of her thoughts to see everyone else looking at her.
“You’re not eating. Is it not good?” the cat boy asked, worried that he might have done a bad job. “I can try making something else, if you’d like.”
“No no no! That’s not the case at all!” the redhead quickly said, hoping to clear up the misunderstanding. “The food is great! I swear! I was just lost in thought!”
“What could you have been thinking about, when you have something this delicious in front of you?” Ryle asked. “I mean, you gotta be hungry as well! How could you get lost in thought right now?”
“I get what you’re saying, but it’s… It’s complicated, okay?” Erin said. “This just reminded me of something very special to me and made me think about it. Nothing more.”
The blonde was about to ask what the redhead was talking about, but a hand on her arm stopped her, She turned to look at her side and saw Lexton shake his head at her, telling her to not pry for more. Realizing that it was most likely a touchy subject, Ryle decided to let it go.
“Anyways, do you guys really think we should go after Gotzmeyer?” Erin asked as she went back to eating, hoping to change the subject. “I’m not saying that I’m afraid of facing him or anything like that. Since our true goal is to go after the Overlords, we might not have to face him specifically.”
“That’s a good question. While we might have been getting all pumped up about going after Gotzmeyer, he isn’t our true target. It does seem reasonable to at least think about it, before going through with it,” Durge said thoughtfully. “For example what would we gain by defeating him?”
“Quite a lot, actually,” Lexton said. “Gotzmeyer is widely seen as a symbol of power and authority from the Five Overlords themselves. If he were to fall, it would not only shake the hold the military has on a lot of places, but would also encourage more people to start rising up against them. Defeating him would be a serious blow to the Overlords that they wouldn’t be able to get over all too easily. Not only that, but I’m sure we can find important information from his fortress, such as details in regards to Golorath’s residence or something else. And let’s not forget the weaponry and riches he is certain to have.”
“It should also be taken into consideration what would happen if we decided to skip him completely,” Erin said thoughtfully, before turning her attention to Zeldana. “You have the most experience and knowledge in regards to the forces of the Five Overlords. What do you think would happen, if we were to defeat Golorath without beating Gotzmeyer first?”
“Honestly? I don’t think it would be a pretty sight,” the elf answered. “If Golorath were to die before any of his warlords, it would leave a big power vacuum in the Western Continent. The three warlords would probably see it as an opportunity to become the next ruler of this part of the world, which would cause a bloody civil war.”
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“Wouldn’t the other Overlords step in to put things in order?” Durge asked with a raised eyebrow.
“I highly doubt that. From what I’ve understood, they only worked together to take over the world. Once that was done, they’ve been satisfied controlling their own territories and never bothering one another,” Zeldana explained. “If I were to make a guess, they’d just watch from the sidelines, as the warlord turned on each other to see who would become the big leader in the end.”
“But wouldn’t the civil war happen even if we beat Gotzmeyer first?” Ryle asked. “I doubt the two remaining warlords would just go all “Only one opponent!? Not worth fighting over this!” In fact, they’d just see their chances of winning to be much better since they’d have less competition.”
“While there’s certainly merit to that, it’s not as simple as you’d think,” the elf answered. “You see, the warlords aren’t allowed to do just whatever they want. Each one of them controls a part of the Western Continent and they are not allowed to meddle with the affairs of other areas without the permission of Golorath himself. Once one of them falls, the one to take over would have to be named by the Overlord, which would take time. During that time, the internal fighting of those who used to serve the warlord would tear their forces apart, which would also be under attack from rebels.”
“So basically Golorath’s forces would be weakened by their own internal fights and bureaucracy?” Lexton said. “That would certainly leave them vulnerable for further attacks from those hoping to end the rule of the Overlords.”
“Then… Are we going after Gotzmeyer, then?” Arkay asked. “If his defeat would lead to such a good end result and all.”
“...Anybody got any issues with us going after the warlord?” Erin asked, looking over the others. “I am personally in favor of it, but I will listen to any other opinions on the matter.”
“I’ve got not complaints here,” Ryle replied with a shrug. “How about you guys?”
Upon seeing no one voice any dissenting opinions, it was decided that they would go after Gotzmeyer, one of the three warlords serving under Golorath himself.
“This will be a very important battle. If we manage to pull this off, it will have effects that will be felt across the whole world,” Lexton said. “I’ll make sure that we’ll have the equipment needed to make this into a reality.”
“And we’ll make sure to lend our strengths to this fight as well,” Durge said with a confident smile. “We’ll show the Five Overlords that there are still those who can challenge them and give them a tough fight.”
Erin nodded with a smile on her face, feeling encouraged by the enthusiasm and confidence of her friends.
However, it was at that moment that Ryle said something that shook the redhead to her very soul.
“Hell yeah! And once we’re done with him, we’re taking out that bastard Golorath next!” the blonde bragged. And he’ll just be the first of the five to fall!”
Upon hearing the Overlord get mentioned, Erin’s eye went wide from shock. She then stood up from the table and walked to the door.
“Hey, what’s wrong, Erin?” Ryle called out to the redhead. “Are you feeling okay?”
“I-I’m alright. I think I just need some fresh air,” Erin quickly lied. “No need to worry about me. I’ll be back soon.”
The rest of the group was left stunned, as they watched the redhead open the door and walk out of the room.
“...Anybody got an idea what that was about?” Ryle asked.
No one said anything, except that they didn’t know. The only one who did in fact have any knowledge as to what was bothering Erin was Zeldana, who simply kept her mouth shut. It wasn’t in her best interest to start telling the others what she knew.
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Erin walked down the street and eventually turned down into an empty alleyway in order to have some privacy. What Arkay’s food had reminded her of had truly been something special, but it was also something painful as well.
The food had reminded the redhead of the time she had first met Gabe, the one known as Golorath of the Five Overlords in this world.
Back when she had first gotten together with Devin due to the stupid prank her friends had forced her into, Gabe had been the first person she had been introduced of the geeky boy’s friend group.
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“Dev, are you sure about this?” Erin asked, trying to hide her true feelings, while maintaining a friendly tone. “I get that he’s your friend and all, but do you think this is such a good idea?”
“Of course it is! Why wouldn’t it be?” Devin asked, a bit confused over what his “girlfriend” was saying. “I want you to get to know all of my buddies, so why not just get started? Is there something wrong with that?”
“Not really. I just… I just fear that I’m not going to be able to get along with him. That’s all,” Erin explained.
“Oh, you don’t need to be worried over anything like that!” Devin said happily. “In fact, Gabe is the last person you need to worry about things like that! He’s pretty much the kindest person around! Honestly, I’d be more surprised if you couldn’t get along with him.”
“If you say so…”
The real reason Erin was worried over meeting Gabe wasn’t because she feared he wouldn’t like her, but that her facade would break out of sheer disgust and the whole fake relationship prank would be broken. If she allowed that to happen, she would never hear the end of it from her real friends.
Gabriel “Gabe” McKinnon, also known as “Porky Gabe” at school, was someone that Erin didn’t like at all. Out of Devin’s whole group of friends, he was the one she hated the most. In fact, back when the conditions of her bet with her friends were first being set, they tried to get her to date him. It was only thanks to her vehement refusal that this didn’t come to be.
Much like Devin and the others in his group, Gabe was also a big geek. He enjoyed video games, roleplaying, comics and other such stuff. The reason he had the unfortunate nickname “Porky Gabe” was due to him being overweight. This coupled with the way his nose was shaped led to people calling him a pig and making all sorts of nasty rumors about him, such as that he ate food from garbage cans or that he was putting his family in debt from overeating. These were obviously all false, but those telling the stories for their own amusement didn’t care one bit.
The real reason to his rather rotund shape was more tied to a very low self-esteem that came from another issue. Because of this, Gabe had a tendency to overeat in order to comfort himself.
However, despite his issues, Gabe was still a very friendly and loving person to all who were able to look past his looks and accept him. In a way, he was the best friend of everyone in Devin’s group.
Despite this, Erin was NOT looking forward to meeting him. The way she saw it was that it was already more than enough to be in the same place for school, so spending her free time around him should have been seen as an inhumane punishment. Yet in order to keep up the act, she simply held her tongue, put on a sweet smile and went along with her “boyfriend.”
After arriving at Gabe’s home, Devin ringed the doorbell and the rotund boy soon came to open the door. Upon seeing his friend, a smile came over his face.
“You finally got here, Dev! I was starting to think that you wouldn’t-” Gabe began to say, only to stop when he noticed. “Oh. I-I see you brought your girlfriend along…”
“Yeah, I thought it would be more fun this way,” Devin said with a smile. “Is that okay with you?”
“O-Of course it is! I was just a bit surprised!” the overweight boy said as he stepped aside to make way for the visitors. “Anyways, come on in. Everything’s ready.”
As Devin and Erin walked inside, the boy felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked behind himself to see his girlfriend give him a questioning look.
“What is he talking about?” Erin asked.
“You’ll see,” Devin responded with a smile.
For some reason, the smile on the boy’s face made the brunette’s stomach flutter a bit. She didn’t understand why she had been feeling like that from time to time when she was with him, but tried her best to ignore it. It must have been due to having to pretend to be his girlfriend or something.
Once inside, Gabe led his two guests to the kitchen, where he had prepared a bunch of different ingredients. Erin looked at the two boys in confusion.
“What is all this for?” Erin asked.
“Isn’t it obvious?” Devin asked in return. “We are going to be cooking!”
“...Excuse me?”
“W-Well, it’s not the only thing we’ll be doing today,” Gabe said as he scratched the back of his neck nervously. “I do have a bunch of movies prepared for us to watch. We can even play some games, if we get tired of simply watching stuff.”
“...Okay. Sounds interesting, I guess,” Erin said, hiding her displeasure. The idea of preparing food was something she herself didn’t like to do at all, so on the inside she was getting quite upset with the two boys.
“Glad to hear you’re up for it!” Devin said with a bright smile, once again giving the brunette that strange feeling in her stomach. “Anyways, what will we be making today, Gabe?”
“I was thinking that we could make some delicious dumplings,” Gabe answered with a smile. “It’s pretty simple to do and should work well as a snack for watching movies.”
“Sounds good to me!” the blonde boy said enthusiastically. “So, shall we get started then?”
The overweight boy nodded and went to look over the ingredients one more time. However, when he did so, he realized that he was still missing something.
“Oh crap… I forgot the ginger,” Gabe said. “Sorry guys. It seems like I screwed up.”
The shame the rotund boy felt brought a twisted and sadistic feeling of joy to Erin, as she had seen him as a disgusting person that didn’t deserve anything good. While she managed to hide this sick joy, the corners of her mouth did twitch upwards a bit.
“That’s okay, Gabe! There’s a store not too far from here, so I can just quickly go there and get some,” Devin said with a smile as he began to head towards the door. “You guys just wait for me and have fun. I won’t be long gone.”
“Uhh… Should I go along with you?” Erin asked, not liking the idea of being left alone with the overweight boy. “I mean, if you’re going to the store, you could use the extra hands to carry stuff, right?”
“Thanks, but I won’t need any help in this. It’s just a bit of ginger, after all,” the blonde boy said before giving his girlfriend a quick kiss on the cheek. “Just use this time to get to know Gabe better, okay? I’m sure you two will be good friends by the time I’m back.”
The brunette had been left completely stunned by the sudden kiss to the cheek, as she watched her boyfriend walk away. She slowly raised her hand to touch the spot that he had kissed, as her face turned red. What was strange that not too long ago even the thought of this happening to her would have been enough to make her feel disgust and anger. Yet here she was, feeling strangely happy.
The sound of someone chuckling broke Erin out of her thoughts and she turned to look at Gabe, who was smiling at her.
“I guess you two really like each other,” the rotund boy said. “I’m glad. I was honestly a bit worried.”
“Well, of course we like each other!” the brunette said back, feeling somewhat angry by what had been implied. “Why else would we get together and become a couple!?”
“I don’t know and that’s what worried me,” Gabe said with a shrug. “You know, back when Devin told us that you had suddenly asked him out, we were all really worried. We were certain that it was all just part of some cruel prank. I mean, why would one of the popular girls ever do something like that with one of the unpopular geeks in the school? It didn’t really make much sense to any of us.”
“W-Well, I just saw his good qualities and felt like trying it out!” Erin quickly said, afraid that some of Devin’s friends might have seen through her after all. “Besides, who are any of you to start judging others like that!? Doesn’t exactly sound fair to me!”
“That’s… fair, I guess,” the overweight boy said, somewhat taken aback by just how defensive the brunette suddenly. “But look at it from our perspective. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you how bad the social standing for us is. I mean, you must have heard about those “Porky Gabe” rumors and jokes, right?”
Erin didn’t even bother to respond. She obviously knew about those tales, as she herself had laughed at quite a few of them.
“We obviously don’t really have many actual friends, so the very few we’ve got are very precious to us. I guess you could call it supply and demand, huh? The rarer something is, the more valuable it becomes,” Gabe continued his explanation. “That’s why we try to look out for each other, as we don’t want those we seriously care about to be hurt. So when we saw you of all people hanging out with one of us… Well, you can probably imagine how our minds went into overdrive, trying to figure out what was actually going on.”
“And none of you ever considered that maybe I just like Devin because of the way he is? They say that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover and all that,” Erin said, feeling a bit surprised at herself by how easy it was for her to say that. “Maybe it was you guys who were too judgmental of Devin, seeing as how you couldn’t believe him getting together with me?”
The brunette expected the rotund boy to get upset with her over her accusation, but was surprised when he actually laughed instead of angry.
“I suppose that could be it. I certainly never thought Devin of all people would get together with one of the prettiest girls in school,” Gabe said as he stopped laughing but still had a smile on his face. “Whatever the case, I am truly happy to see that our worries were not necessary at all.”
“W-What do you mean by that?” Erin asked, feeling flustered.
“I’ve kind of learned to read the real thoughts of people from their expressions. That’s how I can tell that you two really care about each other. So while you obviously don’t like me, I can tell that you do care about Devin,” the overweight boy said with a smile. “Besides, that blush on your face is more than enough of a sign to tell that much.”
The brunette immediately went to a nearby window in order to see if what Gabe had told her was true. Much to her surprise, there was an actual blush on her face and the embarrassment from being caught only caused the blush to get worse. Erin tried her best to tell her that this was all just because she was feeling shame or something similar from hanging out with these people.
Or at least that’s what she tried to tell herself, but couldn’t help feeling that it wasn’t even close to being true.
“So, since we are still waiting for Devin, why don’t we make something for ourselves?” Gabe suggested. “How about we make some nice smoothies for ourselves?”
“Huh? Is that possible to make?” Erin asked.”I mean, I love smoothies, but I never thought I could make them myself.”
“Of course! It’s actually very simple,” the rotund boy said as he walked to the fridge to get the ingredients. “After we’re done here, I’m sure you’ll be able to make them by yourself as much as you like.”
True to Gabe’s words, he and Erin were able to make refreshing and tasty smoothies for themselves. Much to the brunette’s surprise, she actually ended up enjoying making the smoothies itself.
“So, what do you think?” Gabe asked as he took a sip of his smoothie. “Does it taste as good as you’d like?”
“...Yeah,” Erin said as she drank her own smoothie. “In fact, I think this tastes better than the drinks I get from the juice bar!”
“Glad to hear that!” the overweight boy said with a slight chuckle. “Hope you’ll be looking forward to making the dumplings as well.”
“Yes! Definitely!” the brunette said, surprising herself with her answer.
It was at that moment that Devin returned, having bought the missing ingredient that they needed.
“Sorry I took so long, guys! There was quite a line at the store, so I wasn’t able to-” the blonde boy said before noticing that his girlfriend and friend were drinking smoothies. “Oh, did you guys get started already without me?”
“Not with the main dish itself,” Gabe replied. “We just decided to get some drinks fr ourselves while waiting for you.”
Now that they had all the ingredients they needed and all the people were gathered, the trio got to making their dumplings. Erin surprised herself by how much she ended up enjoying the whole thing. Once their food was ready, they got ready to watch some movies while enjoying their food. It turned out to be so good, that the brunette decided to make dumplings for herself at some point as well.
It turned out that Erin didn’t just end up enjoying the food and the process of making it, but she also had fun watching the movies Gabe had prepared for them and even enjoyed his company. It turned out that the portly boy was very good company. Not only was he kind and friendly, but he knew how to entertain people as well. If the brunette was being completely honest, she was somewhat regretting all the nasty jokes and stories she had told about him.
At a certain point, Devin had to excuse himself, as he went to the bathroom for a moment, leaving Erin and Gabe on their own. However, unlike before, this time she wasn’t the least bit bothered by being alone with the rotund boy, as she had found his company to be quite enjoyable.
With the two of them on their own, the brunette felt like she should say something important that was on her mind at that time.
“Hey, Gabe?” Erin called out to the boy. “I just wanna say… thanks for today. I had a really good time.”
“No problem. I enjoyed my time with you as well,” the portly boy said with a smile.
“I also wanted to say that… I’m sorry,” the brunette said.
“What are you apologizing for?” Gabe asked.
“Well, I’m sure it didn’t go unnoticed by you how I was acting at the start. I was being all cold and arrogant towards you for no good reason,” Erin explained. “I just felt like I should say I’m sorry for acting like such a jerk, when you haven’t done anything to earn it.”
“I appreciate the thought, but you don’t need to apologize for that,” the overweight boy said. “Like I said earlier, I’m aware of all the stories people say about me. I am “Porky Gabe” after all. I’m used to being treated like that.”
“But it’s not right!” the brunette said, surprising not only Gabe but herself as well. “I mean, you’re such a nice guy, yet people say such terrible things about you… Doesn’t it make you angry that you get treated in such a way for no good reason?”
“...I’ll admit that taking the insults, pranks and other mistreatment from people around me isn’t always easy,” Gabe said. “There have been many times I’ve cried alone and hated those around me. Sometimes I just want to scream and just let go of it all.”
“But then why? Why are you so okay with the way I treated you just now?” Erin asked.
“Because I don’t want to hurt any of my friends. If you truly care about someone, you’ll do all you can to make them happy, even if that leaves you unhappy. That’s at least what I believe,” the portly boy explained. “It’s because of the way I think I never said anything against you. Devin obviously cares about you and is happy with you. So just for his sake, I’m willing to go through whatever crap you might throw at me.”
“I… I don’t know what to say,” the brunette said, looking down in shame over her actions.
“There’s no need to say anything. All I hope is that you stay with Devin and keep him happy. If there’s anybody out there who needs it, it’s him,” Gabe said. “All of us get our fair share of crap thrown at us, but he often gets the worst of it. If you can give him more reasons to smile, I’d say that’s a good thing and hope you two stay together.”
“...Do you really think that?” Erin asked.
“From what I’ve seen today, I know you can do it,” the rotund boy replied with a smile.
The rest of that day had been spent just as happily as before. The only change had been that Erin now had a different view of not just Devin, but his friends as well. This would only be the first time her beliefs would be shaken by actually meeting those she had previously looked down upon.
----------------------------------------
Sadly, this didn’t last. In the end, the truth as to why she had been together with Devin had come out, causing everything to fall apart. Now all these good times were nothing but painful memories to Erin, reminding her of what her crimes had destroyed.
But now there was a bigger question on her mind. When the time to face Gabe would come, what would she do? Would she be able to even fight him, let alone kill him if the situation called for it? After all, this wasn’t just her personal mission any longer, as she had dragged others into this.
Feeling the weight of what she would have to possibly do, Erin fell to her knees and wept quietly.
image [https://i.ibb.co/d05qN0q/Ch-94-Pic-1.jpg]