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“FREESMARTERS! COME OVER HERE!” Pencil shouted, her voice heard by all of them, even though everyone she was addressing was within 10 feet of her
Needle watched the other two run over to her excitedly. She hesitated, her body frozen half way to fully turning around, before she snapped out of it and walked in the other direction.
She was stopped after hardly a few steps by a hand reaching out and grabbing here. “Needle..? That includes you.”
Pencil said it so calmly, without any waver in her voice. Needle glanced back at her giving her a long confused look, which slowly started to annoy her.
“What do you m—“ “Needle! Come with me.” Pencil cut her off and tugged her in the direction of the supervan. They sat on the ground, their backs against the doors.
Pencil didn’t let go of her hold on Needle’s arm. Needle turned her head back an inch and saw the other teams walking off their separate ways. Figures.
Pencil sighed, her grip loosening significantly while doing so. “Needle.. why do you keep distancing yourself from us? I think you can hear me pretty well when I call us all over but I still have to come and find you!”
She seemed genuinely plexes over this. Needle furrowed her eyebrows. “Because I’m not one of you guys! You always exclude me from things because i’m not a ‘full member’ and then.. and then you still expect be to group up with you guys but I never know if that includes me!”
Pencil stopped, dropping Needles hand. She looked down quietly at the ground, a small look of embarrassment striking her face. “Oh, Needle… I know I do say that a lot but really.. it’s just to save face. From Ruby and Book… and the others too.”
She looked up at Needle. The authenticity of her voice brought out the soft features on her. “I didn’t want them to think we’d let just anybody join us… I just wanted to build a strong image for us.”
She looked at Needle, hints of hope in her eyes, which was met by confusion. Needle wasn’t following.
Pencil sighed. “I’m saying that I do think of you as a full member. You definitely have the smarts to be one. It’s just.. a little soon is all. It’s only been two challenges..”
Needle looked down below her. What was Pencil saying? It was almost too much to revel in. “I.. get what you’re getting across. Are you saying I’m a Freesmarter then?” She was hesitant to ask this after the idea had been shot down so many times.
Pencil scoffed like this was the easiest no-brainer she’s ever heard. “Needle, you’ve been a Freesmarter. Ever since we picked you out in episode 12. But yes, you have proved yourself to be one. I mean that.”
Needle stared at her, truly lost by what she was hearing. What was Pencil saying.. did she mean all of it? Needle didn’t know how she could so calmly say those things when Needle had been thinking the opposite for months. It amazed her, honestly.
Pencil stole a glance her way after looking away for so long and a smirk slowly pulled on her lips. “Hey, I know my pep talks are pretty awesome but that staring is pretty excessive,” She teased.
Needle blinked once. They looked straight at each other before Needle turned and was looking straight ahead. The sky was dark and there wasn’t much to look at. She started dozing off before she felt Pencil scoot closer, making them directly leaning against each other.
Needle looked down at their hands (which were almost as close as they were) and back up at Pencil. “Is this okay?” She answered, predicting Needle’s question before the words even came out.
Needle nodded quietly. She quickly stole a glance in Pencil’s direction and saw her not fixating on her any longer. She brought both hands closer to her body, unsure if subtle movements like that were okay.
She didnt hold her breath for too long, doubting Pencil wanted to sit in silence. “Why are you doing this?” She was quick to clarify herself, using one hand to gesture to the space in between them while Pencil opened her eyes to look up at her. “This, I mean.”
Pencil shrugged. The small movement brushed up against Needle too. “There’s no one else around to lean on. The other two… well it’s not the same with them.”
Needle nodded along, although she still wasn’t getting it. Could this be a Freesmart custom? If it was, should she be getting used to it? She was still wary about her place in pushing things, but that's what Pencil had been doing this entire time right?
Needle leaned into it. Pencil didn't immediately pull away like she had expected. There was nice feel between them, a bright contrast to how challenges went.
She was starting to doze off. It was quiet and she would've been asleep already by now. Pencil pulled herself upwards, catching Needle by surpirse. She teetered a little, trying to stabilize herself with her hands. She found it embarrassing, how quickly her guard had been let down.
Needle stood up herself and Pencil was already nearly around the van. "We shouldn't keep Ruby and Book waiting," She said hardly a few seconds after Needle opened her mouth. She was good at that.
Her head still felt cloudy as she followed Pencil into the supervan. She decided she could sleep on it. Inside they saw the other two definitely out cold. Maybe Needle had misjudged how long they were out there.
She laid down in the back. Despite her being on the edge of it minutes earlier, sleep wasn't coming. Eventually she laid on her back staring at the ceiling, which wasn't that far up.
She glanced upwards at Pencil who was now splayed out near Book. It wasn't any use, she couldn't close her eyes without thinking about it. She shouldn't look for any meaning in it but.. maybe it wouldn't be that bad to indulge in it a little.
Needle turned over facing the upper part of the van, laying on her hands. She fell asleep not long after, a ghost of a smile settled on her face. Maybe this way it did have a small meaning to it.