Pink-Brained Idiot and the Icy Hot Red

⊹˚₊··────· ✤ ·────··₊˚⊹

Blades of pink fly past while Gertrude takes her usual long strides.

"Waaaait! GerdyMcGerbs! You walk too fast!"

"You walk too slow. Better yet, stop following me and just go somewhere else."

Todd, with his short squat legs are mere sheer smears to the long hop trot of Gertrude.

"Why are you even following me? We barely knew each other 'back there'. So we're even more of strangers 'here'."

Gertrude stops and turns around, snapping into her trademark indignant contrapposto stance, complete with the perfect hands-on-hip-and-side-eye look.

"And stop calling me GerdyMcGerbs. No one calls me that." Says GerdyMcGerbs.

Todd finally made it up the slight mound called 'hill' and rolls over, gasping like a drowning catfish.

.

..

...

"Hey, say something, you dumb Toad."

"Gerds, let me catch a breath. I'm more of a snoozer, not a do-er."

Gertrude scoffs in disgust, then continues wandering, albeit at a slower pace.

Todd whimpers and drags his frail, shaky legs like a sad whippet in a snowstorm. To where? God only knows.

⊹˚₊··────· ✤ ·────··₊˚⊹

The last of Spring's westerly winds had just been blowing through, taking the last few particulates of the Yellow Dust with it. Gertrude entered the teacher's office.

"Miss Gertrude. Thanks for dropping by. I'll keep this brief since you're likely busy. I know it might seem early, seeing that you're only in your second year, but have you decided on what major and in which universities you'll likely be applying to in your final year?"

This question takes Gertrude by surprise and snaps her back to reality.

"Huh? Oh, I have a few picks."

The teacher is pleased with the response.

"As expected of the newest top student of the school. Keep up the momentum and don't lose sight of what's important in these last three semesters."

'Newest' stings Gertrude more than she expected.

"Yes, sir. I will continue to work hard."

The teacher nods and tries to pull the corners of his lips up, but his atrophied face muscles from a decade of shoddy assignment grading, exacerbated by recent stressors, have taken a toll on him. He gives up. He escorts Gertrude out the door.

She passes by the library, staring into the dark space. Devoid of bodies, an empty study room lies dormant and long unused. She lowers her head.

Gertrude turns around to head home, only to be hit with a fit of ataxia. The world begins to melt, 'pixel-sorting' an abstract smear of reality before snapping like a rubber band. She is no longer in the hallway.

It's been anything but ordinary the last few months. I can't keep up.

Gertrude looks around the Technicolor world she slipped into. Violet skies, pink grass, smooth air devoid of the Yellow Dust back home. Alien, but...

Peaceful.

"GerdTrude!"

Peaceful...

A familiar voice. Belonging to the one person she doesn't want around. At least, not right now. Gertrude mutters under her breath.

"Todd."

⊹˚₊··────· ✤ ·────··₊˚⊹

The classroom bell rang, which marked the start of lunch. Todd had already been well ahead of the pack as he sat isolated in his usual corner. He unwrapped the deli paper housing his delectable luncheon sub.

"Todd. May I have a bit of your time?"

Todd paused from his ham-fisting of his fist-o'-ham footlong. His dull black domes briefly met with their blue counterparts. He shifted his attention back to his buns and lurched forward another good few inches for good measure.

Must be talking to some other Todd.

"Hello? Earth to Todd? Knock, knock, anyone in there?"

Todd sighed. Just when he was about to indulge in the Garden of Meatly Delights, the one man he was dreading to meet that day decided to come uninvited to his intimate date.

"Yes, Schwartz?"

"'MR.' Schwartz."

"mrschwartz"

Schwartz sank his head. With a sickeningly loud lip tisk that would make a goat vomit,

"I didn't go to years of college and then accept a placement at this backwater school for nothing. I demand the level of respect afforded to someone of my position. Are we clear?"

"yesmrschwartz"

...

"Look. I'm going to give it to you straight. You're on the trajectory of flunking my class. You've missed handing in your assignment for the 3rd consecut--"

"fourth"

"4TH. Consecutive time."

Todd nodded with his usual deadpan facade. Content? Perchance.

"Todd. I've spoken to my colleagues. You've suddenly taken a nosedive in all your classes coming into this new semester. It doesn't make sense. You were on track for greatness. What's going on?"

Todd masticated his beef while nodding; he gave Schwartz a soulful doe-eyed Jersey Cow look.

Schwartz stares back at Todd wordlessly before storming off.

⊹˚₊··────· ✤ ·────··₊˚⊹

Gertrude stops mid-gait and throws her hands up like she was throwing a ball of nothing. She's had it. She's had it with the walking. She's had it with the pink grass. She's had it with the hazy violet sky. She's had it with the fresh, crisp, squeaky-clean air.

"I've had it."

"Trudy! Wait! Where are we going?"

A surprisingly good question. Gertrude doesn't answer.

"Strudels, I think we should make a plan before it gets dark."

"Stop acting so familiar with me."

"Gertie, look!"

Gertrude snaps her neck to Todd, who is crouching and stroking the ground. Gertrude notices it. They were standing on a conspicuous mound. Not a simple 'hill'; there is something eerily off about it.

"It's oddly spherical."

"It's pretty bubbly and firm, too!"

It's also very much alive.

Gertrude takes a few quick prods at the 'ground' with her heel.

"Wait, did this thing move?"

"Feels like it, Trutru. It's faint, but I can feel its heartbeat. Thump-thump-thump. Like my heart after I eat a moist, squelching quadruple patty burger."

"Never string those words together ever again."

The creature reacts, as if roused on cue by the cacophony of a nasty words concerto. It stands up, knocking the duo off of their feet. They gently roll down its back(?) to the tender ground. Gertrude looks up, horrified to realize that they were bickering on the giant's round ass. Todd reaches into his pants and whips out his phone to take a few back shots. Gertrude finally looks around for the first time.

"Where are we?"

The armless colossus stands up, joints popping from eons without use. It strides across the plain. Each step groans heavily. From behind, another giant appears. As armless and bubble-butted as the last, and narrowly misses them as its foot sinks into the mottled ground by its sheer gargantuan mass. Todd and Gertrude spot a dozen of the same colossi striding across the land.

For whatever reason, they were both struck with awe by the magnitude of the composition. 4-storied pillars of legs, and ass, teeter through the hot-pink flocked landscape. They sit down to watch them roam, wondering what burdens they carry on their shoulders to walk in such gormless way. They continue to watch as they briefly seem to hover in the air before the horizon eventually swallows them. Todd sits cross-legged and dumbfounded, rubbing his chin out of habit.

"So they just up and left, huh? Not even going to stop and wave us goodbye?"

"We were lucky this time, but we really should be careful."

"We?"

...

...

Gertrude knit her brows and sadly shifts her gaze away.

⊹˚₊··────· ✤ ·────··₊˚⊹

The school bell chimed, marking the end of the day. The air of tension had lifted in the classroom, and the students began to chat amongst themselves. Gertrude cleaned her desk and packed her bag. The chatty atmosphere was not conducive to study, so she headed to the library.

"Little Miss Gloom."

"The Tall Lank."

"'He' has been Algernon'd. Do you think she sapped the smarts out of his brain?"

The last one made her pause, but she hurriedly collected herself and exited the room.

...

She traversed through the hall.

"▮▮▮"

A familiar name from an earshot.

"... Todd..."

Again. The principal's office. She lowered herself and cautiously pressed her ear to the door.

"... Dr. Brown, it's uncanny. He used to be so sharp. But now, it feels like I'm talking to a wall. I think we should hold him back a year so he can recover his bearings."

Schwartz probably loomed forward, bracing his weight against the principal's creaky desk.

Principal Brown leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms, and waved his free hand dismissively.

"Mr. Schwartz, I understand your concern, but Todd's underlying intelligence is still there."

He cleared his throat and raised an eyebrow.

"Look, he's not doing all bad in every class. He's doing quite well in programming and computer science. Mr. Torvaldsson notes that he has a profound understanding of coding and is only doing the bare minimum to get a passing mark. Todd still attends his classes."

"Are you insinuating that he's boycotting me?"

"I'm not insinuating anything."

Inaudible murmurs.

"▮▮▮▮"

"... Todd is a once-in-a-generation talent. He's got the wit. He's got the drive. He's got the charisma. The likes of which I've NEVER seen while working in this faculty for the past 10 years."

He leaned forward.

"If you let him graduate with such a bad academic standing, he'll never be accepted to the prestigious schools on the main island. You'll be personally responsible for cutting down a sprout before he can thrive and bloom."

The principal sighed.

"▮▮"

"▮▮▮"

"▮"

Gertrude pressed her ears harder against the door. Just a little more and she could catch their fading conversation. Her ear buzzed and felt hot.

"... remember his entrance speech? ..."

"▮..."

"..."

"I'll let you sit on it. I'm going to confront him and talk some sense into him."

The door abruptly opened as Mr. Schwartz exited. Gertrude’s tall figure stumbled before she managed to catch herself. She was unprepared and flustered for her interaction with Mr. Schwartz.

"Miss Gertrude. Keep up the good work."

⊹˚₊··────· ✤ ·────··₊˚⊹

Violet skies.

"Night is falling."

Gertrude looks up and dishes Todd a verbal flicker jab.

"What do you mean 'night is falling'? The sky is still the same lilac violet hours ago."

"My dear Tru de Gert. You don't need to 'see' the night. You can just 'feel' it. And by feeling it, I mean I'm feeling hungry, and we should look for dinner."

Todd's stomach concurs.

...

They don't recall seeing anything remotely edible. In fact, there was hardly any foliage other than a Seussian pom-palm quivering in gittiness as they passed by, before ultimately snapping its own crown off in a transgressive show of self-loathing.

"We didn't pass by anything I would call food. There's not even a single living organism here, other than the colossi."

"A living organism has to eat something. Those colossi also have to eat something. If you keep going down the chain, food becomes more plentiful and small. So by that logic, there has to be something small and snackable around here. And massive amounts of it, in theory. I'm betting on tacos with legs. But not too long-a-legs, I hope. I have a severe case of chasing deficiency."

Is this dead world benevolent to the whims of Todd? Gertrude is skeptical. Also, bipedal tacos. Gertrude is genuinely amazed by how he comes up with this stuff on the fly.

.

..

...

"A Jamaican Patty jellyfish! Convergent evolution is crazy!"

Todd punches the helpless swimming Caribbean calzone to submission, then stuffs the pie-foe into his pie-hole. Todd goes cross-eyed and slackjawed in ecstasy. Metaphorically. His jerky-weathered mandibles can no longer simply go limp on command.

"Maybe this place isn't so bad after all."

"I'm glad you're enjoying this Fauvist cutting room floor. Maybe I should leave you here while I search for a way out."

Todd punches another tropical pastry.

"... I don't think you should be eating something that screams 'suspicious' just because it's 'familiar'."

Todd tries to hand the patty(?) to Gertrude. She dodges his attempt and steps back.

"Hey, I'm not dead, so it mustn't be that bad."

"Yet."

"What's the alternative? Have you seen anything remotely edible?"

Gertrude reluctantly takes the sad little half-moon and studies it. It feels soggy. It feels nearly alive. Technically, it was before the extra pint-sized Neanderthal decided to unceremoniously free it from its mortal coil. She glances up with a grimace.

"Think of it as sashimi."

Did not help. She tosses it back into the lake and shakes the patty slime off her hands.

"I think I'll pass."

⊹˚₊··────· ✤ ·────··₊˚⊹

Gertrude was sitting in the library when a shadow fell on her textbook.

"Gertrude."

"Robin."

"What's going on with Todd?"

"You tell me. You're the long-time buddy."

Robin shrugged eloquently.

"I'm no good at reading people."

"..."

"..."

"You met him during the summer, right? Did he mention anything?"

"Nope. He was volunteering at summer camp like always. Didn't talk about it much."

"Strange. What's got him acting this weird?"

"He was always weird, though."

"But not like this. He was at least eating carrot sticks last semester."

"He feels possessed."

"Stop it."

"By a pork roast demon."

⊹˚₊··────· ✤ ·────··₊˚⊹

"Gerbil, look! It's a city -- wait! TWO cities!"

There are indeed two cities.

"Finally. Maybe we can figure out where we are and why we're here."

The two walk briskly. Gertrude's heart pounds in quiet excitement.

As they came closer, their speed logarithmically fell.

"I expected cities to be more grandiose."

"I expected cities to be a lot bigger."

What fills their view is not the large, sprawling cities as the two initially expected. They're more akin to doll-scale settlements, each surrounded by tall ramparts circling the whole perimeter.

"It doesn't look like there's been much 'being alive' going on in either camp for at least a century."

Gertrude hops over the mud-caked moat and enters the closest city. She glides her hand across the smooth chiseled masonry. She notes that everything is pristine, that the residents must have been proud of their craftsmanship. Perfect order, every piece touched by highly capable hands, not a single misplaced pebble. Intricate, sterile, geometric. She notices the golden ratio scribed on the side of the building. Sacred geometries mosaiced on the road. She thought of the missing residents as seekers of truth and beauty.

But there are only shapes and tools. I don't see a single piece of pottery or any traces of culture beyond the visual arts. I don't see anything that suggests that they even had food.

...

At the same time, Todd reaches the second settlement. He had to trek all the way around to the other side of the ramparts to find the gates. By the time he entered the gates, he was already well exhausted. He enters and quickly notes the overgrowth inside. Vines resembling kudzu sprawl over bulbous structures. Each one ornately painted in pigments, now flaking off the sides. The whole city has no rhyme or reason. Disparate colors and uncontrolled visual chaos fill the streets. He darts between the shoulder-height buildings, checking out the organic structures, statues of armless bipedal beings with no real discernible features. Except for a pair of cakes. They were less statues of the Antiquities and more fertility goddesses of the primitive age. He concluded that they must be a civilization that loved free expression. And butts.

"What on Alien Earth could have happened here? They had plenty of art, but I don't see much of anything else. No food? No pots? No cutting tools?"

...

Later, the duo reconvenes near the entrance of the first ruin. After compiling each other's reports, Todd takes out his phone and shares his completed thesis with Gertrude.

"Gertrude, can you read each section? I'll follow up by explaining my hypothesis."

Gertrude looks at the script. She squints at Todd.

"Do you want me to play along?"

"Uh-huh."

Gertrude sighs.

"Fine. Point One. The gates are on the far opposite side of each settlement."

Todd clears his throat and reads the bullet point right below.

"The architecture feels hostile. The ramparts feel like two people facing back-to-back, refusing to face one another."

"Point Tw-- Dos. Residents of Settlement-01 were craftspeople and meaning-seekers."

"The residents of the engineered city worshipped the Divine Proportion. They were logical to the extreme and always favored pure, calculated skill over free expression. They were seeking beauty through idealism."

"Point Troix. Residents of Settlement-02 were naturalists and mystery-keepers."

"The residents of the painted city... also worshipped the "Divine Proportion", although it was a fertility goddess with a booty. They likely let intuition call the shots and put their logical side on the back burner. They suspended disbelief and saw beauty in the ambient chaos."

"Point... '四' I can't read that. I'm just gonna assume that says four. Point Four. They both... starved to death."

"Both societies ran out of food because they were too busy studying and playing around. Respectively."

Todd locks his phone, stuffs it into his pocket, and raises his arms.

"In conclusion. The tragedy that unfolded in these lands was inevitable. They were fated to go extinct because they were both obsessed with pleasing and ill-equipped for feasting."

Todd hides his hand in his trouser pockets.

"But if they had set aside their differences and talked to each other, they likely would've learned that they were into the same things. They could've at least made beautiful things together... and starved together. Less isolated. More complete. But equally deprioritizing survival."

Gertrude sat on his analysis. The tragedy, the deaths, but most importantly: she sees a glimpse of 'that' Todd. And that has left a huge pit in her stomach.

⊹˚₊··────· ✤ ·────··₊˚⊹

The school bell rang. The heavy wet air dulled the sound.

"And that's a wrap. Semester's over. Enjoy your summer break. But not too much; make sure to complete your assignments."

A universal groan.

Robin turned around.

"Todd! What's your plan for the summer? Volunteer again?"

"You know how it is, Robin."

"You overachievers are boring! Live a little!"

Todd neatly stacked his textbooks and slid his shrimp eraser into his spring roll pencil pouch.

"Academics can only take you so far. If you're even a little more ambitious, you'll realize that you need to make some sacrifices."

"You're such a lil' weirdo."

"I'll take that as a complement."

...

Time passed.

...

Robin leaned over slyly and cupped his mouth into his hands. He whispered into Todd's ear.

"What about Gertrude."

Todd dropped his pencil pouch.

He bent over and looked at Robin from the lower vantage point.

"What about Gertrude?"

"Aren't you two, you know. Going steady? Aren't you going to meet her over the break?"

Todd breathed deeply, then uprighted himself. He brushed the dust off of his pencil pouch with a long exhale.

"It's platonic."

"Uh huh."

"We meet at school. I help her out with her assignments. This is an adequate arrangement."

"You're too uptight and future-oriented! This is the prime time of our youths! Cicada hunting! Ghost stories! Fireworks!"

"You sound simultaneously like an old man and a grade schooler."

"Not as much as you, Crybaby Geezer."

...

Robin stood up.

"I'm gonna head home. You coming?"

"I'm going to clean up first."

"And meet Gertrude?"

"... Yeah."

"Enjoy your final summer break!"

Robin chortled as he left.

...

Todd folded his fingers over his eyes. He felt smaller than his usual peewee self.

⊹˚₊··────· ✤ ·────··₊˚⊹

"I'm sick of this world. There are only traces. Nothing actively exists. We're only finding traces and fragments of stuff. Pieces and ruins and traces and fragments. I can't stand all this dead stuff!"

"Gertles..."

"Stop it. I'm through with you, Todd. You're dead to me."

⊹˚₊··────· ✤ ·────··₊˚⊹

The last linear algebra class had Gertrude seriously stumped. She couldn't wrap her head around the concept of matrices.

Gertrude entered the library sheepishly. It was dead silent. An unpopular attraction.

She wandered the aisles, comforted by the familiar rows of books lining the old, worn, free-standing shelves. Her internal meandering was abruptly cut short by the creaking of floorboards and dark glimpses between the headrooms.

She poked her head out from the end panel. A short bookworm was desperately hopping to reach a tome on the highest row. A fellow first-year, she presumed.

Her hand hovered over the human-teacup, casting a long shadow across his face. She effortlessly slid the atlas from the shelves. She handed it to Mr. Fun-Sized.

"Here."

Atypical of Gertrude.

The boy turned to face her.

"Thanks."

A no-frills gratitude. Her heart skipped a beat. A new sensation.

"It's nothing."

"No, I owe you one."

The boy rubbed his chin.

"If you're in the library before the weekend, maybe you have a question that needs answering? Not to throw my ego around, but I'm pretty confident in both explaining and academics."

He stood with his free hand on his hip.

Gertrude was surprised but skeptical. Could a fellow first-year really help her understand matrices? She tentatively nodded.

"I guess I hit the nail on the head, huh?"

He put the tome under his arm and began to turn around.

"Come, the study room's probably open. I'll book a timeslot anyway. We can go over the problems you're having, and we'll walk through it, step-by-step."

"Um."

"Yeah?"

"Aren't you a first year?"

The boy stared at her wide-eyed, before breaking into a library-compatible wheeze and snicker.

"I guess I didn't introduce myself to you. My bad."

The boy straightened himself out. He adjusted his collar and patted down his shirt. Finally, he cleared his throat.

"My name is Todd. Second-year student representative. Pleased to meet you."

The name clicked. She nearly screamed.

"The guy with the welcoming speech!"

If there were people in the library, they would have shushed her.

Gertrude caught herself.

"Ah. My name is Gertrude. Sorry for treating you so familiarly."

"I don't mind. You can treat me however you like."

...

"Thanks for going out of your way to help me."

"It's cool. I'm glad to help someone who's serious about their future."

"Toad... I mean--"

"Toad?" Toad blinked with a faux-appalled expression.

"That was just a slip-up! I-I didn't mean anything with that!"

What has gotten into me?

...

Todd's eyes shone with mischief. He exaggeratedly crossed his arms.

"Well, if that's how it is, it's only fair to give you a nickname as well."

"N-nickname?"

Todd pointed at Gertrude.

"GerdyMcGerbs."

⊹˚₊··────· ✤ ·────··₊˚⊹

"G-Trude, wait."

"SHUT UP!"

Todd takes a step back and slowly droops his shoulders.

"I'm sick of this 'you'. I'm sick of these weird nicknames. I'm sick of your chaotic behavior. Why are you sabotaging your school life? Why are you hiding from me with this weird caricature? Why?"

...

...

"I looked up to you." Gertrude tightly closes her eyes.

...

"Huh?"

"I looked up to you. You were the greatest when you took things seriously and just did your own thing without caring about what other people thought."

...

"I was super nervous going into high school. I came from a small town with a shrinking population. They closed the only high school in town by the time I graduated middle school. I had to go to a school 5 stops over and didn't know anyone at all."

"During the welcoming address, you read a script addressing all the new students and faculty. People around me thought it was campy, but it felt so refreshingly real. I felt like you were addressing to… to me. To comfort me."

"And after that, I eavesdropped on you talking to Robin. I was shocked. All the boys in my class felt like kids, finally, I thought. 'Finally, someone that gets it!'"

"And that time when you explained to me those difficult problems I was having in class, you were so patient. You listened. You explained it to me in a way I understood. You also basically told me that it's OK to be serious about stuff that I thought mattered."

"I really enjoyed all the time when we could hang out at school and was disappointed that we couldn't meet over the summer."

"I learned so much about you. And I learned so much about myself."

Gertrude stifles her tears, trying to control the vibrato in her voice.

"But you changed. You're no longer Todd. At least the Todd I looked up to. You became a stranger."

"Tell me who you really are. Tell me so I know how to let go of you."

...

"You don't think I'm suave?"

"You're an idiot."

...

...

...

"Ok."

⊹˚₊··────· ✤ ·────··₊˚⊹

Car horns blared in the background.

"I don't think you need to force yourself to be something you're not, Robin."

Familiar voice. Without looking, Gertrude focused in on their conversation.

"Just do the things you think are right and pray that it comes out OK."

"Pray? That doesn't help me build confidence in what you're saying."

He shrugged, probably.

"You can only do what you can. How the world reacts to your actions is completely out of your control."

"How do you know if what you did was the right decision?"

A pause.

...

...

"It doesn't matter. Wear your heart on your sleeve."

...

"Huh?"

"Wear your heart on your sleeve. Just be real and cringe. It won't kill you, but you'll feel better. Even if you end up alienating others, at least you are true to yourself. That's all you can really ask for."

"Even if people hate you?"

"You can't control people's actions."

"Uh-huh."

"..."

...

...

⊹˚₊··────· ✤ ·────··₊˚⊹

"Why did you purposefully flunk your classes?"
...
"I-I did it so I could get held back."
"Why?"
"I wanted to spend more time with you."
"You're an idiot!"

⊹˚₊··────· ✤ ·────··₊˚⊹

"..."

"... Thank you, Principal Brown. He's got a doctorate, so remember to refer to him as 'Dr.' in person."

Nobody laughed.

"... Todd will read the entrance speech. Todd is a talented 2nd year student, top of the class and sharp as a knife. It's an honor for us to have a solid young man attend this school. One could say that it's fate that stars oh so aligned that we're all here with Todd. Todd, you may begin."

Todd got up on the podium. It was obvious that he was too short. How embarrassing.

...

"mrschwartz, riserplatformplease"

Mr. Schwartz brings the riser platform in a jerky motion. He blushes as cold sweat runs down his back while an audible nervous giggle bubbles through the gymnasium.

...

"Thank you, mrschwartz. And Dr. Brown. And also, the rest of the faculty and staff. It's thanks to all your concerted effort that keeps this school operating."

Todd readjusts his script and takes a sip of water.

"First of all, I would like to thank the current student body for nominating me as the student representative. This is a highly prestigious position, and it is my honor to stand here as the voice of the school."

"Freshmen. Understand that this isn't a prestigious school. It's just another small nameless high school in a sea of nameless high schools in this country. But in the 3 years you attend this school, you'll experience your fair share of joys, sadness, successes, defeats, friendships, cliques, rivals, enemies, and love. You'll share moments with your colleagues, juniors, and seniors. Of shared grief, shared happiness, and shared identities. Some of you have been long-time friends, others, strangers. Some of you live in this town and others still, travel nearly an hour round trip. Know that despite our physical distances, when we step foot on this school grounds, we will be united as one."

"Freshmen. It is with my utmost pleasure to welcome you all to our school. I wish you all a fulfilling high school life."

⊹˚₊··────· ✤ ·────··₊˚⊹

Todd is kneeling on the pink ground.

"Summer came and left in a flash. It scared me."

"The last year of high school was approaching, and Robin was right. I got caught up in studies and merits that I didn't allow myself to live. What if the last year also passed by this quickly? And before I know it, I'll be in university, then working a job, next retired, and finally, buried 6 feet under. I panicked and sort of detached from reality right there and then. I thought that the only way out was to get held back. Buy back another summer."

...

Gertrude shook her head.

"This whole mess is stupid. You could've just confided in us."

"I had tunnel vision, and I didn't want to trouble everyone with my own problems."

"It had the opposite effect."

"Gertie -- "

"You're banned from giving me nicknames."

Todd fails to stop a high-pitched wail from escaping his throat. He collapses into the pink meadow. The demon king has finally been sealed.

The world had enough of their teenage melodrama, so it spits the duo to their home reality. Not with a bang, but a Todd whimper.

...

Later that day, the duo explains the Todd's dumbening to Principal Brown. He gives a pained but understanding smile. He reluctantly agrees to hold Todd back a year with a caveat.

Todd rejoices exuberantly.

Gertrude gives him a physical 1-2 straight.

⊹˚₊··────· ✤ ·────··₊˚⊹

It's the high cycle of cicadas this year, and the bugs are already beginning to form a cavalcade ensemble of tymbals.

...

"I've had to come up with a plan to get into the same university as you. Good academic standing by itself can't guarantee a placement. More so with that awful red stigma."

"Of your own pink-brained doing."

"... Yeah." Todd shrank an inch.

"But I've gotta give credit where credit's due. Dr. Brown gave you a semester off, and you used it to secure funding from local businesses to set up an after-school coding camp for middle school kids?"

"Yeah."

"You named the club 'GerdyMcGerbs'?"

"It was either that or 'Trutru'."

"Why?"

"Because a club needs a good name."

"No, why did it have to be me?"

Todd pauses and pretends to shift his weight uncomfortably. He clears his throat and pulls a mock-confused expression.

"Gertrude. Nobody calls you 'GerdyMcGerbs'."

"You're seriously asking for a knuckle sandwich."

...

"But still, I'm glad you somewhat got back to your usual self."

“It’s because you slapped some sense into me. I didn’t have it all together as much as I had thought.”

“I’ll be honest. I'm glad that we’re going to the same university. But equally, I can't believe you've managed to claw yourself back up after shooting yourself in your own foot like that.”

...

...

"Anything can be achieved with the power of love, Gertrude."

"You're an idiot."

⊹˚₊··────· The End. ·────··₊˚⊹