Extra's Ascent

"Damn, bro... You took a knife for a girl?" Trevor blurted out, his voice filled with incredulity.

Aldrich leaned back in his seat, letting a faint smile tug at his lips. "Not exactly a knife," he began, his tone casual but measured. "The recoil from the bullet shattered a table, and the debris came flying at us—knives included. When I saw one heading her way, I just... stepped in the path." He gestured to his shoulder. "Chuk. Knife straight in."

Trevor gawked at him, his mouth slightly agape. "Dude, that's not just any knife story. That's some next-level chivalry. And In my book of flirting, that is easily golden land to getting laid. I mean you did get laid, did you not?" he teased, a smirk playing on his lips.

"About that..." Aldrich hesitated, scratching the back of his neck.

Trevor's expression shifted. "No. No way," he said, drawing his conclusion. "You didn't get laid?"

Aldrich shook his head slowly.

Trevor gasped theatrically. "Don't tell me... you didn't get laid!"

"Worse." Aldrich sighed.

"You were slapped?"

"I was ghosted," Aldrich exclaimed, a bit embarrassed to put it out there.

Trevor was unable to lay it out in words, so he did so with eye gestures.

Aldrich gave him a single solemn nod.

Trevor stared at him for a second, processing, before erupting into loud, uncontrollable laughter.

Heads turned from nearby rows, curious about the commotion.

"Ghosted?!" Trevor practically howled, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. "Man, that's brutal."

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up," Aldrich said with mock annoyance, waving dismissively. "What? None of you have ever seen a guy get ghosted before?" he shouted to no one in particular, drawing a few raised brows from the applicants nearby.

"Say what you will, Trevor," he continued, leaning back in his chair with feigned nonchalance, "but I've got game. If she doesn't appreciate that? It's her loss, not mine,"

Trevor clapped a hand to his chest, still laughing. "Damn right, brother. Women be damned! And the ungrateful ones? Begone with them."

"Exactly," Aldrich agreed with a smirk, conveniently leaving out the small detail that the girl in question was Fiona Helmswoth.

A family name that carried more weight than meets the eye.

If anyone here knew he'd been ghosted by a Helmswoth, his social life would be obliterated before it even began.

In a bad way that is.

Men and women alike would crush him for even having the thoughts of getting with a princess, a goddess as they dubbed her.

Her beauty alone would make the men want to crush him, scramble his bones and grind it into coffee.

And the females? They are the literal worst.

"What about you?" Aldrich asked, steering the conversation away from himself. "Got anyone special in your life?"

Trevor hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Now we're talking," Aldrich said, leaning forward with genuine interest. "Who is she? And how far in are you? I need the full scoop!"

"About that..." Trevor muttered. 

"No, no. I sense a but coming. Don't tell me..."

Trevor fidgeted in his seat, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "Well... she's my childhood crush."

Aldrich froze mid-lean. "A childhood crush?!"

That was even worse than getting ghosted.

"I haven't told her yet," Trevor admitted, his words tumbling out in a rushed whisper.

Aldrich's eyes widened. "How long has this been going on?"

"About twelve years," Trevor said sheepishly, his gaze dropping to the floor.

"Twelve years?!" Aldrich exclaimed, loud enough to draw a few stares.

"Fuck no. Dude, no." Aldrich says with disappointment.

He threw his hands in the air. "You don't hold onto a crush for twelve years and then admit it to someone you just met! That's... that's depressing, man. No offence, but you're breaking bro code right now."

Trevor giggled nervously. "I know, I know. It's just... I've never really had a friend to talk to about this sort of thing."

Aldrich tilted his head, studying him for a moment. "Are you saying we're friends now?"

Trevor's face lit up. "Aren't we?"

"Well, yeah," Aldrich said, shrugging. "Why else would I let you mock me about getting ghosted?"

Trevor grinned. "Then yeah, we're friends."

"Cool."

For a moment, they sat in silence, their conversation giving way to a more comfortable atmosphere but with the lingering awkward discovery of a twelve-year crush.

Aldrich glanced at the stagnant line ahead of them.

They were still stuck in the fifth column, somewhere around the ninety-something row, with no sign of movement.

"Man, this line is ridiculous," Aldrich muttered, shaking his head.

As if on cue, an official entered the room, clipboard in hand.

He began calling names, starting with the first ten applicants in the first column.

One by one, they stood and followed the official into the testing room.

"Only ten at a time?" Aldrich mused aloud, calculating the odds.

With over a thousand applicants and the current pace, it was clear they'd be stuck here for hours.

He sighed, leaning back in his seat.

His eyes wandered aimlessly until they landed on a head of blonde hair a few rows ahead.

Blonde hair? he thought, his heart skipping a beat.

The sight reminded him of someone he'd rather not think about—someone who, despite his best efforts, still lingered in the back of his mind.

"You nervous?" Trevor's voice broke through his thoughts.

Aldrich turned to see Trevor shifting in his seat, his fingers drumming nervously on the armrest.

"Yeah, I know I am" Trevor admitted, answering his question. "I just keep thinking... what if I fail? What if I don't meet their requirements? I mean, I've been preparing for this for months, but what if it's not enough?"

Aldrich gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Hey, relax. You've got this. Besides, it's not like they're going to throw us out if we trip over a few questions."

Trevor smiled weakly. "Thanks, man. I needed that."

"No problem. That's what friends are for, right?"

The line inched forward, and the waiting room buzzed with restless energy.

Aldrich glanced around, taking in the sea of faces—some nervous, some bored, and others completely unreadable.

This was going to be a long day.!