Raine VS The End of the World by Joseph Choi Page B

down.
    Peter offered some mock applause as his bro lobbed over half of the fruit.
    “You know… to be honest, Petey, I was thinking, maybe you guys should go on without me for a while.”
    “Oh, not this again. You’re our secret weapon, mate: the third best swordsman in all of Clyde.”
    “I thought West held that title.”
    “Check the Hall of Warrior Fame.”
    Gerrit slipped on his goggles and pulled up the rankings. Indeed, of all the swordsmen in the region, he was ranked third.
    “Huh. You’d think I’d be getting duel requests left and right.”
    “You’re too unpredictable, man. Not to mention you’ve got that lightning-fast one-two strike combo that everyone thinks is a hack. No offense.”
    “None taken.”
    “We’ve got it set, man. By the end of this war our territory will expand and you’ll be the finest fighter on the continent.”
    Gerrit allowed himself a pithy smirk.
    “Yeah, you’re probably right, but it’s just… I really think I might need a break.”
    Peter stood and walked over to Gerrit, picking up a mug of ginger ale with his good hand. He shotgunned the drink and slammed it down. With the tap of a button on the keg beside him, his mug filled right up again.
    “Ye can’t just up and leave the guild now, mate. We need ya.”
    He hung his head, peeling another tangerine. “With my luck, I probably won’t even be gone that long.”
    “Is it another girl?”
    The boy’s silence told the whole story.
    “Oh, heavens, not another one. You gotta stop putting the petunias up on that pedestal.”
    Gerrit crushed the tangerine peel in his hand as Peter plopped back down.
    “I doubt you even know what that means. In all likelihood, I’ve been here longer than you have. Soon, you’ll understand. A guy’s just got to move on, start thinking about the future. About something real.”
    “Real. Hah. Again with that word. I don’t think it means what you think it means.”
    “I’ve heard that line before. And hey, there’s someone out there for you, too, brother. Aren’t you curious as to the nature of love?”
    “Love is an undefined property,” droned Peter.
    “Another hand-me-down nugget of wisdom. Have you ever kissed a girl? Ever held hands with one? Do you know what it’s like? It’s positively intoxicating. It gives you, like, a special kind of warmth, a happiness you never knew existed.”
    “Easy, easy. Keep that monster on a leash ‘til after we defend the tower,” Pete pleaded, twirling his beard in between his fingers. “We had a good haul today. It won’t last if we get robbed before we can invest in a high-powered laser cannon. After that I’m sure Lance’ll understand.”
    “No, because by then he’ll want to farm the Goblin Prince under the Silvril Mines for Rune Stones, and he’ll keep me there till I say yes. Then he’ll contract us out to the war effort again. Don’t you see,” he argued. “It never ends.”
    Gerrit realized this was an important juncture. Before this, he could always deny that he even tried to pursue a lasting relationship if he didn’t really put any effort into it. This time, this time he was going to break free of the mold, really stand on top of the railroad tracks and try to smash the oncoming train into pieces.
    “Well, if you’re this serious, mate, I’m conceding. I know I can’t stop ya.”
    “Thanks, man.”
    “What can I say? It’s in your eyes, Gher-bear. You’re not like us.”
    “Huh? How so?”
    “Best not to clutter up that thick noggin o’ yours. Might wanna swap out that old Tigerskin Muffler, too. It breaks like every fashion rule.”
    “It’s a Legendary Muffler! A legend never dies,” joked Gerrit, posing with the gaudy pelt warming his neck and shoulders.
    “Yeah, but it can be put on indefinite life support by fools like you. Ugh. Why am I even helpin’ ya? You’re a lost cause. If your lady friend walks out, just don’t say I didn’t tell ya so. Get outta here, mate,” Peter mumbled,