Chapter 8: A little karaoke?

After Jin got consent from his Grandmother, everyone entered the vehicle, and strapped on their seatbelts like kids amping up for a rollercoaster ride.

Jin sat in the back with Ashton; provided that Dobby opted to sit in the front seat next to the new model of Tristan.

The wagon edged away from its initial parting spot, and zoomed across the wide road that was at the front of Jin's house.

"Who's got their door opened?" Tristan asked, shooting glimpses up at his mirror.

Jin looked at Ashton, "I made sure I shut mine properly. I think it's yours, Ashton."

"Definitely Ashton's door," added Dobby, "The guy's too afraid that he'd close the door too hard…"

"Can you stop so I can close it, Tris?"

"Nah, no need for that, just open it and close it again—it'll be fine."

Ashton rammed the door open and pulled it towards him again, with what looked like all the might his skinny little body could muster.

The door slammed loudly, seizing everyone's attention like a man on his wedding day seizing his wife before he sweeps her off her feet.

"What the fuck, man? He said to open and close it again—not destroy the thing…"

Tristan directed the words, "It's okay," to Dobby.

Still, Dobby peered back at Ashton in the backseat, and softly mumbled, "The hell's wrong with you?"

Jin tittered, trying not to burst into laughter, "For a second there, I thought you were fighting the door, Ashton. But still, you didn't have to curse the guy, Dobby…"

"I swore at him because—I swear the dude's a genius but an asshole at the same time!"

With a conspicuous frown on his countenance, Ashton turned to his window, leaning his heavy head against the tinted glass.

Tristan looked in the mirror again, "You guys want the AC any colder?"

"Doesn't make much sense, I'm fucking freezing already," acknowledged Dobby.

Jin adjusted his body in the seat, "Yeah, it's been really cold these days. Is it even summer?"

"Some major storm is coming man, I'm telling you. God might be sending the Genesis flood to wipe us out, boys."

Without moving, Ashton muttered, "You believe in the Gods, Dobby?"

"Of course, I don't. Uncle always says there's only one true God so…"

Suddenly, the people of the heaven's showered the surface of Earth with their twitch hottub bath water.

Cotton clouds carelessly popped like water balloons, drenching the surface with its sprinkling love.

"And….it's raining," Dobby drawled, "I'm telling you, that flood's gonna come back again…"

"Whatever, Dobby," said Tristan, "We heard you the first time."

It became quiet for a while, until Tristan decided to put some music on to kill the silence.

The music sounded through the car, entering their ears. The singer was a female with a high-pitched voice that was rather melodic to Jin.

"You guys like Lexi Syrell's tracks?" He asked, paying attention to them all.

"Is this thee Lexi Syrell?"

"Yeah, of course it is."

Ashton giggled, "Tris used to dance to her songs, and actually paid money for copies as opposed to pirating them online. Can you believe that?"

Dobby cringed, "I remember it like it was yesterday! Damn annoying songs…still annoying…"

Tristan took his eyes off the road to look at Dobby, "What? You guys don't like it?"

"Of course we don't!" snarled Dobby, turning down the music.

Tristan focused on the road again.

"I don't have a problem with it," opined Ashton.

"Of course you don't!" Dobby snarled.

"So what kind of music do you guys like then?"

Ashton answered, "I like Lexi's songs as well."

"Ashton likes my music. Well, we already know what you like Dobby," he looked in the mirror, "What about you, Jin? What would you like to hear?"

Jin, eyes partially opened, yawned, "I'd like to hear where you're taking us. I told Grandma we're going to pick up some snacks since she doesn't have any at home."

"Yeah, Tris," uttered Ashton, "Where are you taking us?"

"You'll know when we get there. We're close."

Tristan turned back up the music.

"What the hell, dude," Dobby looked at him.

"What?"

"You turned up Lexi again…"

"Why would I turn off my future wife, Dobby? She isn't a robot, y'know."

Dobby shook his head, "We had faith in you, Tris…we had faith in you…."

Jin narrowed his eyes, "Okay now I'm convinced that you really are Tristan."

"Yeah, he's Tristan alright," assured Ashton.

"I was gonna say that you had no chance with her," Dobby smiled, "I always used to tell you that when you were fat. I take it back now. All of it. You got more than just a chance with her…"

Jin grimaced, "But isn't she like," he scoffed, "Thirty now?"

"Twenty-nine," rectified Tristan.

"Yeah, Tris, but that's still a lot older than you!"

"No, it isn't.

"It is though…"

"Yeah, a twelve-year difference…"

"So what if I'm only seventeen and she's twenty-nine—so what? There are such age gaps between partners all over the damn world today. Then again, Elves have longer lifespans than humans. So I'm gonna die before her anyway…"

"Why do you even have so many crushes on elf celebrities to begin with?"

"I am a very cultured man; that's all."

Dobby then looked at him, and said, "You know what? Fuck Lexi. What was I even saying before?"

"What's wrong with her?"

"Tristan, man, you know exactly what's wrong with her. She's a celebrity, she's a retired slut, she's a woman a lot older than you, she's a person who dated more men than time itself. That is what's wrong with her."

Taking his eyes off the road, Tristan gave that 'I don't know what you're talking about' look.

"Don't gimme that look. You know what I mean."

"Lexi, the blonde elf e-girl with millions of followers, recently retired from…"

"From being a slut," Dobby finished, "Tris, you know what I'm talking about. She was a dot-dot-dot-hub-star."

"You don't think I know that?"

Everyone looked at him.

"What?"

"So you're okay with having your girl experienced with you-know-what because of all the partners who did her?" asked Dobby, sneering at him.

Jin facepalmed, "I'm not liking this topic right now…"

"Dobby. I mean, Tristan's been watching those very same scum videos with her and all the partners you're talking about…" Ashton put simply.

Dobby gawked at Tristan.

Quickly, a smug look took Tristan's face. The entirety of his face. He even took his eyes off of the road to show it to Dobby.

Taking into account what Tristan said just now, Dobby scowled, "Eww…"

Ashton looked at him, "And you know, Tristan even practically hacked Onlyfans to get access to not only Lexi Syrell's fan exclusive stuff, but many other elf girls!"

"You really do like us elves, don't you, Tris?" asked Dobby, looking at him.

"Yeah, with the exception of the males."

Dobby put a hand on his chin, "What's wrong with male elves? What's wrong with me?"

Eyebrows furrowed, Tristan quickly and aggressively hit down on the brakes. Haltingly, the car drew at the side of the road, still allowing others on the same lane to pass.

Tristan, with a facial expression that remained but ineffable to them alone, uttered, "Get out."

Dobby grimaced at him, "What'd you say?"

He turned his head, giving Tristan a dead stare with his now impenetrable eyes. "I said. Get. Out."

Dobby stubbornly folded his arms, turned his head, and reclined in his seat.

"Get out. Or do you prefer me kicking you out instead!" snarled Tristan; wrinkles forming all over his face.

Ashton opened his door, "Fine, I'll just go with the flow. I'm sure it's a prank anyway."

"I don't know about you guys but I'm not going anywhere," admitted Dobby.

Ashton stepped out of the car, and stood in the rain.

"Come back inside, asshole!" Shouted Dobby, openly directing his words at Ashton, "You'll get wet in the rain…"

"Get the fuck out of my car, people!" snarled Tristan, flaring up.

"Especially you, Dobby. Hurry up and get out! My patience is on edge right now!"

"I told you. I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm running out of time here! Get out!"

Jin noticed the sheer amount of malice on his face. With his hands clutched to the steering wheel, Jin saw that he had been squeezing it the entire time.

It was only a matter of time before he lashed out on Dobby. And they all knew how that went down last time.

But now that Tristan was fit and different; they had no idea who would take home the win this time.

Suddenly, a screen appeared before Jin.

[Successor Revelation in 3 minutes, 59 seconds]

'Ah, come on! Not this again…'

Having seen the screen, Jin pulled his hood over his head, opened his door, and stepped out of the car. His black hoodie started to get soaked in the rain immediately.

He then leaned over, and took his wheelchair out of the vehicle and stood with it in front of him.

"You two are assholes. I'm not leaving for nothing. No way I wasted minutes—minutes of my life only for you to kick me out of your car! And for what?"

"I think you should get out, Dobby," said Ashton, looking into the vehicle from outside, "I-it's not looking so much like a prank anymore…"

"Better listen to Jin and Ashton, Dobby! I'll fuck you up! You hear me? I'm not who I was, and you should know this!"

"Go fuck yourself," growled Dobby.

Tristan started bashing both his hands against the steering wheel, striking it with profound might.

He ended up hitting the horn a few times as well, drawing people's attention to the vehicle.

"I SWEAR, I'LL HURT YOU, DOBBY!"

"What got you to think you can hurt me now that you're all big and bad?"

"Something that you'll never have…"

"When did your balls grow, Tris!?"

"Since I've stopped seeing your ugly face, fat fuck!"

"Fuck you, man. I'm not even fat. No way as near as how fat you were four months ago!"

"At least I was able to change. Look at you, Dobby!"

"Oh yeah? Well at least my entire life isn't driven and controlled by lust!"

"Buzz off, Dobby. You'll never be someone in this world."

"At least I'm not a fucking pedophile who even watches little Goblin girls!"

"You know what?"

"What, Tristan—what!?"

"At least my fucking parents didn't leave my sorry 9-year-old ass to live with my uncle and abandon me!"

Jin and Ashton's eyes widened in shock.

A jarring silence filled the air. No one said anything. Only the rain could be heard at this time.

Tristan was breathing heavily, staring dead into Dobby's dismal blue eyes, while his heart thumped on.

Silently, Dobby peered at him, and shook his head. He finally opened the door, and left the car. He slammed the door the hardest he could, and looked at his own reflection in the car glass.

Tristan immediately hit the gas, and sped off, leaving behind only splashes thrown by his tires that quickly drenched his friends in puddle water.

They, water dripping from their faces, all stood next to each other, watching as the car shrinks before their eyes, and disappears into the distance.

They looked at each other in great confusion.

Surely, that didn't just happen, did it?