Chapter Text
“Okay everyone, chop chop!” Two enthusiastically spoke, clapping their hands as the contestants crowded around them.
“Today’s- or week’s challenge, if you get that far, is pretty simple! You and your greatest enemy will get trapped in a room together, and your goal is to not leave for as long as possible. If you do leave, both you and the other person are disqualified! The first two teams to have all of their members leave the rooms are up for elimination. Now, go!” Two chuckled, and with the clap of their hands once again, the contestants were teleported.
Golf Ball felt herself get teleported midair, immediately falling down onto the ground face first. A small wince of pain came from her mouth, moments after bouts of laughter being heard from behind her.
Golf Ball didn’t pay much attention to how people sounded, it didn’t matter much to her. But there was something that made the girl’s voice behind her unmistakable. Maybe it was how much she hated it, or maybe it was how the words which came from the voice always had some sort of vitriol directed her way.
In either case, it was quite obvious who her “greatest” enemy was.
“Hah! Just, like, look at yourself right now!” Pencil said, still giggling to herself.
“Of course it’s you.” Golf Ball said dryly, picking herself off the ground.
“Yeah, the one and only!” Pencil bragged.
Golf Ball looked around the room for a few seconds, taking in the atmosphere. The room was definitely.. interesting. Pink wallpaper lined the walls, the entire room barren except for the bed in the corner, which Pencil was currently sitting on.
The bed had a variety of plush toys, from ducks to teddy bears to- a plushie of herself? Not just one, but multiple. Two where she was angry, one where she was sad, one where she was happy, and a lifesized one where she looked completely numb.
Considering the slim layout of the room, this was most definitely one of the rooms in the hotel, meaning it was one of her own peers who occupied this room. Golf Ball wiped her eyes at the bizarreness of this all, the Golf Ball plushes not being a figment of her imagination after all.
“Pencil.. would you happen to know who occupies this room?” Golf Ball spoke, cutting the theatrics that she’d usually use when engaging in a conversation with Pencil.
“If I knew, why do you think I’d tell you, Mrs. Bozo?”
“Because the owner of this room owns five plushies of me.”
Pencil’s eyes seemed to widen ever-so-slightly, so slightly Golf Ball could think it was a trick of the mind. Pencil turned her head to the rest of the bed, the five Golf Ball plushies stacked on top of each other.
“EEEK- WHAT THE HELL!?” Pencil shrieked, jumping off the bed as she stared in disbelief at the plushies.
“Yes, so all information on the owner of this room would be well appreciated. I would not like to associate myself with whomever keeps these plushies of me in their room.”
“I- why do you think I’d know? Do you think I’d ever be friends with someone if they had a room like this?”
“I don’t think you would, but as you’re the only person I’m able to talk to until the challenge ends or one of us leaves, I felt compelled to ask.”
“Okay, well, I have no idea of whichever freak owns this room. It’s probably like Tennis Ball’s, have you seen how he acts around you?” Pencil quipped.
“What do you mean how he acts around me? Me and him have a platonic relationship, and besides, I’ve seen his room before.”
“Still, who would actually ever own these plushies?” Pencil grabbed one of the Golf Ball plushes, staring into it. “No one even, like, likes you anyways.”
“Hey! Many people like me, these plushes make a testament to that!”
Pencil laughed, “Name five people who do.”
“Tennis Ball, PuffBall, YellowFace, Fries..” Golf Ball stammered off, trying to remember anyone else who actually liked her.
“Awh, did you hit your head too hard when you fell? That’s only four, bozo.” Pencil smirked.
“And whoever owns this room. That’s five. I win, Pencil.”
Pencil sighed. “Ugh, it’s not, like, a competition. I have way more people who like me than like you.”
“Maybe, but I don’t really care. All your friends are imbeciles anyways.”
Pencil’s eyebrows furrowed. “You do not say that about my friends, Golf Ball.”
“I can say whatever I want, Pencil. If you can’t deal with it, you are free to leave.”
Pencil wanted to find a comeback to say to Golf Ball, but she.. couldn’t. She had only gotten back into the competition a few weeks ago, and considering both her and Golf Ball were on the same team, leaving only meant the chances of her being put up for elimination went way up.
“Okay, you know what? I don’t want to deal with you anymore, I need my beauty sleep!” Pencil protested, throwing the miniature Golf Ball plush at Golf Ball as she marched back into the bed.
The plush hit Golf Ball weakly, her not caring much. “What? Where am I going to sleep?” Golf Ball asked, Pencil already putting herself into bed.
“I don’t know, figure it out, bozo brain. You’re smart enough.” Pencil said, turning her body towards the wall and away from Golf Ball.
“You don’t just get to claim ownership of the bed!” Golf Ball screeched.
“Bleh bleh, bleh bleh bleh.” Pencil mocked, not giving a glance to Golf Ball.
“Pencil, either we share the bed, or no one gets the bed.” Golf Ball barked, a little more than a tinge of anger in her voice.
“Then get in bed with me, I don’t care.” Pencil murmured, her voice already dreary from sleepiness.
Golf Ball kind of just froze in shock, unsure if she heard Pencil correctly. Golf Ball didn’t suggest that for Pencil to actually follow along. “E-excuse me?”
“..I don’t like sleeping alone.” Pencil admitted. Golf Ball had no idea where this was coming from, but it was either sleeping with Pencil or on the floor, and sleeping with Pencil was just a little bit more bearable.
Golf Ball walked up to the bed, lifting up one of Pencil’s arms which was currently occupying half the bed’s space. Golf Ball snuggled in, the heat already on the blanket radiating on to her.
The blanket smelt very much like lavender, reminiscent of Pencil’s fragrance. Golf Ball found it a little odd, considering Pencil had only just gotten into bed a few minutes prior and her perfume probably shouldn’t have spread that quickly, but she digressed.
Golf Ball sat with her thoughts, as was per usual when she tried to sleep. She was supposed to take melatonin while she slept, but as she was stuck in this room, there wasn’t much she could do.
Golf Ball turned her body over to look at Pencil, her body already collapsed onto the bed and fast asleep. Golf Ball thought she looked a little sad as she slept. Her eyes looked dreary, faint eyebags partially covered by makeup. Her mouth was strung into a pout, her arms twitching a little every few seconds.
Golf Ball stared at her a little longer, admiring her. It was something Golf Ball had never told anyone, but she thought Pencil really looked ethereal. She was envious that someone could look so beautiful without even trying. Maybe that was why Two had considered Pencil her “greatest” enemy.
Sure, she and Pencil bickered a lot, but honestly, it wasn’t the worst thing in the world. Golf Ball hated Pencil’s voice because of how nice it sounded, how it wasn’t so nasal like hers. She hated that so many people could just blindly follow her and she didn’t have to explain a million times that what she was doing was right.
Golf Ball hated to admit it, but maybe the reason that she hated Pencil so much was because she found her perfect. She wanted so much to be like Pencil, to have what she had, but it was grated by the stupid rivalry they had. If they both let themselves look past their petty arguments, Golf Ball could envision a future where they were friends, a future where they could’ve been.. more, together.
Golf Ball ran her hand through Pencil’s blonde hair, bringing a few strands close for her to smell. Golf Ball knew that it was weird, but Golf Ball loved the smell of Pencil’s hair even more than her perfume. A sweet smell of faint cut grass and strawberries, mixed in with a few roses.
Golf Ball’s only complaint was that she wished Pencil kept her natural brown hair, Golf Ball thought it was so much prettier than her blonde hair of now, but it wasn’t as if Golf Ball could ever tell her that.
Golf Ball smiled at Pencil. This was probably the only time she’d be able to give Pencil a smile, to touch her hair, to appreciate her. Golf Ball let herself look at Pencil a little more, drifting off to sleep as she laid besides the love she could never have.
Until “the love she could never have” decided to hug her. Golf Ball immediately opened her eyes back up again, Pencil pulling her closer to herself. Golf Ball should’ve gotten out of Pencil’s grip the moment it happened, but she was greedy. If Pencil really wanted to hug her in her sleep, she would let her full-heartedly.
“Golf Ball..” Pencil moaned out, her voice trembling. (guys not like that)
“Pencil..?” Golf Ball cautiously voiced, not fully sure if Pencil was still sleeping or awake, considering her eyes were shut.
“Mmm.. I misseddd youuu..” Pencil said, her voice slurring.
“Y-you did?” Golf Ball asked, unsure of just what was happening.
“Sorryyy I keep fightinggg.. I loveee you so much..” Pencil once again slurred out, Golf Ball’s face turning a bright red.
“W-wha?” Golf Ball spoke, trying to keep herself from stammering.
“Say that you loveee me back.. Say ittt.. Please babyyy..”
Golf Ball choked up, looking at the slight smile Pencil now had on her face instead of the pout. Pencil was clearly still sleeping and Golf Ball should’ve woken her up by now, but it felt so nice to hear these words from Pencil that she couldn’t stop herself.
“..I love you too, Pencil.” Golf Ball squeaked out, Pencil now hugging her tighter.
“You’re so cuteee Golf Ball.. I love your voice and your freckles and your hair and your face and your smarts..” Pencil said cutely, every ounce of hate in her voice for Golf Ball turned into affection.
Golf Ball’s face had practically turned pure red, her not responding due to how much she felt like she would explode if she opened her mouth.
“I wish you loved me there..” Pencil said, putting her leg over Golf Ball’s
“W-w-where?” Golf Ball managed, every part of her body seemingly on fire due to Pencil’s touch.
Pencil ignored Golf Ball’s words, moving on to the next topic. “It’s okayyy, I have you here now.. you’re never going to leave me, right?” Pencil begged, her slurring voice now filled with a sense of desperation.
“..W-why would I ever leave you?” Golf Ball tried to reason, hoping to calm down Pencil.
“Because you, like, hateee me.. even Two said it, I’m your worst enemy.. why would you ever love mee?” Pencil continued to plead, her voice cracking intermittently.
“But I never truly saw you as an enemy, Pencil, I was just jealous..” Golf Ball said, letting her heart out to the sleeptalking Pencil.
“Jealouss of what? I’m a first boot, my friends don’t even like me, all I do is annoy you.. I’m so pathetttic..”
“But you’re not, you’re the prettiest girl in the observable universe. You shouldn’t think so poorly of yourself.” Golf Ball now hugged Pencil back, them now full on cuddling.
“I shoulddd.. all I do is hurt people over and over..” Pencil’s voice sounded even weaker, her shrillness coming to a maximum.
“You can always change that. Do you think anything would happen if you just kept hurting people?”
“..nooo.”
“Then be a nicer person. I’m sure there’s someone out there who would be willing to help you.”
“Like who?”
“Like me, Pencil.” Golf Ball reassured, snuggling up closer with her.
“I love youuu.. Can I kiss youuu..?” Pencil asked, a faint smile back on her face.
“Of course.”
Pencil leaned in closer to Golf Ball’s face, giving her a slight kiss. It lasted for what seemed like both no time and all the time in the world. Her lips tasted of cherries, most likely a byproduct of her lip gloss. A faint blush was now apparent on Pencil’s face, even through the dim moonlight which protruded through the window.
“I’ll see you tomorrow, Golf Ball..” Pencil let the hug she had on Golf Ball loosen. It took a few seconds, but her mouth let out a yawn, her itching at her eyes moments later..
Pencil opened her eyes, and that’s when she realized just who she was talking to in her dreams.
“G-golf Ball?” Pencil chirped, her voice shaking.
“Pencll..?”
The two girls stared at each other for a few seconds longer.
And then Pencil screamed, and then Golf Ball screamed. And then they both covered their mouths, still staring at each other.
And now they were looking back into each other’s eyes silently, the both at their hearts racing, stifled breaths being the only thing heard in the room.
They both had a lot of explaining to do.