Chapter Text
Wemmbu doesn't really let people into his life quite easily, that much is known across the entire campus of Unstable University. A set of people he constantly runs to, to hang out with.
Eggchan, his friend since middle school, and stuck with ever since — a friendship most people envy quite horribly. Their friendship and loyalty to each other was either revered or envied, the answer always changes depending on who you ask.
Spoke, a childhood friend of his, their friendship was unfortunately not as strong as it used to be, but they got along great together — a shared interest in creating chaos makes them closer than they actually are.
Flame— hah, no.
Jaden, a friend who he had a rough start with — starting out as rivals in their shared sport of track, before eventually becoming teammates. Wemmbu had sprained an ankle, and Jaden had been the one who took it upon himself to take care of him — because Egg was away, and both Boosfer and Ash were busy with their own affairs.
Speaking of the two.
Ash, his older brother, albeit quite absent in his life, Wemmbu still cared about, and trusted him. He had been the one who basically raised him and Boosfer when their parents died — and Wemmbu always appreciated him for that. Even if it felt like Ash held some disdain towards them.
Boosfer, is twin, his literal day one; despite every fight they've been through, every few weeks they avoided talking to each other, every stupid disagreements they had — they still had a strong bond. It didn't show too often, but people could just feel how much they cared about each other when they interacted with each other in the hallways.
Parrot, another childhood friend — though their friendship was a little.. strained. But they got along just fine when they do hang out with each other — Wemmbu couldn't say much about how his friends felt about him, knowing how they didn't really.. like him.
So yeah, quite a small circle.
Unfortunately, though, Wemmbu is also friends with Parrots ex-friend.
It was just going to be a quick trip to a beach with friends. It was simple — just a few of them in Theos nine seater SUV, a five hour drive to the seaside because they were on summer break and wanted to do something worthwhile — or until Wemmbu inevitably needed to go to a week long modeling gig again.
They were having fun — despite the underlying tension between three of them in the car — blasting music, a mix of Theo and Wemmbus playlists, made thirty minutes into the drive because they kept arguing whose was better. But, to be honest, the mix of 90s pop and soft rock made quite the vibey atmosphere in the car.
Up until something under the hood made a noise — a concerning sound, actually.
And hopping out of the car in a panic, after pulling off to the side, revealed that something under the hood was smoking.
"MOTHERFUCKER?!" Theo had yelled, distressed as he popped the hood open, and met with smoke to his face. Something short-circuited and genuinely caught on fire — thankfully, they had brought a fire extinguisher to pair with their barbecue grill, just in case something went wrong.
So, after putting the fire out, and a few moments of panicked checking from Theo, Parrot, and Flame — they concluded that some of the wiring somehow failed them. "I checked, I checked, I checked—!" Theo had stuttered, pulling away from the car to pace around the front.
"Theo, calm down—" Parrot tries to comfort his friend, despite also panicking internally. Mapicc and Spoke had hopped out as well, taking in the openness of the highway — the saltiness of the faraway sea coating the air around them with a salty taste. Spoke smacks his lips, before coughing — muttering something about the air tasting funny, Mapicc laughs at him.
Reina quietly pipes up from the sidelines, "We're.. an hour away from the nearest city.." she mumbled flatly, holding Theos phone, which had the map he was following before the car decided to give up.
Egg and Wemmbu step out from the vehicle, Wemmbu still carrying his casual grace as his shoes hit the ground, and Egg opting to sit at the steps to the car. Jaden follows, sitting next to Egg, who greets him with a small wave — Jaden replies with a slight nod, before asking about the book in Eggs hands, which led to a very polite and interested conversation.
Wemmbu hums, taking a look around — something was familiar about this place.
The openness of the sea beyond the metal fence, one made to make sure that cars didn't just swerve off to the road and down a small hill, and into the rocky, sandy terrain of the landscape at the bottom.
Yeah, he's been here before. A trip to a museum a few kilometers away, with two people he suddenly remembered the existence of.
An idea pops into his mind.
"..I can probably call someone to help, if you guys are too impatient to wait for someone." He hums casually, stretching his arms above his head, hearing the satisfying pops of his spine. Parrot perks up, relieved. "If you can, Wemmbu.."
"PLEASE BRO— I can't have my car dying on me yet!" Theo whines, literally melting into the ground — Flame stares at the blonde in a mix of sympathy and amusement.
Wemmbu pauses, a scary thing.
"..Yeah, well — sorry in advance.." he huffs, glancing towards Parrot, before quickly looking away, fishing his phone out of his pocket. Something in Parrots mind tells him that something is going to go wrong. Not exactly stuck for three hours on the side of the road waiting for mechanics type of wrong— but something was definitely shady with how Wemmbu spoke.
Wemmbu ignores the glances, and scrolls through his contacts, before finding the one he needed.
He dials, shoes tapping against the concrete a little faster at each ring of the call. "C'mon.. pick up.." he mumbled, staring at the profile picture on his screen.
The person picks up.
"Yes?" A voice hums flatly. "Hi Wemms," another voice greets, tone lighter than the last one.
"Holy shit— hi, guys!" Wemmbu sighed, half a laugh, half a sigh of relief — he presses the phone against his ear, now hearing the sounds he couldn't hear earlier. The soft, muffled noise of a car engine running in the background, the signal clicking for a few seconds before it turned off — they were on the road, too. Fuck, they were on the road.
"Uhh.." he starts, walking away from the group unconsciously, gaining some privacy. "Weird question— but are you two like, going to cross that one road leading to the museum we went to, like two months ago?" Wemmbu asks, twirling his hair, an unconscious, nervous habit.
The two on the other side of the phone pause for a moment, before the lighter voice asks him a question, too. "Like, the highway crossing and going to the beach?" He asked — Wemmbu perks up.
"Yes! That one— are you guys going there? Or are you already past it?" He patiently waits for the connection to let him converse with the other two. "Approaching it, why?" The monotone voice asks, tone unhurried and casual, almost. Wemmbu laughs nervously in response.
"We uh.. we kinda need help— a friends car broke down on the way to the beach and.." he gestures to the wind, as if the other two would be able to see it. The monotone voice only huffs in amusement.
"Turn on your location tracking."
"Sweet — thanks, Eve."
Back with the group, Parrot opted to stare out into the sea with the others, the salty winds going through their hair.
Some of them conversed, mostly Mapicc and Spoke, who were debating on if store bought rice crispy treats were better than homemade ones — and Egg and Jaden, who were quieter with their conversation, talking about an aquarium trip with the two of them, with Wemmbu and someone else named.. Yungy, if he heard them correctly.
The rest of them were quiet. Theo was stressing out about his car, fingers and nails running across his scalp as he repeated breathing exercises — no one had the heart to try and pull some "it'll be okay," bullshit. Reina looked out into the sea, watching the distant waves crash against rocks, the faint sound of them filling the silence, without just words to do it. Flame did the same as she was, but this time, he was just listening to the waves, head tilted down, eyes closed — aurafarming, if you will.
Parrot stood still because he didn't know what else to do, he's strategizing in his mind, if the friend Wemmbu was calling wasn't available, then he'd have to think of someth—
"He's coming by," a voice chimes — Parrot looks up to see Wemmbu approaching them again, pocketing his phone and shoving his hands into his jacket pockets. A sigh escapes Parrots lips. "When?"
Wemmbu hums, thinking for a moment. "He told me to guess, so I said five minutes. Knowing him, he'd probably want to prove me wrong — so he might run a red light or take his sweet time." The ravenette yawns lazily, obviously not too concerned about their situation. Parrot envies his groups certain calmness.
Egg, Wemmbu, and Jaden all had a similarity of being ridiculously mellow at stressful times, often finding themselves making things amusing and lighthearted for each other — it was a talent he envied greatly.
"..Wait— five minutes?" Parrot stutters, a little bewildered. "How?"
Wemmbu glances at him, chuckling. "Apparently, the guy I called was also going to the beach— coincidentally." Parrot stares, before huffing, a small smile on his face.
"Alright.." Parrot breathed out, relieved to know that help was on the way.. no matter how much of that nervousness from Wemmbus earlier words ran through his nerves.
Wemmbu glanced at him again — guilt flashing in his normally unapologetic gaze — before turning to join Egg and Jaden.
"Yo- whose car is that?!" Spoke exclaims, hearing a loud engine roaring in the near distance. Wemmbu perks up — a scoff escaping his lips as he pushed off of the metal fencing.
"Four minutes.. definitely ran a red light." He hums, amused as he walks towards the side of the road.
A Ferrari pulls up.
A Ferrari pulls up to the rescue.
Wemmbu casually waves an arm to signal where he was. The sleek black car signals as it pulls up behind the SUV, the usual beeping echoing in the emptiness of the road as the car unlocks.
Wemmbu practically skips over to the car, humming idly. The others peek at the car — a mix of surprise, bewilderment, and fascination.
The door opens — and out comes a guy that looked like a carbon copy of Wifies, with a few differences.
Parrot gets why Wemmbu apologized.
"Eve," Wemmbu greets stepping in front of the man — Eve — who stares at him blankly through black-rimmed glasses. "Wemmbu," Eve greets back after a second, tilting his head to the side slightly — Wemmbu reciprocates with a deeper tilt, blinking up at him.
"..The car?" Eve asks, snapping Wemmbu back to reality. "Oh, right—" he stammers, Eve hums — quietly mumbling "Idiot," under his breath — and follows the ravenette as he walks back to the front of the car.
Wemmbu doesn't ask why the second person in the car didn't get out.
Eve takes one whiff of the air near the car, and grimaces — looking in the car itself was worse. Something caught on fire, and burned a few parts. Not enough to damage it, thankfully, but enough that it was concerning.
"..Mm," Eve hums, leaning over the engine — he turns towards Wemmbu. "Go get Wifies, tell him to get the wiring,"
Wemmbu freezes in his spot for a moment, feeling the way Parrot, Flame, and Spokes glances towards him turn into something close to panic.
Eve waits, debating on doing it himself if Wemmbu wouldn't — but he didn't need to, as the ravenette started walking.
The older man stares at the retreating back of Wemmbu, before turning to Theo, who was biting at his nails — "I'm assuming this is your car, so I'll be explaining what I'm about to do.."
Wemmbu knocks on the window of the car, a small smile on his face, despite the nervousness thrumming through his veins. He knows why Wifies was staying in the car, but he didn't know if the guy had the strength to actually face Parrot specifically — not after their last argument, at least. But hey, it's not like he'll have to interact with him when he gets out of the car— fuck they're going to the same beach.
Well damn.
Oh well.
The window rolls down after a second, revealing a younger looking version of Eve.
"Hey 'Fies," Wemmbu greets lightly, watching the brunettes expression cycle through guilt, hesitation, then a soft, almost reluctant acceptance. "..Hey 'Ems," he greets back — tone resigned.
Wemmbu sighs, tilting his head apologetically. "Eve wants the wiring," he explains briefly. Wifies pauses for a moment, before unlocking the door. "Move out of the way, please."
Wemmbu backs up from the car, watching as the brunette steps out of the car — ignoring the surprised stare Spoke had given while peeking from behind the SUV. The two of them walk to the back of the Ferrari, popping the trunk open — multiple box of miscellaneous items sat in the trunk, a sight Wemmbu is used to by now, due to how often they hang out. Especially since both of them share the same parent agency for modeling.
"Mind helping me carry this?" Wifies asks, picking up one of the boxes. "But you look like you're holding up just fine?" Wemmbu hums, looking up at the brunette, who points with his chin at another box. "Oh," Wemmbu hums, before picking up the other box.
Wifies chuckles slightly as he starts to walk towards where the others were — steps slowed to avoid the inevitable meet of old friends. Wemmbu followed his pace, like a little shadow — idly chatting to somewhat distract Wifies, who appreciated the effort.
"How have your gigs been?" He asked, adjusting his hold on the box, the things inside it rattling around as it shook a little. Wifies hums as he thought about his answer — ignoring how Parrot stared at him — while setting his box down. "Pretty well, I would say? I mean, I'm managing my academics and gigs pretty well.."
Wemmbu gives a hum of acknowledgment at the answer. "What about you?" Wifies asks back. "Mm.. a little hard, 'cause some of them have me flying to other places, so y'know, my grades might slip a bit.." Wemmbu replies with a sigh, his tone mellowing out with what felt like disappointment.
Wifies gives him a look of sympathy, about to reply when Eve spoke up; "Focus, the two of you." He grumbles.
"Wemmbu, rip those chords out."
"Why me?"
"You have the highest resistance to burns between the three of us."
"You right."
Wemmbu gleefully grabs the very open wiring that could still definitely short-circuit and burn him, and rips it clean off — not a single loose wire, not even a trace that there used to be a wire there.
"Good?"
"Good."
Eve hums, holding his hand out to Wifies. "Wires, and the soldering iron too." Wifies glances inside the car, soaking in what wire was needed, before ducking down to gather the items — Wemmbu goes to help out with the soldering iron, with its cordless glory. Eve told him that wires just got in the way of work, so he created one that didn't need a constant power supply. How he did it was a mystery, and he wasn't about to ask.
The three of them worked in relative silence, Wemmbu and Wifies watching, waiting for Eve to tell them to get something — and Eve working efficiently.
So, let's check up on the others, yeah?
For one, Theo was pacing around — biting his nails, and flinching every time Wemmbu was asked to rip something out, fighting the urge to yell or scream. Understandable, mainly because Wemmbu teared things out with the gleefulness of a child who was given permission to write on white walls. Whoops. But in Wemmbus defense — Eve did explain what was going to happen, and that they needed to be quick and fast if they wanted to get to the beach without being stranded for more than needed.
Egg watched the three of them interact, noting how familiar they were — and how he somehow never heard of their friendship once. Wemmbu must've not wanted anyone else to know, for a reason he wasn't sure of yet. He'll ask another day.
Jaden opted to join Reina and Mapicc with sea-seeing, the latter being left alone when Spoke gave a rushed explanation and jogged over to Parrots side.
Speaking of.
Spokes eyes flicked between Wifies and Parrot, watching Wifies work quietly — and refusing to look behind them. He knew what happened between them, even if he felt as though Parrot wasn't giving the full story.
Flame looked like he could care less, listening to the ambient noises of their surroundings — the distant waves crashing into the rocks, the air rushing past his eyes every now and then, and the occasional, short conversations of the three working on the car.
Parrot was.. doing less fine. Which, yeah, understandable — what do you even do when your ex-best-friend suddenly returns at the most random time of your life after, what, three years? That, and two more things — one; he has a relative that looks like him, or- he looks like the relative? Whatever— and two; one of your current friends is apparently good friends with both of them, and you never knew?
He knew Wemmbu hid a lot of things, but he wondered just how long they've been friends for? How much Wemmbu knew of their final argument with each other? Did Wemmbu ever talked about his friends to Wifies?
But knowing Wemmbu, he might never get an answer.
"Lowkey can you curl your hair with a soldering iron?"
"You owe me a whole collab magazine for that question."
Wemmbu cackles at the younger brunettes answer, holding the soldering iron dangerously close to skin. Wifies huffs at him. "But, seriously— wasn't Ash going to make us collab anyway?"
"Mhm, we'll talk business after I make sure you don't try to drown me at the beach."
"Like you wouldn't try it first?"
"Both of you are idiots." Eve huffs, leaning back, finally done with the fix-up. He turns slightly, brown and white hair flowing in the wind as a breeze passed by — and eyes behind glasses quickly found a pacing blondes face. "You can test it." He hums, slamming the hood down and stepping away — Wemmbu and Wifies following while carrying the boxes back into the back of the Ferrari.
Theo practically sprints back into the drivers seat, missing the key hole a few times as he rushed to see if it was fixed — and lo and behold, the engine purrs to life.
"Holy shit!" He exclaims, both relieved and excited — Eve only hums at the reaction, as Wifies presses the car keys into his hand. Theo scrambles out of the car, eyes starry as he approached Eve like an excited puppy — but Wemmbu intervenes with a wave of his arm in front of him.
"Don't bother to pay them— I'll be doing that," he hums, his usual, casually-smug smile on his face. Theo stutters, looking behind him to look at Eve, who crosses his arms.
"How will you do that, hm?"
Wemmbu turns to him, pretending to think for a moment, before flashing a smile.
"I'll get Ash to ship those supplies you need as early as three days," he chimed, tone light. "Good deal?" The light tone shifts into something that sounded like teasing, and maybe something like challenge.
Eve stares at him, before a small smile — amused, and maybe slightly annoyed — appears on his face. "Very tempting. Your brothers influence is showing."
"So is yours."
Wifies shakes his head, an exasperated smile on his face as he lets out a small huff. "Alright.. time to go, we can go first and you guys follow, assuming we're going to the same beach."
Theo hums, backing up finally before hopping back into the SUV, the others follow suit a little shortly.
"..Actually, can I join you two?" Wemmbu asks, turning back to Eve and Wifies, who tilt their head at him — their similarities always irked Wemmbu a bit. "I need to uh.. talk to Wifies about something."
Parrot pauses when he hears it, but hops into the passenger seat with Reina regardless.
"..Wemmbu," Wifies starts, gaze soft, but there was a hint of discomfort and slight frustration — but Wemmbu shakes his head.
"You and I both know this conversation was going to happen regardless," he sighs, before his grin returns to his face. "Plus, not like you can escape me on a beach."
"You're an awful human being."
"Will both of you get in the car, already?"
"Sorry!"