Just practice for referring to myself!

Ember sighed, sitting down again. The others still hadn't arrived. Boredom was creeping in, and with it the sense that they might not come at all. Ember shook the ideas away. They were stupid, and weren't helping with the situation. 

Someone walked past. A quick, hopeful glance up showed it wasn't the right people. Ember sighed. Of course it wasn't... a newspaper had been left on the bench and Ember picked it up, curiously reading the front page. Another dull, overly political story about something only a few people cared about. But it would serve in the amount of time until anyone actually appeared. Ember began to read, blue eyes skimming the page for anything of use, hair blowing in the faint breeze. 

'Hey! Ember! Sorry we're late!' At last, friends. Bounding up, Ember grinned at them.

'Thought you'd never come.'

'Of course we've come, you idiot. And we're not that late.'

'I've been waiting ages.'

'Come on, we left Ember waiting? How could you...' Another friend scolds mockingly. 

'Literal days.' Agrees Ember. 'Literal. Days.'

'Well you've got a rubbish sense of time...' 

'Have any of your heard of that new singer? Some great songs... I've got a whole playlist of them. Heard them when I was getting ready... real talent.'

'Is that the same one you've been fawning over for the last year? Yeah, we have heard of this 'new singer'.' Ember replied

'It's someone new! Someone better.' The friend insisted. Everyone laughed. 

'Of course. Another new obsession...'

'Remember when Alex got into that 80s rubbish?'

'Oh, who could forget. Instant obsession.'

'Instant. Not even a few days to consider. Just... straight away, into a playlist.'

'It's not like that! I love music.'

'Really, Alex.' Ember sighed, with an accompanying head-shake. 'You act as if it's normal.'

'You did it too. Plus you liked the 80s stuff.'

'Ember, you lied to us!' 

'I told you I found it fine. I lied.' Ember shrugged. 'What's the big deal?'

'The big deal is that we missed out on an opportunity to bully you too!' 

'It's not like I reacted like Alex...'

'It's not like you didn't, smart-ass.' 

'Oh yeah? Well let me remind you of that time when you and Chris listened to K-pop for 24 hours straight.' Shot back Ember.

'It was a dare! We'd been dared to do it!'

'By who? Me and Alex? Because we're not to blame here.'

'Sam told me to do it.'

'Sam wouldn't do something like that. You know it's not Sam's fault.'

'Sam did, and we listened to K-pop. It was hell.'

'Except when you sang all their songs for the next 24 hours straight, annoying me and Alex.'

'You survived.'

'Barely.' Ember shuddered with the memory.

'To be fair, you did enjoy it, Tay.' 

'Fine! I liked it. But Sam did tell us to do it.'

'You dirty liar!' Gasped Alex. 'You know Sam is too nice to act like that. Unlike you, apparently.'

'Oh, how come?' Tay scoffed. 'Because I forced Kris to do what, and I quote, 'wasn't as bad as expected.' and get to spend ages with me?'

'I liked it too.' Admitted Kris. 'It was fun.'

'We like 80s, you like K-pop. We're even.' Offered Alex. 'Should we talk about something else?'

'Like...?' Tay swept away a lock of hair. 'We've covered the basics, every one of us except Alex is a liar.'

'Fair summary. Who is this new singer you liked, Alex?'

'No one.' Alex stepped away with a small laugh. 

'Alright, this is getting interesting. It isn't a K-pop singer, is it?' Ember smirked, arms crossed.

'Fine! It's K-pop!'

'So I'm the only one here who doesn't like k-pop!' Arms raised in incredulous frustration, Ember sighed. 'So I'm the only sensible person here.'

'Cheesy 80s?'

'Cheesy 80s is different. Cheesy 80s is sometimes socially acceptable.'

'If you're over 40 and a dad, yes. And you're neither.' 

'You can't prove that.'

'Uhh... you're teenage and Agender.'

'Alex likes it! Isn't that doubly bad, to like K-pop AND cheesy 80s. No one knows what age that makes you.'

'Alex is different. We all know Alex doesn't follow normal social boundaries.'

'Exactly. So... how am I getting all the slack for liking 80s.'

'Because you're the one that's fun to tease.' Admitted Kris. 'Alex just accepts it at this point.'

'To be fair we have forced Alex into submission. And you're still getting used to being abused for height and music taste.'

'Just because Sam isn't here doesn't mean I'm shortest! Because Sam's absence has nothing to do with our social standings.'

'You're the lowest of the low right now Ember. Literally.'

Ember held up a pair of middle fingers in reply.

'You two listened to 24 hours straight of K-pop and enjoyed it.'

'Sam's idea.'

'Sam isn't a jerk!'

'Sam actually knows we like K-pop. It wasn't supposed to be torture of the highest degree.'

'It would be to me.'

'You're wrong.' 

'I regret waiting so long for you.' Ember replied. 

'We regret coming when we did. It should've been later.'

Another pair of middle fingers. 

'Eff you, Tay.'

Ember walked away from the group, calling back. 'This is my official resignation from being your friends. See you around suckas!' With a laugh, Ember disappeared around the corner. 

'Enjoy not having friends!' Called back Alex, 'We know you're the only people you found that accept that one moment in yr 4 when you played Never Gonna Give You Up through the school speakers.'

'That.' Ember appeared again, fuming. 'Wasn't my fault. And I don't regret it one bit.'

'Shame you're not more like Rick.' Sighed Kris. 'Never giving up or letting go would be great attributes in your situation.' 

'Well you need to be less like him and learn to say goodbye.' Ember smirked, before walking away again.