Prompt | Excuse Me

Song:
No Matter What (Steven Universe)
By: Zach Callison and Michaela Dietz

Ninjago

🎃🎃🎃

Gayle Gossip is the top reporter in Ninjago. Not just Ninjago City, NOT just the coast of the Endless Sea, but ALL of Ninjago. She was not about to be taken down by some pompous man in his fifties with his dyed hair and condescending smile. No! She has worked her way to this spot! She has fought with blood and tears for her career. No matter what happens, Gayle Gossip with remain standing!

"Um... Excuse me? Gayle?"

The woman blinked, her eyes a little sore from glaring intensely at the computer. The footage of stupid Fred Finely stared right on back. She quickly redirected her attention before she was tempted to throw the computer across the room. Forcing on a smile, Gayle turned to look at Vinny, who was standing awkwardly at the door.

"Aren't we supposed to get going?" Vinny asked.

"Oh!" Gayle stood up abruptly. Her quick movement caused her chair to fall. She barely noticed it. "Yes! Yes! I'll be right there." The brunette snatched up everything she needed. Glasses cleaner, breath mints, an inspirational book on the female voice, and of course her bright pink extendable bo staff she bought online. You always need a good weapon when you live in Ninjago! Vinny smiled cautiously at her when she piled into the car and they drove off, navigating expertly through the busy streets of the city. An upbeat song played on the radio and Gayle looked out the window to watch the building go by.

"Are you okay, Gayle?" Vinny said gently. She jumped a little but smothered her surprise with a confident tip of her chin.

"Of course! I'm just excited for this next story." She told him. For some reason, he looked a little dubious but he didn't say anything more.

The drive was long and the same song continued to play continuously. Gayle kept on switching to a different song but no matter what she did every channel wanted to "jump up, kick back, whip around, and spin."

"-And then we jump back, do it again!" Vinny sang loudly. He bobbed his head up and down to the music, his hat tilted a little from the aggressive motion. Gayle shook her head, her lips twitching at the corner in amusement.

Her cameraman wasn't anyone particularly successful. This had been his only job if you didn't count working at Bob's Burger House and his high school garage band. She'd been young and desperate when she met him. Vinny was fresh out of college with no clue what he wanted to do and Gayle had been struggling to kick off her career as a reporter. Vinny had been extremely awkward and dropped the camera the first time he shot a report for her. Despite all that, there was something about him that made Gayle shake his hand and say "I'll see you tomorrow." Each day he'd come in with his scruffy sweatpants and a free coffee he'd gotten for free at a retirement home's breakfast bar. He'd smile as if the drink hadn't already gone cold and place it in her hands.

"You look like you need this," He'd laugh.

Gayle would then scowl and down it in one go, ignoring the slight cardboard taste. Then she'd bark out orders and he'd clumsily follow them. Together they rose the ranks and they'd both had opportunities to work with new people. No matter the offer, how good or how bad, neither of them took any. Now they're a little older and a little more experienced. When they look in the mirror they don't see an over-confident woman doomed to fail or a fumbling young man looking like he'd be better at running a hotdog stand than he would be directing a camera. Now Gayle earned her confidence and Vinny oversees a whole crew of people at the news station.

Despite all their changes, all their growth, and all their success, Vinny still comes in with the terrible free coffee, and Gayle still guzzles it down with instructions on her tongue.

"Why'd you stay with me all these years?" Gayle said suddenly, cradling the pasty cardboard cup in her hands. The coffee was ice cold against her fingers.

Vinny laughed. "Honestly, you seemed so sure of yourself. You knew exactly what you wanted to do and you were going to go for it. I had just wasted years in school trying to figure it out but from the way you act, it's almost like you'd been born a reporter. I had wanted some of that determination." He gave her a crooked smile. "So I thought, 'If I join her, it might be contagious!'"

Gayle rolled her eyes and tilted her head back. With one easy flick of the wrist, the rest of her drink disappeared and she grimaced at the off taste. Vinny was quiet for a moment before he spoke again.

"Why did you keep me around?" He sounded so much more vulnerable than Gayle had ever heard him. "I understand at the start you had few options. People didn't think a woman could build her way from the bottom to the top. But once you got your job at NGTV I thought you would've chosen someone else to replace me for sure!"

Now it was Gayle's turn to fall silent. She looked at the empty cup. She looked at Vinny. She looked at the beautiful horizon ahead. The sun cresting over the mountain.

"There's something about you, Vinny," Gayle replied honestly. "It's something so pure inside you. I know whenever I'm around you that you're the real deal. You're not just here for the money. You have something beautifully human inside you that no one else has. I've never fully been able to figure it out but all I know is that I wouldn't replace you for anything."

Vinny's face was flushed and shy. His head ducked low with bashfulness. "Not even if it meant Fred Finely lost his job."

Gayle sent him a glare. "Don't test me."

NOTE****
I didn't think it'd go this way but here we are!
I had a lot of fun writing this and I really enjoyed giving Gayle and Vinny some backstory. I thought a feminist tale fit Gayle well and a young adult searching for their path would match Vinny perfectly.

Feel free to disagree but I feel pleased with the choices.

Have a nice day!

LuckyBugBooks 🐞

(Once again minimal editing because I'm short on time)