"Mumbo, you can't be serious," Iskall groaned, "you called me so I could pick up a tree?"

"Oh, but I am!"

The Hermitville High gardening club was coming to a close, and in the background, they could hear the marching band performing the national anthem. Football night. Of course.

Gardening during a football game wasn't the strangest thing about all this. No, it was the fact that Iskall's "peace, love, and plants" friend had once again adopted another plant. This time, a 6 foot tall baby pine tree.

"Where did you even manage to get that thing?" Iskall asked.

Mumbo shrugged.

"Leftovers from that new landscaping in the front, can't let such a beauty go to waste!" he said dramatically.

Iskall rolled his one eye, crossing his arms as he sighed.

"So let me get this straight, because you can't fit that stupid tree in your bus, you want me to-"

"To help me out, yeah. You've got a truck, don't you?" Mumbo said, cutting off his friend and nodding enthusiastically.

"Yes, I do. But this is the last time I'm helping you out with your stupid plants!"

Of course, that was not the first time that phrase had left Iskall's mouth. He'd always say that, and then the second Mumbo came calling for his help with a tree or a bunch of plants he'd be right there in minutes. It was hard to say no to Mumbo, with him being such a pure soul, Iskall almost worried that not helping him out might hurt something in it.

Iskall grabbed the base of the potted tree, grunting a little as he realized it was a little heavier than he expected.

"You gonna help, dude?" he asked, turning around to a spaced out Mumbo.

"Oh, yeah, sorry!"

Mumbo rushed over to his friend, lifting up one side of the potted tree and slowly walking it over to Iskall's truck. The tailgate was already down, thank goodness, so they were able to lay it down nicely onto the bed. Iskall threw a tarp over it, securing the load with bungee cords, and gave Mumbo a curt nod.

"To your place, then?" he asked, shutting the tailgate.

"Yup!"

---

The two friends' vehicles pulled into Mumbo's small driveway, with the smaller aquamarine VW bus going first in a half broken-down garage bay. Iskall threw his truck into park, sighing and leaning his head against the headrest. Another day, another bunch of hippie shenanigans.

"Hey guys!" a friendly voice shouted from next door.

A shorter boy in a red t-shirt and khakis half-jogged across the grass separating the two properties, his fluffy mousy brown hair bouncing with every step.

"Grian!" Mumbo shouted excitedly.

The two gave each other a one-armed hug and a fistbump before turning to see Iskall hopping out of his truck.

"Iskall!" Grian called.

"What's up? Why aren't you at the game, bro? Thought you were still in the marching band," Iskall said in a concerned tone.

Grian looked at his feet, his hands clasped behind his back.

"I was nervous, couldn't do it today. It's the first game of the season and I just- I just couldn't," he admitted.

"Aw, don't you worry about it! No judgment here, right Iskall?"

Iskall shrugged. He'd known about Grian's anxiety for a long time, and he honestly didn't see why Mumbo acted so over-the-top about it. He couldn't handle being watched by two different schools at the same time, big deal. If he were in his shoes, he'd skip out on it too. To Iskall, it was just something normal to do from time to time, but Mumbo and his overconfident self had to make it more than it was.

"Hanging out with us is probably more fun anyways, huh?" Iskall said, breaking a smile.

Grian mirrored his friend's grin as he looked up, just what Iskall was hoping for.

"Well, let's get this tree in the ground and get inside!"

After a few minutes of work, the little pine tree was sat comfortably next to Mumbo's garage, looking a whole lot like something out of Charlie Brown. A good amount of its needles had fallen off on the drive, but Mumbo didn't care. It was his new baby, and he loved it.

Of course, Iskall found the idea of considering a tree a baby completely ridiculous. A car or truck, not so much. He'd named his pickup "Dylan" for some reason he wouldn't exactly explain. That and his custom plate of "HALLO" just made the whole thing almost surreal in terms of typical Iskall weirdness.

"She's beautiful!" Mumbo said, admiring his new pet tree from afar.

"She's... a tree," Grian said with a small head tilt.

"Exactly!"

The three made their way over to Mumbo's front door, stepping back as he fumbled with his keys for far longer than what felt right. Eventually, he did get the door open, and they at last headed inside.

Like they did every time, they bolted at top speed up the stairs in a race, and as usual, Grian managed to get to the landing a few seconds before the others.

"Beat ya!" he teased.

"No fair, you're tiny and speedy!" Mumbo said, playfully punching his best friend in the shoulder.

"At least I admit I'm short, unlike someone else we know!"

The three burst into laughter. This was so much better than some stupid football game.