#ranid

An Ok K.O. fanfiction about what would have happened if Red Action hadn’t returned.

It was difficult for Enid to cope with the loss of Red Action. For an entire day, she not only lost her but was visited by a Red who was years older each time. Minutes go by as Enid waited, and tried to explain it all. When Red kicked her out of the future she thought that would be the end of it. Instead, an older Red came by for one last chat. One last time. Red hadn’t said it was so, but Enid knew the truth. The way her friend spoke, how her eyes only met Enid’s for a few moments when she would walk around shifting her weight in order to hide her limp. Red was so much older then, and Enid didn’t say a word as her friend left.

K.O. asked Enid why she didn’t say anything. Yet the cashier could come up with no reply for the inspiring boy. She should have said or done something, but when she tried it only bit her in the butt. Now that Red’s life had become so amazing and she was so needed and looked up to, how could Enid take that away from her? If she was being honest she was looking for reasons not to say anything at all because that meant she actually cared. If she cared that much well maybe all those feelings she felt weren’t just that of friendship after all. And more then anything she didn’t want to think about that.

“Hey. Thought the store was closed awhile ago.” Great, not the person she wanted to see tonight. Enid turns around still holding the same broom she had been sweeping back and forth with for the last hour or so.

“It was. I'm  just detail cleaning.” Enid lies through gritted teeth. Why did he always have the worse timing?

“I thought that was K.O.’s thing.” She could hear Rad walking closer now. Damn, why did Mr. Gar give him and her a key? She just wanted to be alone right now.

“I told him to go home early. There have barely been any customers all day today.” Enid goes back to sweeping, keeping her back to the alien boy. He was just being nosy. She didn’t have to tell him anything.

“Enid, will you look at me?”

“No. I’m busy.”

“Are you mad at me about something?” Rad asks sounding truly confused.

“Not everything has to do with you, Rad.” She replies unable to keep the annoyance out of her voice anymore. She sweeps faster and ducks into one of the aisles.

He follows her, his footsteps sounding close behind. Enid walks away faster. The broom was slamming against the floor with every stroke now. That was until she felt it fly up above her head. For a moment Enid just looks up at the flying broom. Her hands still around it she was presented with two options now. Let go of the broom, drop to the floor, and run, or just turn around and tell Radicles off. Once and for all.  Maybe then he would go home and let the ninja sulk.

“Enid,”

“Why are you even here? You didn’t work today! It’s almost one am, and no sane person would even come near their job that late unless they worked third shift!” Enid raves while still hanging onto the broom. She squeezes her eyes shut before kicking her legs back and then forth. Once she had enough momentum Enid launches herself from the broom all the way onto the half stocked counter at the end of the aisle.

Radicles pursues her without hesitation. Already feeling exhausted from the emotional train ride known as today Enid gives up. Making herself comfortable she brings her left leg up to her body and leans her back against the cold window. With a frown that was atypical of Radicles, the teenage alien quickly covers what ground was between them. Barely stopping three inches from Enid’s foot Radicles’ frown deepens.

“Listen, Enid, I heard what happened with Red.” He begins pausing only to scratch the back of his neck. “I wanted to know if you were okay?” He drops all the theatrics and for one brief moment, Enid almost saw the middle school boy she use to have a crush on. It was an extremely brief moment, however.

Relying on the icy cold of her frozen over heart Enid answers him as stoically as she could manage at this time. “I’m fine Rad. She came and she left. I always knew she would have to go back to the future anyway. Not that I expect you to understand what saying goodbye to a friend feels like.”

“I know you think I am too tough, and strong, and awesome,” He continues slowly starting to flex and smile like he typically does. “But I do understand Enid.” Radicles insists stepping closer to her. The tip of her hanging foot now touching his leg. He really had no concept of personal space, did he? Here she thought he had learned it after having his own invaded by K.O. so often.

“I really doubt that Radicles. Listen just go home and let me finish cleaning up here. We both work tomorrow. You’ll see there, everything is fine.”

“We’re at work right now Enid and everything does not seem fine. I’m only trying to help.” His face shows more empathy on it then Enid could ever remember seeing before. No matter how much she wanted to get mad at him that look somehow melted all of her anger away.

“Radicles there's nothing you can do. I didn’t speak up. I let her leave with….without every telling Red how I feel.” She throws up her arms in frustration. “I don’t even know how I feel! So how can I possibly imagine you to understand when I don’t even understand myself.”

Radicles moves a the only display holder on the counter away. He gestures to the now empty spot, Enid nods, and he jumps onto it. He moves back and forth a few times before apparently finding a comfortable sitting position for himself in the tiny space. Well, his butt was a whole lot smaller than his upper body was. If not for that Enid doubted that he could have fit next to her.

“I know how it feels,” Rad repeats himself. “You aren’t the only one to ever lose a friend. Or a chance with someone.” He continues offering a sympathetic shrug.

“Who did you lose?” Enid asks resting her arm on her knee. Pushing her face into her hand she tilts her head sideways to keep Rad in her vision.

“You.” He barely speaks the word, but Enid hears it all the same. In one moment her entire face goes red. She didn’t ask for this. She did not want to talk about this with him. Not after Red just,

“Wait, I’m not saying I still like you! I mean I do just not like that anymore. I think.” He smacks her forehead. “What I mean is I thought you were really cool back in middle school even after I ruined that date, and I wish I didn’t but I did and well we already saw how much I blew it. I just thought after I got this job here and we started working together, well I was worried you would still be upset at me and wouldn’t want to talk to me.” Radicles quickly tries to explain everything. As if he didn’t say it all now then he may never. Enid should have said something like this earlier. Then maybe Red would have stayed.

“When you actually spoke to me I was happy because that meant well maybe we could still talk and this job wouldn’t just be awkward silence all the time. Even if all you said were commands and harsh jokes it was better then silence so I took it, but we were still a long way from being friends. I think we are now but sometimes it is hard to tell. And even if you don’t think that well whatever this now feels a whole lot better than having you actively avoid me did.” He covers his face with both of his hands. Sighing heavily Radicles shakes his head. “I feel like my parent’s just walked into school with ray guns again.” He complains to himself. Throwing his head back against the window Radicles keeps his hands over his face.

“So yeah I understand how it feels.”

“Radicles,” Enid hesitates. Thinking about what to say next she recalls her own memories over her first day ever working with Radicles. He had been distant and rather quiet for himself. Well, at least this sort of confessional explains why. “If we are both confessing then I have one.”

Radicles moves his fingers apart to allow his eyes to see her. Bashful really didn’t suit him, Enid decides with a laugh. “I use to still like you. A lot. I thought maybe you had grown up a couple months after working together. Every time the thought crossed my mind you did something to prove me wrong, and after Elodie, I didn’t want another relationship with someone who seemed to flop so much. Red and I, well it was strange and wild, and so so cool. She was so cool.” Enid explains. “I felt like she knew who I was and that I understood her. Maybe that understanding is what held me back from saying anything with her. The future was relying on her, and you aren’t supposed to hold a hero back or else you become the damsel in distress, ya know?”

Radicles nods quickly. Somehow this conversation still felt like it was going well. Enid keeps her shock hidden. A mature conversation with Rad. What was next? One with K.O.? Yeah, that might happen with how her days were going. “I wanted her to come back on her own. Ya know the saying if you love something set it free. She did come back but never for long again, and now….” Enid squeezes her eyes shut and pinches her nose. “Now she never is.”

“You don’t know that. She may still come back.”

“She is a war hero loved by the surviving members of society. She is rebuilding a world after a devastating war Radicles. Why would she ever come back to me and this shitty time?” Enid asks sarcastically.

“I would,” Rad answers far too quickly. Enid had been to the future and even she didn’t want to come back sometimes. It was exciting, invigorating, amazing. Never a dull moment unlike working at Gar’s as the cashier.

“You’re an idiot.” Enid tries to respond playfully. Even going as far as to punch his shoulder. Anything to make herself feel a little better.

“No, I’m not.” He argues back playfully. “Hey, Enid.” She looks over at him only to see that he had his hands held open. With a roll of her eyes, Enid hugs him.

“Ya know for an overly macho headache, you aren’t too bad sometimes Rad.”

“Hey, I am always the best!” Rad shouts squeezing Enid tighter.

“I hope she comes back,” Enid whispers into his shoulder.

“I know. You just gotta believe in her, right?” He asks not sounding very sure himself.

“Right.” She answers knowing how the script goes for things like this by now.

Enid wasn’t sure how long they stayed like that, but when morning came the two were still in the store. Having moved from a countertop to the space behind the register. Whenever they had separated Enid mentioned a new video that had been posted by Dr. Greyman. The two made themselves comfortable on the floor. What was supposed to be one video quickly turned into several, and at some point, they both fell asleep in Mr. Gar’s Bodega.

A Northern Leopard Frog (Lithobates pipiens) sits on a board walk through the marsh at Necedah National Wildlife Refuge in Wisconsin, USA.