Title: The Mom Crush Showdown
It was a typical Monday at Crestview High School (CHS). John was strutting down the hallway like he owned the place, nodding and high-fiving everyone. But there was one thing on his mind that was really weighing him down... Arthur's mom.
“Dude, did you see your mom at the bake sale on Friday? I swear she makes the best brownies ever! I might just have to ask her to start a catering business,” John said, his voice dripping with enthusiasm.
Arthur rolled his eyes so hard he nearly fell over. “Seriously, John? My mom’s brownies are legendary. It was bad enough you spent the whole afternoon drooling over her while she was frosting them. What’s next? Are you going to ask her to adopt you?”
John chuckled, leaning against a locker like he was auditioning for a cheesy movie. “Well, if she did, at least I’d get free snacks all day. Plus, who wouldn't want a mom like that? You know, she’s like a real-life Pinterest board come to life.”
“Oh yeah? Just remember who you’re talking about here. She’s my mom, not your ‘snack supplier.’ You’re going to ruin our friendship over some brownies!” Arthur shot back, shaking his head as if he could shake sense into John.
“A friendship is built on honesty, bro,” John replied with exaggerated seriousness. “And I’m being honest when I say your mom could totally steal the show in any baking competition. You’re lucky I’m not competing; I’d sweep the judge right off their feet!"
“Right, because that would get us the same treatment as last time,” Arthur smirked, recalling the time John had tried to charm a judge at the school science fair by baking cookies that looked like atomic models. “Hey, remember what happened when you tried to impress the science fair judge with your dad's old cookies? ‘Eww, they taste like the periodic table’?"
They both burst out laughing, the tension slightly easing but still thick in the air. Arthur glanced over John's shoulder, spotting his mom with a group of other parents chatting nearby. “Look, there's my mom. Should I run and tell her that you think her brownies could win an Oscar?”
John gasped, clutching his chest like he’d been shot. “If she were to get an Oscar, I’d want to win Best Supporting Friend. Maybe Best Inspiring Young Man in a Leading Role!"
Arthur couldn’t help but laugh. “You need to get out more, dude. Maybe join a club that doesn’t involve lusting after my mom?”
“Aw, come on! Who wouldn’t want an ‘Invite Your Crush’s Mom to a Movie Night’ club? It’s genius!” John declared, bouncing enthusiastically on his heels.
“Yeah, right. I’d get an invite to every sleepover but mine because you’d charm all the other moms too!” Arthur shot back, shaking his head incredulously.
Suddenly, Arthur’s mom waved over, holding a plate of brownies. “Hey, boys! Who wants a brownie?”
John’s eyes widened. “Me! Me!” He raised his hand like he was back in elementary school. “I’d like to take this moment to declare my non-platonic admiration for your baking skills, Mrs. Wiggins!”
Arthur facepalmed, groaning. “This is why we can’t have nice things.”
As Mrs. Wiggins laughed and handed John a brownie, Arthur couldn’t help but chuckle as well. “Alright, but if you start calling her ‘Mamma Wiggins’ next, I’m officially taking you off my best friend list.”
“Deal!” John said, taking a huge bite of brownie, almost choking in delight. “I’ll just stick to ‘Queen of Brownies’ then.”
“Good to know where your loyalties lie,” Arthur replied, rolling his eyes but cracking a smile all the same.
And as John went back to gushing about the legendary status of Arthur's mom’s brownies, Arthur sighed resignedly, knowing full well that their friendship was fortified through the ridiculousness of it all. Always a little outrageous, always a little funny, and mostly just… wonderfully awkward. It was high school, after all.