"Geez..Orange is more of a loose cannon than when I last saw him."

Quadratini and I approached the edge of Elimination Island. As always, the sand was warm under my feet and the waves lapped at the shore. The fronds of palm leaves shadowed the ground, softly rustling.

"He didn't really take the breakup well.." I reply, still staring out into the sea. Somewhere out there was Lemon, Sandwich, and the others, competing for number one.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious." Quadratini snarked. I sighed.

"Still thinking about them?" His voice was softer.

I nodded sadly. "I know you said not to, but I just can't help it. Sandwich was my first friend there."

"Some friend he is, then. Voted for his own alliance member when all you were trying to do was do the right thing." Quadratini scoffed. "Why are you so hung up?"

"I voted for him too, you know."

"Well yeah, but that's different. He was being a jerk, you weren't."

A smile crosses my face. Quadratini knew how to make me feel better with his sarcasm and snarkiness. It was weird how our friendship worked. I usually can't stand mean people, but Quadratini is different. He's a great friend, if you got to know him.

The smile goes away again. "I just wonder sometimes..did I really do the right thing? I tried to help Police Hat and Pudding Cup, but only got yelled at. And in a sense, I betrayed my alliance by doing so..I didn't really do any good by following what I thought was right."

Quadratini was listening intently, with an emotion in his eyes that only I could apparently see. I laugh nervously. "Sorry, I'm rambling."

"No, no. That's okay." He dismisses my apology. Both of his hands clap my shoulders, and Quadratini stares me down. "But, you shouldn't be sorry."

"F-For rambling-?"

"No, not- Actually, don't be sorry for that, either. But I was talking about doing what you thought was right!"

"But," I start to reply, "I didn't help-"

"I don't want to hear it, Fire Axe! You did what needed to be done. Their loss that they didn't understand." His expression was intense, his voice almost commanding. "It would have been easier to ignore them, and to not get eliminated, but you didn't. You helped when nobody else bothered."

"I didn't even-"

Quadratini shook me. "Snap out if it!" He shouted. "You can't doubt yourself like this! You were doing what was right, and who gives two squats what they thought!? Your integrity is admirable! That's what matters!"

"Stop shaking me!" I screech.

He lets go, almost pushing me to the ground. Quadratini heavily breathes in front of me. "You get it?"

"I..think so? It was hard to process what you were saying while I was being shaken." I say bluntly.

Quadratini huffed. "What I was saying, is that you're a nice guy with a strong character, but you're not making everyone happy. But as long as you're doing the right thing, it shouldn't matter. You can't make everyone happy, anyways."

Silence passes between us.

He's right though. The way Sandwich did things, usually involved taking advantage of other people. Every time I called him out on it though, he'd just call me chicken or a coward. It was so wrong..but I did nothing.

I grimance, and mentally scold myself. Why didn't I go against him sooner?

"You're right, Quadratini. I guess..I just wanted Sandwich to be my friend. But I'm not going to let people step on me in the future. ..thank you." I spoke slowly.

"Ah, who needs him, anyway, you've got me!"

We both laugh, until Quadratini looks up at me.

"You're welcome, by the way."

I smile, and sling an arm around Quadratini's shoulders. "And thank you, for being a great friend."

Quadratini doesn't flinch or jerk away. "Right back at you."