All characters are at least 18 years old. This is a non-canonical story related to the Family Morsel series.
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Drew
"I think we need to break our parents up," Cherry declared.
"Agreed," I said. "Is that why you called me out here?"
We were sitting on a low wall behind the school, away from any prying eyes and ears. We'd had to steal away from our friends, and we couldn't do this at home because... Well, it just didn't feel right to have this conversation at home.
Cherry's eyebrows sprang up in surprise. "Wait, you agree? I thought last time--"
"Except for the fact that it's incredibly selfish--"
"There it is," Cherry muttered with a nod.
"--and the fact that, if we were to work together to devise a plan to split them up, we'd start spending an inordinate amount of time together," I finished.
"But we can't keep going on like this," she pointed out.
"What, you can't help but want my body, is that it?" I taunted.
"I hate you with every inch of my being."
"That's not a lot of inches."
She held her hands in front of her, fists clenching and unclenching as she glared at me, probably one step away from reaching out and wringing my neck. Finally, she sighed and dropped her palms onto her lap, looking troubled. "Why am I... so selfish?"
Seeing her suddenly question her character, being so vulnerable in front of me, made me almost reach out to comfort her. Instead, I shuffled a fraction closer to her, looking back toward the school and the other students messing around after classes. "I don't think anybody can blame you for wanting what you want. Being selfish, looking out for number one, is the main reason we're all alive at all. Y'know, there's this philosophical theory that every single action, no matter how selfless, inherently stems from selfishness?"
She gave a weak chuckle and a half-hearted smile. "How does that work?"
"The theory posits that even when we help people, even to our own detriment, we do it just because it makes us feel good about ourselves. Helping friends and family, it's only because of what they provide for us tangibly or emotionally. Sacrificing your life to protect your children is because you value your legacy over your life. No action is completely selfless," I explained.
"That's a sad way to look at the world," Cherry murmured before turning to me. "Do you believe that?"
"Nah, I just keep that tidbit around to comfort myself whenever I do do something selfish. 'Cause you're right, it is depressing if you think about it too long. And I don't think
everything
I do is selfishly-motivated."
"What about the things you do for me?" she asked softly. "Who are you doing all that for, really?" Before I could even open my mouth, she quickly followed with, "Never mind."
"Did you... wanna talk about yesterday?"
"We're never talking about yesterday," she said firmly.
"Never's a long time, Cherry."
"We're
never
talking about yesterday," she insisted.
We sat there in silence for a bit, letting the sounds of teens at play drift over to fill the void: guys playing ball, girls chattering together, people arranging a party. It struck me then, how unhappy we must've looked. And for what? What were we fighting? It was obvious how we reacted with each other in certain situations. What was I afraid of? Becoming a meme? Who cared what other people thought of me. But... what would they think of Cherry? She was a girl, her reputation was more fragile, especially if it involved sex.
"How much do you actually hate me?" I asked, prompting her to look over, mystified. She gave the question some thought, and I almost thought she didn't intend to answer until she finally did.
"I don't... hate you. It's just that you're an ass sometimes, and if I've already had a bad day with Lauren, it just becomes... too much. But I know that you're actually an alright guy. The things you say, it's different than with her. Why do you ask?"
"If we're gonna get through this without driving each other insane, we should try to make it work, right?" I reasoned. Whatever 'this' referred to. "So... I'm sorry for always being a little shit."
She looked at me with wide eyes before averting her gaze, nibbling her lip. "I'm sorry for going off on you every time." We exchanged shy smiles before she looked away again, taking a deep breath and rubbing her thighs anxiously. "So... what do we do now?"
"What do you want to do?"
She blushed, her breathing shallow as she wet her lips, still avoiding my eyes. "I dunno, just felt like you were leading up to something is all."