Ethically Speaking

1.3

•- Quincie Jackson -•

I was thankful to see my building as my father's car pulled to a stop. Elijah from what I understood went back to the university and Katie went back to her parents house where she was staying while home.

As I unbuckle my seatbelt and get ready to leave my father turns to me.

"Katie and Elijah are really sweet together, don't you think?"

My throat runs dry as I nod. I reach for the door handle and notice the proud smile he wore, "Yeah, dad. They look like a real match."

His eyebrow lifts curiously at my bitter tone but before he could accuse me of anything I jump from the car and bolt for my apartment at lightning speed.

Angrily I fumble with my keys before pushing open the door. Fletcher and Grace were cuddled on the couch, his arm around her shoulders while watching a movie.

"Hey!" Grace greets me with a kind smile, "I thought you'd be here already?"

I scoff loudly at my own hatred for the situation I'd just left. I walk to the kitchen and pull open the refrigerator aggressively.

Grace had paused the movie and followed me with Fletcher in tow.

"Hey, what's wrong?" She asks as I grab a glass and begin to pour myself a glass of orange juice.

"I got roped into a lunch with my dad, Dr. Fields, and his girlfriend who hates me for absolutely no reason! She was accusing me of things I'd never do!" I angrily gulp down my orange juice as if it were an alcoholic beverage.

Even in my anger I could not imagine myself drinking anything of hard substance.

Grace's lips twitch upwards slightly, "Are you jealous, Quince?"

My eyebrows furrow, "Jealous? Of what? She's perfect for him! Smart, intelligent, experienced on all planes of life! They'll make cute babies I'm sure."

Angrily I pour myself another glass of orange juice and I watch as Fletcher glances to Grace before putting his arm around her shoulder.

"Little Q," Fletcher starts with a humored smile, "Sounds like you've got a bit of a crush with that hostility in your tone."

I roll my eyes in response, "That is completely ridiculous, you know that right? He's my professor and my father likes him all too much for me to ever have feelings for him."

"What does your father have to do with this?" Grace asks as her arms wrap securely around Fletcher.

I sigh.

"Not only is having a romantic relationship with a professor completely immoral and against the rules, but my father praises Elijah for his work and if I ever did, which I don't, but if I did have feelings for him and on some alternate universe those feelings were reciprocated, it would put his reputation, his name, his job on the line and for what? It's not worth losing your job over. And even if he thought it worth it, which as someone with moral principles it is safe to say he'd be against it, the entire idea of us having any romantic relationship is inappropriate beyond belief. It'd be seen as an abuse of power and frowned upon by the Univeristy. I could jeopardize my own future entertaining your sick thoughts about feelings I don't even have!"

As I was ranting I had managed to put away the orange juice and put my glass into the dishwasher unknowingly.

By the end, I turned to Fletcher and Grace who were in each other's arms. Grace was looking up at Fletcher, and he down to her. They seemed to be sharing some sort of telepathic conversation that I happened to not be invited to.