Battle.
Battle.
Battle.
Are you sick?
Yes. Leave me the fuck alone.
You're... off today.
Yeah? Thanks for the input.
You look pretty.
.......what did you say?
No i don't. I look the same as always.
You always look pretty.
Oh. Thanks.....
Anytime.
- - -
"You're back."
She smiles, but her smile isn't kind.
"I got a compliment today."
"Welllll...." she mocks enthusiasm. "Look at you, getting complimented and pretending to be happy."
I was silent. Maybe if I didn't say anything, she wouldn't hurt me so badly.
Nothing for her to tear down.
She leans back and laces her pretty fingers.
Waiting.
I can't hold it in. She knows. I'll cave.
She waits.
Unnerving.
It tumbles out before I can catch it, and my eyes leak tears to accompany my bitter words.
"He cheated on me."
"Bastard."
I blink, look up at her.
Was she... Standing up for me?
"Oh, not him. You."
I look back at the floor. I was foolish to think she had been being nice to me. She was never nice to me.
"You're a bastard for thinking he wouldn't cheat."
"Why should I have thought he would? There were no signs."
"Bullshit. There were signs."
I paused, squeezing my eyes shut as tightly as I could.
"Let's see.... There were... The unexplained absences from dates. The rumors. The 'friends' he took pictures with."
I smashed my hands against my ears so hard that they popped, causing me to wince in pain.
I doubled over in the chair, huddled, like I was trying to protect myself from the real world.
From reality.
From the truth.
She looked on coldly.
I didn't see her, but I felt her piercing eyes.
"You truly are pathetic," she murmured after a moment.
I relaxed my eyes but left them closed.
"It isn't even just him. It's... Everything. It's always just everything."
She was quiet, watching.
"I killed him. I got messed up and I don't know what I did, who I was with. Threesome with complete strangers."
She knew. She folded her legs and laced her fingers calmly.
"You're annoying me."
I was annoying her too.
I was a true fuck-up.
JE LEEST
TRANSLUCENT
Kort verhaal"How are you?" she asked, lightly tapping a finger against the upholstery of the armchair. A small smile played on her lips, but her eyes flashed with an opposite intensity I hadn't had time to name. "Fine," I answered, working to replicate the fami...
