Fall in May

~40~ The Phone Tree

"No, as far as I know, she is still practicing her cheer or whatever?" May hedges her next guess ever so slightly. "So why do I suddenly have the sinking feeling, that you two exchanged more than just passing pleasantries and well wishes for my speedy recovery?"

"Cause that's probably a good feeling to go with," I confirm her suspicions. 

"So you two had words then?" The sad sigh resonates across the open channel. 

"Yes, there were words exchanged," I reply cautiously.

"Dog dammit..."  May sighs. "What the hell happened? What did she say?"

I want to tell her so badly just how much of a super psycho bitch her little sinister sister is. To get in those all-important first strikes in before her sinister sister starts stabbing me in the back. But I hesitate for a heartbeat, as the truth sets in.

So what if I can prove that April's a lying, conniving, backstabbing, psycho bitch from hell? Like somehow that is going to come as a shock to May? And what difference will that make in the grand scheme of things when I am long gone? Leaving her all alone with just Apeshit again? After all, I wasn't kidding at all when I told May, I was going to be a memory by Christmas. So what exactly will I win in this war, versus what might May lose evermore?  

So instead of stabbing Someone's Sister through the soul. I elect to take a different route, the stranger path of the higher road.

"Honestly May, before I answer that question, I really think you should hear what April has to say. I think that under the circumstances that she should probably have the first slice."

"First slice under the circumstances?" I can almost hear May frown down into the phone.

Yeah, see we had us a bit of a knife fight outside the Other Library earlier. And well, that didn't go well for anyone. Like Khan said in the end: To the last, I grapple with thee! From Hell's heart, I stab at thee! For hate's sake, I spit my last breath at thee! Die pale whale die! 

"The first chance to tell you everything she has to say on her own terms. Without you having any preconceived judgments cause of something I said?"

"So there's an 'everything' to say? Which implies that there are two sides to the story, and I will end up having to make a judgment between the two." She sighs again in irritation. "Maybe it's just me, but that doesn't sound cool at all."

"No, it doesn't." I agree. Knowing May as I do, I know her inquisitive mind is all kinds of wanting to know what's what. "But before you push at me to spill the tale and we end up in a frustrated place, let me just point out a couple of things. In a lot of ways, April is still a little girl and she was scared, and she was trying really not to show it."

"But of course, she ended up dropping bitchy bombs out all over the place ...as usual." May sighs, easily putting the pieces together.

"Yeah, something like that." I can't help but agree with this analysis of Someones Sister's crisis management skill set. "And as much as I might regret this? I'd rather she get the benefit of the doubt on this one. Let's call it a gentleman's prerogative and please leave it at that for now."

"So instead, I should have a preconceived idea from her towards you?" Her lilting voice is all kinds of suspicious now.  

"If it comes down to that, I'm a big boy and I can take care of myself. After all, like you said, she's your sister and I'm just some dude passing through till Christmas." Right there is the truth in it's rawest form and the reason why I can't really be her friend in the first place. That after everything is said and done, I won't be here long enough to even be a memory to anyone besides May.