I Don't Want to be Friends

031 The Grapes of Voss

𝔼𝕡𝕚𝕤𝕠𝕕𝕖 𝕊𝕖𝕧𝕖𝕟: 𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝔾𝕣𝕒𝕡𝕖𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝕍𝕠𝕤𝕤

"Well, that was... unexpected. Thanks" "Anytime". "See you around". "See you around". Darren walks past me and freezes, then continues on before I can say anything. I walk further down the hall. "Dustin! What was Darren doing in you dorm?" "Nothing, what are you doing here"? "Needing my big brother" I say looking up at him sad. He guides me into his room.

"What did Darren tell you" I ask him. "He said that you knew Cash was going to be with Chook and didn't say anything. I sigh. "And what do you think about it?" "I think that you're my sister and that you have good judgement. So if you covered it was for good reason". "And it was" I pleaded as I plopped on his bed, "I-I'm just tired. There's always something new. I need like, my own secluded world where I don't have to deal with all of this". "That's why I left Hartley". I threw a pillow at him. "Why don't you focus on the good things that are happening? Like you and Ant being back together eh?" I smile "Yeah, he's gotten so much better. And I don't think it was just for me. I think he did it for himself too, which is so much better". "And Chook?" "What about him"? "You haven't... you know". "Dustin! No! I've been with Ant for about a month again at this point and I hadn't seen Chook since I found out about Harper. Well except-" "Dani!" he yells at me surprised. "No wait. It was for Harper. Amerie thought she was Bird Psycho so we, Darren, and Quinni snuck in his place when he left. But, he left his phone and came back in". "Really?" "Yeah, he wasn't really mad at me. More mad at them for thinking I could be a distraction". "Ah". "Well I have to head off but- Wait! Dusty!" "What's wrong?" "Nothing, do you want to come to formal?" "Uh, no". He shot it down way too fast. "Please! I can get an out of school form for you. You haven't been to any parties pleaseeeee" I beg. "I'll think about it". "Coming from you, that means yes when directed towards me. Thank you!" I say as I leave his dorm.

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"Whatever you need today, babe. Chippies, Reiki, aquarium therapy. Do you even wanna be here? 'Cause I could call in a bomb threat" Darren rambles as they begin to dig into their bag for their phone. "Thanks, but no need for special treatment" Amerie says. "Are you sure Ams? This is a big deal?" "The was I see it, it's like the time I got that weird mole cut out. There's something growing inside of me that's going to ruin my life, and I'll sort it out. Wouldn't you do the same Dani?" I stopped in my tracks. "Uhh, I don't think I would. Like you do you and have an abortion, I just don't think I could ever have one". "Wait, so if Ant knocked you up, you'd make him a dad?" "Um, from my views, or like, what I would do I guess. If a woman can get an abortion within however amount of time, then that same amount of time can be used for the father to decide if he wants to be in the babies life. Check in or out. Similarly, if you wait till the baby is here to tell them, or hide it, they should still get that time. But once he decides that he'd want to parent, if he goes back on his word, he'd be but on child support". "So long story short, yes, you'd make him a dad?" Darren says. "I wouldn't make him. I don't think it's fair for a woman to get rid of a child and the responsibilities and the man to not have an option. It takes two to tango, it can't be one person's decision." "I tried to tell Malakai but he shut me down" Amerie adds. "No babe, I wasn't talking about you. You're doing what you need for your body and circumstance."

"To change the topic, Dani, you never told us who you'd be voting for" Darren says. "What do you mean?" "Oh yeah, I, one of your closest friends is running and Ant is running for vice with Spider". "Oh, um, I hadn't really put much thought into it. I wanted it to be like as unbiased as possible, ya know?" "As long as that ends in a vote for me". "Incoming" Darren says as they pull me away to walk into the school as Rowan approaches Amerie.

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Before the debate I decided to freshen up and I ran into Sasha yelling at Missy. "It's Spider isn't it! The guy you've been hooking up with?" Missy just looks up at her. "What the fuck! I can honestly taste the spew right now. How long has this been going on?" "A month, maybe two. It just started out as sex, then I got to know him." "What and feels, you've caught feels?" Sasha mocks her. "He's not that bad". "Wait, Sasha, he actually does like her" I add. "So Daniella knew before me! He's the most probbo guy in school." Sasha continues. "Most of the shit that he says even he doesn't believe." "Ah, yes, the devil's advocate." "He's really tryna change, Sash. Like how Ant did for Dani" Missy says as she raises her arm up towards me. I couldn't help but to smile. "Okay, well, at best, he's just woke-fishing you. At worst, he's fetishized being with a black girl and you're bringing his prornhub watch list to life. Asian girls are probably next. Thank gosh I-" "No, he's not like that". "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" Sasha says clapping at her. "Oh, my gosh! Why do you think I didn't say anything? You were never gonna understand." "Because no one will, they will fully judge you for it and the fact that you've kept this secret means, on some level, you know it too." Sasha says as she grasp her things and leaves. "I understand" I add trying to help Missy's case. "That doesn't really help when your brother is Dusty and you're dating his best friend now does it?" Sasha spits out as she leaves the bathroom. "For what it's worth, all that matters is how you feel" I say before leaving.

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As I enter the stage room, I see Amerie bent over groaning. I rush over to aid her. "Ams are you good?" Then Malakai approaches. "I'm having an abortion". "Uh, uh, when?" he asks. "Right fucking now Malakai" she expresses fighting back tears. "Want me to call you mum? I can-" "I want to reduce this pain Malakai, not add to it." "I'll get the nurse". "No, no, no, no, no, get Harper" she asks him. I sit beside her until they come back. "When they come back can you go tell Darren?" "Yeah, are you going to leave? Do you want me to go with or-" "No just stay here for the debate. I'll just leave with them". Right as the words leave her mouth, Malakai returns with Harper and they take her way.