A New Virus

Sour Tea

"Get out of my house!" Tiana screamed, throwing her hairbrush at Annalise as she sat at her desk. Annalise easily caught the brush and dropped it, eyes hard as she looked at someone who she had been so close to. Someone she had spent most of her life with. Someone she cared for. Someone who now hates her because she told the truth.

"I'm done running away from this and I'm done letting you run away from this as well." Annalise said.

"Why wouldn't I run from a monster?" Tiana asked.

"Why would you run from a friend?" Annalise asked back.

"You are not my friend!" Tiana snapped.

"I've been your friend for over twelve years!" Annalise's voice cracked. "We took ballet together when we were five, we played soccer together when we were seven, we took scuba lessons together when we were nine, we had a crush on the same guy when we were thirteen but we chose our friendship over him! We chose friendship! We have always chosen friendship! What happened that suddenly changed that!?"

"You became a monster!"

"I am Annalise! I have always been Annalise! I am still the same person you used to call your best friend! I am still the same person who let you cry on her shoulder when Liam said he didn't like you! I am still the same person who painted your nails, who curled your hair, who stayed up till three in the fucking morning talking on the phone with you because you needed someone to be there for you! I have always been there for you! I have fought your bullies! I protected you! And the moment I finally tell you the truth, you run off to befriend my bullies. The ones who called me a prostitute, the ones that make me not want to go to school anymore and the ones that are now dead! And the only reason why you're alive is because Mac wanted me to take care of you myself!" There was a long pause as the two stared at each other. Annalise felt a strong urge to vomit, but she ignored it when Tiana opened her mouth.

"So, you're going to kill me?"

"Don't flatter yourself." Annalise scoffed. "You're not worth my time anymore."

"Then why are you here?" Tiana asked.

"Because my dads taught me to never leave something unfinished and I'm not letting you get the last word on this." Annalise answered. "You insulted me. After years of us being best friends, after years of doing everything together, you call me a freak."

"Why wouldn't I call you a freak!? You kill people! You told me that you're not human! You are literally a monster!"

"I didn't call you a freak when you told me you want to fuck my father!" Annalise snapped. "I didn't run away when you asked me whether my father was fully gay or bisexual and I didn't run away when you asked me whether my dads were in an open relationship and if he was into younger girls!"

"That is nothing compared to you being a murderer!" Tiana shouted as she stood up.

"You want to have an affair with my father!"

"You kill people!"

"You could have killed me and my dad!"

"How!?"

"Are you really that fucking clueless!?" Annalise let out a laugh of disbelief. "You want to have an affair with my father. That would fucking destroy my dad. My dad would never be the same. I love both of my parents and it would kill me to see them so broken and you would be the cause of it." Annalise took a step forward. "And like fucking hell, I would ever allow you to do that." She growled.

"You don't have to worry about that anymore. I don't want to be anywhere near your disgusting father-" Tiana shrieked and fell to the ground from the force of Annalise's slap.

"You do not insult my father! You do not insult my family, you fucking bitch!" Annalise screamed. "My father was the one who took you home when yours forgot you at practice. My father was the one that made sure our house was peanut free because of your allergy. My father was the one that made sure you were safe! My father allowed you into our home! He trusted you! We all trusted you! I cared for you!" Annalise was crying. "I truly cared for you! I cared for you with all of my heart! I was willing to die for you!"

"Then why don't you!?" Tiana screamed. "Just fucking die already and leave me alone!" Annalise felt everything in her body drop at those words. The tears flowed down her face and she shook her head.

"I thought you were better than that. I thought you actually had a heart." Annalise spoke harshly. "How could I have been so blind?"

"Get out of my house." Tiana spat.

"You're fucking nothing." Annalise's voice echoed in the room before she glitched away.

Annalise stayed in her room for a moment, blinking away her remaining tears and taking several deep breaths. She tilted her head and her neck cracked, a few orange pixels popped off of her body and she became calm. Scarily calm.

Annalise went over to her door and opened it, stepping out and looking at her family, all of them gasping and getting up when they saw her. She felt arms around her as Wilford lifted her up into a spinning hug.

"I knew my Annie would be just fine!" Wilford said. He sat Annalise down and his smile dropped when he saw the look on Annalise's face. "What did you do?"

"I spoke with Tiana." Annalise answered honestly. "I'm done with her." Annalise looked at her dads and was waiting to be scolded, but neither of them said anything.

"She wasn't a good friend." Wilford said, patting Annalise's shoulder.

"You have no idea." Annalise sighed.

"At least you got my perky little ass." Keith said with a wink.

"What would I do without your perky ass?" Annalise weakly chuckled as she reached into her pocket. "So..." Annalise pulled her hand out and showed that she was holding a purple pixel. "We're going to go fuck up Mac."