Steady State.
The more things change the more they will stay the same. Same cliche all the time. For example.
Joanne was tired of watching movies that made her huddle up against the hard and cold base of the living room couch and cry. But hey, someone had asked. Far be it from her, to for once not pretend that she was somehow a good friend. Maybe that was what being a good friend was. Pretending you were one until you actually were one by accident.
It was way too fucking bright and sunny outside to be having these sorts of thoughts. Winter was supposed to be outside and in George R.R Martin books, not inside her own damn forehead.
So. Cafeteria food at George R.R Martin. Lot of kids liked to give it the two thumbs down types of review, but. Maybe it was just Joanne's bad taste and desensitized taste buds, but, fuck 'em. They could hate on the imitation cardboard cheese all they wanted but if to Joanne it was the perfect thing to choke down on a busy school day. Way she thought about it, if the food was actually any good it would be too difficult to eat fast. Coincidence? Conspiracy theory? Yes, and, hell yes.
It makes sense. Think about it.
Joanne, specifically, elected to not think about it anymore. With business-like demeanor she folded a thick chunk of mysteriously pale cheese pizza in two, into a single bite's worth of size. Popped it down, swallowed. Damn, she could have been an Olympic food... eater contest.. person.
The best damn Olympic food eater contest person.
Joanne never did her homework in school. No point, no strategy to actually trying to be a good student or whatever. She wasted away her free moments humming tunes so loudly to herself she might as well have just opened her damn mouth and actually sung. Took a pill in Ibiza... to show Avicii I was cool... something something years older, something something something fuck it it was something to do. Joanne bobbed her head to the hottest of non-existent ass EDM beats. Strong jerks of her chin over her neck, because, if anyone looked her way with the question marks? Who cared? Joanne wasn't here to answer any damn questions.
She was here, totally, to meet a friend though. She spotted a familiar face approaching and she waved. All the while she continued to get down to her own karaoke moment.
I'm alright. I'm just fine. And you're a tool, so.
Winter of 2016... tagging Super Weegee!
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Super Weegee
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((Matthew Hunt Memories Start))
Matthew carried his packed lunch by the strap, or handle, whatever it is as he walked into the cafeteria, preferring to go straight to the tables.
He refused to eat the pizza that the school served here. Normally, he wouldn't pass up the chance to take a bite out of it, but that? They may as well have been serving cardboard. Besides, his mom was particularly picky in what he's been bringing to school recently. Maybe it was because he got caught trying to sneak some Poptarts in his bag a couple of days ago? Or maybe she thought the school food wasn't healthy? Whatever the case, she was insistent on him eating whatever she packed for him.
As Matthew was about to look in his lunch box to see what he has, he noticed Joanne waving at him from a nearby table. Ah, that's right. They agreed to watch a documentary, called Dear Zachary: A Letter To A Son About His Father, and discuss it as they ate. It made him uneasy how people can bring themselves to kill an innocent child. It made him even more uneasy how the legal system can fail at practically any time. For the family, Zackary meant a lot to them, and it's evident in their voices.
Matthew waved back and sat down two seats to Joanne's left. He then looked in his bag and saw a banana, a piece of bread, some carrots, sliced apples, a can of Coca-Cola, and the plastic bag of chocolate chip cookies that he managed to sneak in when his mom wasn't looking. Even though she caught him before, she can be really oblivious to what he's doing sometimes.
As Matthew was pulling out his food, he looked at Joanne and asked:
"So, what did you think about the movie?"
Matthew carried his packed lunch by the strap, or handle, whatever it is as he walked into the cafeteria, preferring to go straight to the tables.
He refused to eat the pizza that the school served here. Normally, he wouldn't pass up the chance to take a bite out of it, but that? They may as well have been serving cardboard. Besides, his mom was particularly picky in what he's been bringing to school recently. Maybe it was because he got caught trying to sneak some Poptarts in his bag a couple of days ago? Or maybe she thought the school food wasn't healthy? Whatever the case, she was insistent on him eating whatever she packed for him.
As Matthew was about to look in his lunch box to see what he has, he noticed Joanne waving at him from a nearby table. Ah, that's right. They agreed to watch a documentary, called Dear Zachary: A Letter To A Son About His Father, and discuss it as they ate. It made him uneasy how people can bring themselves to kill an innocent child. It made him even more uneasy how the legal system can fail at practically any time. For the family, Zackary meant a lot to them, and it's evident in their voices.
Matthew waved back and sat down two seats to Joanne's left. He then looked in his bag and saw a banana, a piece of bread, some carrots, sliced apples, a can of Coca-Cola, and the plastic bag of chocolate chip cookies that he managed to sneak in when his mom wasn't looking. Even though she caught him before, she can be really oblivious to what he's doing sometimes.
As Matthew was pulling out his food, he looked at Joanne and asked:
"So, what did you think about the movie?"
V8 Relationships Thread
Brook Peterson
Lula Gray Any thoughts or criticisms on my writing are welcome and appreciated! Feel free to message me on Discord.
Brook Peterson
Lula Gray Any thoughts or criticisms on my writing are welcome and appreciated! Feel free to message me on Discord.
At any rate. She had hoped that wouldn't be the first question.
At any rate.
"Whoa, nice haul." Joanne was feeling that photogenic buffet of foodstuffs Matthew was dredging out of his bag. Basic, maybe? But there was a beauty to home-packed simplicity, like, for-fucking-real there was nothing wrong with the basics of Momma-style packed lunches. They were the same thing as anything store bought, on account of literally being store bought, but somehow they were better. Just Joanne's opinion. Original opinion, do not steal.
She stalled a second longer, watching his eats. "Cookies homemade?"
But there was a void in the conversation, that begged the question, and Joanne couldn't really ignore it because it was her job to have the answer. She just tried to keep her disgust superficial. Out of her soul, because she didn't want to dirty that there thing anymore than it already was by the fuckery that was a life well lived.
Shit, when had she become a Hallmark-special movie?
"The cinematography was ace. I don't think there's ever been a movie more, y'know. Real. Like a punch to the gut." Too much so. She still felt that existential horror, but she kept her smile on through the residual clamping twists of pain. "Like, you know..."
"Fucked up, ain't it? To think that's barely a degree removed from real."
A child didn't deserve to need to live that kind of not-so fictional life. Yet the world allowed it.
At any rate.
"Whoa, nice haul." Joanne was feeling that photogenic buffet of foodstuffs Matthew was dredging out of his bag. Basic, maybe? But there was a beauty to home-packed simplicity, like, for-fucking-real there was nothing wrong with the basics of Momma-style packed lunches. They were the same thing as anything store bought, on account of literally being store bought, but somehow they were better. Just Joanne's opinion. Original opinion, do not steal.
She stalled a second longer, watching his eats. "Cookies homemade?"
But there was a void in the conversation, that begged the question, and Joanne couldn't really ignore it because it was her job to have the answer. She just tried to keep her disgust superficial. Out of her soul, because she didn't want to dirty that there thing anymore than it already was by the fuckery that was a life well lived.
Shit, when had she become a Hallmark-special movie?
"The cinematography was ace. I don't think there's ever been a movie more, y'know. Real. Like a punch to the gut." Too much so. She still felt that existential horror, but she kept her smile on through the residual clamping twists of pain. "Like, you know..."
"Fucked up, ain't it? To think that's barely a degree removed from real."
A child didn't deserve to need to live that kind of not-so fictional life. Yet the world allowed it.
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Super Weegee
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Matthew pulled out one of the cookies and looked at it for a couple of seconds.
"Nah, we just bought it at the store like we usually do."
As he ate his lunch, he listened to Joanne describing her opinions on the movie. It was pretty much the same as his thoughts, that it was well-made and the people behind it didn't pull any punches. Kind of like him, really. When he watched it, he secretly half-hoped that justice would come out on top. When Bagby's parents, David and Kathleen, got Zachary back from the monster that was Shirley Turner, it seemed to be going that way. At that point, he thought that the rest of the movie was going to focus on what Shirley did during her time in jail, and possibly her trial.
By the time it actually did end, he was wondering why the prosecutors and judges involved didn't resign, or even get punished. He was glad that it inspired the government in Canada to have a bill named after Zachary that protects children signed into law, but it took the death of two people to get that to happen.
"Yeah, it was fucked up." Matthew responded, "It felt like the family was being played with, you know? The family had Zachary for a month, and then Shirley took him away again just to murder him later. She wanted him all to herself..."
This was making Matthew more depressed than he expected. Granted, they knew that they would be watching a depressing documentary going in, but it somehow feels worse when he actually talks to someone about it. Did it feel better to talk about it? He didn't really know the answer to that.
He let out a small sigh.
"If our parents were as selfish and clingy like Shelby, I probably would've told them to go fuck themselves a long time ago."
"Nah, we just bought it at the store like we usually do."
As he ate his lunch, he listened to Joanne describing her opinions on the movie. It was pretty much the same as his thoughts, that it was well-made and the people behind it didn't pull any punches. Kind of like him, really. When he watched it, he secretly half-hoped that justice would come out on top. When Bagby's parents, David and Kathleen, got Zachary back from the monster that was Shirley Turner, it seemed to be going that way. At that point, he thought that the rest of the movie was going to focus on what Shirley did during her time in jail, and possibly her trial.
By the time it actually did end, he was wondering why the prosecutors and judges involved didn't resign, or even get punished. He was glad that it inspired the government in Canada to have a bill named after Zachary that protects children signed into law, but it took the death of two people to get that to happen.
"Yeah, it was fucked up." Matthew responded, "It felt like the family was being played with, you know? The family had Zachary for a month, and then Shirley took him away again just to murder him later. She wanted him all to herself..."
This was making Matthew more depressed than he expected. Granted, they knew that they would be watching a depressing documentary going in, but it somehow feels worse when he actually talks to someone about it. Did it feel better to talk about it? He didn't really know the answer to that.
He let out a small sigh.
"If our parents were as selfish and clingy like Shelby, I probably would've told them to go fuck themselves a long time ago."
V8 Relationships Thread
Brook Peterson
Lula Gray Any thoughts or criticisms on my writing are welcome and appreciated! Feel free to message me on Discord.
Brook Peterson
Lula Gray Any thoughts or criticisms on my writing are welcome and appreciated! Feel free to message me on Discord.
Everyone in their generation agreed that the legal system was fucked up, right? Why didn't something happen? Who were the people doing anything about it?
Not her.
Joanne's lips were a bit heavy, a bit set into place, but she spoke with a smile all the same. She'd copied this one right out of a catalog. "Fuuuck," she dramatically slammed her forehead into her fingers and looked at Matthew from a coy angle, shaking her head 'hell no' ever so slightly. "What is wrong with people like that, you know? Haven't they ever heard, 'love means letting go'? Or you know. However that saying goes."
This felt like dangerous territory.
"... I probably would've told them to go fuck themselves a long time ago."
It was dangerous territory. Her Mom, her Dad. They screamed at each other super loud in a silence. She could still hear it so clearly.
She blinked, now staring at Matthew in fixed portions and intervals of infinity. A moment of silence passed. She chewed on her words with uncharacteristic contemplation.
"I mean, maybe. It's hard to know how you'd react to that kind of thing." It had been phrased a bit too simply. Like a command. Joanne blunted her tone with redundancy, "you know what I'm saying? ... It's just, like, one of those contextual things I guess."
Not her.
Joanne's lips were a bit heavy, a bit set into place, but she spoke with a smile all the same. She'd copied this one right out of a catalog. "Fuuuck," she dramatically slammed her forehead into her fingers and looked at Matthew from a coy angle, shaking her head 'hell no' ever so slightly. "What is wrong with people like that, you know? Haven't they ever heard, 'love means letting go'? Or you know. However that saying goes."
This felt like dangerous territory.
"... I probably would've told them to go fuck themselves a long time ago."
It was dangerous territory. Her Mom, her Dad. They screamed at each other super loud in a silence. She could still hear it so clearly.
She blinked, now staring at Matthew in fixed portions and intervals of infinity. A moment of silence passed. She chewed on her words with uncharacteristic contemplation.
"I mean, maybe. It's hard to know how you'd react to that kind of thing." It had been phrased a bit too simply. Like a command. Joanne blunted her tone with redundancy, "you know what I'm saying? ... It's just, like, one of those contextual things I guess."
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Super Weegee
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The odd look Joanne gave to Matthew isn't out of the ordinary for him. That's how most people usually react. For him, it's important to get his thoughts out there.
"I mean, maybe. It's hard to know how you'd react to that kind of thing. You know what I'm saying? It's just, like, one of those contextual things I guess."
He gave Joanne a slightly confused look for a second. What did she mean by maybe? From what he's seen, she doesn't usually sit on the fence around her feelings towards people and in certain areas.
Matthew quickly shook that thought out of his head and took a sip from his Coca-Cola. He was thinking way too deeply about it and wanted to speak up before she gets creeped out. There's nothing wrong with not being sure on a few things, after all.
"Context or not, I wouldn't exactly like having a clingy parent myself. It's already bad enough with my parents nagging about what I eat. What's next, they want me to exercise every day?" He chuckled for a brief moment. He wasn't really sure if being naggy was somehow the same as being clingy, but he continued anyways, "I know that they care for me and I wouldn't exactly tell them off to their faces, but they really need to lay off."
Matthew went silent for another second, remembering that night where his parents were scolding him. The last thing that he wanted was his mom and dad to be pissed off. Only god knows how they'd react if he did anything more serious than fighting someone.
"But strangely, I also want their love at the same time." He chuckled again, "Heh. Funny, isn't it?"
"I mean, maybe. It's hard to know how you'd react to that kind of thing. You know what I'm saying? It's just, like, one of those contextual things I guess."
He gave Joanne a slightly confused look for a second. What did she mean by maybe? From what he's seen, she doesn't usually sit on the fence around her feelings towards people and in certain areas.
Matthew quickly shook that thought out of his head and took a sip from his Coca-Cola. He was thinking way too deeply about it and wanted to speak up before she gets creeped out. There's nothing wrong with not being sure on a few things, after all.
"Context or not, I wouldn't exactly like having a clingy parent myself. It's already bad enough with my parents nagging about what I eat. What's next, they want me to exercise every day?" He chuckled for a brief moment. He wasn't really sure if being naggy was somehow the same as being clingy, but he continued anyways, "I know that they care for me and I wouldn't exactly tell them off to their faces, but they really need to lay off."
Matthew went silent for another second, remembering that night where his parents were scolding him. The last thing that he wanted was his mom and dad to be pissed off. Only god knows how they'd react if he did anything more serious than fighting someone.
"But strangely, I also want their love at the same time." He chuckled again, "Heh. Funny, isn't it?"
V8 Relationships Thread
Brook Peterson
Lula Gray Any thoughts or criticisms on my writing are welcome and appreciated! Feel free to message me on Discord.
Brook Peterson
Lula Gray Any thoughts or criticisms on my writing are welcome and appreciated! Feel free to message me on Discord.
Joanne peeled her face from her hand, with deliberate slowness. Carefully breathing, under her breath. So she wouldn't be heard.
He didn't mean it. He didn't know.
"Nothing wrong with a little clinging, or nagging," or so she wished were the absolute least of her problems... Joanne tried to subtly emphasize the warning tone in her voice. There really wasn't much room to do that with, but she hoped her unusually stiff body language portrayed her discomfort in a socially appropriate way. They were still in public, people were still watching... Rare that Joanne cared about that, but well. There was voluntarily making an ass of yourself, and then there was...
Whatever this was on the verge of becoming. Joanne didn't want to feel annoyed, but god she wished Matthew could just shut up for a second.
"It could always be worse. I think people should appreciate what they have, you know, while they have it."
His laugh was suddenly irritating. Normally she liked it, thought it a fine specimen of chuckle, but now...?
He didn't mean it. He didn't know.
"Nothing wrong with a little clinging, or nagging," or so she wished were the absolute least of her problems... Joanne tried to subtly emphasize the warning tone in her voice. There really wasn't much room to do that with, but she hoped her unusually stiff body language portrayed her discomfort in a socially appropriate way. They were still in public, people were still watching... Rare that Joanne cared about that, but well. There was voluntarily making an ass of yourself, and then there was...
Whatever this was on the verge of becoming. Joanne didn't want to feel annoyed, but god she wished Matthew could just shut up for a second.
"It could always be worse. I think people should appreciate what they have, you know, while they have it."
His laugh was suddenly irritating. Normally she liked it, thought it a fine specimen of chuckle, but now...?
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Super Weegee
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Matthew nodded his head to Joanne's words. He looked at her and noticed how stiff she was getting. What's the deal? Did she have to go somewhere? That was the only plausible idea he can think of, since she's kind of popular.
At first, he thought that there was another party going on. However, that idea was almost immediately shut down by the fact that they're in the school cafeteria. A party during school would be pretty awesome, but it wasn't really going to happen. Matthew also doubted that she would skip school for it, given the fact that she's in AP classes and such. He never bothered to take those kinds of classes, but he heard that they were more demanding and much easier to fail due to weighted grades. Too much of an academic risk in his eyes.
Maybe she had extra work that she had to do in those classes. That can't be it either since they could easily work out some problems if one of them needed help. Except for science. They figured out pretty quickly that he wasn't going to be much help in that area.
Matthew took a bite out of one of his carrots as he thought about it for a couple of seconds.
Either way, it's probably nothing important. However, he was curious enough to find out what she's going to do.
"Heh, what's wrong?" he chuckled yet again, "Mom and dad don't appreciate and love you enough?"
At first, he thought that there was another party going on. However, that idea was almost immediately shut down by the fact that they're in the school cafeteria. A party during school would be pretty awesome, but it wasn't really going to happen. Matthew also doubted that she would skip school for it, given the fact that she's in AP classes and such. He never bothered to take those kinds of classes, but he heard that they were more demanding and much easier to fail due to weighted grades. Too much of an academic risk in his eyes.
Maybe she had extra work that she had to do in those classes. That can't be it either since they could easily work out some problems if one of them needed help. Except for science. They figured out pretty quickly that he wasn't going to be much help in that area.
Matthew took a bite out of one of his carrots as he thought about it for a couple of seconds.
Either way, it's probably nothing important. However, he was curious enough to find out what she's going to do.
"Heh, what's wrong?" he chuckled yet again, "Mom and dad don't appreciate and love you enough?"
V8 Relationships Thread
Brook Peterson
Lula Gray Any thoughts or criticisms on my writing are welcome and appreciated! Feel free to message me on Discord.
Brook Peterson
Lula Gray Any thoughts or criticisms on my writing are welcome and appreciated! Feel free to message me on Discord.
She'd always felt a sort of song-like resonance with Matthew's stubbornness, she had. It was something she found familiar, like looking in a mirror and spotting that one blemish that was detestable yet... you, the in-the-mirror you, unmistakably. That's why they'd ever talked at all, fallen into friendship and rankly amateur movie critique and Twitter snarking at one another. Because she related with him. She still did. In this moment, she still really did, but she also really did want to smack him upside the head.
'That one blemish that was detestable'. She'd been the one who'd said it first, hadn't she?
She let his words fade away. The concrete swallowed the echo, and she was left with a deafening silence and his words still ringing in her ears. His true words.
He'd said it. Not her.
Finally. She just shrugged. Maybe she could just pretend the conversation hadn't stumbled along this far. She probably should have done that long ago, before she'd been dragged back into the dead atmosphere of her own unhappy home.
"Dunno."
She tried to force a smile. Succeeded, and wondered why she was way too good at it.
"That's not what girls mean when they say 'get intimate with us', y'know?" She gestured, stabbed a finger down at those sweet-looking vittles Matthew was chowing on- so slow, as if daring her to show him how it was really done. "They look good. Mind if I? .. Hey, what are you doing later anyways? I was thinking I'd drag along whoever I could find down to that new cafe they opened by the river, you know? Martin's in North Shore, right up by the bridge."
Mom had been wanting them to go there for a while. Before her mind had been otherwise occupied.
'That one blemish that was detestable'. She'd been the one who'd said it first, hadn't she?
She let his words fade away. The concrete swallowed the echo, and she was left with a deafening silence and his words still ringing in her ears. His true words.
He'd said it. Not her.
Finally. She just shrugged. Maybe she could just pretend the conversation hadn't stumbled along this far. She probably should have done that long ago, before she'd been dragged back into the dead atmosphere of her own unhappy home.
"Dunno."
She tried to force a smile. Succeeded, and wondered why she was way too good at it.
"That's not what girls mean when they say 'get intimate with us', y'know?" She gestured, stabbed a finger down at those sweet-looking vittles Matthew was chowing on- so slow, as if daring her to show him how it was really done. "They look good. Mind if I? .. Hey, what are you doing later anyways? I was thinking I'd drag along whoever I could find down to that new cafe they opened by the river, you know? Martin's in North Shore, right up by the bridge."
Mom had been wanting them to go there for a while. Before her mind had been otherwise occupied.
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Super Weegee
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"That's not what girls mean when they say 'get intimate with us', y'know?"
He rolled his eyes almost on instinct when she said that. They were already talking to each other, both online and in the real world. In one way or another, they were intimate on some level. Maybe a bit more than that, but it never went beyond the occasional hangout.
He was about to respond to Joanne's request for some of his food and ask her what exactly she wanted, but instead stared at her when she invited him to go to the new cafe. He didn't really have any plans for today, but the sudden change in subject threw him off. What's with her?
"Uh...sure...I would...love to go..."
His words slowly faded into silence as he continued to give her a confused look. Besides the obvious subject change, they were already hanging out in the school cafeteria. Sure, the pizza tastes bad, but there were other options too. As far as his knowledge of school rules goes, the teachers didn't stop anybody from bringing in outside food like Subway or McDonalds either. He was getting more suspicious by the minute. Something's going on and she's not telling him. But what? Did he offend her somehow and didn't want to be rude about it?
Matthew put down one of his cookies and spoke in a more serious tone. No more joking around for now.
"You're acting weird. Is something wrong?"
He rolled his eyes almost on instinct when she said that. They were already talking to each other, both online and in the real world. In one way or another, they were intimate on some level. Maybe a bit more than that, but it never went beyond the occasional hangout.
He was about to respond to Joanne's request for some of his food and ask her what exactly she wanted, but instead stared at her when she invited him to go to the new cafe. He didn't really have any plans for today, but the sudden change in subject threw him off. What's with her?
"Uh...sure...I would...love to go..."
His words slowly faded into silence as he continued to give her a confused look. Besides the obvious subject change, they were already hanging out in the school cafeteria. Sure, the pizza tastes bad, but there were other options too. As far as his knowledge of school rules goes, the teachers didn't stop anybody from bringing in outside food like Subway or McDonalds either. He was getting more suspicious by the minute. Something's going on and she's not telling him. But what? Did he offend her somehow and didn't want to be rude about it?
Matthew put down one of his cookies and spoke in a more serious tone. No more joking around for now.
"You're acting weird. Is something wrong?"
V8 Relationships Thread
Brook Peterson
Lula Gray Any thoughts or criticisms on my writing are welcome and appreciated! Feel free to message me on Discord.
Brook Peterson
Lula Gray Any thoughts or criticisms on my writing are welcome and appreciated! Feel free to message me on Discord.
"Nothing's wrong."
She'd meant to let it die on that note. But there was no helping suddenly stabbing back with,
"I just wish you'd get the hint for once." Aggressive, harsh in tone. Joanne normally carried herself with a exaggerated inflated balloon of a voice. The balloon had popped. Her regular voice was bass-y, boomed out of her chest and throat. She hadn't intended for it to, but it had.
She stared at Matthew. Silently. She consciously tried to relax her brows but they were tightly wound up and the muscle refused to slack off. She was far too aware of the intimate details of his eye sockets, and that detail blurred into her memory as if it were somehow important. Distractions abound, but all Joanne could think of was her own sudden anger, random nonsense thoughts on loop, shuffle, and repeat.
"I don't- you.. no right, you have no right to pry when I'm clearly uncomfortable."
She'd said what she'd said.
And she wished she hadn't, but she'd said it, so she stood her ground.
She'd meant to let it die on that note. But there was no helping suddenly stabbing back with,
"I just wish you'd get the hint for once." Aggressive, harsh in tone. Joanne normally carried herself with a exaggerated inflated balloon of a voice. The balloon had popped. Her regular voice was bass-y, boomed out of her chest and throat. She hadn't intended for it to, but it had.
She stared at Matthew. Silently. She consciously tried to relax her brows but they were tightly wound up and the muscle refused to slack off. She was far too aware of the intimate details of his eye sockets, and that detail blurred into her memory as if it were somehow important. Distractions abound, but all Joanne could think of was her own sudden anger, random nonsense thoughts on loop, shuffle, and repeat.
"I don't- you.. no right, you have no right to pry when I'm clearly uncomfortable."
She'd said what she'd said.
And she wished she hadn't, but she'd said it, so she stood her ground.
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Super Weegee
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To say that he wasn't shocked by her words would be a lie. Matthew knew that something was making Joanne uncomfortable, but he didn't think that he was the problem. Was he the minor problem during her shitty day or was he the big problem for today?
He raised his hands up defensively.
"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you angry."
But why did it trigger such an aggressive response?
He put his right index finger and thumb on his mouth as he considered why. Obviously, something's going on in her personal life. Despite the fact that he doesn't have any physical evidence on hand, his comments beforehand suggested that her parents might be the culprits. Did one of them find out that they have cancer or something? Did they die recently? Were they being-
As soon as that thought came to his head, he immediately kicked it out. Dear god, don't let that be the case... Asides from that, those were the only possibilities he could think of. What else could it reasonably be? After several seconds of thinking, he faced Joanne, looked at her in the eyes, and said:
"I know you're uncomfortable and I'm sorry for asking, but I need to understand what's going on. Are you...OK at home?"
She was his friend. If something bad happens to her when he could've done something about it, he'll be guilt-ridden. He has to know.
He raised his hands up defensively.
"Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you angry."
But why did it trigger such an aggressive response?
He put his right index finger and thumb on his mouth as he considered why. Obviously, something's going on in her personal life. Despite the fact that he doesn't have any physical evidence on hand, his comments beforehand suggested that her parents might be the culprits. Did one of them find out that they have cancer or something? Did they die recently? Were they being-
As soon as that thought came to his head, he immediately kicked it out. Dear god, don't let that be the case... Asides from that, those were the only possibilities he could think of. What else could it reasonably be? After several seconds of thinking, he faced Joanne, looked at her in the eyes, and said:
"I know you're uncomfortable and I'm sorry for asking, but I need to understand what's going on. Are you...OK at home?"
She was his friend. If something bad happens to her when he could've done something about it, he'll be guilt-ridden. He has to know.
V8 Relationships Thread
Brook Peterson
Lula Gray Any thoughts or criticisms on my writing are welcome and appreciated! Feel free to message me on Discord.
Brook Peterson
Lula Gray Any thoughts or criticisms on my writing are welcome and appreciated! Feel free to message me on Discord.
If he didn't mean to make her angry, why was he still prying?
She wanted to try to master her temper, she really did. This was Matthew. He was a good dude, a harmless dude, he was dude who actually cared enough to try and understand the problems of the world instead of getting lost in the hedonistic bullshit. She honestly cared for him, and that became the problem, when she felt betrayed by his insensitive words that yanked all the gunk out of her brain from where she'd been hiding it and dumped it in her lap.
Her parents were never going to be the same again. Nobody's fault, but somehow in this moment, Matthew's problem.
She couldn't stop herself from seeing him as the enemy, and it was so fucked up.
"Did anybody ask you?" She barked, at a volume that surprised herself and forced her to take a glance around at the nearby tables. Nobody was looking.
Cynically, some part of Joanne was well aware that they were all used to her full volume dial rants by now. So she continued to hiss, in only a little less of an in-your-face tone:
"You don't need to understand what is going on, Matthew. You should drop it."
She wanted to try to master her temper, she really did. This was Matthew. He was a good dude, a harmless dude, he was dude who actually cared enough to try and understand the problems of the world instead of getting lost in the hedonistic bullshit. She honestly cared for him, and that became the problem, when she felt betrayed by his insensitive words that yanked all the gunk out of her brain from where she'd been hiding it and dumped it in her lap.
Her parents were never going to be the same again. Nobody's fault, but somehow in this moment, Matthew's problem.
She couldn't stop herself from seeing him as the enemy, and it was so fucked up.
"Did anybody ask you?" She barked, at a volume that surprised herself and forced her to take a glance around at the nearby tables. Nobody was looking.
Cynically, some part of Joanne was well aware that they were all used to her full volume dial rants by now. So she continued to hiss, in only a little less of an in-your-face tone:
"You don't need to understand what is going on, Matthew. You should drop it."
V8 Vibes:
V7 Vibes:
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Her hostile volume and tone still made Matthew uneasy, although not as much as her initial outburst. He simultaneously expected and didn't expect her reaction to his prying. Honestly, who would completely expect it? It's a miracle that nobody was curious enough to eavesdrop on the argument yet, given how loud she was earlier. After looking around for a bit, he looked at Joanne again and said:
"But you're my friend! Why shouldn't I try to help you?"
The back of his head was slowly getting hotter as the words came out of his mouth. The longer that he was being kept in the dark, the more impatient he got. The one thing he didn't want to even think was happening to her was becoming more and more plausible. The one thing that nobody should have to go through. That one thing being abuse...
As soon as he said it in his mind, Matthew blurted out:
"Please, tell me! I don't want to keep allowing them to hurt you!"
He didn't know what caused him to say that. He didn't want to imply it, but he did. He didn't want to outright say it, but he did. Almost immediately, he came up with a reason. If she was going to try to keep dodging the issue, he figured that he might as well say it directly.
However, he hoped he was wrong. Even if it turns out to be true, what could he do? There's no evidence. He might as well give her someone to talk to.
"But you're my friend! Why shouldn't I try to help you?"
The back of his head was slowly getting hotter as the words came out of his mouth. The longer that he was being kept in the dark, the more impatient he got. The one thing he didn't want to even think was happening to her was becoming more and more plausible. The one thing that nobody should have to go through. That one thing being abuse...
As soon as he said it in his mind, Matthew blurted out:
"Please, tell me! I don't want to keep allowing them to hurt you!"
He didn't know what caused him to say that. He didn't want to imply it, but he did. He didn't want to outright say it, but he did. Almost immediately, he came up with a reason. If she was going to try to keep dodging the issue, he figured that he might as well say it directly.
However, he hoped he was wrong. Even if it turns out to be true, what could he do? There's no evidence. He might as well give her someone to talk to.
V8 Relationships Thread
Brook Peterson
Lula Gray Any thoughts or criticisms on my writing are welcome and appreciated! Feel free to message me on Discord.
Brook Peterson
Lula Gray Any thoughts or criticisms on my writing are welcome and appreciated! Feel free to message me on Discord.
Even on a good day Joanne had never been good at shutting up. Who'd even told her, 'turn the other cheek', and when had she re-interpolated that saying into the idea of cocking her head at her target with a fresh angle and a different cheek of her face when she was yelling at them? Whatever pithy wisdom she'd absorbed as a fresh-faced kid was lost on her current dry-faced skin. Whatever she remembered, she'd turned the other cheek. Now? She never backed down from arguments.
This was no exception.
"You shouldn't try to help me because I didn't ask for you to help," Joanne coldly retorted. Her mind quickly tumbled, churned like a sickness burning like acid at her throat. It focused her, like she was burning adrenaline for her midnight oil. She could make out Matthew's worry, all too clearly, like she had trained a sniper's scope on it. Worry... on her behalf. But her mind didn't distinguish that particular last part of the logic, not anymore.
"..." She was silent, for a brief moment. Staring, still faced save for a tremor, grinding of her teeth shifting the tectonics of her lower lip.
"What do you mean by that, Matthew? Do you realize how stupid that is to insinuate?"
When had the truth become her problem? They were hurting her. Her brothers, themselves. And she didn't want to admit it. Least of all to him. When had Matthew become him?
This was no exception.
"You shouldn't try to help me because I didn't ask for you to help," Joanne coldly retorted. Her mind quickly tumbled, churned like a sickness burning like acid at her throat. It focused her, like she was burning adrenaline for her midnight oil. She could make out Matthew's worry, all too clearly, like she had trained a sniper's scope on it. Worry... on her behalf. But her mind didn't distinguish that particular last part of the logic, not anymore.
"..." She was silent, for a brief moment. Staring, still faced save for a tremor, grinding of her teeth shifting the tectonics of her lower lip.
"What do you mean by that, Matthew? Do you realize how stupid that is to insinuate?"
When had the truth become her problem? They were hurting her. Her brothers, themselves. And she didn't want to admit it. Least of all to him. When had Matthew become him?
V8 Vibes:
V7 Vibes: