# Altered Paths - Nasera Chapter 3

Chapter 3: The Monochromatic Weirdo
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Welcome back!
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Been a while since I last saw any of you. Quite a lot has happened behind the scenes, though not enough for it to be worth mentioning. Know that things are moving behind the scenes. Events that will come to shape the tale to come, as well as events yet to unfold…
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As for where this story once more picks up? Not far from where we left off. At most, it has been twenty minutes.
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If you recall, Anon and Nasera had concluded their first morning jog. In many ways, this was Anon’s trial run for the sports club, a trial he doesn’t yet know he passed with flying colors.
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Then again, there is a lot the petite caveman doesn’t know.
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Now the two youths are heading out to pick up Fang, Nasera’s ever-troubled sibling. It is a task that the younger sister is none too happy about. Family obligations are unshakable, and Fang has need of their sister’s support in this all too crucial time in their development.
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But unbeknownst to Fang, there is to be a third party involved in their life soon enough. One that will come to shape who they are and who they become…
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But that’s getting a bit ahead of ourselves.
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Let’s pick up the story in real-time again...
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As Nasera pulls the newly christened ‘NasCar’ into the residential zone, I can’t help but stare in awe at all the luxurious houses. None are single floored, and they all look super fancy. The many palm trees that line much of the crosswalks also help add to the sense of grandeur coming from the neighborhood.
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The part of town where Nasera and her sibling lived wasn’t that far from school. If I had to estimate, it was roughly five miles away. At a brisk pace, that was about an hour and thirty minutes of walking. With the bus, that time could get cut to twenty minutes tops.
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Unlike how shitty it is to walk down Skin Row, walking down Nasera’s neighborhood looks like it’d be a pretty pleasant experience. Don’t need to keep my wits about me because I’m walking down a dark alley, and don’t gotta cross the street because a group of shady-looking thugs is coming my way. I wouldn’t even need to carry around the switchblade currently sitting at the bottom of my right pocket.
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Imagine that, not needing a knife. What a fucking great novelty that’d be...
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I’m so enraptured by that trademark Dinofornian scenery that I don’t even notice that Nasera’s driving has gotten less reckless. By the time my senses catch up with reality, she’s pulling into the driveway of a two-and-a-half-story house. The outside is absolutely adorned by well-maintained foliage, and the house’s color is a solid white with a tan roof.
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The house sure does look ultra-expensive. Compared to other nearby houses though, the exterior lacked somewhat in the gaudiness department. If anything, the house came off as more utilitarian in sensibility, almost as if the owner valued function far above style.
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Nasera parks in the empty driveway and honks her horn twice before letting go of the wheel and sighing with a mixture of frustration and defeat.
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Despite some part of me thinking that it’s best I don’t get myself more involved than I already am, I turn to face my club captain.
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“What’s wrong?”
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Nasera turns to face me and puts on a weak smile.
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“Oh, don’t mind me. I’m just… anxious…” The beautiful ptero fiddles a bit with the wheel of her car in what I assume is an attempt to get her thoughts in order. “I’m just… thinking how Luc—er, I mean Fang—is going to react…”
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“Uh, react to what?” I ask, already knowing the answer but still wanting to confirm it.
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“Well…” Nasera lets out a snort through her nose and turns her full attention to me. “She’s already pretty pissed about getting banned from using public transportation. Add to that that she’s not exactly a fan of riding alongside me, and well… that should give you an idea of what to expect…”
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‘So... a very moody—possibly pissed off—dino. Got it,’ I think to myself.
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“I mean… yes… essentially…” Nasera says, all the while giving me a raised eyebrow look.
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Oh god. Did I mumble that shit out loud?
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“There’s also… well… you,” Nasera adds with a soft, almost apologetic look.
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“What’d I do?” I ask, not quite sure what to make of my club president’s comment.
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Nasera’s cheeks flush as she raises a hand and waves it in place. “Oh no! D-don’t get me wrong! You haven’t done anything wrong! It’s just that…” She again sighs and closes her eyes, leaning back on her seat and crossing her arms. “...Fang’s never been a people person. That’s only gotten worse as the years have gone by. And I'm just… tired of it...”
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I give Nasera a shrug, not quite sure what she’s getting at.
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“It’s like… No matter what I do to try and make her—them!—them less miserable, they always find the negative side of it and run with it like it’s the only thing on offer!” Nasera lets out a groan. “Fucking… doesn’t she know there’s more to life than being constantly negative!?” my club captain asks as she sounds her car’s horn again, almost as if hoping the sound would drown out whatever other thoughts she had brewing in her head.
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I don’t envy Nasera one bit. She’s stuck in a no-win scenario. Either she helps out her sister and has to endure whatever vitriolic bullshit she tosses her way, or she ignores her sister and has to endure whatever wrath her parents toss her way for abandoning her family…
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I’m glad I’m an only child. Spares me having to deal with this kind of family bullshit.
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A voice in the back of my mind tells me that I should say something to ease my club president’s mind. Yet as I think up of the words to speak, something else in me urges me to keep it to myself. Mostly out of fear of saying something stupid. Not like I have any real experience dealing with situations like this.
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In times like this, it's better to keep quiet than risk saying something I’m going to regret later...
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Fortunately—or unfortunately, as some might consider it—whatever thoughts I had in my mind get completely scattered when the door to Nasera’s house flies open with a loud bang. Out steps out Nasera’s punk of a sister—or sibling, I should say—looking extra sour than the norm.
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She takes one look at the NasCar and allows a sneer to form on her lips as she slams her house's front door shut. She gives the door a pull to ensure that it locked before turning her attention to me, her dagger-filled glare locking right onto my eyes, almost as if my presence was somehow an affront to her.
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Well then, fuck you too, Fang...
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The angry ptero slings her backpack behind her and stomps towards the NasCar. For a second, I fear she’s gonna want to kick the car in her annoyance. She surprises me when she instead opens the door and slides into the backseat. Though she doesn't say a word, I can sense the hostility radiating from her.
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Nasera only sighs as she glances towards me.
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I try to be supportive of my club captain by giving her an easy smile of my own. I know that’s the equivalent of a band-aid in a situation like this. Whatever I do or say isn’t going to make Nasera’s life in the next few minutes any easier.
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It makes my heart ache in a way that’s… unfamiliar to me.
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Nasera gives me a small smile of her own and a nod before shifting her car’s gear to reverse. She pulls out of her home’s driveway and into the street. She’s barely aligned with the road before she again shifts gears.
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Once more, I fasten my seatbelt, already well aware of what to expect next when it came to my captain’s recklessly fast driving. I toss a quick glance through the rearview mirror at Fang, wondering if she too’s going to strap herself in, but to my surprise, she’s already buckled up and looking quite disinterested.
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Seconds after pulling into the street, the NasCar takes off flying down the street at speeds that were twenty or so miles above the speed limit. Once again, I’m surprised at how well Nasera’s able to take turns going at such speeds. If I didn’t know any better, I’d swear she was training to become some kind of race car driver. That, or she participated in street racing.
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Either prospect did nothing in making me feel any less easy in the knowledge that from now on, Nasera was going to drive me to school every morning...
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Despite Nasera’s reckless driving—or maybe because of it—everyone in the car was pretty quiet. Too damn quiet. This wasn’t like the silence from earlier when Nasera and I seemed to be content with taking in the morning scenery. No, the silence now was stifling. It made the air feel so much heavier than before, almost like it was the precursor to bad shit going down between siblings.
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Fuck. I don’t wanna witness some kind of argument between these two. Not when this morning’s been going so good so far…
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I think of the only thing that I can and reach for the radio. If none of us were going to talk, at the very least we could have something going on in the background to take our minds off the rising tensions.
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“What the fuck you think you’re doing?” Fang snaps the instant my hand comes within millimeters of the radio knob.
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“Putting on some tunes?” I answer nonchalantly as I continue my action
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Fang scoffs and shoots me a dirty look. “Just because you’re riding shotgun doesn’t mean you get control of the radio. Driver’s always in control of that,” she says, her eyes narrowing with every syllable spoken. “Why the fuck are you even riding shotgun? Hell, WHY are you even here in the first place!?”
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Before I can form some pissant of an answer, Nasera clears her throat and shoots me a quick apologetic glance before shifting her eyes to the rearview mirror. “Anon’s here because we just got done with our first-ever morning jog.”
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Fang rolls her eyes in response. “Oh great, so you managed to rope him into joining the sports club after all,” she hisses.
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Nasera doesn’t answer, but judging by the corner of her lips rising ever so slightly, I can tell that my club captain’s happy about her accomplishment.
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“Well, even if Anon joined your club, it doesn’t explain why he’s here and not at school,” Fang retorts, all the while crossing her arms in annoyance.
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Nasera’s previously growing expression all but dies as she shoots her sibling a glare. “Anon’s here because…” she pauses for a second, almost as if the answer she had in her head no longer applied to the situation.
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After clearing her throat, Nasera narrows her eyes and glares daggers of her own towards Fang. “Anon’s here because it’s too early to be in school,” she answers, her cheeks growing a bit rosy in tone at her words. “We’re also getting some breakfast."
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Fang seems to catch on to their sister’s tone and lets out another scoff. “Why are you buying breakfast outside of school when the cafeteria food’s just as good as anything you can get at this hour?”
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“Because we’re celebrating,” Nasera answers, this time with practiced ease.
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She must have been running that answer through her mind for a while now.
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“Celebrating what, exactly?” Fang asks.
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“Plenty!” Nasera chirps. “Anon joining the club. His first jog. His new club uniform, and the new name he gave my car!”
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Fang's eyes widen at that last part. “Wait, this stupid skinnie renamed the Nasera-Mobil?”
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“He sure did!” Nasera exclaims with a wide grin on her lips. “From now on, you’ll be riding on the ‘NasCar!’”
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“NasCar…” Fang repeats, all the while blinking a few times in an obvious attempt to process their sister’s words. “Well… it’s at least a unique name, I guess…” the ptero says as she leans back on her seat.
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Nasera deflates on hearing her sibling’s words. Don’t know why since I was the one to come up with the name. If anything, it’s a jab at me and not her.
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Something in me realizes that the conversation’s going south fast and going there faster than Nasera can drive. Not wanting things to get any more insufferable for everyone, I decide to try and liven the mood a bit by asking the first thing that pops into my head…
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“So, how’re things going with you lately, Fang?”
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Fang once again narrows her eyes. “What’s it to you, dweeb?”
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I shrug and smile in reply. “Morning’s pretty good today. Nice and crisp. Not too hot and not too cold. Can’t complain about that, right?”
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Fang raises an eyebrow in response. “What are you, a weatherman?” They let out a single bitter chuckle and rolls their eyes. “The morning’s just like every other morning, so stop trying to make sense of it.”
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“I mean…” I start but decide to eat my own words as I sigh and force a smile on my lips. “Yeah. I guess you have a point. Still, it’s a pretty… good morning full of opportunity. I bet something good’s gonna happen soon too. Just have this feeling, you know.”
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Man, even I know all that is bullshit. I don’t know the first thing about telling what the future will bring, or if it will be good or bad.
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Not like I’m some kind of weirdo fortune teller or something…
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Fang scowls and kicks the back of my seat. “You can shove all that ‘good vibes’ bullshit up your ass, you stupid skinnie.”
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“Hey!” Nasera shouts in reply to her sibling’s actions. “Stop being such a hardass.”
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“And why should I?” Fang shouts in response, snapping their glare towards their sister. “If it hasn’t already sunk in, I’m having a very BAD morning!” They again cross their arms and let out an angry snort. “Fucking… if it wasn’t for that ban on public transport use, I wouldn’t have to put up with this chaperoning bullshit…” the ptero mumbles just loud enough for us to hear them.
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“Wanna hear how the FUCK it actually happened!?” Fang asks me in a mockingly loud tone.
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“Fang, we’ve been over this. The details aren’t important,” Nasera snaps in an attempt to de-escalate the situation. Unfortunately, my club captain’s words only seem to fill Fang with more determination to tell their tale.
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I don’t get a chance to reply myself as Fang kicks the back of my seat again to shut me up as they begin narrating their tale of woe and injustice…
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“So there I was, sitting down and enduring the bus ride just like everyone else when all of a sudden, this asshole comes out of nowhere and asks if he can sit next to me. Me, being a good person, tell them ‘whatever’ and let them take their seat. Soon as they sit their asses down, they have the AUDACITY to call me a ‘miss!’” Fang grits their teeth and clenches their hands into fists. “They fucking go and misgender me, assuming I’m a chick when I. Am. Non. Binary!” Fang slams their fist on the seat next to them, causing some dust to fly up into the air. “And when I have the decency to tell them off for their mistake, what do they do? They fucking give me the cold shoulder!” Fang lets out a roar of rage as they snap a gaze at me that was equal parts rage-filled and pleading. “Who the fuck do they think they are, spitting on my face like that and then giving me the cold shoulder!?"
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I take a look at Fang through the rearview mirror. As I do, I can’t help but feel like the world stopped for a second. It doesn’t take much for me to figure out what happened next. Fang gave their ‘oppressor’ a spiel about how wrong they were and what an insult they had bestowed upon them, only for their so-called oppressor to either not care or get confused by the sudden and, in their eyes, unprompted outburst. From there, Fang likely got violent when they realized all eyes were on them, not realizing that in their moment of violent rage—one where they likely imagined themselves stopping an evil bigot after some great social injustice—nobody cared.
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Judging by the look flashing in Fang’s eyes as they recall the memory, that’s exactly what happened, and a part of them recognized it as such…
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Fang brings their hand and first together, a grin spreading across their lips as they stare at the back of my head. “So I beat the literal shit out of the bigot. Beat ‘em up real good, to the point that I left ‘em a crying mess. Made sure they wouldn’t be making such a mistake ever again!”
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“And you almost got yourself arrested for assault,” Nasera finally adds, not at all happy about hearing her sibling’s tale recounted.
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“Bastard had it coming, so I don’t regret kicking their ass,” Fang replies, all the while grinning. “Fucking society had to go and ruin it tho by taking the fucker’s side instead of mine…”
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“You’re lucky you only wound up getting banned!” Nasera exclaims, which causes her to swerve a bit to the side, her emotion very clearly getting the better of her in that second.
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“Well, then that just shows you how FUCKED society is if they’re willing to take the side of some bigot!” Fang shouts back at their sister.
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“That’s not the point,” Nasera chides. I can tell from her gritted teeth she’s doing her best not to sound any angrier.
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“Oh, what’s the point then!?” Fang asks, their brow creasing and their lips pursing.
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“The point is, you shouldn’t go around glorifying brutish acts of violence in response to ‘injustices.’ It sets a bad precedent and helps no one understand your point.”
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“Oh, so you’re telling me that I shouldn’t defend myself and my beliefs when someone directly challenges them?”
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Nasera visibly fumes at her sibling’s words. For a second, I feel like she’s going to ask me to take the wheel as she turns around to lecture Fang on the finer aspects of societal interactions. That thankfully never happens. My club captain instead lets out a weary sigh and shakes her head in defeat.
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Once again, I’m thankful I don’t have to worry about siblings. Can’t imagine what it’d be like dealing with someone like Fang.
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Just thinking about it makes me shudder a bit...
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Seeing the sudden silence as a good opportunity to jump in and shift gears from the previous unsavory discussion, I turn around and lock eyes with Fang who, unsurprisingly, gives me an irate look.
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“What is it now, Anon?” they ask, none too happy about my attention.
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“Just wanted to ask if you were able to get Mr. Fensworth’s chemistry work done.” I rub the back of my head and give the ptero a meek smile. “I… don’t really get any of it so I wound up winging it for the most part. Sorry...”
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Fang scoffs and looks away from me. Though she tries to hide it well, I can see a faint blush forming on her cheeks.
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“I… also didn’t get a fucking thing about that assignment…” Fang winds up saying before gritting their teeth and glaring at me. “I mean, what good is chemistry going to be in the long run for me? Not like I’m going to use it in my everyday life or some shit like that!”
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Can’t disagree with Fang on that one…
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“Uh… so how much of it did you get through before giving up?” I ask, desperate to keep the conversation going and avoid another rant about gender injustice or some other drama. “I think I only got halfway done before making up shit for the rest of it.”
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Fang lets out a groan, once again doing her best to not look me in the eye. “I… only got through the first few problems before giving up…” Fang replies, the blush on their cheeks intensifying with every passing second.
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“Wait… did you even—”
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“Didn’t you just hear me? I said I didn’t even bother with the other answers!” Fang snaps, finally fixing me with a half-hearted glare.
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“Uh…” I start, but can’t really find the words to continue.
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If we turned in a half-assed and not even completed set of work, we were going to fail the project for sure. Sure, it wasn’t that big a grade in the grand scheme of things, but it sure as hell set us up for a harder road in the coming weeks. Especially if this assignment was a barometer for what Mr. Fensworth had in store for us.
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Fang frowns with annoyance and embarrassment as they likely read my thoughts through my expression. I’m tempted to scold them a bit for their lack of interest in the grade—partially because it was also my grade riding on the line—but I keep quiet.
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Instead, I offer fang an easy smile in an attempt to get them to be more at ease.
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“Hey, Fensworth’s work is hard. Don’t blame you for not going further.”
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Fang grimaces but says nothing. I don’t know who they’re angrier at, themselves or me…
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“Hey, I got an idea!” I announce in as cheerful a tone as the situation will allow me. “Why don’t we ask Reeda for some help? I mean, chemistry’s about numbers, and Reeda sure knows her way around numbers.”
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Fang blinks a couple of times before looking at me with confusion. “So… you’re not pissed at me for fucking up the assignment?”
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“Not really,” I answer with a carefree attitude. A little something I picked up from Reeda. “Assignment’s hard as hell. Besides, I didn’t do any better, what with half-assing most of it.”
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My words seem to work better than expected as Fang starts to lose some of the edges they’ve carried most of the car ride. Their stare softens, and they finally uncurl their fists, allowing their hands to rest idly and easily.
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Seizing the opportunity I created, I move on to another school subject, one that I know Fang’s got a vested interest in: music.
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As soon as I mention it, Fang’s mood livens considerably. I think I even spot a smile creeping into their lips, but I keep that observation to myself.
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I reach into my bag and bring out a half-completed music sheet. Without so much as me saying a word, Fang snatches it from my hand and starts reading my work. They only hum and nod as they read my work, eventually reaching where I left off.
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Without a word, Fang grabs a pen from their backpack and starts filling in the remaining blank spots I’d left, their whole being falling into such a deep state of concentration that it leaves me in awe.
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Seeing Fang work on something that meant a damn to them almost made them appear like a whole other person.
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They almost appeared pleasant and… beautiful…
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I glance over to Nasera. She’s been quiet for the last few minutes, and not just because she’s been driving. As I look into her eyes, I expect to see some leftover annoyance from her previous argument with her sibling. Instead, I see a sense of serenity and contentment. I guess seeing her sibling happy made Nasera happy in turn. Understandable, seeing as, despite the two butting heads, they were still family first and foremost...
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“Here you go, dweeb. Your music assignment’s completed AND corrected,” Fang says as they hold my music sheet up to me.
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I reach to grab it and give it a look over. I’m ashamed to say that I only understand half of it. Still, what I do understand is very good. Flawless, even.
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If it wasn’t already obvious to me before, Fang’s got a real gift when it comes to music. If they wanted to, they could go far with it. Who knew, maybe I was even looking at the next big musician to break out into the world...
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“Okay, we’re here!” Nasera announces as the NasCar comes to a slow stop. I grab my backpack thinking we’re at school only to realize that we’re actually in the driveway of a local burger restaurant named ‘Meteor Dive Burgers.’ Unlike most burger chains around Volcaldera, this one had a deliberately retro style going for it, aping for that nostalgic 50’s Dinofonian surfer vibe.
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Nasera rolls down her window and looks at the menu, which is divided down the middle for carnivore and herbivore diets. Both sides still had some kind of burger on offer, the main ingredient to change being the patty.
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“Welcome to Meteor Dive Burgers, home of the Meteor Burger. How can I help you!?” an overly cheerful voice rings from the order speaker.
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Nasera turns to look at me and Fang before smiling. “Breakfast on me,” she says as she turns back to face the Speaker.
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“Yes, I’ll take a number one with everything, a number three with everything and…” Nasera turns to look at me. “What’d you want, Anon?”
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I give the big menu a cursory look and decide that the main ticket item, that being the number five order, looks very appealing. So what if it’s not exactly breakfast-friendly? A man’s gotta have his protein too.
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“Give me the number five,” I answer to Nasera, who gives me a smile and a nod.
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“I’ll also take a number five with everything. Oh, and if you can, add a banana shake to that order too!” Nasera orders as she turns to look at me with a joyous simper on her lips.
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She doesn't need to say a word for me to know what her intentions with the shake are. I also know who suggested it in the first place.
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Behind me, I can hear Fang stifling a giggle. I chanced a glance back as they try to hide it. Doesn't work because I catch the very last part of it.
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I roll my eyes at first and consider how to best react to the situation. I could go on a tangent about how humans all don’t like to eat bananas, but I knew that would be pointless.
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I could get angry and try to correct the order, but that'd probably hurt Nasera’s feelings, especially since she's going out of her way to be nice to me... even if it's a bit misguided. It’s not like she’s doing it out of malice. I don’t think she has one malicious bone in her body if I’m being honest.
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So I do the next best thing, which is to laugh.
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“Ah, ya got me!” I say with a broad smile on my lips. “Can’t resist a good banana shake!”
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Nasera starts glowing at my words. Fang’s previous stifled giggle turns into straight-up laughter. Before long, the whole car erupts into merry chuckles as we let the previous heavy subject drop and instead begin to enjoy each other’s company.
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I know for a fact that somewhere, there’s a certain purple triceratops laughing her ass off at what she thinks is another witty joke at my species’ expense.
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Well, jokes on her. I fucking LOVE bananas. Plus, it introduced levity into an otherwise tense situation.
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So yeah, I’ll laugh at the subject of bananas. I’ll eat them like candy if it means these good times can keep going...