the graceless

[instar]

Bella sits out, this year as every year, from gym class. It's just asking for a lawsuit. She does stretches and crunches and push-ups in the corner.

Comments

[aeskhyne]

"It's not always that easy."

[instar]

"Do you have an example in mind or are you just cynical beyond your years?"

[aeskhyne]

"I am so fucking cynical, you don't even know," says Trouble. "I could win world fucking championships of cynical."

[instar]

"You are probably not cynical enough if you think you could beat seven billion people at cynicism."

[aeskhyne]

He laughs.

[instar]

"It's a very large number, you see."

[aeskhyne]

"Sure it is," he says. "But somebody's gonna come out on top."

[instar]

"Do you play the lottery, too?"

[aeskhyne]

He snorts. "No."

[instar]

"The competition is way fewer than seven billion, there, and the prize is better. At least, I'm pretty sure if you think the prize for a cynicism competition is going to be any good you automatically lose."

[aeskhyne]

Trouble giggles.

[instar]

"Why are you so prematurely cynical, anyhow?"

[aeskhyne]

"Figure it out," he suggests jokingly. "I'll give you a lottery ticket."

[instar]

"Hmm."

Bella makes an unreadable marking in her notebook, and then she puts it away again.

[aeskhyne]

Trouble laughs. He doesn't even look at the notebook. "What's that supposed to mean?"

[instar]

"I write lots of things down. So I don't forget them. If I'm trying to solve a puzzle I may as well collect my clues in an organized fashion."

[aeskhyne]

"I'm a puzzle now?"

[instar]

"Did you not just declare yourself one?"

[aeskhyne]

"Guess I did," he says. "So what have you got on me so far?"

[instar]

"If I tell you are you going to be more careful about dropping hints?"

[aeskhyne]

"Why would I?" he laughs. "Lottery tickets are cheap."

[instar]

"Not much. But tentatively it might have to do with the way you shut down when I ask certain questions. I don't have a pattern on which questions yet."

[aeskhyne]

"Why, just 'cause that's the only other weird thing you know about me? There's plenty more where those came from."

[instar]

"Interconnected weird things are more likely than multiple independent weird things, or the things wouldn't be very weird."

[aeskhyne]

"Yeah," says Trouble. "The thing all my weird stuff has in common is me."