4 Desire - Part 4 (1/2)

”Hahahaha! The Founding Fathers! Oh my god, you're a riot!”

Jennifer can barely contain her laughter over what I had said during class. I can't tell if it's genuine or not, but I suppose this is good enough for Scarlet.

”Haa, haaa… Geez. You really know how to pick 'em, huh?”

She continues smiling as she begins digging into her lunch.

”Ahaha, thanks…”

As far as I can tell, Scarlet seems to be relieved that I've gotten the thumbs up.

So far, Jennifer has been acting hospitable to the both of us. She offers me and Scarlet idle small talk while we partake in our lunches. It's the complete opposite of how I'd expected it to go.

Momoka, on the other hand, is shooting me a glare of the likes I've never seen from her before.

”Uhm, do I have something on my face?”

She looks back down at her tray as if she weren't looking at me all this time.

No, I definitely saw that.

”…”

After a brief moment of silence, she finally decides to speak up.

”You.”

The hairs on my arm stand up.

I-it's okay, Chase. She's just another person like you. Calm down.

I slowly place my fork down on the tray and look up at her.

”Yes? What is it?”

”Are you one of the boys who plays with Sigmund all the time?”

Plays?

”We hang out often, yes.”

Momoka now also puts her fork down and turns towards Scarlet.

”This man is no good. Break up with him.”

”W-what?”

Ehhh?! Already?!

”Momo, what's wrong? You've barely said a word to him yet.”

At Jennifer's words, Momoka looks down as if seriously contemplating her next words. It takes a while for her to find the… courage, I suppose? Either way it doesn't look like she's very comfortable right now.

”I don't want someone who associates with that person near me.”

”T-that person..?”

”Mmhm. That boy, Sigmund.”

Ahh, she knows him personally then?

”What's wrong with him, Momo? Did he hurt you?”

”...”

Jennifer's prodding seems to be enough, as she finally looks up and begins speaking.

”The first time we spoke, he greeted me like this.”

She takes a moment to prepare herself mentally to answer Jennifer's question.

”Momoka-chan! You're Japanese right? I love anime so I think we'll get along just fine, don't you? Konnichiwa Momo-chan! Daisuki desu! O-oh, gomenasai. I hope that didn't scare you, h-haha. Anyway I hope we'll get along from now on as tomodachi! Nee?”

”…”

”…”

”…”

He's an idiot.

He's an honest to god idiot.

”U-uhm, I sincerely apologize for my friend Sig. He's an idi- uh, he's a bit special so things like that can happen when he's speaking to strangers.”

”And what's more, after I told him to leave me alone, he said this.”

There's more?!

”あああ! Momo-chan is so tsundere! Kawaiii! That totally made my heart go doki doki!”

”…”

I look away.

I can't face her. I'm too embarrassed, both for her and Sig.

This is so humiliating dude! Why on earth would you say things like that?!

”L-like I said… I sincerely apologize. He's just ignorant, he doesn't mean you any harm.”

”Of course I know that.”

She picks her fork up and continues picking at her food.

”That doesn't mean I have to be fine with him, do I? And if you date Scarlet, then how much more of that senseless drivel am I going to have to suffer through in the future?”

She places the food in her mouth and begins chewing.

She makes a valid point.

Even I feel terrible about it and I didn't even see it happen first hand. I suppose that's a blessing above anything else though.

”Don't worry Momo. Chase's friends won't be around when I invite him to hang out with us! It'll just be the three of us and him!”

”I'll hold you to that, then. Because if not, then I'm going to have to avoid you from now on.”

”Of course! I don't want to hang out with those guys either, you know! They're totally gross!”

Seriously? I thought we agreed to not talk about them like that anymore!

At Scarlet's words, I find myself glancing around for signs of my friends. If they'd overheard that then my head may as well be on a pike by now.

I scan the cafeteria for any signs of the two of them, but it doesn't look like they're here ye–

”…”

Ah.

Nick's sitting at the table behind Jennifer.

Oh man, he's seriously glaring at me right now. This sucks… I wanna go home…

Jennifer leans forward to face Scarlet, seemingly quite interested in something.

”I'm not very good at names so I can't seem to remember what your boyfriend is called. Care to remind me, Scarlet?”

”Name? A-ah, it's uh… Mace.”

”Chase.”

”*cough* Chase. Yeah.”

I decide to continue with my meal, desperately trying to find an escape from this tense atmosphere.