The Fool
December 31 2267
W
e’re not discussing my sex life in front of my mother.”Callie sprawled across the Hexcel table, hands pulling at her short blonde hair.Sparx only grinned, satisfied with the amount of chaos she’d caused.
“I already know everything.”Cat called out from the storage room in the back.
“What?!”Callie shrieked.“I need you to defineeverything.Like, right now!”
Cat ignored the order.She rounded the counter holding up a grey jumper.“This one still has some cotton in it.It must be from before.What do you think?It matches your eyes.”Cat held the sweater up to Callie’s chest.
“No, no, no, back up,” Callie sputtered.“What do you mean byeverything?”
“What?”Cat shrugged.“Sparx has a big mouth.”
Callie glowered at Sparx.Sparx only grinned wider.
“That’s whyshe’s my favourite.”Cat dipped her head toward Sparx.”
“Sparx isn’t even your kid,” Callie protested.
“She’s close enough.And if my own daughter won’t tell me anything, I have to pick a new favourite.”
“All I said,” Sparx spread her hands innocently, “was that there’s a Lumijute demo at Binge tonight and you haven’t been laid in two years.”
Cat examined the sweater.“Too big,” she decided.She huffed and refolded the sweater.
“No,” Callie reminded her, “you said if I didn’t come out with you tonight, you’d bring every dyke you knew over to my flat to fuck me in the arse.”
“Same thing.”Sparx sipped her can of NRG.
“That was probably a bit too far, dear,” Cat reprimanded.She returned to the storeroom to find something else.
“Sorry Ms Therin.”Sparx did not seem sorry.
“Also, it hasn’t been two years,” Callie mumbled.
“Yeah, so, I’m not counting that thing I set you up on.”Sparx held out her hands as though she were being magnanimous.
Callie pointed her straw at Sparx.“Thethingwhere the girl was looking for a third and you didn’t bother to tell me?”
“What?Do you have something against poly?”Sparx made a face.“So judgemental,” she muttered.
“No, I’d just like to know what I’m getting into first!”Callie knew Sparx was pushing her buttons on purpose.She also knew she couldn’t help but respond.It irritated her that she fell for it every time.
Sparx tipped the edge of the empty can against the table as if considering it.“You want to knoweverythingabout a person before you get in bed with them?”She looked up to see Callie’s slate-coloured eyes boring into her.“That’s just not realistic, Cal.”
“I’d like to at least know if they’re bringing their boyfriend along,” Callie hissed.“That was the most awkward experience of my life.”
“Themost awkward?I find that hard to believe.”Sparx rolled her eyes.“Don’t you like being tied up?”
“She does,” Cat called from the back.
“MOM!”Callie turned beet red.
“What’s the big deal?You’ve seen plenty of penises before,” Sparx continued.
