Chapter 40

Charlotte, Lucy, and another roommate were all sitting on a couch facing the TV, whatever movie they were watching paused. The room itself was nicely decorated if a little overproduced in your opinion. There were a half dozen plants, ferns and the like, hanging from the ceiling or positioned on rustic-looking stands. Someone had covered the walls with the sort of girly ‘inspirational quote’ stuff that didn’t make all that much sense when you really bored down on them, but at least they seemed to be painted nicely.

The third roommate was almost as confusing as seeing your ex all of a sudden - she ... she? You had to guess they were non-binary since they were dressed like a guy, and had a guy’s haircut and biceps and forearms that looked like a guy’s. Overall they were just trying really hard to be a guy, even though they might have had one of the prettiest, most striking feminine faces you’d ever seen.

You didn’t even have time to consider any of this, however, since Lucy was in the room and looking at you as surprised as you were at seeing her.

“You two know each other?” Gemma asked, as surprised as the rest of us.

“John and I dated in high school,” Lucy said. “We broke up, obviously.”

“Well, I broke up with you,” you said. “You didn’t have the decency to do that before you slept with Brent Wolverton at that party.”

“Hey,” Lucy snapped. “I didn’t sleep with Brent at that party. I told you it was just a blowjob, and it only happened because I was drunk for the first time.”

“I mean, with hindsight, that still doesn’t make it any better,” you said.

“Oh, fuck off,” Lucy said.

“Hey, don’t talk to my guest like that,” Gemma said.

“Alright, children, alright,” Charlotte said. She held up her hands between Gemma and Lucy, warning them both. “I thought we were going to have fun doing a little grilling of John, but apparently that might get a little too heated.”

“Gemma, why would you waste your time with a guy like John?” Lucy asked.

You opened your mouth to say something snarky back at her, but closed your trap instead. You noticed Charlotte and the third roommate both see you do that. Lucy, however, was busy with Gemma.

“Seriously, Lucy. You need to shut your mouth before I actually get mad,” Gemma said. “You’re being a right cunt.”

Lucy seemed shocked that Gemma had used the C-word, though you couldn’t imagine Gemma hadn’t used it around her before - you’d even heard her mutter it at work under her breath. You knew ‘cunt’ was a pretty standard swear word in Australia. “Don’t you fucking talking to me like that, you bitch,” Lucy scoffed. “I live here, you’re just subleasing. I’ll get you kicked out so fucking fast-”

“No you won’t, Luse,” Charlotte said.

“Whatever,” Gemma scowled. “We’ll be in my room.” She grabbed your hand and started towards the door.

“You’re dating a loser,” Lucy called after her. “Have fun not getting off.”

“You literally dated a guy who told you, to your face, he had ‘yellow fever,’ Lucy,” you said. “Am I seriously the ex that you regret the most?”