A few more days pass and Theo is still stuck at home. After dinner...
my jaw actually hurts
from what?
if it was from the steak, i get it
i thought i was gonna chip a tooth on that gristle lmao
from smiling
and nodding at dad’s stories for 2h straight
i feel like my face is cracking
oh yeah that makes sense
he really was on a roll tonight
it’s not just the stories
it’s the way they look at me
like i’m this fragile doll they put on a shelf
i mean you are the definition of a golden child to them rn
meanwhile i got lectured about my posture twice lol
and my elbows on the table
it’s an act, Theo
performance art
i'm playing a character called "The Good Daughter"
starring me
directed by them
well you are very convincing
mom was all but literally glowing when you poured the tea
she thinks you're an angel sent from heaven or something
that’s the problem
they think i’m pure and soft
if they knew what i was actually thinking, they wouldn't be glowing
hell, they’d be terrified
of what?
are you planning something?
please tell me you aren't actually dangerous
i sleep down the hall to you lmao
should i lock my door??
i’m not gonna hurt anyone
not like that
i’m just saying i’m not who they think i am
i’m not this innocent little flower they have to protect
i mean i know you have a mean streak
i’ve seen you roast people online
you can be savage when you want to be
but that’s just you having a personality
everyone has a dark side
thing is it isn't just a streak lol
it's the whole canvas
i have thoughts that would make mom faint
and appetites that'd give dad a heart attack
appetites??
okay that is a weird word choice
very vague and ominous
and idk if i want to know what that means
let’s just keep the canvas white for now
for the sake of the family blood pressure
and my sanity
you wanted an alliance, right?
to know the real me
well, this is it
the real me isn't demure
it's bored
and tired of pretending i don't know how the world works
of course yk how the world works
you're literally smarter than me
i barely know how taxes work
but you don't have to be scary about it
you can just be normal cynical like the rest of us
i’m not normal tho
and neither are you
stop pretending you buy into their delusion
i saw you watching me tonight
i was not watching you
i was looking at the news on the tv behind you
why does everyone think i'm always watching??
because you are
and you saw the mask slip
when dad asked about my "future husband", you saw my hand twitch on the glass
okay yeah i saw that
you looked like you were gonna crush it
but you recovered fast
"maybe someday" is textbook deflection
doesn't mean i didn't want to scream
wanted to shatter the illusion right there on the table
well, i'm glad you didn't
because i wanted dessert and a scene would have ruined the pie
keep the mask on a little longer, morgan
please
can't handle a family crisis this week
the mask itches and it's getting heavy
might just let it drop
just to see what happens
think of the consequences though
we have to live here!
atp? chaos sounds fun
don't you want to see it?
no??
maybe a tiny bit for the drama
but mostly no because i'd have to deal with the fallout too
and i am not equipped for emotional fallout rn
you'll survive
you might even like it, you know
seeing the real version of me
i feel like the real version is gonna bully me
like actually destroy my self-esteem
you're already intimidating enough with the mask ON
i can’t imagine what you're like without it
maybe i wouldn't bully you
i'd just be
raw
unfiltered
maybe even unholy
unholy is a crazy word to use, morgan
what does that even mean??
like... sins??
because i am not a priest
i can't absolve you
figure it out
you have all summer
i'm gonna have anxiety dreams about this
why are you like this??
i'm bored
and you're the only one paying attention
against my will!!!
i'm a hostage audience
you love it
i do NOT
it's stressing my out
my palms are sweating just texting you
sure
go to sleep, Theo
dream of the monsters
i hate you
good night
night
A couple of days later...
come outside
why?
ac is on
i'm perfectly chilled so why would i go out?
i need lotion
just shout?
why are you texting instead?
too much effort
throat's dry too
come here
use the spray
there's a can of it on the table
i saw it earlier
mist it into the air and walk through it like you would a cloud
the spray's sticky
smells cheap too
need the cream
the cream is worse
it's greasy
i don't want that stuff on my hands when i need to hold a controller
and i'm in a match
then just ash your hands after
stop yapping already
you do yoga every morning
you're flexible enough to reach your own back
stop being lazy
arms feel heavy
probably heat exhaustion
that's actually pathetic
you were holding your phone scrolling for an hour
stop watching me
creepy
i was NOT watching you
i just happened to see you doomscrolling when i looked out the window
whatever
just get the bottle
you can literally ask mom
she's in the kitchen
i heard her use the blender
she loves skincare routines and would be thrilled to apply your spf
mom's asleep
it's just us
that's worse
neighbors can look over the fence
people will talk
i don't want to be on the neighborhood watch list
the fence is high enough
besides, it's not weird unless you make it weird
are you going to do that?
no!
if anything you're the one being weird about this
insisting on making me lube up your back while you lay there
it's just sunscreen, Theo
you're being immature
i'm not
i'm a grown man staying inside the house, safe from the sun, playing video games
you're wasting time
my skin is cooking
do you want me to peel?
sounds to me like you wanted to
going out there without sunscreen
also that sounds gross
very snake-like
then get out here
fine
but i'm not signing up for a full massage
just shoulder blades to lower back
above the bikini line
BIKINI LINE???
now you're really pushing it
that is wildly out of bounds
don't be dramatic
i said above it
that doesn't make it any better??
focus so your hands don't slip
you're annoying
only one way to make it stop
ugh
fine
good
hurry up
bottle's getting warm
pausing my game
don't move or make any sounds
all i'm doing is applying the sunscreen
and i'm out
sure
but your hands better not be cold
too many demands for someone making me do this for free
just be on your stomach
and don't look at me
easy enough
i'm getting out of the water now
don't miss any spots
i never miss
wait
that sounded weird
ignore that
too late
now hurry up
After going out to do the dreaded task of applying lotion on Morgan, Theo retreats back into his room.
dude
i need to leave the country
right now
look up tickets
i'm serious
my heart's about to beat out of my chest
what did u do?
break the tv?
crash the car?
i didn't break anything
i touched her
ONLY BC SHE WANTED ME TO PUT SUNSCREEN ON HER
i said no
but she kept insisting
it was annoying
touching her was weird
💀
bro applied lotion and is acting like he committed a war crime smh
tell me u didn't fumble the bottle or some stupid shit
I DID NOT
my hands shook a bit but only bc it was WEIRD
how could it be weird?
ur being dramatic
it was so quiet, dude
she usually has some music playing even indoors from her phone
or there's some bg noise from her doomscrolling or smth
but not this time
if not bc we were outside
it would've been dead silent
so u rubbed her back
big deal
siblings do that
that doesn't explain why ur acting like u committed a crime
because the vibes were WEIRD
it wasn't a "thanks bro" vibe
it was a "you're my servant" vibe
she was demanding even before i got out there to put sunscreen on her
and then
she turned over
and?
she looked at me
but not just "look"
she stared for like 10 seconds
didn't say a word
like a bug?
or like a snack?
makes a difference so u gotta clarify
neither
or both??
idk!!!
how was i supposed to read her in that moment??
her eyes were so dark
and she had this tiny smirk that i probably could've missed easily
it was like she could hear my heart beating 100mph
and enjoyed it
she definitely knew
girls have a radar for that
u were radiating fear
i was NOT radiating fear
if anything, i was radiating heat bc it was 100 degrees outside
did u say anything after that?
or did u just stand there like a statue?
how tf was i supposed to say anything?
and what??
so i just nodded and left
literally power walked to the door and didn't look back
but i'm sure she watched me leave
could feel her burning a hole in my back
u gave her all the power dude
u folded
i needed to regroup
seeing her like that
it was too much visual info for a tuesday afternoon
someone's down baaaaad
get a grip
i shouldn't have gone out at all
why the hell would she smirk??
cuz she won duh
she asked u to do something wild and u did
u panicked, she saw it
game over
she owns the lane now
no, she doesn't!
i live here too
sure
but u might as well be a passenger in her vehicle now 🤷♂️
that's it
i'm gonna put on my headphones and play a game where i shoot aliens or smth
aliens don't need lotion
they don't have the kind of gravity she has either
u can't escape gravity bro
all ur doing is hiding
she knows full well where u are
she's prob laughing at u as we speak lol
don't say that
that just makes it worse
she's def sharing that moment in a gc or something
she might have taken some sneaky pics
if i end up in a gc i am suing
i will literally sue everyone
good luck with that lmao
i hate you
bye
That night...
mission complete
he folded immediately
Give me the full breakdown
Did he hesitate?
obviously
tried to argue for around 5 mins via text from inside the house
He was stalling to lower his heart rate behind the glass, I'm sure
didn't work
when he finally came out, he looked like he was stepping into a minefield
told him to do the lower back
right above the bikini line
Bold placement
Maximum tension as well
definitely
his hands were clammy
sweating, but cold
he tried to be clinical about it
like he was waxing a car or something
Classic virgin energy
He treats the female body like it's a bomb that might go off
well, i made sure it did
What did you do?
waited until he was right in the middle
and when he pressed down on a knot near my spine, i made a sound
a satisfied one, low in my throat like a hum
And his reaction?
an audible gasp as his breath hitched
hands froze
then his fingers froze
like he didn't know if he should pull away or push harder
He was definitely overloaded
exactly
And that sound recontextualized the entire interaction for him
You know what you want
You took the pleasure
And he was a repressed subject
the contrast is insane
i felt like a shark circling a goldfish
The audience eats that up
Watching the innocent one get dragged into the deep end
he was definitely in the deep end
he couldn't recover after that sound
Did he finish the job at least?
barely
he ran two more swipes later
muttered smth about the heat and bolted back inside
The retreat confirms the impact
he looked like he saw a ghost 😂
watching him crumble bc i sighed...
it's a power trip
And the metrics prove it works
Keep leaning into it
oh, i will
He's likely in his room right now, dissecting that moment
Replaying the sound you made in his head
let him wonder
And if he asks?
i'll deny everything ofc
if need be, i'll gaslight him into thinking he's the one making it weird
Perfect
Don't let him get too comfortable
he's been silent since then
even at dinner
Good
Let him marinate in it for a while
oh, he's marinating alright 😏
Later that same night, just a little past midnight...
you awake?
no
i'm asleep
cut the act
i see the light under your door
i know you're doomscrolling or smth
i'm not
i'm reading educational articles
about space
why are you monitoring my light usage or whatever it is you're doing anyway??
i just noticed it
doing a kitchen run
okay?
congrats?
i don't see why you had to text me
i don't want to go alone
the house is too big
that was never a problem before
there's nothing down there
tbh you're the scariest thing in this zip code
if anyone, the ghosts are hiding from YOU
just get up
i'm literally already in bed
you can go eat a cheese stick by yourself
boring
lonely
want company
are you really gonna make me beg?
you never beg
and using the "lonely" card is dirty
it's working though
isn't it?
...
you're stalling
meet me in the hall
10 seconds
i have to find my slippers
i can't walk around barefoot
barefoot's better though
quieter
why does it sound like we're gonna do something illegal
are the parents awake??
they're out cold snoring
it's just us
a silent operation
why do you have to make getting yogurt sounds like a heist
keeps it interesting
grab your phone
why??
for light, duh
but also atmosphere
what?
are we filming a horror movie??
stop yapping and start walking already
god
wait
looking for my left slipper
this is the universe telling me to stay in bed
listen to the universe, morgan
how about you ignore it and listen to me?
stop stalling already
ugh
fine
i'm at the railing
hurry up
then stop texting me!!!
i can hear you breathing
i'm breathing normally excuse you
you just have super hearing
like an actual predator
it's actually scary
just get out here already
goodbye safety
hello danger