No mistletoe needed

'It's such a mess, Maria. I can't believe she's chosen to live with him! She's so desperate to stick the knife in me, she's gone that far!'

'I'm so sorry, Roxxi. What a nerve she's got.'

'You know what the absolute worst thing is?'

'What?'

'It's not the fact that she's my own goddamn sister. It's not even the fact that it's feeding his ego even more, though I bet the stupid twat's even more insufferable than usual. It's that even my own parents have gone along with it.'

'Seriously?!'

'Yep. I rang them after Topaz told me. Basically, my mother blamed me for it all. She said Tate cheated on me because I wasn't doing enough for him, and I apparently should've done more to keep him happy. She's happy that Brie's living with him because that means he stays in the family.'

'What the fuck?'

'It's so horrible. He's going there for Christmas too, as we always used to. So I can't see them either because he'll be there playing happy families with all the others.'

'That's disgusting. What is wrong with your parents? They should be supporting you! You're the one who was cheated on and abused!'

'Well in their eyes, perfect Tate can do no wrong.'

'You're better off without them, Rox. They're no good for you or the kids.'

'I know, but... even so, I feel like he's bloody won. He said they didn't give a shit about me and they loved him more, and it was all true. I can't even make my own mum and dad love me.'

'Who cares who's won? The important thing is you're safe. All of you. Let him be smug over here. While you're over there, he can't hurt you any more.'

'But he still is. Him and Brie. Maybe not directly, but they've taken my family away. Except for the kids.'

'Those kids of yours are lovely. They're much more of a family than your bitch of a sister and your awful parents. I know it hurts, but you aren't on your own. You have me too. I'm always here for you.'

'Thanks... I really miss you, Maria.'

'I miss you too. I promise I'll come over sometime, when I can get off work.'

'That'd be lovely. I mean, I miss your company... there's things you offer me that nobody else can. Bad as it is at a time like this, I still have needs.'

'Well of course you do. There's nothing wrong with that. You spend most of your time in Mum mode. You deserve some time to yourself, focusing on your own desires for once.'

'Heh, my desires? So you, you mean?'

'I'm perfectly fine with that.'

'Oh, good...'

'Yahoo! School is finally fucking done!'

'Until the January exams.'

'Gah, don't remind me. I'd rather pretend they didn't exist. Can we at least have a few days off before we start studying?'

'I know I am, at least.'

'Me too, man! I've worked my ass off. I need a break.'

'What's Santa bringing you?'

'Probably not much. What about you?'

'I'm hoping for a new console in there somewhere. If that doesn't make me sound like a spoiled brat.'

'Well, have you been good this year?'

'Angelic, in fact.'

'Then you've got nothing to worry about! Good toys for good boys. Or something.'

'Good girls ought to get good things too.'

'Yeah, but good girls don't always have good parents.'

'But sometimes good girls have good friends, right? And good friends means good company.'

'...What?'

'I'm just waiting for you to turn it into something dirty.'

'What, like “Good company means a good dicking?”'

'Yeah, exactly like that. Though much as I'd like to, I don't wanna rush straight into sex. It might be the done thing these days, but I'd prefer a bit of a dating phase first.'

'...I mean, if I had a boyfriend.'

'…'

Go on. You can do it.

'...D-Do you want one?'

'...I was thinking you'd never ask.'

'Hey, you're a feminist! Who says the guy needs to ask?'

'Well, if you hadn't, I was gonna. If you don't find that emasculating.'

'Jude, I'm a skinny, nerdy guy who's interested in a buff girl. You could probably break me in two. And you know what? I don't care. I don't believe in that “emasculation” shit.'

'Or maybe being broken in two is your fetish.'

'Maybe it is. Hey, it's a shame there's no convenient mistletoe above our heads right now.'

'Heh, after everything, do we really need mistletoe, Charon?'

'Not really.'