Red Love

Jessica Reynolds

“You know what you need, sex”, mutters my best friend Cat.

I raise my eyebrow at her, she repeated the same sentence my mother talked about the other week.

Just when you thought that life could get worse, you have the “talk” with your mother in front of all of your cousins.

Like I know I’m socially awkward but it’s not cool to rub that on people’s faces you know. But I know my mother doesn’t mean any harm,she is the best mother I could ask for in the whole world.

“Why does everything have to be about sex with you”, I question. I walked over to my dressing table on but some lip balm on my chapped lips.

“Are you kidding me? Life is basically about sex. Sex, my friend, is the cure to life. To happiness and to... anything”, she chirps happily.

I sigh. “No, it isn’t. Sex is literally a waste of time. Those people you have sex with use you till your limit and once you can’t give them what they want anymore, throw you away like trash”, I point out.

With this explanation I probably sound like I know how it feels like. But really I don’t, however I have seen Cat go through. She just doesn’t realize it but she has a killers Body, why wouldn’t anyone want to have sex with her.

But that’s the point. That’s all they see her as, a sex object. Not to mention, almost every other girl in our school. We are just objects to them, who they can play with and throw away when the need is over.

“Ok, I know your right. But remember ′yolo’. You only live once, jess. In this life time I want to do anything I please. I know that you care about me but the point of living is, taking risks and experiencing new things”.

“Ugh, fine you do whatever you want but I am not having another sex talk”, I say to her. She gives me a cheeky grin and laughs.

“Ok fine, maybe one day”, she playfully rolls her eyes at me.

We both start laughing at our attempts to be serious.

“JESS! THERE IS A SURPRISE SOMEONE AT THE DOOR FOR YOU”, my mother screams from downstairs.

Cat and I look at each other with confusion splattered on our face.

A surprise someone?

We quickly get up and race downstairs towards the door.

“DAD! Oh my god, I missed you”, I walk over to my father - William Reynolds - squeezing him into a tight hug.

“Hey princess, I missed you too”, he chuckles squeezing me just as hard.

After I step away from the hug he walks over to my mother - Anna Reynolds - giving her a quick hug with a peck on her lips.

The love...

“Hey Mr. Reynolds”, Cat greeted his presence.

My father gives her a small smile along with a quick hug. Walking past all of us, he places his suitcase on the chocolate brown couch in the family room as he plops down on it lazily.

I walk over to him and sit beside him. “So dad, how was the business trip?“, I inquire.

“It was great honey. We got the contract and I now have a new business partner”, he comments.

New business partner?

“Really who is it?“.

“Jess, your father must be tired. Honey why don’t you go and freshen up, I’ll make dinner”, my mother offers.

That’s strange, Mom usually lest dad tell me things about his work. She thinks we “share things” that way.

“Yeah, I’ll do that. Maybe, we can later, yeah?“, my dad asks getting up from the couch and walking towards the stairs.

I ghostly nod, as no one was there in the first place. Why does something feel wrong.

“Cat and Jess, why don’t you two wash your hands so we can have some dinner, I’m sure you guys are starving”, my mother sweetly suggests.

We both nod, perhaps unable to speak at this moment.