Anthony waited in line behind three teenage girls, unable to block out their loud chatter. He was waiting for his order and they were pretty much right next to him. This was his fault. He didn\u2019t usually leave the house without headphones, even when he went to Starbucks for his usual chai latte. He couldn\u2019t fault them too much, could he? Anthony can\u2019t imagine he wasn\u2019t annoying when he was a teenager.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cOkay next one,\u201d the one girl with the hair bun and multiple pierced ear said to her two giggly friends. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Please not another one.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFuck, marry, kill,\u201d the girl said. She thought a little while. \u201cJohn Reese, Nathaniel Rose, and Braxton Vance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony\u2019s ears perked up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cEasy,\u201d said the girl with bright blonde hair. \u201cFuck Braxton, Marry Nathaniel, Kill Reese.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cKill Reese, are you kidding?\u201d Repeated Hair Bun.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019d kill him, too, actually,\u201d their slightly quieter short haired friend with purple lipstick said. \u201cBut I\u2019d fuck Nathaniel Rose and marry Braxton Vance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow are you going to kill John Reese when Nathaniel Rose is right there to pick off?\u201d Asked Hair Bun. \u201cYou have the chance to wake up next to John Reese\u2019s beautiful face every day and you choose to not only let that slip, but kill him off as well?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony couldn\u2019t help but be slightly amused as Hair Bun tried to explain why John Reese was the best one to marry. Anthony texted his most recent contact and said, you came up in a FMK game.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay, even if you wanna marry Reese, you\u2019d kill Nathaniel Rose over Braxton Vance?\u201d Bright Blonde asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, if this were a would you rather I\u2019d go Braxton over Nathaniel, too.\u201d Purple lipstick cut in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83c\udf39- Who\u2019s playing FMK w. Me as an option?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony smiled at the text, he hadn\u2019t expected a text back so soon. Girls in Starbucks.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut he\u2019s so pretty, and he\u2019s got a great smile,\u201d Bright Blonde said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s real,\u201d Hair Bun declared. \u201cI think some of his teeth are fake.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony\u2019s eyes rose from his phone to look at the three girls, particularly the one with the hair bun. Purple Lipstick said, \u201cOh come on, you can always tell when someone has fake teeth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHave you been so close to see his teeth to determine they\u2019re real?\u201d Hair Bun said. \u201cBesides, I heard from my cousin that you can get actual real looking teeth if you have enough money, I bet all celebs have fake teeth.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony rolled his eyes as his phone buzzed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83c\udf39- How\u2019d I do?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat doesn\u2019t even sound right.\u201d Bright Blonde said. \u201cYou\u2019re spitting out conspiracy theories now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1 F 1 M 1 K and apparently your teeth are fake<\/em>. Anthony texted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI bet he\u2019s on his last set though,\u201d Hair Bun insisted. \u201cEven if his teeth are real.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWell how old is he? Like twenty eight?\u201d Purple Lipstick asked. The girl behind the counter called her for her order, a grande mocha frap. All three girls had gotten Frappuccinos. \u201cMy mom went through her whole second set in like a year when she was sixteen, she\u2019s been on her last set for ages but she still has all but one tooth now. I feel like most people are on their last set by the time they\u2019re out of high school.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSomething about him seems super fake to me,\u201d Hair Bun said with a shrug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83c\udf39- Lol<\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As the girls\u2019 conversation drifted onto their next round and the other drinks came, Anthony\u2019s tongue moved to the empty space on the right side of his mouth where he had lost an upper premolar a few months back. It had been the first tooth he lost since he was eighteen and he lost the last of his secondary set. He cursed himself for it nearly every day, and it was how he got to smiling a little crooked, hiding his gap from those who didn\u2019t know it was there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cChai Tea Latte for Anthony,\u201d called the woman. Anthony quickly walked forward and took his drink. He should consider himself lucky, he told himself every day since it happened. He lost a premolar, he knew people who lied and were stuck with one or even two missing front teeth. His cousin Jacob was missing his two front teeth and he constantly looked half his age because of it. His face took on the look of a five year old and every \u2018s\u2019 he spoke hissed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHere you go, sir, have a good one,\u201d the girl said passing him his cup and flashing him a quick smile. Anthony\u2019s stomach churned. Maybe he noticed because he had been thinking about teeth, considering she only smiled at him for a second, but he still saw them. Two teeth, maybe more, a little whiter than the others. They shined a little brighter, reflecting the light against their smooth front. She didn\u2019t show her teeth long enough for him to see if they had a translucent wrap around them like the plastic covers on his grandparents\u2019 couch, but he knew it\u2019d be there. What did she lie about? What was so important that she took the punishment instead of just telling the truth?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony looked down at his chai tea, his throat dry while he quickly walked out of the Starbucks and down the familiar path home. When he went to the dentist after losing his tooth, he was offered an implant. He was told that his insurance covered the first few, so it was there for him if he wanted it. He refused it. There was something insidious about getting fake teeth. Having a gap and a few missing teeth was like making up for lying in the first place, having fake teeth felt like a trick. Anthony found it hard to trust people with fake teeth. Maybe he was overreacting, especially about the girl from Starbucks. It was just a couple teeth in the front, it wasn\u2019t like she had lost her whole set and was lying about that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As he turned the corner, his phone buzzed again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \ud83c\udf39- Meeting ended. Free all day for once. Movie night?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony smiled and swiftly texted back, movie afternoon. Were sleeping early we both have early mornings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He took a sip of his chai tea as he reached for his keys and walked up the stairs of his apartment building. When he got to his apartment, on the top floor, he glanced at his phone after it buzzed again and saw that Nat wouldn\u2019t be over for another hour or so. With that in mind, he went over to his discolored gray couch and opened his laptop to write a paper he had due for school.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony hadn\u2019t actually gotten that far with his paper when his phone buzzed, \ud83c\udf39lighting up the screen with the word Here<\/em>. Minutes later, after opening the front door, he saw Nat\u2019s tall, looming figure blocking the light from coming in and laughed. Nat wore a hat, a big sweatshirt with the hood on and glasses. \u201cThe hell are you wearing? It\u2019s like eighty degrees outside.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nat shrugged. \u201cI\u2019m not trying to get recognized.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cFrom the Uber to my front door?\u201d Anthony asked, leading the way up the stairs. \u201cHow famous do you think you are?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cPretty famous if girls are using me for a game of fuck marry kill in a random Starbucks.\u201d Nat said from behind him. \u201cWho was I up against?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBraxton Vance and John Reese.\u201d Anthony said, a bit of a huff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJohn Reese is a fucking asshole, everyone should have voted to kill that fucker.\u201d Nat said. \u201cI\u2019ve got a friend who worked with him once, high maintenance as fuck and talks to people like they\u2019re shit under his feet.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah, well,\u201d Anthony said, not wanting to talk too much, lungs hurting from jogging up the stairs. He took some deep breaths as he pushed open his apartment door. \u201cOne of the girls didn\u2019t believe you had all your teeth and Reese is like famous for still having baby teeth right? Maybe she\u2019s attracted to the honesty.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nat closed the door behind them and looked at Anthony, who was trying and failing to not seem as winded as he was. \u201cDon\u2019t tell me those stairs still mess you up.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI just don\u2019t usually run up them,\u201d Anthony panted and dropped down onto his couch. \u201cNot even sure why I did. You got all in my head about being recognized I guess, wanted to get you into the safety of my apartment sooner.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nat snorted, \u201cSure. Maybe you should work out though.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony scrunched up his nose. \u201cThat was work out enough.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nat laughed a bit, peeling off layers of clothes. His curly hair laid squashed on his head from the hat, deep dimples dug into his cheeks, not covered by his closely shaven beard. \u201cSo, you\u2019re just gonna watch me get comfortable?\u201d Nat asked as he shrugged off and threw his hoodie onto the couch, exposing his dark, toned arms. He raised an eyebrow and teased with the bottom of his tank top. \u201cShould I keep going? Give you a show?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cJust get over here,\u201d Anthony said, arms out for a hug. Nat didn\u2019t waste time as he fell onto the couch and then heavily onto Anthony despite Anthony being nearly half his size. Anthony let out a squawk, but wrapped his arms around Nat anyway, allowing himself to be crushed under his weight, especially as Nat kissed him all over his face. Eventually, Anthony said, \u201cOkay, can\u2019t breathe-\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nat got up and said, \u201cBreathing\u2019s overrated.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLiving\u2019s<\/em> overrated?\u201d Anthony repeated. He paused. \u201cOkay, maybe a little.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nat laughed and walked over to Anthony\u2019s fridge, which could be seen from the couch since it was all one open space, apart from the bedroom and bathroom. \u201cGot food?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNigga I\u2019m broke,\u201d Anthony said. \u201cHow about you bring me food instead of taking it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou not getting money from your grandpa anymore?\u201d Nat said, looking at Anthony\u2019s clearly empty fridge as though waiting for something to magically come up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI just dropped all this money on rent,\u201d Anthony said. \u201cAnd I finally had to go ahead and get a text book for my psych course.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat were you doing before?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cUsing other people\u2019s books.\u201d Anthony shrugged. \u201cBut it\u2019s inconvenient.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMm,\u201d Nat hummed, finally leaving the fridge for the cabinets. \u201cI guess we\u2019ll order pizza. My treat, you poor, poor broke soul.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou try being twenty five and working at a fucking Applebees while going to school. Which reminds me, I have a paper due in two days and pretty much no time to work on it tomorrow, so at some point today you have to give me a chance to finish it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSure,\u201d Nat said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m serious.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOkay<\/em>, college boy I won\u2019t distract you from your little paper,\u201d Nat said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n With that established, they rented a few movies, each has a particular love for Marvel so they went with Iron man. They ordered a pizza, pepperoni for Anthony, margarita for Nat. They played video games, or really, Anthony played video games and Nat told him all the moves he was doing wrong while not trying to play himself. When it started to get later in the day, Anthony tried to go into his room and leave Nat to distract himself with the TV. It worked for maybe fifteen minutes before Nat came in and started kissing Anthony\u2019s cheeks and ears and neck and generally making it impossible for him to get anything done. So Anthony let Nat distract him for a little while longer, closing his laptop and promising himself to stay up to get it done despite having class in the morning and work in the afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He laid next to Nat on top of his red sheets, fingers intertwined. He could tell Nat was close to falling asleep, and he felt close to it, too, which meant he\u2019d have to wake himself up to make more progress on his paper. Nat was so warm against him though, the sheets felt softer, everything was so comfortable. What was school really doing for him anyway besides piling on debt? He still had two more years, maybe he\u2019d just drop out again. Although lord knew his grandpa wouldn\u2019t help him financially anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat are you thinking about?\u201d Nat asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m just really content right now.\u201d Anthony said. \u201cAnd I\u2019m thinking about\u2026 How much I love you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nat rubbed his thumb on Anthony\u2019s arm. \u201cLove you, too.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t want you to leave again tomorrow. And I don\u2019t want to go to class tomorrow.\u201d Anthony said to no response from Nat. \u201cIt\u2019d be easier to drop out.\u201d When he still got no response he looked up. \u201cYou\u2019re not gonna tell me not to?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou already know not to,\u201d Nat said, looking at the ceiling, his jaw shifting a bit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Anthony mumbled. \u201cLet me wake myself up a bit, I\u2019m gonna shower-\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cLet me get in there first,\u201d Nat said quickly, getting off the bed before Anthony could say anything about it. He watched him go out the bedroom door and a few seconds later heard the bathroom door close. Anthony sat there for a second or two, then got out his laptop to see what he could get done while Nat was in the bathroom. The bathroom was right next to his room, so he heard the small thump and stuff falling, things clattering to the floor and Nat\u2019s \u201cFuck!\u201d after.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony looked at the wall that separated the bedroom from the bathroom. \u201cYou good?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDon\u2019t worry about it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony stared at the wall a little longer. He could hear Nat doing a lot of moving around, both in the bathroom and outside of it. After a while he heard the shower going so he shrugged it off and went back to his work. Nat came out of the bathroom some time later looking distracted. With raised eyebrows, Anthony asked, \u201cYou alright? Did you forget how to shower?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI dropped your mirror,\u201d Nat said. \u201cYour hand mirror. I dropped it, it shattered glass everywhere. Sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s alright\u2026\u201d Anthony said. \u201cPeople say it\u2019s seven years bad luck, so watch out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nat had no reaction, just nodded.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou swept it up?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYeah,\u201d Nat said. \u201cBut, you know, still watch out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony nodded, and got up to go to the bathroom himself. Just before he was about to go in, he grabbed the broom and dustpan. Not that he didn\u2019t believe Nat swept, but since it was glass it wouldn\u2019t hurt to do a once over. He put on his Nike slides and walked into the bathroom. The air still felt thick and moist, the mirror on the wall was steamed over. Still, when Anthony looked in it, he could see himself. Hie hair was usually kept short but at the moment it was a little overgrown. Even with the blurry reflection he felt like his ears stood out too much. They were big and protruding from his head like an elephant or a monkey. His thick, dark eyebrows were the only part of his face he could clearly see through the steam. He didn\u2019t think he and Nat looked like they belonged together, but Nat still chose him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony went back to his task, sweeping the small bathroom, not that much came up since Nat had just done it. Anthony made sure to angle himself and the broom to get behind the toilet. More dust and dirt came from there so it was obvious Nat hadn\u2019t bothered with it. He saw a small glass shard come out and then something small and white rolled towards him. He looked down at it, pea sized, covered in dust and with a bit of red on the tip, it was a tooth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n He stared at it, his tongue rubbing against the gummy gap at the top of his mouth as he stared at this one. It looked like a canine. He picked it up and brought it a little closer to his face, mostly because he didn\u2019t know what else to do with it. Behind the toilet got a little neglected but he couldn\u2019t imagine the tooth had been hiding back there for long. It certainly wasn\u2019t his. Grabbing his robe, Anthony wrapped it around himself and left the bathroom. He looked into his bed, Nat was laying there under the covers. He was a pretty heavy breather when he slept, but the room was quiet and he was still. He must have still been awake.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNat\u2026\u201d Anthony said. \u201cIs everything okay?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony had to squint to see Nat turn his head to him. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m just\u2026\u201d Anthony hesitated, and then turned on the light. Nat squinted at it as Anthony opened up his hand, taking the tooth in his index finger and thumb for Nat to see it clearly. \u201cIt\u2019s yours, right? All that commotion in the bathroom?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nat sat up a bit. Anthony wanted him to open his mouth, he wanted to see the missing tooth for himself as confirmation. Nat said, \u201cIt\u2019ll grow back. It was the last one of my second set.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat have you got to lie about in the bathroom?\u201d Anthony asked. Nat didn\u2019t answer, he got up and walked to Anthony, taking the tooth and throwing it in the trash. \u201cWhat are you lying about?\u201d Anthony asked again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cDrop it, please.\u201d Nat said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNathaniel,\u201d Anthony said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSometimes teeth just fall out. Teeth fall out from stress, it\u2019s not always lying, you told me that yourself! Stress that might come from the same, like, area in your brain or whatever\u2013\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThat\u2019s rare as fuck.\u201d Anthony said. \u201cI don\u2019t get why you can\u2019t just tell me what\u2019s going on? Who are you lying to? Are you lying to yourself? Are you lying to me?\u201d Nat didn\u2019t answer, he let out a deep sigh and walked to the end of the bed. \u201cI mean I\u2019m assuming you\u2019re lying to me I just can\u2019t figure out what about.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cHow do you know it has anything to do with you?\u201d Nat countered.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI\u2019m asking you right now if it does,\u201d Anthony said. \u201cI mean whatever it is, even if it\u2019s bad, I\u2019m sure we can work it out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cTony\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou know I love you,\u201d Anthony said. \u201cAnd I know you love me, too, and I don\u2019t think anything can change that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nat made a face like he was eating a lemon and looked down.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat is it?\u201d Anthony asked. \u201cWhat the hell was that? I say something wrong?\u201d Nat stared down at his hands, squirming, shaking his leg a bit. \u201cCan you fucking talk?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t want to say something wrong.\u201d Nat mumbled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo, you don\u2019t want to lie again because what would Nathaniel Rose look like going to work on his show with no fucking teeth.\u201d Anthony tightened his robe around him even more. \u201cSay you love me,\u201d he said. \u201cWe can get through it, whatever it is, if there\u2019s love. I need to hear it right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nat\u2019s nostrils flared, he swallowed, his leg still shook. \u201cI can\u2019t say that right now.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n For a while, neither of them moved at all. Nat wouldn\u2019t look at Anthony while Anthony couldn\u2019t look away. \u201cThat\u2019s\u2026 What you lied about?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou needed to hear it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony\u2019s hands shook, he crossed his arms over his chest, his teeth chattered. \u201cWhy is it a lie now? Why can\u2019t you say it right now? What changed, I\u2026 It\u2019s not like it\u2019s the first time\u2026\u201d Anthony\u2019s heart felt like it was beating wrong, too fast or too slow or upside down. \u201cDid I do something?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThen it was a lie when you told me the first time!\u201d Anthony threw his hands up. Nat closed his mouth again, everything suddenly felt off, the world fell out of its orbit. \u201cIt was a lie when you told me the first time?\u201d Anthony said, leaning on his dresser. Nat let out a slow breath. \u201cIt was a lie every time?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cYou said it,\u201d Nat said. \u201cYou needed to hear me say it back, you needed\u2013\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI needed it to be true,\u201d Anthony said through thick breaths. \u201cYou\u2019ve been lying to me\u2026 How many\u2013\u201d He motioned to his mouth. \u201cHow many teeth have you been throwing out, you\u2019ve lost your whole second set lying<\/em> to me about\u2013\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI knew eventually I\u2019d say it back and it\u2019d be true!\u201d Nat stood, Anthony took a step back. \u201cBut you needed to hear it!\u201d Nat yelled. \u201cI don\u2019t not love you, see, that\u2019s the truth. No teeth are falling out, nothing\u2019s happening. I just don\u2019t know, okay? I don\u2019t know if I\u2019m there yet<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you say that the first fucking time?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBecause you<\/em> needed to hear it!\u201d Nat yelled. \u201cYou needed someone to love you, it couldn\u2019t be your grandpa, who doesn\u2019t even know you, or your parents because who knows where the fuck they are! You needed it and I wanted to be that person for you, I just didn\u2019t know if it was true then and I still don\u2019t know.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony shook his head, unable to look at Nat anymore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSometimes you have to just say things, you have to tell people what they want\u2013what they need to hear.\u201d Nat said. \u201cYou know that. That\u2019s why when your grandpa asked if you were seeing anyone you told him no because he wouldn\u2019t be able to handle the fact that you fuck men. You sat there and swallowed that tooth, and I never questioned you for it, I never judged you.\u201d Anthony rubbed his tongue along the gap in his teeth again. \u201cI<\/em> knew you had to do it. And I had to tell you what you needed to hear, I\u2019m sorry I hurt you, I never wanted that.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony felt his heart in every part of his body. He swallowed down the feeling that he was going to puke and still refused to look at Nat. \u201cGet out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCome on, Ant, we can talk about this.\u201d Nat said but Anthony shook his hand. \u201cYou\u2019re not even going to hear me out?\u201d Anthony crossed his arms, staying silent. \u201cCan we talk about it after your shower? Or\u2026 Or any time later?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony hesitated, opened his mouth, and then closed it. Then he muttered, \u201cI want to say no.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBut\u2013\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI can\u2019t\u2013\u201d Anthony paused. What\u2019s the truth?<\/em> He asked himself desperately. What\u2019s the truth? What\u2019s the truth? <\/em>\u201cI don\u2019t want to be in love with someone who lies about something like this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nat stared at him, a frown, a quivering lip. Anthony couldn\u2019t look at it and turned away.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cCall an Uber from the stairs. Don\u2019t be here when I\u2019m out of the shower.\u201d Anthony said. He turned on his heel and walked out, going to the bathroom. It felt cold and dry, there was a dust pile that he stepped over, the broom laid between the toilet and the sink. He turned the water on, putting it on the hottest setting. He stood in the shower without moving, letting it burn his skin until the scorching heat became comfortable. He didn\u2019t listen out for the front door but he still heard it when it slammed closed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Anthony got dressed for bed, Nat\u2019s face swam into his brain. Nat said he didn\u2019t not love him. But he obviously didn\u2019t love him. Or didn\u2019t think he did? Anthony glanced at his trash can, walked over and sorted through it a bit until he found the tooth. I love you.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Is the lie in the \u2018love\u2019? Or is it in the \u2018you\u2019?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Anthony gently ran the tooth under warm water, cleaning it of dust and grime. He stared down at what was in his palm. Finally, taking it to his mouth like a pill, he felt the tooth fall into his mouth. He rolled it around his tongue, pushing it on the gap in his own teeth, before finally gathering the spit in his mouth and pushing the tooth down his throat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Anthony waited in line behind three teenage girls, unable to block out their loud chatter. He was waiting for his order and they were pretty much right next to him. This was his fault. He didn\u2019t usually leave the house without headphones, even when he went to Starbucks for his usual chai latte. He couldn\u2019t […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":81,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[11,13],"tags":[23],"class_list":["post-61","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-original-work","category-stories","tag-speculative-fiction"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.isharawrites.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/02\/tumblr_static_e8u9budvt28kssoo08owsgwg0.png","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isharawrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isharawrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isharawrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isharawrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isharawrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=61"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.isharawrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isharawrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/81"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.isharawrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=61"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isharawrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=61"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.isharawrites.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=61"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}