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The Slap

The liar  

People are idiots. You tell them what they want to hear. You use them, you lie to them, you manipulate them, easy, pliable. And you... You get what you want. Isn't that what life is about? Getting what you want? I always manage. I don't have friends, I mean there are people, I guess, they consider me close to them. But how much do you need from them really.

I walk toward one of them. She is sweet, easily manipulated, a little clingy and one world class idiot. She is everything I hate about people, pliable. But I am good at what I do, can't blame her completely for her ignorance. She hugs me. She smells like papaya. It's the darn shampoo she uses. She has already started talking, a mile a minute. Irritated by people in her life, going on about how she hates people. I want to shout at her, if she hates people, why get around them, why be close to them. But no she needs them. Stupid girl. But she is easy, she helps me out with everything.  She does my work for me, makes my presentations, teaches me stuff I don't feel like reading, listens to me when I am annoyed or frustrated with life. She is like putty in my hands. So what if I have to tolerate her for a little while. She keeps talking and I pretend to listen. She will hit me the next time I say that I don't remember what she said.   

My other "friends" come toward us, I am a little relieved. I don't have to hear her whine and I can still get her to have dinner with me tonight. I will be a little bored without any company. They start talking about some crappy plans tonight. I am glad they are doing it in front of her, she will know why I have to break our date. I don't bother listening, they love me too much, they wouldn't make plans without me. I guess I wouldn't have to hang out with this clingy bitch. People, they can be so fickle. I love that about me. She is looking at me in a weird way. God, why did I even bother with this chick. I raise my eyebrows. "What?" The slap comes out of nowhere.  

The believer  

People are idiots. They tell you what you want to hear. They use you, they lie to you, they manipulate you, make you feel so easy, so pliable. And you... You give them what they want. Isn't that what life is about? Losing? Not me. I don't let people manipulate me. I have a few close friends and I trust they wouldn't hurt me.

I walk toward one of them. He is sweet, extremely charming and one of the least manipulative people I know. He brings out the very few things I love about people, honesty. I hug him, he smells of sweat, gross, he never uses deo. I start talking as soon as I let go of him, I am annoyed at the world. Paranoid about the large number of people in this world who are out to get me. I tell him how although people can get extremely annoying you need them in your life. That it is one of those love hate relationships you possibly cannot get out of. He is such a good listener. He just has a really short term memory. Sometimes I feel like I owe him a lot, so I help him out with his work, I love listening to his problems and helping solve them. I secretly have fun with that.  

I see his guy gang approach. I am very relieved. I didn't want to bum him out with my nauseatingly long preaching about how people suck. I will make it sound a lot less melodramatic when I am in a better mood, I can talk to him over dinner. His friends have come over and they start talking about plans tonight.  I look over at him, I know he is going to cancel plans with me. I sigh. It has happened before. I wouldn't let it bother me. I smile at one of his friends. Who suddenly looks at me and nudges another. What was going on. They start making fun of me, something about having done some work for him, I hear the words manipulated, easy, boring, clingy. My mind begins to reel. What had I missed. I look over at him, I can see it on his face now, annoyance, irritation, lies, manipulation. Am I that fickle to change my mind about him? I hate that I am so fickle. Then on his face... Nothing. Blank. Everything was hidden. I was wrong, all along. He raises his eyebrows. "What?" Hatred pours through my veins, the slap comes out of nowhere.

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