Sometimes, no one wants to say names. But we all know who they're talking about anyway.
Confidant
Phoebe unloaded her backpack onto the park bench—books, papers, notes, pencils, pens, and highlighters in five different colors, practical and out-of-place amongst the crisp Spring smells and the bright Spring sunshine.
Far off, beyond the shade of the tree, near the glimmer of the duck-pond, she could make out two figures, one familiar and one less so. They were throwing bread crumbs, or maybe popcorn; she couldn't quite tell. And though the sound was faint, she could hear the girl laughing. That girl didn't deserve to laugh, let alone to be standing where she should have been.
The bench creaked under a new pressure and an almost raspy voice sounded at Phoebe's side. "Uh, Phoebe?" He cleared his throat. "How's it going?"
"Same. It won't last. Watch them."
He glanced over assortment of books and whatnots, then looked to the couple by the water. "You, um… didn't come out here to study… did you?"
"Brilliant as ever, Brainy," Phoebe sighed. "But it's always like this. We're together, we break up, he finds someone new, they break up, and the cycle begins again anew."
"Then maybe you shouldn't worry about it, look away for a while? This one's been almost a year…"
"Maybe you should do the same. I mean… How are they?"
"Same. It won't last," Brainy stated curtly.
"Maybe… you should be happy for her."
"Maybe you should be happy for him."
A silence settled in and the couple by the duck pong embraced.
"So, what now?" asked Phoebe, very quietly, very unimportantly.
"Now, you actually study and I get back to making sure I'm there after my people finish not lasting," Brainy said with a small smirk.
"Instead, why don't you stay here and quiz me on these biology notes? I have a test tomorrow…"
Brainy picked up one of the highlighters and began coloring in a leaf. "Sure, they'll probably last, at least until tomorrow, I mean. I can be there then."
"And if they're still together after tomorrow? Both 'couples', I mean." She air-quoted the word 'couples'.
"Then I hope you have a lot more notes that need studying."
And Phoebe laughed.