Dealing with Change

Dealing with Change

You walk into your house, tired and sore from football practice. The coach really put you through the wringer today, but that marathon run at the end was particularly brutal. It didn’t help that she made sure you all wore those tight fitting, red shorty shorts, but you guess that was just the minotaur’s way of keeping the team motivated. You kick off your shoes and throw your sports bag to the floor.

“I’m home!” you announce to no one in particular. You didn’t really expect a reply since no one should be home. Pop wasn’t usually home and Ma had her book club tonight. On the other hand, your little bro should be home from his dorky Dungeons and Dames thing, but the lights aren’t on so you guess he’s running late. You realize you’re wrong when you spot his sneakers in the front porch. “Hmm. Guess he’s playing one of his computer games or somethin’. What a geek.” Not that being a dweeb was a bad thing. Sure he did a lot of things that you didn’t particularly understand or enjoy, but there was a bunch of stuff that you enjoyed to do together as well. You especially love to play fighting games with him, even though he’d whip your ass more often than not. You vowed that you’d beat him at Smash Bros. even if it killed you! With your future victory in mind, you head towards the kitchen. You head to the calendar to make sure that you’re in charge of supper tonight. Turns out that you are. Cursing your luck and the coach, you pull out your cell and order some Thai food. Like hell you’re going to cook anything after that workout! With that done, you head over to your little bro’s room to let him know supper’s on its way. You soon find yourself in front of his bedroom door, which is covered in ‘Warning’ and ‘Keep Out” signs. You give it a good, strong knock. “Hey bro! I ordered us some Thai food!” You listen for a response. “Bro?” you ask as you open the door. Inside you find a girl curled up on your bros bed staring at her knees in complete silence. Her strawberry blonde hair was short and shaggy, and she was wearing your bro’s Mario Brothers t-shirt and khaki shorts. You can see her dark green eyes through her fashionable square framed glasses, and come to the conclusion that she’s been crying. “Oh shit! Sorry Alex, I forgot!”

“It’s fine,” your little br- sis mumbles. Well, now you feel like shit. Sure it’s only been about a week since your bro became an alp, but you really need to work out what to call her… Him… Her… Whatever.

“… You doing ok there Alex?” you tentatively ask. You’re more than a little worried that your little bro is bummed about being turned into a chick. Hell, you’re partially responsible for it. You managed to convince Alex to come party at one of your friend’s house. After he had a few brewskies, one of the local succu-sluts managed to sneak him into an empty bedroom for some fun time. To say you were surprised when you finally found him would be an understatement.

“I said I’m fine,” Alex mumbles. She’s starting to sound a little annoyed.

“Don’t be like that br- sis,” you say as you approach her bed. “If anything’s bumming you out, you can let me know.” You stand by Alex’s bed waiting for a response, but she doesn’t give you one. She doesn’t even look at you. You sigh and sit beside her and say, “Seriously Alex, I might not be the brightest hammer in the tool box, but I can tell somethin’s eatin’ you. Time to spill the beans.” She continues to stare at her knees and you both sit on her bed in total silence.

“… It’s the guys,” she finally mumbles.

“What guys?”

“The one’s in my DnD group…”

“Oh yeah, those nerds. What’d they do?”

“They… They…” Alex stops talking for a moment. You see her try to fight back tears before she finally breaks down and throws her arms around your neck. Crying into your chest, she somehow manages to say, “They kicked me out of the group!”

“What?” you ask, confused about why the dweebs would do such a thing. You also weren’t all that sure what you should do about Alex crying on you. “Why’d they do somethin’ stupid like that?” It takes a moment for Alex to calm down and explain.

“T-they said I wasn’t a real g-gamer a-and that t-they didn’t w-want anyone around who’d f-fake t-their g-gamer cred f-for sex!” Alex explains before once again breaking down into tears.

“So let me get this straight. Those nerds accused you of not being a real gamer and kicked you out of their group ‘cause you turned into an alp?” Still crying, Alex merely nods her affirmation.

“I-I was hoping that there’d be at l-least one place that’d be like before…”

“Those dumb fucks…” You honestly can’t believe anyone would be that dumb. Those scrawny little shits knew Alex for years, and this… THIS IS HOW THEY TREAT HIM?! HER! FUCK IT! She needs her friends and family to help her through this, and those assholes chose to throw her to the curb?! The urge to go out and give them all a fist shaped piece of your mind rises within you, but you instead wrap your arms around Alex. You try to contain your rage as you say, “Those idiots didn’t deserve you Alex. You’re better off without ‘em.” Alex looks up to you, tears still staining her cheeks.

“B-but t-they’re m-my friends…”

“No,” you reply. “No they’re not. Anyone who’d do that to you ain’t a friend. Simple as that. Friends stick up for each other. Friends help each other deal with problems and changes. Those dicks ain’t your friends!”

“I-I see…” she mumbles.

“But here’s the thing Alex,” you continue. “You still got me. You still got Ma and Pop. You got Jimmy, Weasel, Ted and Diana too.” Alex pushes herself out of your hug.

“Aren’t those your friends?” she asks incredulously.

“Well… Yeah, but they like you about as much as I do. Heck, Diana thought you were pretty cute!”

“That doesn’t really help me now…” Alex mumbles, sounding a little disappointed. You stop and think over what you just said.

“… Aw shit… Sorry Alex!” you quickly apologize. “I’m just… not cut out for this sort of thing. What I’m tryin’ to say is even if those little douchebags turn on you, there’s still us. We love you, no matter what.” You both sit in silence for a moment. “So… You feeling better now?”

Alex ponders your question for a moment before saying, “Not particularly.”

“Really?”

“Well your little rousing speech sounds like it came from a clichéd after school special,” she explains. “A really bad one. Not even so bad it’s funny, just bad.” Ouch Alex. Really harsh.

“I see… I did say I wasn’t any good at this stuff.”

“You did,” Alex agrees. “And it’s the thought that counts, even if it’s just a smidge.”

“So you do feel better?” you ask.

“Just a smidge.” Alex looks you in the eye and sticks out her tongue. Cheeky little bastard! Bitch! Whatever! “So you ordered some Thai food?”

“Yup. Should be here pretty soon too.”

“Great,” Alex says before jumping off the bed and gliding to the door. “Maybe we can play a couple rounds of Smash before it gets here.”

“I’m up for that, but I didn’t know you could fly,” you say as you get off the bed and follow him… Her.

“I figured out how today. I flew all the way home.” Alex starts to sound like she’s feeling down again. You try to say something, but he interrupts with, “I call Mewtwo!”

“Whatever! Me and my man Ike are going to cut that cat thing to pieces!”

“Just take it easy on me, ok?” Alex says with a laugh.

“Take it easy?” you ask incredulously. “There is no ‘taking it easy’ in Smash! Smash is war! Smash is hell!”

As you both exit Alex’s room she asks, “Really? Is that something a big bwudder should be telling his kid sister?”

“Don’t make me smack you,” you threaten.

“I thought you didn’t hit girls?”

“Keep this up and I’ll make an exemption!” You both laugh as you run to the living room, teasing each other as you go. You both play Smash Bros. until the delivery guy arrives. You lose every round…