Price Check On Monogamy

“What the hell is your problem?!” I hissed, completely passed being pissed.

“Aren’t you, like, dating Tandem?” I glared at Heather through slitted eyes, making her look away. She’d been dating Caleb long enough to know when she should stay out of a family argument.

“Yeah, Tiger,” Caleb hissed back at me, “Aren’t you dating Tandem?”

“Oh, don’t you dare make me look like the whore out of the three of us!”

“Hey!” Heather shouted. Turning to look at Caleb, she shouted, “Are you just going to let her talk to me like that?”

“Heather, shut the fuck up,” Caleb snapped. This was completely typical of them, by the way. True love, I know.

“You’re such a fucking prick!” Heather started sniffling, eyes swelling with tears. Stomping away, she snatched her jacket and nearly bit the head off the guy who was holding it out to her.

Grabbing my arm and dragging me out to his car, Caleb opened my door, shoved me in, and got in on the other side to lock it before I could get out. “You’re dating Tandem, remember? You can’t stand around flirting with people like you’re not!”

“Why the hell should it matter?” I snapped back. “One, I’m not dating him. Two, he’s probably off right now screwing the nearest girl who has what could debatably be called a pulse!”

“You’re being such a bitch!” Caleb hissed. Pulling his phone out, he texted someone fast before snapping it shut and shoving it back in his pocket.

Within seconds, Jeremy was out of the house, striding toward the car with his typical look of curiosity. Pulling the back door open and sliding in, he leaned over to ask, “Okay, so what just happened?” Seeing the look on Caleb’s face, his eyes widened. He leaned closer to me and whispered, “Christ, Tiger, what the hell did you do?”

“I did something completely acceptable!” I hissed. “There was nothing wrong with what I was doing, Caleb’s just being an ass!”

Caleb opened his mouth, probably to snap back at me, and then clamped it shut and groaned, slamming his head against the car seat.

“What’d I miss?” Tandem stepped into the car, smiling his stupid, easy smile. As expected, his hair was tousled, he wasn’t wearing a shirt, and his belt was undone. “And it better have been good, I was just getting to the good part--“

“I told you!” I almost shouted. “I didn’t even do anything! I was just talking to someone!”

The smile slid off Tandem’s face faster than I’d ever thought possible. “What the hell do you mean? Was she flirting with someone else or something?”

I turned to stare at him, my jaw hanging open. “Are you kidding me?”

The typical, playful look in his eyes disappeared, steeling over as quickly as the smile had disappeared. “You’re my girlfriend, remember?”

“Are you kidding me?! What were you just doing, playing doctor with some random chick, asshole?! We’re not even dating! Don’t hold me to your double standards!”

Tandem narrowed his eyes. “Who is he?”

“I’m not going to tell you! All we were doing is talking!”

Jeremy laughed and leaned back in his seat, earning himself glares from Caleb, Tandem, and me. “What? Do you realize how ridiculous this is?”

“Thank you!” I shouted, exasperated.

“If you want her to not talk to someone, just change the rules, don’t bitch about it.”

“What?” I almost screamed, staring at Jeremy through huge eyes.

“That’s a good idea,” Caleb said stiffly. I turned back to look at him, but found he was glaring at Tandem. Well, that was weird; I’d never seen him even mildly upset with Tandem before. “You can’t flirt with any guys during the bet; or make it look like you’re even mildly interested in any other guys. The pay goes up to $550.”

“Keep your money,” I spat, disgusted. “I don’t want it. Instead, I want even rules. Tandem can’t screw anyone on the side, either. If I have to stay ‘faithful’, so does he.”

Tandem’s eyes widened, and he actually looked physically pained; I had to smirk. He’d never be able to last six months without any of his little fuck buddies on the side. He couldn’t be faithful to save his life.

“Deal,” he said grudgingly. God, by the way he said the words, you’d think he’d just agreed to drop acid. Glaring at me, he bit out, “I want his name, Tiger.”

“Why do you even care?!” I shouted, opening the door and slamming it shut. This time, I knew my way home, and if Jesus brought the sky down on me, I was not getting back into that damned car.

- - -

“Dammit, Tandem!” Caleb slammed the steering wheel, watching his sister walk home. “What the hell did you do?”

“I didn’t do anything!” Tandem said defensively, redoing his belt.

“He was just being himself, Caleb,” Jeremy pointed out, getting himself glares from Caleb and Tandem. “Hey, don’t give me that damned look, you know you’re pretty much incapable of not banging someone at least once a week!”

Tandem groaned and knocked his head against the door.

“What’s the big deal?” Jeremy asked, eyebrow raised. “God, it’s just a bet.”

Caleb and Tandem shared a look.

“Yeah. Guess you’re right, Jeremy.”