Charles & Midori Pt. 09

"The fact that I was in high school?"

"No..."

"Oh." Molly looked angry very briefly (Charles and Midori both knew her well enough to notice), then sighed. "Sure. I don't remember everything."

"Neither do I."

"Okay. Let's go inside."

The trio went inside and to the apartment. Midori took a beer, and Molly figured she would have one to help ease her own tension. Charles, while still against drinking (circumstantially; he certainly had no problem with day drinking), figured he would want one afterwards, so might as well do one now and one later. The three millennials each drank about half of their cans before Midori started.

"I've also cheated on a partner," she said. "I was also young and dumb at the time, and I'm not proud of it, even though I can't stand the guy anymore."

"Should I start?" Charles asked.

"If you want to," Molly said.

"Theodore had the most relationship experience of anyone in my nerd herd, so I thought he'd have the best advice," Charles said. "I didn't realize I was cheating until Olivia told me I was, even though neither of us stopped."

"You wouldn't have fucked her, though," Molly said. "Did you?"

"No, I didn't. Midori's the only person I've ever fucked. But...I did touch Olivia over the

clothes."

"Hang on," Midori said. "What happened exactly is something for the two of you to discuss. I just want to know why you forgave each other."

"I didn't," Molly said. "I've never forgiven you, Charles, because I don't consider infidelity forgivable, and I know how much that means coming from me."

"Based on what you said about your grandparents, it arguably means less."

"That's fair." Molly finished her beer and sighed. "I can't bring myself to forgive you, because when I think about it, I think about how much you hurt me and how that led to me hurting you and all the toxicity we bred in ourselves at the time."

"I do wonder why you decided to be my friend again, though."

"We talked it out, and I think we're better as friends." Molly smiled. "That day I saw you at Lidl was personally complicated, and I ran into you at a time when I was the least mentally prepared to see you, let alone talk to you."

"That was largely true for me, also."

"Yes. And when you told me about the less than flattering message she had sent you, I saw the painfully lonely person I had seen on my eighteenth birthday."

"I don't think I was painfully lonely then..."

"You asked a barely legal high schooler on a date."

"Fuck, I guess I can't argue with that."

"I was comfortable being your friend again because I knew we would never date each other. I would be a fool to return to someone who cheated on me, and I was also not really as into men at the time. I didn't think you would want to return to someone who cheated on you, but I think we had both clearly improved since the last time we had seen each other, and when we did get to meet up and hang out, I saw how much better a person you had become. When Midori first told me she was dating you, I meant it when I told her you're a great guy."

"No." Charles hung his head. "I'm not a great guy."

"You weren't always, but you are now," Midori said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"No, I'm just...I'm me."

"That's why we both fell in love with you," Molly said.

"I'm me in that...fuck, how do I explain this? I fell in love with you again, Molly, back then. I tried dating apps and speed dating to take my mind off of you, but the improved you, someone I know I didn't deserve for the reasons you just mentioned and many more...and Bobbi's wedding..."

"Wait, she was your Jessica?"

"I saw your post that night, and that's what drove me to drink in the first place."

"You didn't tell me this," Midori commented.

"I didn't think it mattered. She was seeing someone else and I was driven to stupidity."

"Well, this does matter." Midori thought for a second. "It matters because she was seeing Molly and you were jealous on jealous."

"I'm not that person anymore."

"I know you're not. But maybe you'll become him again."

"You need couple's therapy, plain and simple," Molly said. "Midori, you're way too paranoid, and Charles, you're hella insecure. As long as I've known each of you individually, and as long as I've seen you together as a couple, there's no reason for your relationship to look like this. You are the best things to happen to each other, and I love you both. Platonically, of course. I'm not going to let our pasts (shitty as they were) destroy your present. So I need something from you."

"Another beer?" Charles asked.

"Appreciated, and I'm glad your sense of humor hasn't abandoned you, but I need something else." Molly waited as Charles got a second round for himself and Midori.

"Charles, I'm going to need you to list all of your attributes. Good, bad, neutral, everything you can think of. Midori, I'm going to need you to list all of your fears. Relevant, irrelevant, rational, irrational. When you have your first couple's therapy, don't give me the private details or anything. Just tell me which thing from the list you talked about and what your plan is for it."

"Molly, we..." Midori began.

"I'll expect them in my inbox by Friday. Thanks for having me."

Molly got up and kissed both of them on the forehead before leaving. Charles and Midori looked at each other in stunned silence.

"I hate my brain," he said after a while.

"I love your brain, for all of its generic and specific faults," she responded. "We're not getting out of this, are we?"

"I suppose not."

"I have to pee." Midori started taking off her pants

"Now?" Charles started doing the same.

"I haven't gone since we left Canada."

The two went toward the bathroom. They faced the toilet next to each other, sharing a kiss and a moment, knowing that this was the last day of their lives. Tomorrow, two different people would begin their journey towards their best selves.

Mallrats ending (because I didn't like Animal House; think of each character ending as a Star Wars opening):

Molly later came out as nonbinary and married a nonbinary AMaB person named Phil. Charles did not attend, but Midori told him the wedding was done absolutely right. Phil and Molly are happy cat parents, and expecting human twins in April.

Zoe and Luke moved to Buffalo to be a bit closer to Charles and Midori when it was clear the two of them would not be returning to Toronto (except one time to see a particular Anvil tribute band). They see Charles and Midori a few times a year, and Zoe and Midori are both much happier for it. Surprisingly, they have yet to meet Molly or Phil in meatspace.

Akashi and Aori miss their daughter, but also have enough self reflection to realize they burned that bridge. They have reached out to Charles, who has told them they are still unwelcome in Midori's life. They remain in Toronto, and likely will for the foreseeable future.

Miki gave birth to a girl (Lisa), who would eventually journey through the States to meet her estranged aunt. While Miki and George were hesitant about this, Lisa simply went to her brother to get the ball rolling. Miki and George still live in Darwin and still have their boring jobs and boring marriage.

Marty realized as a teenager that Charles and Midori were right about his parents. He moved to the States as soon as he could and let his sister live with him when she arrived. The two of them eventually caught up with their aunt and her partner, and have built a cordial understanding.

Bobbi and Billie, upon seeing how successful Charles had become, tried to sabotage him. Charles never denied his wrongdoing that night, taking some wind from their sails. They still live quietly and (mostly) happily in Omaha.

Willam eventually saw the sailboat.

Charles and Midori's webcomic went on to see moderate success in print and spawned an animated streaming series, an arcade beat 'em up, a hack n slash, and a fanmade JRPG. Their podcast received a major boost when they were called to be guests (becoming relatively frequent ones) on their favorite anime review podcast, which ultimately helped drive their webcomic. Charles has started writing a trilogy of supplemental novels. Midori has picked her guitar back up and started another classic rock band (Local Record Store) with a focus on deep cuts and B sides as well as radio hits. They are currently still in individual and couple's therapy, and are about to debut at a local comic con as creators.