#fuh spite

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Desi and Jesse in their friendship bubble.

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Jesse woke up early to grill plantain. When he got the ingredients from the kitchen, he saw a text from 'DO NOT ANSWER' on Desiree's phone. She left it charging face up on the kitchen counter as she always does.

Desiree comes outside. "Good morning! Yum, I thought I smelled plantain."

"Mornin.”

The smell of food mixed with the bass in his voice first thing in morning makes Desiree wish she lived here.

“Sorry Reds, it burn a bit. Umm, ah could make a next batch jus now."

"That's okay! Relax. You should have slept in anyway, it's your last day off. What you thinking about?"

They keep saying they're just friends. That this isn't serious. He knows she is a non-committal sim. But she was so honest about every little thing in the beginning that he figured if she's not telling him something, then nothing is happening. He stopped seeing other sims once she started staying over. So it hurt seeing a text from someone saying 'Thank you for letting me in. I really hope we can start over.' He already knew something was off, why couldn't she just tell him? "Feelin better?" he asks.

"I told you I was fine. Lemme just grab my phone. Actually, I'll get it after we eat."

"Now is good, someone texted you." He's searching her face to see if she's expecting something.

"Kady?"

"Mr. Do not answer. Seems important."

Silence.

"It's alright. You don't owe me an explanation. What happens when you're not here is none of my business."

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Code switch on me like I'm a stranger. What do you want to know?"

"…Nuttin... Ah doh know. Maybe everyting."

"His name is Uche. We were together for most of my time at UBrite. The only long and serious relationship I had. Umm, he's bossy and a momma's boy. Drove me crazy. He just moved into my building -"

"Your building?"

"Yeah. The unit next door. He's a professor at Foxbury's new campus now."

"Language and Lit like you?"

"No, physics."

"Damn. So he's smart smart."

"He can solve the wrong kind of problems, yeah."

"And he took you out?"

"Nope." Desiree told him about when Uche tried to take her out.

This actually made him feel a little better. And a bit sorry for the guy. He laughs while he tells her "Ah know yuh stubborn but ah didn't know yuh like to play games."

"Games?"

"Yes. Games. Yuh really plan a whole outfit jus fuh spite? Just say yuh doh want to go. I woulda leh yuh freeze or get sick and then say it good fuh yuh."

"You wouldn't. And you wouldn't just make plans for my time and expect me to go along with it."

"And maybe that will come back to bite me... Look, we could just cool off and you could figure out -”

"There’s nothing to figure out. This is what makes me happy. He just stresses me out. We just fought the whole time he was at my place."

"Yeah but yuh let him inside. Yuh want to fight.”

“Jesse -”

“He's there 24/7 and you say I'm not yuh man. Which is fine if yuh doh have one at all. But -"

Desiree is starting to panic. "Jess-"

“Let me finish. You have your limits and I have mine. You hiding dat allyuh done lime already have me feeling a way. So maybe-”

“Fine. What do you want me to report?”

“Report?”

“Yeah. Every time I talk to him? Do you want screenshots of every message? What?”

He gets up to get the plantain. “Yuh doh hadda do all dat. Look, I know you did nothing wrong. I just can’t handle it, Desiree.”

“Reds. You call me Reds.”

“No hard feelings, Reds. Just take it easy and let me know when you’re done avoiding or fighting with him. Then maybe we can be 'just friends' again.” He kisses her on the forehead. "Here, eat the good pieces while I make another set. What do you want to drink?"

She grumpily replies "I'll get orange juice for both of us."

"Thanks." He watches her as she walks inside. A bit jealous that even when he’s ending things she would never pick a fight with him.

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Fuh Spite previous | Desi and Jesse's good times Next chapter: Ngozi

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Day One

Day Two

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"I cannot keep taking you home drunk, Acadia. Your parents will kill me if they find out. And does Desiree just leave you like this all the time?" He was expecting to take the earliest flight home for work.

Acadia had too much 'juice.' "Nooooo" she says giggling. "She only leaves me with yoouuuu. She only gives you my nummmber. She likes you." Kady talks too much when she's drunk or nervous or stressed out. "I'm hungry. I want dumplings. Do you want dumplings?"

"Are you really going to make it right now? From scratch?" He follows her into the kitchen. This could be a disaster. "Sit down, I'll do it. What do you have in the fridge?"

Since the start of spring, Walker has been doing any and everything he could for Acadia. "Seeeee, she was right."

"Who was right about what?"

"Desiree said that you'll make sure I was okay."

"Oh really? What else did she say?" He has that classic Walker smile. He knew it would be good to have her on his side.

"That you don't reallllyyy want like a loveless marriage."

"I don't."

"And you'll spoil me more than anyone and -"

"I'll try."

"I'll probably break your heart."

Walker's been thinking the same thing but he would not say that to anyone.

"Oh my gosh Walker! These dumplings are better than mine!"

"I'm glad you like it. Take your time. But once you're sleeping, I'll head out and we'll talk when you wake up."

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Jesse can tell that something is off with Desiree this trip. "Are you sure you don't want to talk? You drank more than usual."

"Not if you keep talking like that." Desiree said through her teeth. She was annoyed that Acadia kept asking Jesse to repeat himself which made the chameleon switch to his fake Oasis Springs accent.

He let out a stifled laugh. He finds it cute when Desiree gets upset. "Don’t be mad at your friend for long eh? She cyah help it. Not when she's drunk." The melody was there but it was not a complete switch.

When they first met, she never expected this. She misses him when she's back home. The rhythm of his voice has been like a lullaby to her racing thoughts. And even if he teases her when she vents to him, she does not feel attacked or insecure. That's how it used to feel with Uche. But then no matter how happy she was when a conversation started, by the end of it she always felt broken.

"When yuh do this?" Jesse asks about her hair.

"Umm, the day before I came. I just got up and straightened it. Then hated how flat it was and had a friend add in more hair in the middle. Like it?"

"You look pretty all the time. But you know I’m biased. I like the braids." He playfully whispers in her ear "Yuh doh get vex when ah pull it."

She laughs as he shifts her body. His voice isn’t the only reason why she's been flying out here every other weekend.

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Carnival came earlier this season and Desiree is thrilled to have an excuse to run away from San Myshuno and avoid Uche. Jesse picks her up from the airport. "Reds!" he calls out with a smile as she runs into his arms. Over the last few seasons, he has become one of her favourite people. They went to Oasis Spring Carnival together last spring after the whole love day debacle with Acadia and Koa and became close friends. Whenever she's with him, everything feels easy.

"Hi, Jesse." She gives him a kiss.

"Acadia here, ent? Staying with her or me?" he asks. Desiree's been staying at his place every other weekend for the last two seasons.

"I'll stay with her for now but I'll come over for my last night here?"

"Any time you want."

Since Walker came through with getting them in a band, Desiree will be nice to him.

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Uche was worried they would be late for their reservation. "I called the building office on my first day about the slow lift and the heat in this area but they haven't responded." He turns around. "Wait. Are you not going to wear a proper jacket?"

"A jacket will ruin this dress, Uche. You just said I look beautiful."

"It fits you perfectly. But it's early spring. And your hair is damp. You're already shivering."

"I'm fine." she says trying to hide how cold she feels.

It's simple logic. It's cold, wear a jacket. He just stares at her which makes her furious. He always stays calm no matter how upset she gets.

Desiree starts to complain "You show up unannounced -"

"-You would not answer my calls."

"- and told me to get ready. So, I got ready."

"A jumper and boots would have sufficed."

"You're in a suit!"

"Just put on a jacket. Please."

"I’m not changing, Uchechukwu."

He sighs. He knows she's not talking about her clothes. Time to give up. "The pizza you ordered smells good.” he says while taking her keys out of his pants pocket. He walks past her and goes back into her condo. “Coming back in, LJ. Do you mind?”

LJ is not surprised. “Of course not! But umm, I wanna see my parents so I’m just gonna go spend the night there. See you around, Uche!” She grabs her jacket on the way out.

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Knock Knock "Coming!" Desiree heads to the door expecting the pizza Lily Joy ordered. She hides as soon as she notices who it is.

Uche says "I can see you. This building has no privacy. Get dressed so we can leave in an hour."

Desiree does not move. She is telling herself that hearing priv-a-cy instead of prai-va-cy is not a good enough reason to open the door. "I don't remember answering any of your calls or agreeing to any dinner." She wanted him to come looking for her. Just not this soon. Not before carnival.

"Make that 58 minutes, Ngozi." Anxious Uche is speaking calmly and stressing those t sounds so she caves in. She opens the door and heads straight to the shower, the little white tail on her pink onesie makes him laugh.

He walks down the hallway as if he’s been there a thousand times. "LJ! How've you been, mate?"

Lily Joy is beaming. "Uche! You're really here! Or should I call you Professor now?" She runs and hugs him.

"Always just Uche to you." he says then winks at her.

Professor Uchechukwu Obianagha and Lily Joy Steward catch up while Desiree is in her room deciding what she wants to do. Does she want to go to dinner? Out in public with the awkward small talk and fake smiles? Or cut straight to a fight?

When she's ready, she walks into the living room and LJ's reaction says it all.

Desiree does not want to go to the restaurant.

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