Ennemies with benefits

Strangers at dawn

Kacy wakes up with a stiff neck, the cold metal bench biting into her skin. João is slouched next to her, his jacket wrapped tight around him. The sky's shifting from black to a deep blue, another day creeping in.

She nudges him. "Hey, wake up."

João groans, rubbing his eyes. "Where the hell...?" He looks around, groggy, then remembers. "Right. The park."

Kacy pulls her hoodie tighter. "Yeah. I wasn't exactly rushing to get home."

João stretches, his joints cracking. "Same. I'm so fucking sick of them blaming me for everything."

Kacy snorts. "My mom too. It's like she's got a script—'Your dad's losing it, we're broke, and you're useless.' I'm like, I get it! Life's shit. But it's not my fault."

"Exactly," João says, kicking a rock down the path. "They act like we're just supposed to fix everything. Like, why the fuck would I want to be around that?"

Kacy laughs, but it's bitter. "Right? And then they wonder why we'd rather be anywhere else."

They walk in silence, the streets empty, the early morning stillness almost eerie. After a while, Kacy breaks the silence. "You think it'll ever get better?"

João shrugs, avoiding her gaze. "Honestly? I doubt it. But what choice do we have?"

"Yeah," Kacy says quietly, "that's what I thought."

They stumble upon a convenience store just opening for the day, its neon sign flickering weakly. João buys two shitty coffees, and they sit on the curb outside, sipping the bitter brew.

"You ever feel like we're just... stuck?" João asks, staring into his cup like it might give him answers.

"All the fucking time," Kacy replies, her voice softer now. "I try not to think about it, but... it's like everything's on repeat, and I'm just waiting for the next thing to go wrong."

João nods, a rare moment of understanding passing between them. "Same. No matter what I do, it's never fucking good enough."

Kacy glances at him, seeing past the usual bravado. He's just as tired, just as frustrated. "You know... you don't have to deal with it alone."

João looks at her, surprised. "Neither do you."

They sit there, the morning light slowly pushing away the darkness. It doesn't solve anything, doesn't make their problems disappear, but for once, it feels like they might not have to face everything alone. And maybe, for now, that's enough.