Outsmart (G/T)

Short

POV: Laurie Sernal

I'm short. Laugh it up. But for real, I'm not a tall person. I stand at 83 feet, which I think is 5'2 or so at human height. Seth's at 96 feet, which is considerably taller than me, I think 6'0 or 6'1 for humans. When we first met, he made fun of me for it often, which is a main reason I became so cynical toward humans.

I'd bring up something involving humans, and he'd basically bust in with, "You're able to talk, at least, you basically are a humie." I don't like that word at all. I really do have something against humans, just their existence pisses me off, but I don't want to call them slurs. I'm just against using slurs.

Seth, however, is more okay with invalidating humans. I don't think he's ever hurt one, but in general he avoids them. I've clung onto his use of "it" pronouns for them, but it doesn't bother me too much. They're very comparable to us, but also not really. They adopt different styles than us, which I respect for the most part. They almost never eat red meat, often wear clothing that's either too baggy or too tight on them where we actually want our clothes to fit us, their accents are a little weird and have some different holidays, but nothing else really major.

I feel bad for the human living in there. I never got a good look at it- I mean them... I don't even know their gender. I asked them to leave mostly for their safety (but definitely also because I don't want our things to be ruined), but they just tapped at the wall. It might have been in code, but I didn't understand it.

I decide one more time to go over to the human and try to reason with them. "Hi, sorry I keep bothering you, but I really do want to get to know you." I hear the tiniest, softest sigh ever. It was somewhat low pitched. Possibly a boy. "Let's do this, tap once for no and twice for yes. Do you want to do that?" One tap. "Can we do it anyway? Just tap, that's all you need to do." Three taps. Smartass. "I'll come back when you're ready." One, very loud smack against the wall. "Or not." Two satisfied taps. A muffled, quiet giggle. I can't help but smile. I decide as long as they're not taking a lot from us, they can't be too much harm.

"It's gonna be nothing but harm! I had to work my ass off-"

"We." I correct Seth.

"We had to work our asses off to get this house, and this lowlife gets to come and live without pay?" He asks angrily.

"They're not able to get money. I read the article, they're basicslly facing a depression!"

"The presence of a fucking human in my-"

"OUR." I correct Seth again.

"THE PRESENCE OF A HUMAN OUR HOUSE IS MAKING ME FACE A DEPRESSION!" I look behind him onto the edge of the counter to the kitchen. I left crackers out. The human is grabbing one. We make eye contact and they run off right away, dropping the cracker. 

"How much do you think that little tiny human is eating, or drinking, or washing themself, or anything else? Mice can eat more in a week's span than humans," I explain, growing hot.

"Why are you so defensive of this one little tiny human, then? If I were to hurt this human in any way, what would you do?" he asks, and I pause.

"I would break up with you."

"Then to save us from that, help me get rid of it." he sighs, calming down. I loosen up a bit too. I barely know the human, and I've known Seth for years. For now, I'll choose to not choose. I'll stay on the fence until it collapses. I get up and grab the cracker the human got and set it in front of his tile.

-I'm busting out chapters like a bitch, try and stop me-