Life's Too Simple

You know, some people have it really hard in life. They have to work hard, and still barely get paid. They have to ask out 100 girls before they get a date. They have to take a test a million times just to pass.

I'm not one of them.

"Ru, tu ne peux pas rester pour la nuit?" A familiar voice calls from behind me. Oh right, I'm bilingual, let me clear that up for you.

"Ru, can't you stay the night?" A familiar voice calls from behind me. See, that's better, isn't it? The voice belongs to Antoinette, her house isn't too far from mine so we kind of fell into being fuck buddies out of convenience.

I finish buckling my belt and pull my t-shirt back on. "You know that's not how it goes Toni, no staying over. I'll see you at school next week." I respond. I don't mean to offend the girl, but you've gotta set boundaries in situations like this. With that settled I exit the room through the window and drop to the ground below... Her parents may not be fans of mine.

Wait, wait, wait, let's back up. We've got some time while I cycle home, so here's everything you need to know about me. First off, my name's Rufus Monroe, 18, black hair, green eyes, six foot two, and all the other shit that's listed on my dating profile.

Second, I'm a freak of nature, and not in the bedroom sense... Well, sometimes in the bedroom sense. See, I don't have a father, thanks to some science hocus-pocus I was born from an egg cell fertilised with the DNA of another egg cell. Sounds impossible, probably is to most people, but I hear my aunt isn't like most people.

So, I live just outside Nice in the south of France with my Mum, my Mama, and of course...

"You're late again." Comes my little sister's voice as I enter our front door. Rosie Monroe is what we in the business call a massive buzzkill. She stands about a head shorter than me with fire red hair and piercing blue eyes. Eyes she likes to use to watch my every move and then turn me into our parents. "Let me guess, Toni wanted round two?"

"Rose, come on, give me more credit than that! There was a bird hurt on the side of the road, so naturally, I did the responsible thing and stayed with it until the vet could get there. Would you have had me leave it to die?" I lie outright, and we both know it.

A gasp comes from round the corner, as my other sister wanders out into the hallway. "Is the baby bird okay now?" Asks Poppy. Ahh, my youngest sister, the sweetest, purest young thing you've ever met. With long raven black hair and blue eyes, she's the spitting image of our Mama.

I should explain, so, it turns out that the genetic integration that led to us existing also weakens the strength of the egg, meaning a hugely increased chance of it breaking, leading to twins or, in this case, triplets. That being said, my mother is a twin, so I suppose it just runs in the family.

"Bird's fine, Poppy, the vet took him to the animal hospital, he'll be back in the sky in no time... Right, Rosie?" I respond, nudging my sister, forcing her to go along with my lie, meaning she can't drop me in it.

Rosie sighs before admitting defeat. "Yeah, Pops, vets are experts." She agrees, bringing a smile to Poppy's face. You can't bring yourself to disappoint her, she's like guilt manifested into a person.

Our hallway discussion is interrupted by rapidly approaching footsteps, odd, they're definitely quicker than usual. Finally, my Mama appears, looking paler than usual, contrasting her black hair and blue eyes.

"Oh good, you're here." She exhales with relief, but she still looks shaken. You need to understand, this woman is infallible, she's like a superhero, she makes every recital, every club, every birthday, and still manages a gallery, all with a smile on her face. Whatever it is, it must be big. Usually nothing fazes Elise Monroe. "Come into the lounge, we need to talk."

The three of us look at each other, all unsure as to what's going on, before following our mother through to the front room. Entering, I see my Mum sat in a chair on the far end, silent and tearful. Her bright red hair falling over her face, and her make-up muddied around her green eyes.

We take our seats on the sofa, as our Mama begins to comfort our Mum. I always refer to them by those names, thought I guess they're both our mothers, but Mama is French, and Mum is English, it just seems appropriate.

"We've... We've received some news today." Mama begins, before taking a moment to continue. "I won't keep you guessing, the truth is, we're going to have to move to England for a while... About a year."

Wait, what? We've lived solely in this house for over a decade now, I haven't been to the UK since I was seven, what the fuck is going on?

"We have to leave?" Poppy nearly chokes on her words.

"Not forever, but... We need to be there for a while to deal with some issues, you see..." Mama hesitates, looking at Mum.

"It's your grandmother." Mum states, finally breaking her silence.

"She's passed away."