June 2024 Flash Lit 9.2 - Cherry

“It’s offensive,” Molly said.

Dave looked startled.  “It’s just an idiom.”

 

“Lots of idioms are offensive,” Molly countered.  “And when we realize it, we stop saying them.  Unless we’re jerks.”

 

“Me for jerk!” Dave said.

 

Molly stabbed him with her eyes.

 

“I love offending people,” he said.  “It makes life interesting.”

 

“Crosses off all lists for party invitations forever and dumps boyfriend…” Molly said.

 

“Wow,” he said.  “You’re serious.  I was just fucking around.”

 

“This would be the finding out part,” she said.

 

Dave, shocked into contrition, said, “I’m sorry.  I don’t understand, but I didn’t want to hurt you.”

 

Molly sighed.  “You’re making me do your work,” she said.  “But I do love you, so I’ll explain.”

 

Dave perked up like a puppy who, after a scolding, is given a ball, but he was smart enough to keep listening.

 

“The phrase is offensive because it implies that women are only valuable when they’re virgins, that some guy’s few inches of flesh is enough to change a woman’s whole worth, and it perpetuates the toxic masculine notion that men have to want to fuck everything that moves in order to be manly,” she said.

 

“I won’t say it again,” Dave said.

 

Then he stole the maraschino from Molly’s sundae and popped it in his mouth with an evil grin.