Fiction logo

Co-opticians

(Noun: people who take over your thoughts or ideas and attempt to make them clearer)

By Kendall Defoe Published 2 years ago 2 min read
Co-opticians
Photo by Dmitry Ratushny on Unsplash

“So, what do you think?”

I had known Mike my whole life; hard not to with our families being from the same island and our going to the same schools, studying the same things, chasing after the same girls.

That was it. The chase was the problem.

“Mike, let’s go through this one more time. You asked her out after a class where you were the only one who was ready for the test that the teacher gave you. She came up to you and complained about how unfair it was that you all had a test two weeks after a midterm. And then she asked you to help her with the material. So, you book a room at the library where you meet twice a week to compare notes… Her notes barely exist, so you completely go overboard and copy everything you did for the term. Then, you meet – I really have to mention this out loud – her long-term boyfriend, a guy who is already out of college and has a job with his dad’s company. He never suspects that you have any interest in her (she even called you “her tutor”). Then, when the term is over and you are about to do the final, you ask her out. Is that pretty much it?”

“Yeah, man. So what you think?”

Mike stared hard at him, coffee spilling over his saucer.

He stared at his friend, his family, and did not dare to laugh.

Would still need directions...

*

Thank you for reading!

If you liked this, you can add your Insights, Comment, leave a Heart, Tip, Pledge, or Subscribe. I will appreciate any support you have shown for my work.

You can find more poems, stories, and articles by Kendall Defoe on my Vocal profile. I complain, argue, provoke and create...just like everybody else.

Give it a look...

familyHumorLoveMicrofictionShort StorySatire

About the Creator

Kendall Defoe

Teacher, reader, writer, dreamer... I am a college instructor who cannot stop letting his thoughts end up on the page. No AI. No Fake Work. It's all me...

And I did this:

Buy Me A Coffee

Blogger

Squawk Back

Quora

Reedsy

Instagram

Peliplat

My Books!

Reader insights

Be the first to share your insights about this piece.

How does it work?

Add your insights

Comments (3)

Sign in to comment
  • Mark Gagnon2 years ago

    Sometimes it’s better to observe dummies than explain their behavior.

  • Lol, that quote at the end! That's a very creative word!

  • Yep, been there, done that, both sides of the conversation, oft with no one else involved. Great word!

Find us on social media

Miscellaneous links

  • Explore
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Support

© 2026 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.