“It's nothing bad”

One day, Josh and Jared were sitting around talking about high school, as usual.

They made their way to talking about members of their drama class, also as usual. For the millionth time, the topic shifted to which members of the class they might have dated... or gotten with, if things had played out differently.

“I'd do Patty,” Josh said casually, referring to their old classmate, Patty Dxxtx. He had no lust or urgency in his voice. He said it as flatly as if he was announcing that he'd take his coffee with sugar.

“It's nothing bad,” he added, seeing Jared's slightly surprised expression. “I'd just do her. It's nothing bad.”

It was funny to Jared that he could sense exactly what Josh meant to communicate by “it's nothing bad.” Normally, to say you would do someone — especially someone with whom you have no history, who has shown you no interest — could be seen as overly blunt, crude, or predatory. If not that, making such a declaration more than a decade after last seeing the person could come off sad or pathetic.

Jared knew it was none of that. Josh's words were as casual as could be. He'd do Patty, but it didn't mean anything. He meant her no harm. He had no feelings, he wasn't thinking about her, he wasn't hoping for it to happen, and he had no intention of ever actually talking to her. He hadn't even considered it before that very conversation. He would just do her, in theory.

It was truly nothing bad, and from then on, the guys minimized many more of their disgusting, crude, or pointless thoughts with that phrase.  ❒

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