Temptations

Anna sat across from her friend, Jenny, in the deserted common room of their dorm. Headphones in, she was more than happy to binge watch the second season of Sherlock for the fifth time while her friend worked on writing her speech for class.

A frustrated groan from Jenny made its way through Anna’s noise canceling headphones, forcing her to pause the episode and slide her headphones off.

“Trouble?” she mused, they had been sitting there long enough for Anna to have watched half of the new season.

Jenny shot her a glare, “It’s four in the morning Anna. Calling this stupid assignment ‘trouble’ is an understatement!” She snapped her laptop closed in a huff and looked as though she was contemplating throwing it at the nearest wall.

“It can’t be that bad. It’s a class on fairy tales for crying out loud. At most you should feel outraged at how much you’re paying to take it!” Anna laughed.

Jenny buried her head in her hands and looked to be close to a mental breakdown. Finals were rougher on some than others.

“It’s ok, Jenny. Show me what you have.” Anna reached for the laptop and quickly read through the speech. “Just so we are clear: Snow White’s temptations is your subject?”

“Yes. When I picked it I didn’t think that it would be this difficult to explain the psychology behind her choices.”

“So don’t.”

“What?”

“Don’t do that. Snow White is a children’s story, no need to over think it.”

“That’s…that’s literally the purpose of the class Anna. I have to analyze it.” Jenny grumbled, her head still in her hands.

Anna reclined back into her chair, “Homegirl got taken out by an apple Jen, the story isn’t exactly some deep philosophical metaphor about the human condition. Personally, if some evil witch was trying to tempt me to eat anything it would have to be a piece of chocolate cake.”

Jenny raised her head to stare at her in disbelief, “Right, because in seventeenth century Germany people were just walking around with cake.”

“Who do you think invented the German Chocolate Cake then?”

“I can’t believe I’m having this conversation with you right now.”

“Hey, don’t mess with a German-American and their knowledge of cake!” Anna said, shifting to sit forward in her chair, a smirk pulling at the corners of her mouth.

“You’re only half German, Anna.” Jenny rubbed the heels of her hands against her closed eyes.

Anna snorted and waived her hand in dismissal, “That’s beside the point. The point is that if I was going to risk my life for a wish then the witch better bribe me with something better than an apple.”

“I need this speech ready to go by three this afternoon!”

“So write how Snow should have held out for better stuff! Come on, the apple wasn’t even the first try in the original story!”

Jenny sighed, “Actually there are some scholars who believe the story goes back to ancient Rome or Greece.”

“Oh cool, use that then!”

“Snow ends up getting a new tongue piercing from a goddess by way of an arrow at the end of that story’s version.”

“Dang. Still more interesting than the apple though.”

Jenny half screamed half growled in frustration making Anna smile. She was having way too much fun with this.

"Look,” Anna said handing back her friend’s laptop, “I have a last minute tech rehearsal to run for the musical that starts in three hours so you can make one of three choices…”

“Will I like them?”

“Probably not. Now don’t interrupt me. First, you could keep trying to do the deep dive philosophical thing which is getting you nowhere. Second, you could do what I suggest and go with the Snow White bashing route.”

“And option three?” she asked cringing at Anna’s wolfish grin.

“You get me a slice of chocolate cake from the cafeteria and I write your speech for you.”

“Isn’t that cheating?”

“Honey, it’s finals week. The professors don’t care at this point and you’re the one who will have to edit and give the speech so I feel like I’m doing the easy part.”

“Deal!” Jenny jumped up and ran over to hug her friend, “I’ll go and get that cake right now, thank you so much Anna!”

Anna grinned like a Cheshire cat, “No problem. I actually took that class last year and I know what your professor likes to see in an analysis presentation.”

Jenny’s jaw looked like it was going to hit the floor, “You, you knew all this time and didn’t help me sooner?”

Anna shrugged, “I wanted to see what you came up with on your own.”

“I would kill you right now if I didn’t need you.”

“I guess that makes me the evil witch in this little story doesn’t it?” Anna laughed and slipped her headphones back on, “I’ll get working on it as soon as you get back with my payment.”