Valerie nodded in understanding.
"Don't worry, what happens between us stays between us."
Valerie shrugged when she said that she didn't like how she talked about the casual sex.
"We live in a hook-up culture, Mika, and it's not unusual for people to have multiple sexual partners in their lifetime. I think the average high school student has something around twenty different romantic partners, and that could potentially mean twenty different sexual partners. It's only the super-religious people that have a fear discipline instilled in them that abstain from sex before marriage, and that kind of belief system has a ton of its own problems, too."
Valerie gave her a sympathetic look.
"If it makes you feel any better, I haven't casually slept with any girls, unless you count what we did as casual sex, and I haven't hooked up with anyone, nor will I, now that I want you as my girlfriend. So, if you want commitment, you have that without a doubt."
She nodded as Mika kept talking.
"I understand, but the majority of guys out there really are good. I never had any issues with guys, I just never wanted a serious relationship after my first love didn't work out...I didn't want to be hurt like that again, I guess."
Valerie let the shot at her casual hook-ups pass.
"Well, honestly, if you weren't so shy, you might have had a few casual hook-ups yourself. Getting drunk, emotional problems, and other things can all lead to some bad sex decisions, and sleeping with a man doesn't mean that you have to marry him. I understand you having a problem with my past dating life, but there's no need for me to defend it, either. Lots of people have lots of casual sex and then settle down when they meet the right one, and that's where I'm at in my life right now. Maybe as you learn more about the ways of relationship, you'll come to understand and maybe even agree with my point-of-view, too."
Valerie noticed that Mika was dodging the question about her father, but she was not going to press her on it. She had deduced that Mika's father Minato had been shy at one point, but had overcome this in order to win the woman of his dreams, Kushina. Perhaps Mika was wondering if she could do the same thing, especially since she had the added difficulty of prejudice against homosexuals to consider. Valerie herself was not even sure that she was ready to live openly as someone in a lesbian relationship, although she desperately wanted to muster up the courage to do so. Seeing that the conversation had probably run its course, she turned back to the TV that was hooked up to her laptop.
"So, what do you want to do for fun, Mika-chan?"
Brandon nodded as he listened to Angel talk about not knowing what to do. When she tossed out the club and going as a group with Mika and Valerie, he smiled.
"That's a great idea, we haven't done anything as a group in a while. I don't need to do much to get ready and then we can go. We can ask the girls if they want to go and see what happens."
Brandon chuckled.
"Let's hope there's no angry gang members at whatever club we go to this time," he said as he rubbed the back of his head in memory pain.