Rorrim.
7400.
gHurry,
hurry, this way!h cried Patrick as he lightning-bolted blindly through the
dense crowd. Only his fingers,
tightly encircling Beyafs slender but strong wrists, could confirm that she was
still with him.
The
torrent of repetitive inquiries came as an ad hoc fugue, each one in a fresh
voice popping out from beneath the previous one on the same tune. gIs it true that you used to be a
priestess on Xishebelle?h gWhat
kinds of clothes did you wear?h
gWhat do blue vegetables really taste like?h gIs it true that you used
to be a priestess on Xishebelle?h
The
questions were endless and almost menacing, and try as she might to fight fire
with water and provide as many answers as she could, Beya could not keep up the
motor-mouthing while exhaustedly trying to catch her breath as she ran. Scarcely minutes ago, she had undergone
the rigorous xenosanitation procedure to catch unidentified alien pathogens
before her passage into Catleya, and certainly it was no gentle scan en rinse
given the complexity of divergent and convergent evolution.
gHoly
cow, Patrick. Ifm thinking that c
reclusive c hags lead rather c appealing lifestyles c right about now,h Beya
managed, rather admirable in coherency, between gasps for air.
gOh
come on now, enjoy the attention.
Youfll never be free of it as long as youfre dating me.h
gDating
you? Since when c was I c dating
you?h asked Beya. gYoufve never
asked me c out before c lame c lame c lame c lame c .h
gOh
cut it out!h interjected Patrick.
gWhere exactly do you propose to have a romantic outing on a planet of
collapsing stone buildings and gigantic dragons?h
gI
would think that c kissing c a priestess with a vow c of celibacy c would be
the harder part c .h
gFor
an adolescent male? What planet
are you from?h asked Pat.
Beya
gave no reply, just glaring, hoping it would penetrate the back of Patfs head.
gOh
yeah! Not this one! Ha ha ha
ha ha ha,h laughed Pat at his own attempt at a joke. He felt a wrist trying to wriggle out of his grip.
gI
make this prayer that I be freed from the misery of a lifetime bad jokes, so
just let me cast myself on faith into the crowd,h said Beya in a mock solemn
voice. But before she could make
her cunning escape, the two suddenly burst upon the palace drawbridge and hurtled
into the front foyer.
gWefre
home!h announced Patrick, his palms dropping to his knees.
gCan
I change?h asked Beya, tugging on her sweat-laden patterned dress.
gSure,
what would you like? We have
dresses that feel like water or flower petals, for instance.h
gOh
no, please dress me like a normal person.
And by that, I mean no dresses for now.h
gUh,
okay, whatever suits you,h said Patrick, calling his personal computer from its
floating state. He descended and
then unfolded, the two parallel bars of the monitor zipping apart and the
screen materializing. gHere, take
your pick and let the scanner head determine your sizes.h The girl took the computer and sifted
through the virtual mall, settling on a simple pairing of a t-shirt and denim
shorts.
A
small bead-like probe swept around Beya, tracing a path that looked like a
spring. Beya twisted around to
follow the probe, earning reminders from Patrick to stand still.
gWoah,
that little guy is pretty cool.
But I bet hefs perverted, just like you,h she said.
gPerhaps,h
Patrick replied with an ambiguous smirk.
He whistled loudly and a scampering was heard in the distance. Beya turned around to see a large box
bounding forward.
The prince knelt down and tapped the computer to the boxfs head, and it sprouted two engines, flying off into the distance. Beya just stared in awe, even long after the box had vanished into the horizon.
gTechnology is quite the spectacle,
ainft it,h said Beya. gI gotta get
used to all these gizmos you guys have,h she resolved.
gHey,
have you seen Sonya around?h asked Patrick suddenly. gI havenft seen her for the longest while.h
gI
think she said she was going over to a friendfs house to play angelball or
something.h
Patrick
frowned and tapped his headset to call his sister.
gHe-llo?h
came an energetic voice.
gHi,
Sonya.h
gOh
wait, itfs just you?h she said, sounding disappointed.
gJust
me?! What do you mean by
that? I was being a dutiful
brother, worrying about you, and this is all the love I get?h
gOh,
no, Ifm sure youfre getting plenty of love right now, if you know what I
mean. Purr purr. Thatfs why I came over here to Winnyfs
house, so you guys didnft have to look after me. I even made sure that there were clean sheets on the
bed. And velvet pillows. Purr purr.h Sonya cackled manically.
gSONYA!h
shouted Patrick, blushing red.
Beya gave Patrick a shove.
gJust what perverted thing are you scheming now?!h she snapped.
gHey,
hey, it wasnft me!h said Patrick in defense. gSonya, itfs Sonya being perverted!h
gOh
right, blame it on your little sister.
Very manly of you.h
gAh,
you women conspire to ruin me,h whined Patrick with flush lips and puppy eyes,
earning him a gentle kiss planted on his forehead.
gOh
yes, ruin you we shall,h said Beya with a wink. gIfm gonna go take a shower. You will have no balls if you peep on me.h
gWait,
but I thought it took balls to peep in the first place.h
gThat
it does. Peeping has a negative
derivative with respect to the number of balls you have.h
gOhhhhh,h
said Patrick, who was about to reply with something when Sonya cried angrily
through the phone, gHey, donft ignore me!
I said you can purr purr in your room, not purr purr while talking to
me!h
gMultitasking
is an art,h pointed out Patrick, playing along. gWe are siblings, so we are inextricably connected. I bet when you purr purr, youfll also
call me to chat.h
gYou
messed up pig! Bye!h exclaimed
Sonya, hanging up.
Patrick
sighed and sat down on a bench, letting his legs relax. Sweltering too, he pulled off his shirt
and spun it around to fan himself down.
gYeech, this thing reeks.h
He stood up and trudged over to his room on the second floor, where he
flopped onto the ground and fell fast asleep.
Fifteen
minutes later, as Patrick snored away, Beya suddenly realized that she had not
yet received her change of clothes yet, and she had to choose between wearing
her drenched ones again or going out in the full glory of her underwear.
gPatrick! Patrick! Help!h she cried.
No response.
gPATRICK!h Again, no response.
gDarn
it,h she muttered to herself, shutting off the shower. gOh, what the fuck, this is the last
resort. HONEY!! Ifm feeling terribly horny right now! And c Ifm ass-naked!h
Patrickfs
inner man jolted awake and guided him to just outside the bathroom, then
promptly abandoned him as his upper mind took over.
gBeya,
did you need something?h he asked groggily.
gMy
freaking clothes!h she shouted back, through the door.
gOh!h
he replied, a lightbulb going off in his head. gYeah, the clothes.h
He
ran down the corridor and slid down the central staircasefs handrails, arriving
back at the foyer where the box was sitting, playing cards with a smaller
bubble-wrapped box.
gYoufre
late,h said the box. gI see you
and raise you twenty cents.h
gWait,
are you betting the change from the money I gave you to pay for the clothes?h
gAnd
what if I am?h asked the box.
gWhatever,
just give me the clothes,h said Patrick.
gPlease,h
reminded the box.
gPlease.h
gNo,
you were late. Let me finish this
round of poker first.h
gCanft
you open up while you play?h
gYes,
I could, but that might break my poker face.h
gYou
donft have a face,h noted Patrick.
The
box sighed. gYou seem to miss the
point.h
gThe
point being?h
gThat
youfre late and now you are being punished for it. Whatever, Ifm all in, baby.h
gThatfs
five thousand Conodee Dollars!
Where on Catleya are you getting these sums?h
gThe
store clerks think Ifm cute, so they tip me.h
gAnd
you spend it all playing poker?h asked Patrick.
gOh
no. This hunk of box makes a
profit. Itfs how I treat the
ladies out every night.h
gBoxes
donft have gender, either,h said Patrick.
gAnd gambling is bad for your health.h
The
box opened. gJust get your sexy
clothes and leave me alone! It
ainft easy being a box.h
Patrick
grabbed the shirt and shorts and carried them up the stairs. gThanks,h he muttered.
gDid
you just say something?h
gNo,
nothing,h said Patrick.
gBeya-miei, Ifm setting your clothes down here. You just have to open the door and walk
to the top of the stairs to get them.h
gNice
try,h said Beya. gYou leave them
right outside the door, then you go into your room, lock the door, and cover
your eyes. Count to twenty and
then you can come out. While still
covering your eyes just in case.h
A
voice came from downstairs, gMannn, shefs got you whipped!h
gShut
up,h retorted Patrick defiantly, laying the clothes beside the door and
dragging his feet into his room.
Beyafs ear was pressed against the door so intently that she could feel
the little grooves in the painted wood surface. There was the characteristic click of a locking door, and,
satisfied, she opened the door a crack, grabbed her clothes, and put them on,
remembering how Sonya got dressed while in the conventfs sanctuary as a reference.
gPatrick,h
she said, stepping out. gYou can
come out of your room now.h
But
she got no response. Puzzled, Beya
glanced at her watch. gItfs been
twenty seconds already; you can come out.h She walked over to the closed door and rapped the door with
her knuckles, twice in a long-short pattern. Again silence.
Cautiously,
in case her boyfriend was sleeping, she tried turning the doorknob – it was
unlocked. She pushed forward with
great restraint, the hinges creaking slightly and not letting up even though
she tried to halt the movement every time a sliver of a creak seemed to start
dribbling out from between the metal.
Intently, intently, she opened the door, until she could see through the
tall narrow crack. A hint of a
poster, a bit of bed, and one staring eyeball.
gHoly
shit!h she shouted, swinging the door so violently that it smashed into the
wall with a bang and crackle.
gHaha,
gotcha!h shouted Patrick, who had fallen backwards onto the floor due to the
swinging door.
gHow
old are you again?h asked Beya when she had caught her breath.
gSixteen?h
gGood
grief, teenage boys really are so immature.h
gAww,h
said Patrick. gNow thatfs just too
bad, isnft it.h
gHey,
can I borrow some money from you to go shopping? I wanted to see what the markets are like here.h
gSure,
but didnft you just take a shower to get rid of the sweat? Itfs still thirty-one degrees out
there, you know.h
gItfs
okay,h said Beya, gI can always just put up my hair.h She reached up and deftly swept her long hair into a florid
penta-knot, sealing it with a kebob skewer lying atop the dresser.
gWoah,
howfd you do that so quickly?h
gIt
was standard for morning prayer,h Beya answered. gDo you think it looks nice with these sorts of clothes
though?h she asked, twisting her body to look at herself.
gI
think you look really cute,h Patrick said. Beya smiled and twirled around twice, cocking her head at
the end so that her hair bounced a little.
gYay! Alrighty, Ifll head out to the market
then.h
gUm,
which market?h asked Patrick.
gOh
yeah, therefs more than one, isnft there c,h said Beya, forgetting that she was
no longer at home.
gAre
you looking for open-air markets or department stores?h
gUm,
Ifm not sure what a department store is c,h admitted Beya.
gIn
that case, do you just want me to show you around?h
gOhhh
no no no! I want to go by myself.h
gHuh? Ifll go wherever you want, though, not
just places I want to go,h said Patrick, a little bit crestfallen at Beyafs
insistence on going without him.
gNo,
really, itfs okay. I wonft get
lost,h said Beya. gIfll be back
before dinner, okay?h
gAlright
c,h he answered. gWhy donft you
take my computer with you, just in case.
And herefs a hundred thousand Conodee dollars.h
gWhat?!h
cried Beya. gI donft think I need
that much to buy c,h but then she trailed off.
gTo
buy?h
gAnything. You know, new earrings, skirts,
smoothies, books.h
gWell,
you can leave some of it in your room, if you want, but I insist that you at
least start with this much since youfre coming here with absolutely none at
all.h
gAww,
thanks so much,h Beya said, giving a very tight hug. gSo where will I be staying?h
gHmm,
you can probably have one of the guest rooms.h
gIs
your mom going to approve of me mooching off of you all?h
gWell,
youfre a foreign exchange student, so itfs not like youfre just idling around
or anything.h
gStill,
I feel bad,h Beya said, frowning.
gI should get a job or something, shouldnft I? I want to be able to pay you back for everything.h
gLighten
up a little, will you? You just
moved from one planet to another and jumped about five thousand years in terms
of technology. You deserve to take
it easy.h
gTherefs
a difference between taking it easy for work and taking it easy morally. The latter shouldnft be done for any
account.h
gMorally? Listen, Amaglahael isnft here
anymore. Please, go enjoy
yourself. I want to see you come
back with both hands full of bags, okay?h
Beya nodded. gAlright, I will,h she said, turning around to leave.
gWait, Beya,h called Patrick.
gYes?h she asked, stopping, secretly
hoping that he wanted to give her a goodbye kiss or tell her that he loved her.
gYour t-shirt is solid white.h Beya sighed in her mind, sad that Patrick didnft seem to notice that he hadnft told her that he loved her for the past few days.
gSo it is,h said Beya, not knowing what else to say to that rather obvious observation. gI think it suffices for a simple girl like me.h
gNo no, that means that you havenft downloaded any patterns onto it yet, silly! Itfs the default appearance. Here, what do you like?h
gI like c uhh c water pitchers? You know, the pretty ones.h
gWater pitchers?! No one makes water pitcher designs for t-shirts! Thatfs like asking for a design with a small elf standing on a hunking slab of ham.h
gWhatfs wrong with elves on ham? I personally think thatfs a cute touch.h
Patrick just raised an eyebrow.
gAhem, well then, hmm, bamboo stalks or something?h
Patrick deployed his computer and pulled up a bamboo design from the companyfs website. He tapped the computer onto the side of the shirt and suddenly stylized yellow and green bamboo graced the front and back of the shirt.
The leaves swayed a little, as if touched by a bit of wind. Beya stared at herself for a full minute before Patrick poked her.
gOh, haha, itfs kind of mesmerizing. Thanks!h
And then she stood there for another minute.
gUm, you can stop checking yourself out now,h said Patrick, a little bit embarrassed.
gWhat, you want this hot action all for yourself?h teased Beya, looking up at Patrick and lowering her eyelids halfway, fluidly gliding and shuffling towards the boy, her hips swaying like a pendulum, brought into stark relief by her bold gold-and-silvery belt. gHmm? Mmm? Mm-mmm?h She licked her lips gently, leaving them glistening. Patrick shifted uncomfortably, unused to his pure lily acting in this way.
gWell, you canft have it just yet,h she said with a giggle. gThese .. gupgradesh .. only appeared a year ago, so I need to do some quality checks on them first. When youfre not around, that is.h She crossed her arms and grabbed her shoulders, letting out a sigh of mock ecstasy. gBeing in a place without any guys, you know, a girl learns how to fend for herself.h
gGah, stop it! Youfre making me blush,h said Patrick, feeling that searing warmth extending all the way up into his tear ducts.
gAw, my cute widdle straw~berry. I wonder what he tastes like?h
Patrick shoved Beya towards the door. gGo! The lack of shopping must be making you delirious!h
gSigh, youfre no fun,h said Beya, returning to her normal, casual expression. gYeah, yeah, Ifm outta here.h
Beya returned a few hours later without announcing herself, stashing her bags away in a few empty cabinets in a second floor kitchen that was primarily being used for storage, since the first floor kitchen was much better kept. With a new friend floating nearby, she walked over to ask Patrick about which guest room she could use, given how many there were. But Patrick was strangely absent with a note posted on his door.
gDearest Beya, Ifve gone to pick up Sonya from Winnyfs house. Make yourself at home in any guest room you choose.h
She happily obliged, skipping down the hall and peeking into each open guest room – there seemed to be different color schemes and furniture traditions, ranging from classical to modern to futuristic. Some rooms were floridly elegant, or unabashedly girly, or just plain gothic. She settled for a decently-sized room with blue floral patterns and dark red-and-burnt-painted pseudo-wood. The room looked like it hadnft been touched for ages. She smiled and flopped onto the bed, tucking her legs beside her breasts and opening her first personal computer.
It let out a pleasant windchime sound as the mouse-fingers sprouted, the screen unfurled, and the keyboard film floated out. She recalled all of the technical lessons Patrick had given her secretly after curfew in her convent room, although she was still slower than everyone she had seen in the endless stores – and she had only ventured two blocks out from the palace; the fifty-story shopping center was more than bewildering already for a girl from a planet where the tallest building was three stories tall. All of the men and women walking around seemed able to type, chat out loud, and purchase things, all at the same time and doing each at such a rapid pace.
Was Beya just too slow for this society? The thought scared her as she slowly plunked in her user name and password at the prompt using her index finger. She would have to learn how to type properly, perhaps from Sonya so that she did not make a fool of herself in front of the guy she loved and wanted to impress.
The gentle hums were shocking in contrast to the hustle and bustle outside, and the girl felt herself sinking slowly into the plush comforters, her fingers instinctively undoing her hair and letting it flow in sweeping curves all over the flowers and leaves in the pattern. The tendrils of her hair flopped about just like the tendrils of the morning glories below them. The shadows of Beyafs splendid hair could even pass as part of the design.
She idly started surfing the web, trying to familiarize herself with its mysterious workings. While typing her her right hand (attempting to use more than just her index finger), her left hand twirled strands of hair that fell into her eyes. She mused that an ugly duckling like her had suddenly turned into something of a beauty, and she didnft know what to make of it. Even though no one could recognize her, the gazes still hovered and lingered.
The mirror in the room told her she was beautiful, and it scared her somewhat. Something in her wanted to just cover it up in cloaks and wrappings of petals, just to hide away. She had grown up being taught every day to spurn physical beauty and lust. But if it were so bad, why did it feel so good, the gteasingh teasing this morning that she perhaps wished werenft teasing?
Beya sighed for the thousandth time in the day, shutting off the computer and letting herself achieve a half-dozed state, her eyelids not fully closed but her mouth hanging idly open, a hint of drool slipping down her otherwise pristine face.
Patrick reentered the palace proudly, sister trailing him, grumbling the whole way back.
gGeez, why couldnft you let me finish playing that one match with Winny? I was winning, too!h
gThen youfve won,h said Patrick. gYou girls were playing til sixty, and you werenft even halfway there!h
gWe were at thirty-one!h protested Sonya. gWe were more than halfway there!h
gAngelball is a slow game – play it when youfre done catching up with the classes you missed!h
gOh, and purr purring with Beyabeya is a good use of time? It isnft even exercise!h
gYes, it is!h retorted Patrick. gWait.h
Sonya gave a knowing grin. Nothing got past that girl. gOhhhh so you have purr purred, havenft you? And she likes it c athletic? Totally didnft see it in her. Guess you can never tell from a cute face what demonesses lie beneath.h
gSonya! Youfre fourteen! Donft talk like youfre twenty-one!h
gYoufre not denying that you did it.h
gI didnft do it!h
gNow Ifm inclined to think youfre lying.h
gIfm lying? Why donft you ask eBeyabeyaf then? You trust her, donft you?h
gAfter the way she seduced you this morning? No way!h cried Sonya.
gShe didnft seduce me! She hit me, for the godsf sake!h
gWhatever, you stink.h
gSo do you, Sonya. You really need to take a shower, or people will mistake you for a turd.h
gHey, I actually smell quite good, thank you very much.h
gFor a turd, that is.h
gOh, shut your face,h said Sonya, throwing her sweaty towel at Patrickfs face and climbing the central staircase to go to the shower.
gTurd! This smells like turd!h shouted Patrick, waving his fists wildly.
gBoys c,h groaned Sonya. gI think Ifll go visit Beya afterwards instead. Hefs the turd in the family, not letting me finish my game.
Sonya
quickly located Beya after her shower, donning an oversized Coast City jersey
and matching green gym shorts of similar fabric. They reached down to her knees, and with her short hair,
they made her look like a boy in just that way that looked adorable on a
girl. You could take her
seriously, but she also carried an air of cute independence that surrounds
girls her age who demand to be treated like one of the guys.
gAhoooyyy,
Beyabeya!h cried Sonya. Beya sat
up on her bed and waved. gHiya,
Sonya.h
gOoh,
you look cute!h She stopped for a
minute and stared at the bamboo.
gUm,
you can stop checking me out now,h said Beya with a laugh.
gHey!h
shouted Sonya, crinkling her nose.
gItfs not like that. Eehee,
donft you want some at-home clothes though? I totally canft stand wearing jeans and sitting on my bed at
the same time.h
gWell,h
said Beya in her normal, calm tone.
gIfm afraid I donft have any pajamas at the moment.h
gWait,
but eTrick just told me you went shopping for clothes and stuff?h
gOh,
I bought this guy,h Beya answered, gesturing towards the teal-and-silver folded
computer.
gAh,
hefs so cute! Whatfs his name?h
gUhh,
I havenft gotten that far yet.h
gHmm,
you should name him eOrtreat!fh suggested Sonya.
gWhat
on Catleya does Ortreat mean?h
gWell,
Patrick is eTrick, so your computer can be Ortreat! See? Isnft that
cute?h said Sonya.
gUm,
that might make him feel unwanted,h confessed Beya, tugging a little on her
shorts to try and cover a bit more of her thighs. She felt slightly self-conscious about it upon seeing
Sonyafs decided modesty.
gUnwanted? I was just thinking of it as a theme.h
gYeah,
but on Hallowfs Eve you get the treat, not the trick. He might get jealous.h
gAh,
jealousy of a man upon his loverfs computer. Very understandable.
I might have to tell my future boyfriend that he has to accept that I
will always be betrothed to my digital lover.h
gI
think that might be a bit much to ask out of a guy.h
gTo
the contrary. I would, in
exchange, allow him to own a shaver.h
gA
what?h
gA
shaver. For shaving his beard and
mustache.h
gHow
is that even comparable? I
wouldnft want to date a guy who didnft own a shaver.h
gBut
ah,h said Sonya, gDonft you ever feel jealous when that thing touches his face,
strokes it, encircles his lips?
And the electric ones vibrate, too!h
gI
guess Ifm just not the jealous type,h admitted Beya. gI wouldnft mind watching Patrick shave, even if the shaver
vibrated a lot.h
gThe
scintillating vibration doesnft conjure up dirty thoughts in you?h
gHuh? Why would it?h
gOh
nevermind, youfre too innocent,h said Sonya, hoping Beya would not press the
question any further. There were
some things Sonya really rather wished she didnft know.
gIfm
never jealous of Patrick,h said Beya quietly. gI just wonder sometimes whether I even deserve someone like
him or not.h
gThat
turd? Ifd say you deserve better,h
said Sonya, sitting down on the bed beside her girlfriend-in-law. gIfll be frank here and say I donft
think he quite understands you.
Not deeply so, yet.h
gYoufre
right that he doesnft,h said Beya.
gBut one day he will. Hefs
done so much for me already, and I just feel like a loser being dependent on
him for everything.h
gOh,
perk up, Beyabeya. Youfll be
revving to go in no time! You can
become a waitress or something like that if you really feel awful, but I
personally see no point in that.
Just do something special for him so that he knows that hefs appreciated!h
gWell,
Ifm planning on giving him a surprise tomorrow, but I donft know. What if he doesnft like it? Or thinks itfs lame?h
gDo
you have faith in my brother?h asked Sonya.
gYes,h
replied Beya, staring at her crossed legs.
gThen
do you have faith that hefll appreciate it?h
gNo,h
said Beya.
Sonya
rolled her eyes. gOkay, letfs try
this again. Do you have faith in
my brother?h
gYes,h
replied Beya, staring at her crossed legs.
gComplete
faith?h
gYes,
complete faith. Thatfs what it
means for me to love him, isnft it?h asked Beya.
gYes,
if thatfs what your love is about.
Now, do you have faith that hefll appreciate anything you do for him
with your heart?h
gNo,h
said Beya.
gAh,
donft be an idiot!h cried Sonya, grabbing Beyafs face by the chin and turning
it towards her own.
gLook
at me, Beyabeya,h said Sonya. gIf
you truly have faith in Patrick, then you canft doubt him on this. You just canft. Complete faith also means having faith
that hefll know what you mean.
Donft you forget that, okay?h
Beya
laughed heartily. gGetting a
talking-to about love from a fourteen-year-old. Ifm really hopeless.h
gOh
no, itfs really okay. Hey, why
donft you come over to my room and pick out some comfy clothes to use for
bed. You also donft want to sleep
in that kind of t-shirt, because therefs the slight chance youfll smash some of
the tiny lights inside.h
gYeah,
that sounds like a plan,h said Beya, standing up. gIfm probably around the same size as you.h
gWaist
and hip, maybe, but you got me beat up there,h said Sonya matter-of-factly.
gBelieve
me, I wish they were smaller,h said Beya, earning a punch in the side.
gBe
grateful for what you have, dear sister,h said Sonya with narrowed eyes.
Beya
shivered a bit at the glare shot in her direction, but Sonya quickly returned
to her normal smiling self.
gAnyway,
here we are,h she announced, opening the closet door. The lights were off, but Beya could tell that there was
quite a collection of items inside, if only from the lack of echo as they stepped
inside.
The
lights flickered on, revealing several racks of clothes.
gDamn,h
said Beya, otherwise speechless.
gBut mostly they all kind of c look the same.h
gNo!h
countered Sonya. gNot the same at
all! Look, this one was
Ovlindosfs, 44, and over here is Jerridafs, even though she was also number
44. But the pattern on the trim
changed in the four years between their peak seasons.h
gAnd
c the point?h
gTheyfre
collectorsf items! Ah, I suppose
no one else would understand,h said Sonya with a mock frown, slinking away in
an cloud of emotive isolation.
gDo
you actually wear all of these?h inquired the older girl, ignoring the
princessfs theatrics.
gOh
no, no, I actually only wear the clothes on this rack here,h she said, pointing
to an array of more varied garments from sweatshirts to tennis skirts to
bathing suits to overalls. gIfm
just an c avid collector, you might say.
Ah, here, this one is nice.h
She pulled out a matching set of loose clothes, a sleeveless top and
elastic shorts with gratuitous amounts of cute pigs printed all over.
Beya
reached out and stroked the clothes.
gOoh,h she said, squirming a little, gitfs so soft!h
gIsnft
it?h said Sonya, smiling.
gYes
it is, isnft it!h agreed Beya.
gHere,
itfs yours!h Sonya outstretched both
hands and laid the pajamas into Beyafs open arms.
gThanks! What are these things?h asked Beya.
gWhat
are what things?h asked Sonya.
gWhat
are what are what things?h asked Beya, growing confused.
gLike,
what are what are what these things youfre talking about?h asked Sonya.
gThese!!h
cried Beya, exasperated, pointing at the pigs.
gPigs.h
gTheyfre
whats?h
gPigs,
theyfre pigs,h said Sonya.
gTheyfre rotund little fellows with short gold and white furs and large
lower tusks.h
gDo
you like them?h
gPigs? I suppose I do,h said Sonya. gAnyway, letfs go down for dinner. Patrickfs probably almost done
cooking.h
gEh? Why is Patrick cooking?h asked Beya.
g
eCause we arenft?h suggested the princess matter-of-factly.
gNo
no, I mean, why not your mom, or a maid, or something like that?h
gMom
is at a summit in Miaocon for the weekend, and besides, itfs better if Patrick
is cooking. As for maids, we donft
have one. There was a nanny here
but he quit a few years ago.h
gWhy
did she quit?h asked Beya.
gNo
no, he. And c Ifd rather
not talk about that,h said Sonya, avoiding eye contact.
gAww,
come on,h said Beya, shuffling closer to the other girl.
gFine! So there was a pig.h
A
lengthy period of silence followed afterwards, during which the only sound that
could be heard was the crackling of a distant stove.
gAnd?h
gThatfs
it,h said Sonya.
gYou
did something bad with the pig, didnft you?h
gIt
was justified,h said Sonya, with a humph of remorseful pride.
gYou
unleashed a pig on the nanny, didnft you?h
gHe
had it coming!h
gYou
put it in his room for revenge, didnft you? And when he opened the door, the pig was there, waiting for
him with its big tusks, wasnft it?h
gIt
didnft hurt him! It only smelled
bad! It was a big friendly pig!h
Another
lengthy period of silence ensued.
gWait,h
said Sonya, a few gears clicking in her head. gWait, you just made me admit the whole affair to you!h
gCall
it a precocious motherly intuition, dear,h said Beya with a wink.
gAh!! Older women are not to be trusted!h
cried Sonya.
Beya
smacked her upside the head with the pig shorts. gIfm not old!h
gGeez,
older women are violent, too,h muttered Sonya, tsk tsking all the while.
The
elder teenager just ignored her, strolling out into the curved second floor corridor.
gPatrick-me,
are you down there?h she called out, the voice resonating exuberantly off the
bare parts of the wall and especially the stone-laid foyer.
She
received no response, so she ran down the stairs towards the source of the
crackling sounds. She peered over
the edge of the wall through the entrance of the doorless room that was
radiating the delicious scents. It
was somewhat dark inside, but she could make out a shadowy figure wearing an
apron.
gPatrick!!h
she shouted with enthusiasm, enough so to make Patrick perk up in surprise and
drop his spatula on the floor.
gGah,
hold on, Beya!h he said frantically, picking up the spatula and rinsing it off
with water. gDonft scare me while
Ifm dealing with hot things!h
Patrick
certainly had not intended this to be a harsh statement at all – if anything,
it was only a joke – but Beya felt an irrational response in herself welling up
from it nonetheless. It was as
though she were just a nuisance, not useful at all.
She
ran back up the stairs so that Patrick would not see the tears that were
coursing out of her eyes as she bit her lips to stifle any outward sound. She passed by Sonya on the way up, but
with her head ducked, she managed to squeeze out a quasi-normal-sounding, gIfll
be right back. I have to pee.h
It
wasnft completely a lie, and a half-minute later, Beya was sniffing softly,
sitting on the cold and lonely porcelain toilet, the scents of flower gardens
percolating through the room, her own spirit enwrapped in the gentle
grass-leaves.
Downstairs,
Patrick asked Sonya if he had seen Beya.
gShe
just went upstairs,h said Sonya.
gWhy?h
gI
swear she was just here, but by the time I finished washing the spatula I
dropped, she was gone!h
gShe
said she had to pee or something.
Although I could have sworn water was coming out of the wrong spot for
it to be pee. Unless people on
Xishebelle pee that way. Which
would be nasty.h
gEh? She had diarrhea?h
gNo,
dummy! She didnft have diarrhea on
the stairwell! Like, tears.h
gShe
was crying?!h exclaimed Patrick, with greater shock.
gYeah,
I think so,h said Sonya. gBut I
decided it would be best for me to not get involved.h
gArgh,
Sonya, you move the food to the serving plate and set the table, okay?h
Sonya
nodded.
gThank
you,h said Patrick, tearing off the apron and tossing it approximately onto the
counter, although it missed and slowly toppled and rolled off the edge, its
flapping body expanding as it lightly touched down onto the ground with the
signature sigh of fabrics.
Patrick
knocked on Beyafs door, but no one answered. He cautiously opened the door to find that it was empty, the
lights out. Suddenly, from behind,
he felt two arms clasping his chest tightly, then a warm, moist patch on his
back.
gWoah,h
said Patrick.
gDonft
move,h ordered the voice. gDonft
move.h
gEh?h
asked Patrick, craning his neck to look at his beautiful assailant.
gThis
is a robbery. I am trying to steal
your belly-button. Just hand it
over and no one will get hurt.h
gWait,
what?h
gI
sense that you are not cooperating.
Well then, take this!!h The
girl reached up under Patrickfs shirt and gave a decisive tickle, the boyfs
limbs turning jiggly and collapsing into a heap, taking Beya down with him.
gAhaha! Stop it, cut it out!!h
gMuuu,h
said Beya, tousling his hair.
gFine.h
Patrick
saw his opening and lunged forward, tickling Beyafs midriff, exposed by the
distortion of her t-shirt as it folded over itself.
gYeeeek!h
she squealed, swatting away the hands.
gStop it, stop it, ahhh!!h
gWell,
thatfs what you get for trying to steal my belly-button,h said Patrick
haughtily.
gAh,
but that was only a diversion.h
gFor
what?h asked Patrick, only to be suddenly caught wide-eyed, lips locked firmly,
the ridged, dry skin suddenly pressed against smoother, moister counterparts of
the same species.
Beya
backed off and sat down, legs half-crossed, right arm supporting her slightly
off-balance stance.
gThatfs
what I really wanted to steal.h
Patrick smiled, the luster of the kiss still sparkling in nerves all over
his lips.
gHow
would you steal my belly-button, anyway? I donft think itfs a discrete object.h
gSure
it is. The belly-button isnft the
hole; itfs the wall that creates the hole.h
gBut
thatfs just part of my belly.h
gItfs
called a button, isnft it? And a
button is a discrete object.h
gWhich
still begs the question of why anyone would want it.h
gOh,
donft be naïve. You mean to say
you havenft heard about the Black Market?h
gIn
belly-buttons?h
gYes,
they fetch a very nice price.
Especially the ones from princes.h
gI
suppose those would be rare items,h admitted Patrick.
gBut
alas, I have chosen love over wealth,h said Beya with a sigh that glided gently
down a treble scale.
gBeya,
seriously, were you crying?h
gWho
ratted on me?!h she cried. gYeah,
I guess so.h
gWhy?h
gHey,
if you want to give me comfort, donft interrogate me!h said Beya without
anger. gBesides, you should
already know.h
gI
donft think I do,h said Patrick.
gIf
you just thought about it and used some sensitivity, you would!h
gAre
you mad that I told you not to
scare me?h asked Patrick.
gYes,h
said Beya.
gWait,
what?! I donft think thatfs
entirely reasonable of you.h
gNope,
it isnft,h said Beya.
gThis
is really unlike you, dear. Whatfs
up?h
gYou
didnft even tell me you were starting dinner! And then you pushed me away when I only said your name!h
cried Beya. gI may be unreasonable but you have to
understand how badly I feel c .h
She frowned. gIfm
fine. Ifm not crying now.h
Patrick
leaned forward and hugged the girl, getting no response but flaccid hands
drooping down and a diverted gaze.
gWhy
do you keep doing things on your own like that? I want to be part of this relationship, too, not just a
recipient of it.h
gA
recipient? You feel that way?h
asked Patrick, genuinely dumbfounded.
gYoufre the one who went out shopping by yourself!h
gBut
that c thatfs because c,h said Beya, but she realized that he had a point. gWell c it was because c I wanted to
surprise you.h
gAnd
tonightfs dinner,h said Patrick.
gHuh?h
asked Beya, looking up and seeing Patrickfs gleaming green eyes.
gTonightfs
dinner was supposed to be a surprise for you, too!h
gWait,
really?h asked Beya. gOh c I get
it. Still, shouldnft we do things
together? Form a common identity
together?h
gWe
can always do that, too, Beya-me.h
gThen
can we start tomorrow, please?
Letfs tend to the garden outside together, since no one has been taking
care of it lately.h
gAlright,h
said Patrick, hugging the girl intently, and this time getting a full, enthusiastic
response. He blushed a little as
he felt her chest pressing against his.
gItfs
okay,h whispered Beya, noticing his uneasy expression.
The
two stood up and walked downstairs, where Sonya was happily helping herself to
food.
gAh,
you didnft wait for us,h said Patrick.
gBoooo.h
gAw,
it was just so delicious-looking that I couldnft resist!h said Sonya with such
a big, childish grin that Patrick couldnft help but forgive her.
Beya
nodded. gYeah, it looks amazing,
even with Sonyafs slobber all over it.h
gI
didnft slobber on it!h shouted Sonya, garnering light laughs from the other
two.
gWhatever,
letfs dig in,h said Patrick. The
three ate noisily, despite the lack of conversation. The food was simply so good that the inner beasts leapt out
and soon peels and bones were lying all over the kitchen table. Beya and Patrick leaned together, their
greasy hands held roughly together despite a lack of correspondance of fingers.
gMmm,
that was really delicious,h said Beya.
gI could stand to get used to this.h
gOhoho,h
said Sonya. gBut I cook
half of the time!h
gIs
that c a good thing?h
gI
inherited my cooking skills from mom!h said Sonya happily, a wide, toothy grin
developing on her face.
Beyafs
eyes widened in fear. gWait, no,
it canft be c .h
Patrick
poked Beya on the shoulder. gShefs
kidding. Sonyafs really good, too;
she just cooks simpler things.h
Sonya
blushed – Beya swore internally that it was the first time she saw the brash
tomboy sheepishly flush red.
gThatfs
enough!h cried Sonya.
gShimegiomenziyn; Ifm off to go do some of my catch-up work.h
gEh,
whatfs that word she said?h
gShimegio
c,h said Patrick.
gShimegio.h
gc
menziyn,h finished Patrick.
gMen
c zaaan.h
gc
Ziyn. Nasally, like that. Ziyn.h
gMen-ziyn,h
repeated Beya.
gYeah,
thatfs it, youfve got it. It means
ethank you for the foodf in Gonosan Language. We usually say it after meals here, optionally, but in any
cat country, you always say Shimegiomenmiao before the meal. Just keep that in mind.h
gOh!h
said Beya with her turn to blush.
gYeah, I forgot to say thank you.h
gItfs
okay,h said Patrick. gThe way you
ate is appreciation enough.h
Beya
pouted. gIfm not sure if Ifm
supposed to take that as a compliment.h
gYou
are, dear pig of a lady.h
gPig?! Like those yellow things? Thatfs a term of endearment?h said
Beya, alarmed.
gWell,
thatfs one sort of pig. I was
using it figuratively, though.h
gAs
in?h
gEating
like a pig means eating like a sloppy monster,h piped up Sonya. gSo Patrick was calling you a sloppy
monster. Shame on him.h
gGrr,h
growled Beya, stepping sharply on Patrickfs foot.
gOww! It was a joke, it was a joke!h cried
Patrick, waving the white flag.
Beya
leaned in a kissed him on the forehead.
gI guess itfs time to do the dishes.h
gOh
no, itfs my day to do that,h said Sonya.
gYou two go and frolick in the meadow now.h
gThe
meadow?h asked Beya.
gWell,
if not a meadow, whatever floats your boat.h
gYou
look kind of tired,h said Patrick, brushing Beyafs hairs out of her face. gDo you want to go to bed?h
Beya
looked at her watch to check the time.
gWait, this watch is useless on this planet.h
gOh
yeah. Well, itfs around twelve
sixty-seven right now, so itfs still kind of early.h
gHow
many hours are in your day again?h asked Beya. gSorry, I must
sound really dumb right now.h
gOh
not at all! There are sixteen
hours, and each is divided into a hundred minutes, and each minute is divided
into a hundred seconds. Breakfast
is a bit past four, lunch is at around eight, and dinner is at twelve.h
gIs
mid-night at zero or sixteen, then?h
gAh
yes, it is at sixteen. It goes
from sixteen zero-zero to zero one immediately afterwards. Youfll get used to it.h
Beya
nodded. gI guess Ifll go get
changed and sleep for a bit, then.h
gSounds
good,h said Patrick, watching Beya go up the stairs, eyes trailing her
exquisite auburn hair, which was untied and flowing all over.
The
next morning, Patrick awoke to the sight of a radiant face squished between two
supporting arms, the elbows sinking into the mattress.
gGoooood
morning!h
gEh? Wah. Oh. Hi.h
g
eHi.f ?! Thatfs all I get?h Beya pounced on her boyfriend and
prodded him until he started rolling, gathering blankets and then falling clear
off the far edge of the bed.
gAh,
you got disposed of!h observed Beya.
gAre you okay down there?h
gMmmff
mff,h said Patrick. Beya rushed
over and uncovered him, dragging him forward. gCome on, rise and shine!h
Beya
was wearing a cute apron with a large cartoon of a grill in the center. The bottom of her blue shorts just
barely peeked out from beneath the apron, and her hair was tied into a long
pony-tail.
gHave
you been in the kitchen?h asked Patrick, sniffing her like a bunny.
gMmhmm!h
She
led him into the second floor kitchen, where the table was set for four, with
large semi-circular omelettes on every plate and intricate braids of
herb-leaves forming wreaths around the perimeters of the plates.
gTa-da! Specially for you, my dear prince,h
said Beya, smiling but actually very nervous inside. She clasped her hands behind her back so as not to be seen
fidgeting, and it seemed to work.
Patrick turned to her and kissed her on the lips.
gWow,
you really went all out, didnft you!
Thank you so much, Beya; this is the most wonderful thing a man could
wake up to.h
gAhaha,
taste it before you pass that kind of gleaming praise,h said Beya with a
fragmented laugh.
gLetfs
call Sonya here first.
SONYAAA! Come on, breakfast
is ready!h
gIfm
coming, Ifm coming!h replied Sonya from down the hall.
gMaybe
Ifm being dense here, but why is it set for four?h asked Patrick.
gOh,
that one is for Jorge,h Beya said, pointing at one of the omelettes.
gWhofs
Jorge?h
gJorge
is a large, jolly fellow from an imaginary land.h
gIn
other words, hefs not real?h said Patrick.
gNope,h
confirmed Beya. gI just made him
up a second ago.h
gAnd
what if he doesnft show up?h
gThen
I guess I have to eat it for him,h said Beya with a shrug.
gSo
you just wanted to eat two,h deadpanned Patrick.
gYou
could put it that way, yes. But
only if you wanted to be a boring realist. I prefer to think that I am spritiually sharing it with
Jorge.h
gIt
looks somewhat small,h remarked Patrick, sitting down at one of the three
normal omelettes.
gThatfs
why it was Jorgefs in the first place,h
said Beya. gItfs made with two
eggs and not three. The last egg
in my dozen was c odd.h
gOdd?h
gIt
didnft sound right.h
gDo
you eggs sound like anything at all?h asked Patrick.
gWell,
no, thatfs the point. This one
made a sound.h
gA
sound c do you still have it?h
gYeah,
itfs in the carton. Ifll let you
take a look after breakfast.h
At
that moment, Sonya bolted into the room wearing a blue-and-teal sundress.
gGood
morning, Princess,h greeted Beya with a smile.
gTherefs
toilet paper stuck to your slippers,h remarked Patrick. gAnd here I thought youfd finally
looked like a lady for once. But
the toilet paper betrayed your true self.h
gAh,
dammit, I hate it when that happens,h moaned Sonya, plucking the stream off her
heel and tossing it into the precomposter. gYou know, you get all dressed up and youfre ready to go and
your hairfs nicely brushed and your make-upfs on and everyone notices that
youfve got some toilet paper on your heel. Hasnft that ever happened to you?h
gUmm,h
said Beya. gEr c . Sure, happens all the time.h White lies were okay once in awhile,
right?
gOh,
donft tease me. Do I look okay,
though? I havenft worn make-up for
five months.h
gYes,
you look really pretty,h said Beya.
gWhatfs the occasion?h
gToday
is the spring festival! Ifm going
out with my friends later on.h
gHave
you finished your work yet?h asked Patrick. gSpring break will be over in a couple days, and we already
missed school all the way since winter break!h
gItfll
be done, itfll be done. Worry
about your own homework,h said Sonya, waving her hand in a dismissive
gesture. It was only at this
moment that the girl suddenly noticed the food. gWoah, the eggs are looking fine today. Is this your doing, Beyabeya?h
gYep,
it is!h
gAww,
so cute, so cute. All for
pinchiepinchiepoo here, right?h she said, squeezing Patrickfs cheeks. gHmm, donft spoil him too much or hefll
come to expect it. A girl has got
to assert her independence. Cook
reluctantly! Clean reluctantly!h
gAre
you supposing that I should do a limited run in order to drive up the value of
my services?h
Patrick
shuddered. gI know that some
people say that girls are calculating, but doing an economic analysis of love
gestures is too much!h
gAhaha,
wefre just kidding!h cried Beya. gRight,
Sonya?h
Sonya
glared back at Beya.
gOh. Wait, you werenft?h said Beya, doing a
double-take.
gHeeheehee,h
was the only enigmatic reply.
gAnyway, letfs eat!h
The
three chowed down happily, slurping up the scrambled eggs pregnant with all
sorts of vegetables as fillings.
While all the ingredients were native, some of the idioms of the food
were decidedly alien, and it came out in the exotic taste.
gAhh,
that was really delicious,h said Patrick, who finished first, with Sonya coming
in a close second. Beya, in the
meantime, was blissfully taking her time on her own omelette, and then on
gJorgefs.h
gHey,
can I see that egg of yours?h
gShrr,h
said Beya, speaking before realizing that she had just stuffed a healthy
spoonful of food into her mouth.
She stood up and went to the refrigerator, carrying back the dozen-egg
carton with only one egg left.
Patrick gently opened the carton, Sonya peering eagerly, pressing down
on Patrickfs shoulder with her own arms for support. He tilted the egg onto its side and heard a soft clunking.
gMay
I crack it open?h
gBy
all means,h said Beya. gIfm
wondering whatfs in there, too.h
Patrick
tapped the egg tentatively on the edge of the dining table, but nothing
happened.
gI
think you have to tap it a bit harder than that,h remarked Beya. gThat shell looks really thick.h
Patrick
obliged and tapped more forcefully before holding it over his empty plate. He separated the two halves, but no
liquid came out. Instead, a single
solid object clattered down onto the plate, gleaming.
The
three just stared at the plate, frozen in shock.
gItfs
a shard of some sort,h said Sonya, flipping it over with a napkin to avoid
getting cut. gA mirror!h
The
irregularly-shaped piece just sat there, reflecting without bias as any planar
mirror would.
gOh
well,h said Beya, picking up the plate and carrying it over to the trash can.
gWait! What are you doing?!h cried Sonya.
gThrowing
it out? Itfs sharp so we donft
have to have it lying around where it could hurt somewhat.h
gHold
on, donft throw it away just yet.
I want it.h
gYou
want this? Donft you already have
a mirror in your room?h
gYes,
but it wasnft born from a chicken,h said Sonya. gThat automatically makes this one cooler.h
gWell,
you can certainly have it. Just be
careful.h
gYes,
I know! Ifm not a careless little
kid,h said Sonya, dumping the shard onto a pile of napkins. gIfll go put it in my room for now.h