LIGHTNOVELONLINE Iris and Me
Chapter 49 : Tempus fugit (The dreaded day/Time is relative/A taste of metal and motor oil)
Chapter 49 : Tempus fugit (The dreaded day/Time is relative/Metal and motor oil)
The Thompson’s house kitchen, the Thompson house, Forest Hills, Queens, New York, 14th of February, 6:30
“Can you please repeat that?” I ask Iris with a very tiny voice as she hugs me from behind in her favorite posture.
“What are you going to do about today, since it’s Valentine's day?” She repeats for the second time.
I feel myself getting visibly paler.
“Fuck.” I blurt out.
Letting go of the wooden spoon I was using to prepare breakfast, I ponder her question for a beat.
“Pretend I’m sick?” I try aloud, side-eyeing my symbiotic half.
I so not want to deal with all the potential stupid drama that particular day seems to provoke once a year with teenagers.
Iris has the gal to chuckle at my visible dismay.
“Afraid of having to deal with lovestruck teenagers all day long?” She teases me.
“I’m not afraid, I just can’t be arsed to.” I bemoan, a hand coming to massage one my temples, “I’m not stupid enough that I would think that the weak-ass suggestion I put the whole school under that I used to be a rather aloof ice queen will shield me from the attention.”
“Let me guess, you’re not a fan.” Iris points out with a little smile.
“No, I think it’s an overblown commercial event.” I answer in a monotone.
“I’ve seen memories that would beg to differ.” My blood-sister mercilessly carries on.
I instantly blush harder than I ever had in this life until now.
“That was that and this is this!” I clip with a tone one octave higher than usual.
Iris snickers in my neck.
“Oh, shush!” I exclaim, my cheeks getting even hotter, “We used to celebrate it for the joke!”
“Pray tell, what manners of jokes drive you to take the day off to stay at home naked and…” She starts.
Whirling on her as much as I can considering she’s hanging on my shoulder, I clamp her mouth with my hands.
Iris and I stare into each other's eyes.
After a while, my sister raises her hands in a gesture of mock-surrender.
I let my hands fall.
“Fine, blood-sister.” She concedes, “No more teasing.”
A twinge of sadness takes me.
Marie…
“Please.” I plead lamely, eyes going downcast.
Iris says nothing but tightens her hug, nuzzling her head in the crook of my neck.
The silence stretches for a beat.
“...I’d really appreciate it if I could have the day one hundred percent teasing free, Iris.” I admit after a while now that the reality of the situation has settled in.
My sister says nothing but barely an instant later I’m free of any of her more ‘interesting’ additions to my outfit of the day.
I sigh in relief.
“Thank you, sister.” I say with a soft yet a little strained smile.
“It’s the least I can do, blood-sister.” She answers lightly as she pecks my neck in a loving gesture.
My left hand loses itself once more in her tentacly-hair as I come back to my cooking.
Another beat passes, the silence comfortable.
“So, what are you going to do about it?” Iris asks once more, her curiosity boiling on our merged-mind.
I lightly sigh, closing my eyes as I prop my weight on the countertop.
“I don’t know, Iris.” I answer after a while, my eyes still closed, “I just hope I won’t have to deal with too many awkward situations.”
After all, even if the rumor mills is still going strong about it, I never let it publicly known that I was gay.
“Let’s just hope that I won’t have to deal with too many guys asking me out because it’s going to get old really fast.” I answer while rolling my eyes.
Feeling Iris chuckling silently in my neck, I lightly shake my head with a bemused smile as I reach for the spoon once more.
“And what are you going to do if it’s Gwen?” She softly asks.
My motions, as well my thoughts, halt.
A rather major event for a telepath now running five thought streams in parallel.
“I certainly hope she does not.” I admit after a beat, my arm falling alongside my body.
I mull over my thoughts for a beat.
“I like her.” I elaborate aloud to my sister’s benefits, “She’s smart, cute, she’s very obviously into me and she has that endearing quirk where she frowns when people swear in her earshot, yet…”
I bite my inner lip.
“She’s too young and I’m definitely not in the right headspace right now to deal with any more romantic attention from her.” I conclude under my breath.
There’s a reason my outfit is still in shades of black today, after all.
The silence stretches once more.
“So, technically,” Iris muses aloud, “Her best move would be to do absolutely nothing today.”
I snort as the corners of my lips curl up.
“Ironically, yes.” I answer her comment aloud.
As the silence settles once more and I start cooking once more, I start softly singing under my breath.
♪ Only you can bring me back to life,
Only you can put me into right,
Tell me when I can breathe again. ♪
As I focus back on my crepes’ batter, my social mind drifts away, thinking of Valentine's days long past.
***
Gwendolyn bedroom, the Stacy's flat, Whitestone, Queens, New York, the same day, 6:30, in Gwendolyn Stacy’s mind.
As she was laying on her bed to psych herself up to face the day, Gwen was thinking about the conclusion she had come to a few days ago.
She wouldn’t do anything out of the ordinary today.
The question had churned in her mind since Cindy had offhandedly mentioned that Hector and her were having a date later after school on Valentine's day the previous Saturday.
So, naturally, Gwen’s thoughts had turned toward Aria.
The helplessly romantic part of her dreamed of having a truly private moment today with her stupidly gorgeous crush that always seemed to know what to say to make her feel better when she was in a funk.
The more rational part had helpfully pointed out that Aria hadn’t worn anything but black outfits since the end of January.
When she had realized the most probable meaning of that particular choice, Gwen had almost run to the girl to apologize about her lack of sensitivity.
Then she had realized that it wasn’t her role to open the discussion on something that was most certainly a painful subject.
In hindsight, it had explained a lot about the dogged determination the older girl had demonstrated when throwing herself in her homeworks or in the training regimen she had imposed on herself, or even why she had pulled out all the stops to create two brands of martial arts compatible with the team’s members.
Gwen had been slightly horrified when the golden girl had explained with a completely straight face that Cindy and her could abuse their innate ‘stickiness’ to cause extreme and debilitating injuries in life threatening situations.
Even Mr. Drumm, who had been passively observing the group’s doing while monitoring Jessie’s progress, had seemed a little green in the face when he heard the rather graphic description.
Aria was keeping herself busy because she was apparently in grief.
So, Gwen had shelved any stupid ideas that would be insensitive or irrespectful, which sadly even included asking her if she wanted to go for a walk later on today.
Gwen sighed.
She had run the calculations.
To her, accounting for roughly eighteen hours spent awake a day, it had been a little over two hundred and twenty relative days since she discovered she was head over heels for the golden girl.
After seven relative months spent pining after Aria, of looking discreetly at her figure when she wasn’t paying attention and daydreaming about her, Gwen was already bemoaning her situation.
For the first time in her life, Gwendolyn Stacy, the girl that now had all the time in the world, surprised herself by wishing that said time just went by faster.
***
Midtown High’s hallway, Midtown High, Queens, New York, the same day, 12:07, in Elizabeth Allan’s mind
Biting her inner lip in frustration, Liz’ observed Flash awkwardly fending off Millie Patinson’s overtures.
Liz’ presence wasn’t apparently enough to deter her cheerleader ‘friend’ from seducing her ‘ex-boyfriend’ in front of her face.
Liz’ was fuming inside.
So far, today has been an excruciating day.
Liz’ and her friends had been forced to act as a makeshift anti-stupidity shield for the poor Aria who was a little bit down since the morning.
The usually cheerful girl was nowhere near as boisterous as she usually was, her outfit rather conservative, but that apparently didn’t stop some adventurous souls to make a move on her as soon as she stepped out of Flash’s car.
The rebuttals had been polite, yet the smile was strained.
It was obvious to Liz’ that there was a story behind all of that even if she wasn’t privy to it.
As far as she had guessed, only Flash, Gwen and Jessica knew really why something burdened her today.
But that hadn’t stopped Liz’ to organize the group so that the poor girl had some peace.
Except that now that they were all walking toward the cafeteria, Jessica was suspiciously absent and it was Flash’s turn to get roped in poorly made attempts at seduction.
Suddenly, Liz’ realized that she was jealous.
Blinking owlishly at her realization, Liz’ didn’t immediately compute the fact that she had stepped between the still struggling Flash and Patinson before she heard herself speaking.
“Alright, that’s enough.” Liz’ interrupted the girl stuck in her unsuccessful mating parade, “Can’t you see your making him uncomfortable?”
“Buzz off, Liz’, Flash and I are just talking.” Millie answered dismissively while rolling her eyes, “Isn’t that right?”
The redhead stepped next to the blond, putting her hand on his biceps as she smiled sweetly.
Liz’ belatedly watched Flash repress one of his telltale shudders that he seemed to have with a rather distressing regularity those days.
She slapped the offending hand away before her brain informed her that she was doing so.
“What the fuck Alan?” The redhead exclaimed angrily.
“Don’t touch him.” Liz’ warned Millie with a glare.
Liz’ ‘friend’ snorted, gesturing in Flash’s direction.
“Why?” She asked sweetly, “He’s fair game, since I remember you ditching him.”
Biting down all of the scalding remarks Liz’ could make, jealousy and protectiveness warring in her heart, the chestnut haired girl settled with the only course of action that concilied all of her feelings.
Before she could talk herself out of it, Liz’ whirled toward her estranged boyfriend, put her hands on his shoulder and kissed him.
Flash hesitated at first but soon enough reciprocated her kiss. It was an awkward and testing thing at first, like two people rediscovering the act after a while. Yet, it quickly morphed into something hungry from the both of them, seeking a kind of warmth that only them could provide each other.
Liz’ felt Flash unnaturally strong arms hug her and pick her up effortlessly so it would be easier for her, and the two forgot their surroundings for an instant as her feet stopped touching ground anymore.
When they came out of it, it was to the spectacle of approximately half the school looking at them with hanging jaws.
Liz’ and Flash flushed under the attention as the latter delicately alighted the former back on the floor.
A heavy silence stretched until a missile shaped girl barreled into the both of them, sliding between the both of them before picking each other by their arms.
“Ooooh, I’m so happy for you!” Blabbed a visibly excited Aria, almost vibrating in place.
Liz’ giggled awkwardly as Flash groaned.
“Way to ruin the moment, sis’.” He pointed out as a corner of his mouth curled up in mirth.
“Rubbish!” The ‘blond’ answered, pouting.
Liz’ slightly shook her head as she patted the other girl on her arm.
“You know he’s right, Ria.” She said with visible amusement.
“Oh, come on!” Aria whined, “It was like in those musical comedies! You went and told off your rival to show her up afterward with a powermove! Nothing can beat that!”
Liz’ snorted as a few laughs got heard around them.
“I don’t think it works like that.” She argumented.
“It totally does!” Aria answered, nodding to herself, “Now let’s go eat, because I’m famished!”
As Liz’ traded with Flash helpless looks with each other as they were pulled in the cafeteria’s direction, Liz’ realized two things.
She had, despite herself, pulled Aria out of her funk.
And Flash’s lips tasted like metal and motor oil.
Strangely, it didn’t bother her.
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