3.37.

“So, yeah, I understand that the group shower might be a thing for some of you earth kids. It’s the standard layout on a Toormonda and Yonohoan kids have no issue with it. If you want to ride with Dornodo and I, then I’m afraid you’ll have to accept it as part of the deal, although it’s normal for boys and girls to have separate shower times, of course. I understand that the ships requested by John Doe have privacy cubicles in their shower area, so if you’re body shy that might be a better fit for you,” Sarah said, smiling for the camera. “Anyway, let’s go over here to look at the dormitories. There’s two of them, and they’re identical, but by tradition the starboard dorm is for boys and the port side is for girls.”

Emily sat in class as the video played on the projector. She was absolutely in love with Toormondas and couldn’t wait for her journey. That John and her other friends were coming with was simply the icing on the cake, although John was less excited by the prospect than she thought he’d be.

She supposed that it made sense, considering that he’d been on one before. Or at least he remembered being on one, she thought. That would have been the original John, and not his present body. The differentiation point between the original “Eodar” and her “John” was one random night during his training, which he didn’t even remember happening.

She sighed. Sometimes she wished that her new friend’s life was less complicated. She liked him, heck, she even liked him, but figuring him out was a full-brain activity.

She also wished that she could go with Sarah and her husband, Dornodo. But while her family was very well off, that was an unnecessary expense when her entire class was getting a trip for completely free thanks to John’s participation in the event.

She was somewhat infatuated with Dornodo, she admitted to herself. He was handsome, strong, and extremely loving of his wife, of whom Emily wasn’t above admitting that she was a little jealous. She didn’t really understand the parts of the interview she’d seen which detailed the illness that the woman had suffered, except that it had led her into the arms of the loving and passionate Yonohoan man, with whom she was now married and expecting a child.

Of course, those were topics which Emily was years away from being ready for herself.

But she wasn’t too young for a boyfriend, she thought to herself, glancing at John out of the corner of her eye. She remembered the kiss she had jokingly given him at the mall. She hadn’t really explained to him that she’d been sort of teasing him, trying to get him to loosen up rather than expressing her real feelings.

She wondered if she should kiss him again.

She’d think about it. Maybe she’d ask Peter what he thought after they’d dropped John off at Olivia’s house. Maybe she should ask Olivia; Olivia might have more insight into how John felt about her. If John didn’t like her and only liked her as a friend, then she shouldn’t press their relationship beyond just being friends who happened to be boy and girl.

But if he liked her , then maybe they could be boyfriend and girlfriend?

She sighed. Why did things have to be so complicated? She wished that she could just tell him that she liked him, but if he didn’t like her, it would complicate their relationship even further. He’d been through a lot, and she knew that her friendship was important to him.

She knew because he’d said “Your friendship is important to me, Emily.”

Several times.

Without prompting.

Was that him friendzoning her, or was he just being socially stunted like always?

“You’re staring at me,” John said.

She blushed. She had been. “I’m sorry.”

“I don’t mind. I just thought that maybe you would tell me why?”

“I’m sorry that I kissed you at the mall.”

“Oh,” he said, and she had absolutely no read on the emotion behind it.

“I was trying to get you to come out of your shell. I didn’t like you like you when I kissed you, I just thought it would help you relax around me. I’m sorry if I misled you at the time,” she explained.

“I understand,” John said, and once again she had absolutely no idea what was going on between his ears.

She knew that she should speak with the adults in her and John’s life to get a better idea on how this would affect him, but she also knew that if she let thing go like this he might get the wrong idea and that would be even worse.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

So she kissed him again on the cheek, just like before.

He turned at her and blushed, his expression looking more surprised than when the Third Battle for Earth began.

“I’m not sorry for it this time,” she said, smiling shyly at him.

He blushed deeper.

“Emily, John, unless you’d like to come to the front of the class to continue your conversation, I suggest you wait until after class to continue your topic of discussion. Preferably after school .”

“Sorry Mr. Yazdi,” Emily said. “Won’t happen again.”

“Don’t make promises you don’t intend to keep young lady.”

“ Part of it won’t happen again. In class,” she amended.

John said nothing, continuing to watch as Sarah Renfield presented a ship that was literally identical to the one he had spent four years of his childhood on in great detail. There were no exterior signs of his inner turmoil at all.

~~~~~~

John stared at the plant on the window. He hadn’t spoken for six minutes. His Therapist wasn’t particularly worried about that fact, allowing the young soldier to organize his thoughts and speak on his own timetable without pressuring him.

After all, he was paid by the hour, and the session lasted however long John wanted it to. If John didn’t have anything to say, he would have simply said as much and left. He’d done it before and would do it again.

No, Clark Babtiste was more than happy to let the boy take his time in organizing his thoughts. The longer the boy remained in his office, the larger Clark’s paycheck.

And of course their was the satisfaction of doing a good job and helping a troubled child. There was definitely that as well. Clark was a multilayered person who could do something because it was good and just and honorable in addition to the fact that it was his livelihood.

Doing a good job and being paid well for it went hand in hand, after all.

“Emily kissed me again,” John said finally. He didn’t elaborate further.

“I see,” Clark said. “How do you feel about that?”

“I have no fucking idea,” John said, his voice even despite the use of the curse word. “First she says she didn’t like me when she kissed me the first time and that she was sorry for it, then she kisses me again and says she’s not sorry. It makes no fucking sense.”

Clark nodded, making a brief note. And then he doodled for a moment to make it seem like he was taking extensive notes when really he was just tallying the number of times that John swore and his word choice. He didn’t discourage it, and had in fact suggested it in private to express the severity of his feelings, which he had trouble communicating in other ways which were more obvious to untrained observers.

“You feel very strongly for Emily,” Clark observed.

“You’re damn fucking right!” John said, again with a perfectly flat tone of voice.

More doodling after the tally was made.

“Most boys who like a girl their age hope that the girl likes them back,” Clark stated.

John was silent for a moment. “Earth girls are pretty. Emily is prettier than most.”

“She also went out of her way to befriend you at a time when you really needed a friend,” Clark pointed out.

John took his time considering Clarks words. “She did, yes.”

“Are you worried that if your relationship becomes romantic, things will change in ways you can’t predict or control?” Clark inquired.

“Fuck yes.”

Another tally and another scribbled doodle.

“Do you want me to tell you what to do?”

“You won’t,” John said.

“That’s right. I’m sorry, but this is a normal part of being a boy your age, John. Your relationship with Emily is normal and healthy and I continue to encourage it. I also encourage you to discuss the matter with Olivia when you return home. She’s a woman, and she’ll have a female view on the matter which may help you gain some clarity into Emily’s mind.”

“Olivia will know if Emily likes me as more than a friend?” John asked.

“Olivia can’t read thoughts, John, especially not of a girl whom she barely interacts with.”

“I should bring Emily to talk to Olivia to see if she likes me?” John asked.

“Emily and Olivia should perhaps have a relationship given that they are both important people in your life.”

“You’re not telling me what to do.”

“That’s not my job, John. I’m not your commanding officer.”

“Thanks for nothing, asshole,” John said.

Clark smiled. Today was a very productive day.

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