A battered black and white mountain bike stood upside down at the side of the garage. An adjustable wrench removed the bolts that held its twisted front tire. They were tighter than Nadia had expected, but removing them didn’t guarantee an easy task in so much as the rim stubbornly refused to be removed; she had to wrest it from the frame, getting dirt and grease over her elbows. Hands, slightly swollen from the work, tinted red.

She checked the spare rim she had found that morning at the salvage yard to make sure the tire fit all the way around. Odd patches of grease and dirt stained her clothes. Finding a tire for the rim hadn’t been a problem. The spare tube from the garage worked fine underneath the tire from the damaged rim, which was still nearly new. The scent of grease and metal wafted to her nose as she bolted the new wheel to her bicycle and filled the tire with air. As she moved to turn the bicycle upright Josh picked it up and did it for her.

Nadia scowled at him, hands on her hips, “I don’t remember asking for your help.”

"Fixing your dad’s bike to make up with him?” he asked.

“No, sorry, wrong answer, this one’s mine.”

Josh patted the seat, said, “Really, a rugged black and white mountain bike with a male seat? Can you even reach the pedals? Is this a joke?”

Nadia lowered the seat a few inches and tightened the bolt without responding. On finishing, the wrench clattered on the floor. Nadia pressed her abdomen with her hand while wincing. Her skin paled a bit, some sweat developed on her forehead as she grimaced. After a moment she neutralized her expression, stood and left her arms rest at her side. Dew saw Nadia with Josh as he walked past the garage and joined them.

“I was just walking by this garage. Funny, why would you name your stable after such vile creatures? It strikes me as odd.”

Silence.

“How are things here?” Dew asked.

Nadia waited a few minutes to answer, “Things would be fine, except that everyone here is bent on ruining my day. All I need is a little time by myself to get in touch with my masculine side. But instead; I have to deal with you two stooges watching my every move. Can’t a guy get any privacy around here?”

Tools were picked up and tucked them under her arm before she set them in their places. A wrench slammed into a drawer so forcefully that both men winced. Nadia stormed towards the kitchen but found herself blocked by Delia.

“May I inquire as to who is committing such a violence? There is a child living in this abode and she doesn’t need to hear such angry slamming of weapons.”

“Wait, now you’re telling me how to behave on my property!? This is a new one!”

Instead of going inside, Nadia threw up her arms and walked to the end of the drive way. Feet clutched a tree and arms hugged the sides as she climbed to a sturdy branch. Traffic passed on Mackenloo avenue. Josh shrugged before he leaned against the tool cabinets. Dew watched from under the garage door as Delia laid her hand gently on his shoulder.

“She’s a strange girl with many secrets. I wouldn’t pine for her.”

“I can do as I please.”

Josh spit on the garage floor, “That girl has some serious problems. Of course, you find out everyone does after you see their nightmares. Still, she’s a lot better off than me.”

Delia tugged at Dew’s arm, “Why don’t you forget about her?”

“No, something’s wrong, I intend to find out what and help her any way I can.”

“How many times have you been told that your help isn’t wanted? Do you need a gahrahge to eat you before you understand? You’re in love with her, aren’t you?!”

“Is there anything wrong with that?”

“Yes, she despises you. What about your village? They need you. What if they fall under attack again?”

“I have ways of knowing, and it will not be unprotected. I also know Nadia is a woman of guardian blood, and she is coveted by the wizards. She needs our friendship.”

“She’ll have me,” Josh said. “I can fight, and I can’t leave her far behind without releasing this nightmare inside me. I’m the perfect bodyguard, strong and completely beholden.”

“I’m afraid you’re one I’d have to protect her from,” Dew said.

Delia pulled out her spear and pressed the broken tip against Joshes’ throat.

“I’m speaking to the protector of Nenkyo Village. Interrupt again and my spear will end your nightmare.”

“I know when I’m not wanted,” Josh pushed the spear tip aside before entering the kitchen.

“If you are worried about my village,” Dew said, “I will let you stay and protect it.”

“I have no ties to your village yet.”

“Delia, what are you trying to tell me?”

“I just want you to know that I’m your friend, and I’m not going to let anything happen to you or those you care about. I can’t speak for my sisters, but I will not fail you, whatever course you take.”

“There’s little wealth, honor, or glory in the road I’ve chosen.”

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She leaned with the support of her spear and sighed sullenly at the ground.

“I don’t care. You’re doing what you think is right. I’m doing the same.”

“Thank you, Delia.”

A light wind worked through the trees and entered the open garage to gently push the cloth of Delia’s outfit. Dew’s heavier robes refused to budge. He worriedly looked to Delia as she stared at the ground.

Nadia hopped up the branches of the oak tree behind her mailbox until she reached another strong branch that was midway to the top of the tree. The branch provided a stable surface overlooking the passing traffic. The vibrant wind animated her hair as the leaves shook around her. The breeze cooled her as she smiled at the clouds. Suddenly, falling from above, Nefri sat beside her; Nadia squealed in mild shock.

“Hey, this is my spot to be alone!”

“I thought I’d be alone with you.”

Nefri took a deep breath with some relish. They both watched the clouds; Nadia said nothing, but Nefri swung her legs from the branch and kept her eyes on the clouds as she hummed. Nadia kept her focus on the passing traffic.

“Nadia, do you dislike us because we’re from a different realm?”

“That’s not it. I...” Nadia paused, then took a deep breath and tensed her posture until she could relax again, “You’re all great people. I just don’t feel good about dragging others in on my problems. You guys don’t have to help me you know. I don’t really need it.”

“You’re very moody today,” Nefri spoke calmly amid another breeze.

“I don’t feel good; my stomach hurts and I have a lot on my mind. I don’t know who I am anymore. You don’t know what it’s like when you don’t fit in anywhere. I don’t know what to do about it. When I became a woman, I thought at first that it was the worst thing that could possibly happen to me. Now I don’t know what to think.”

Nefri didn’t know if Nadia knew what her father had told them, so she decided to be cautious and spare her any undue humiliation.

“So, you feel like you’re a young woman now? I thought of myself as a girl until I was twenty, but then I was rather immature. Why would you think that growing up is the worst thing that could happen to you? Life is a journey through many stages, you should enjoy them as they come without dwelling on the past.”

With a timorous laugh Nadia blushed, then paused a moment, “The more time passes, the more natural it seems. I still like the things I used to do, but I like some new things that I can’t stop myself from liking as easily as I thought I could,” Nadia swallowed before turning a little red, “I think I have an actual crush on this guy. When I’m around him I find myself wondering if I’m worth his attention, and he makes my heart beat faster. I’m not supposed to feel that way about another guy!”

Nefri smiled, marveling at how complete a change the transformation of Ambrosia wrought, “So who’s the lucky boy?”

“You don’t understand. This complicates things way too much. It isn’t normal. I never wanted anything like this to happen. It was supposed to be a fencing match. You don’t get feelings for someone just because they beat you in a fencing match! It doesn’t work that way!”

“It sounds perfectly normal to me, but if you don’t want anything to happen, then you should avoid him. Them.”

“I can’t do that.”

“Why? Is he Dew?”

Nadia stuck out her tongue, “Thank goodness no!”

“A boy from this realm perhaps?”

Nadia stared ahead calmly and became lost in thought. While she was thinking about Darrell, she thought of herself even more firmly as Nadia, and she began to think in terms of remaining a girl.

“He’s in a class by himself,” she whispered.

Nefri snapped her fingers in front of Nadia’s face to get her out of her daydream. Upon waking, Nadia buried her face in her hands.

“Oh no! What in the world am I thinking!?”

“There’s nothing wrong with liking a boy. You just have to be careful about getting to know him better. You’re young, you have all the time in the world to explore your options.”

“What if I make a bad choice? I could end up wrecking my life forever!”

"I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”

“I have to see him one more time before I go back there. Then I’m going to decide what I want to do. I might even decide not to go with you. Maybe this might not be a curse after all.”

“How are you cursed?” Nefri asked, pretending to know less than she did.

“I guess I shouldn’t have told you that much, but you probably wouldn’t understand anyway,” Nadia started playing with her fingers and twiddling her thumbs. “I may decide I like being a girl, or I may decide to try and become a boy. Right now, I just don’t know what I want. There’s another person I really like too. I’ve liked her for a long time. And I kind of feel like I’m betraying her by feeling this way.”

“Nadia.”

“Yes?”

“You’re quite confused about your emotions. Maybe you don’t realize this, but you’re a beautiful person in every way and any person you care about, for any reason, is very lucky.”

Nadia couldn’t help blushing again, “Do you really think so?”

Nefri socked Nadia on the shoulder lightly, “You have nothing to worry about. If this boy doesn’t like you, or that girl, the right one will come along eventually. It seems like there is a crowd of suitors already. Sometimes I wish I knew what it was like.”

Nadia relaxed, “Then I’m not going to worry about it anymore.”

“I once had a crush on a boy too.”

“Really, was he cute?”

“Only the cutest. I used to dream about being held in his arms underneath the moonlight of a warm summer night. That never happened though. He eventually bored me. All he ever thought about was tilling the soil, so I gave up trying to get his attention and became a wanderer. I found adventure instead of romance. Sometimes I still wonder about him though. But now I have Lu- really good friends.”

“All he thought about was tilling soil? Maybe you’re better off.”

Nefri’s bright red hair shown as the afternoon sun broke through the shade. The ends of her light pink silk bows waved gently with the breeze while she watched the forest around her stir.

“I’ve seen so little of your world, yet I think it’s strange and wonderful at the same time. Luthial longs to ride in one of the chariots of fire again to see even more of your civilization.”

“I wish we could take her to New York. Then again, even Philadelphia might be too much for her. She’s probably the only girl I know who’d be thrilled to take a trip to Scranton. But then Jody did drag me all the way to Reading for a sale.”

“I’ve never heard of those places.”

“They’re big cities, millions of people live and work in them, except for Scranton and Reading.”

“Are there castles and shops?”

“Plenty of shops, but no castles, though they have something better than castles. We call them sky scrapers.”

“Sky scrapers!?”

Nadia laughed as she reached up and made a scraping motion.

“Tall buildings that seem to touch the sky. Kind of like really high towers. And they’re made of glass.”

“I’d like to see them. Promise me you won’t tell Luthial about such things. She may wander off! But oh, how I’d really just love to see such things.”

“I have some pictures I can show you, but there’s nothing like being there,” Nadia looked again at Nefri’s hair, which was so long it hung below the branch where they sat.

“Why did everyone from your village want me to marry Dew so badly?”

“Dew was never much affected by women. He just never found one that lived up to his ideals. You’re the first and only woman Dew has ever shown ANY interest in, and they’re anxious for healthy heirs that will continue to protect the village. Don’t worry, they can’t force you to be the village matriarch if you don’t want him.”

“I can’t care for him in that way,” she clutched her stomach again and took a few deep breaths, she clenched her eyes and shook her head, “I shouldn’t care for any man in that way, really.”

“Are you okay? You look a bit ill.”

“I don’t feel good right now. My head hurts too. But don’t worry about me. It’s probably something I ate. I think I need an aspirin or something, but I’m glad we had this talk.”