Close Encounters of the Bus Kind
[24]
The girls responded with cheers and clapping. Nadia could hear some scattered surprise and the beginnings of a dozen questions, but she wasn’t really paying attention. She just peered into Erin‘s eyes with calm certainty.
Erin’s teacher instincts wanted to get the girls back in order, quiet them down, and tell them there was nothing to see here, just some adults having a heart-to-heart. And a mouth-to-mouth, as some of the girls like to quip about romantic things. But this wasn’t volleyball time or teacher time and what she was to them still remained a big question.
Coach was the obvious one, and they still gladly gave her that respect. But she was going to become their peer on Monday, assuming she decided to follow the path laid out before her by whoever or whatever set these changes to the course of reality. Those forces, however, permitted the existence of terrible creatures they had heard and felt murder a small piece of someone they cared about. So whatever plan guided the way things were definitely demanded skepticism and questions.
How did the kid play into that? Her gut reaction was that Luna seemed too strange and too knowledgeable to just be a kid. At the same time, she heard sincerity in her explanation. She was just doing her best and she may have secrets, but there was nothing she could do about that. She was doing all that she could out of love for her sister. Erin could understand that. Erin felt she was in the same shoes. In fact, she felt an odd kinship with the kid.
It wasn’t something she could easily explain or even attempt to put into words, but when she looked into Luna‘s eyes, she felt like she was looking into an echo of herself. But that went off in even weirder directions than anything she wanted to contemplate. The kind of reincarnation or spirit connection high strangeness that Gina dove into like a money bin of paranormal possibilities and she was Scrooge McDuck. The only eyes she wanted to think about right then were Nadia‘s gentle, hazel set framed by a demure blush and wide astonishment.
But they couldn’t stop to gaze and appraise one another forever, like some John Donne poem explanation vaguely remembered from English classes she would have to return to. Even Donne was basically saying, “No time like the present, let’s get it on babe!” She would save that part of things for another time as her brain flamed with delight over the possibilities.
She didn’t need to have the responsibility and the dedication to appearances that a teacher required anymore. Although, Coach Nesbitt never had them at all. They could go canoodling on the “field”, even though it was just a large stretch of Astroturf because of the dryness of the area. What would anyone say if two pretty girls snuggle each other beside the ramp leading to a classroom? Didn’t the football guys and the cheerleaders do far worse with butt-grabbing and grinding?
She never really thought of herself as gay, but here she was with a girl she loved. Among the squad, she assumed everyone would be sympathetic. It was more complicated than two lesbians but technically correct. Eva was the most religious of the group, but she never decried anyone for sin. She just made her own personal choices. Tatianna was another big question, as well as Odessa, based on some of the things they said in passing. Not her business, she just hoped all her girls were happy in their lives.
Leslie chimed in, “Coach and bus driver. Finally! Everyone saw how you guys looked at each other all the time! And I totally heard all the giggles. No need to read any minds. It was totally obvious. Good for you two!”
Nadia had a brilliant blush and all the words she could say got swallowed up in stammers. Luna had an enigmatic smirk, which didn’t do much to clear the air of mystery surrounding her, but it was good to see she approved. Odessa hugged herself and smiled while Eva looked down at her feet with her arms folded in front of her. It seemed more like a quietly embarrassed gesture than a disapproving one.
Gina chirped up with a raised finger, “You two look cute together. Kinda suspected with a flower. But while I am all for snogging, we have a big lingering thing to deal with before my mom picks us up.” Gina pointed with her finger to the other Gina. “We never really came up with a way we were going to explain her.”
Leslie squeezed her chin and inquired, “Sorry to suggest this, but how about trying to pop her back in or maybe poof her?” The other Gina leaned back with her eyes wide and her mouth open.
“Poof? Pop? I’m a friggin person here! I deserve to exist… Don’t I? I have dreams… I acknowledge the big one is a little bit out there, but I am as much Gina as any Gina. Please don’t poof me…”
Leslie sincerely and deeply apologized again, knowing from her samplings of Gina thoughts that each of them was on a similar wavelength, she just didn’t realize how independent the copy was. Gina gulped and took a deep breath before turning and wrapping her arms around her double.
The second Gina actually seemed surprised by the embrace but squeezed into the hug. Talking close to her twin’s ear, Gina reassured her, “I won’t poof you. Not that I even know how. You’re my sister. Totally weird, but totally us. Odessa is going to put you up for a little while, but I’m not throwing you away. I’m not shoving you in the closet like a forgotten toy. We are going to find you some sort of disguise or outfit or wrap you up in bandages so that mom doesn’t freak out from your face. We will figure it out. Promise. You don’t have to shank me in my sleep to take my place.”
The other Gina gave a short chuckle and her eyes darted around. “I wasn’t actually going to do anything. I’m just scared. I was you until I walked out of that bathroom. I thought the craziness was finally over after escaping that monster. Although, I gotta admit some parts of it were exhilarating. The world is crazier than I thought, and I have proof of it. But I’d also like a little quiet and calm too.”
Eva stepped over and gave the both of them a quick hug. She reassured the second Gina Ferris and encouraged her to adopt a name that she felt suited her. Even though it was rather boring, she gravitated towards her middle name, choosing to be known as Louise. It was more of a careful half-measure as she considered the wide possibilities never afforded her since birth. She just didn’t want to be known as Nia or Reggie. Gina understood and encouraged Louise.
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
And that was all well and good and a heartfelt moment, but Odessa gently reminded them all that they were running out of time to do a lot of things they really needed to do. Leslie called out to the group the same way she did when getting them organized for practice or a match. All of them went to their regular positions with their arms behind their backs and their shoulders straight. Even Luna seemed to get into it the same as everyone else.
Eva did her organizational Jitsu and tabulated the time they had left before the appointed meet-up with Mrs. Ferris to head back to their homes along with a detailed analysis of the places that Odessa wanted to see and to get the gifts that she hoped to get. Odessa wound up a little bit bouncy, but Eva assured her that they weren’t going to cut things short for her or push her. Gina and Louise led the pack.
Where they needed to go was actually down some escalators from the outdoor section of the shopping plaza. Even though it was two stories, the main complex was partially underground and connected to an extensive business park with hotels. The first was a cosmetic store and Gina and Louise did double duty by considering changing up Louise’s makeup to something that might give her a different color to her cheeks. It was subtle but a first step.
The next was a Japanese lifestyle store and Odessa acquired a pink penguin plushy which she said was going to be a gift for someone. While there, Louise seriously considered getting a pair of elephant pajamas that Gina turned her nose up at. This distinction between the two of them surprised the original but delighted the copy. Nadia got a mango soda and some Pocky, which she gladly split with Luna.
A stop at a perfumery slammed Nadia right in the face. Paul wasn’t any stranger to places like Bath and Bodyworks but often found it much cheaper to just get something at Walmart or mix his own fragrant concoctions. The other girls didn’t seem particularly at home at this place either, although Luna and Erin had the same curious expressions. Eva just sneezed.
Another place down, the final stop was actually a Warhammer store. Despite Gina and Louise’s geek cred, they were puzzled, mystified, but casually intrigued by the tiny wedge-shaped location. Odessa knew exactly what she wanted in a model and relayed it to the ponytailed guy who owned the place. The group lingered briefly to take in the setting while steering clear of a focused campaign off to the side. Thinking about the clichés, Nadia found herself both disappointed and intrigued by the ripples or lack thereof their presence brought.
The assortment of guys at the tables ran a gamut of those much older to likely the same age as them. They didn’t really notice them. No nervous sweating or uncertain looks, as she had seen depicted in dozens of instances in popular media. One guy did give her a glance, but it wasn’t longer than normal or bothersome. She actually gave him more of a look and wasn’t averse about what she saw. He wore a polo shirt, and his hair was a wild puff, but he was also kind of cute. Not that it mattered, because she had her girlfriend. But she figured there was no harm in looking. If Erin noticed her looking at the guy, then she had a good poker face about it.
Handling Louise’s disguise took a couple different stops at lower-priced women’s fashion locations. First of all, they put her hair into a ponytail resting on her shoulder in a way that Gina typically didn’t go for. Louise wasn’t especially keen on it either, but she accept it. They put her in a purple blouse that looked a little bit baggy and obscured her figure while going with loose brown flannel. It felt like a fashion atrocity but didn’t particularly stand out in any other way.
As a last-minute alternative, they did pick up several rolls of bandages to portray her as some sort of burn victim. Additionally, Louise practiced her best attempt at a British accent. It meandered comically between Southern, Australian, and some deranged version of Austrian but she was able to stick to it well enough.
Nadia looked everywhere but didn’t see any sign of the girlfriend proclaiming attire she had initially hunted for. Eva got a nice scarf. Gina found a subdued but luxurious perfume. And Leslie actually somehow found a helmet on sale. She didn’t explain what she intended to do with it, but they could guess.
It turned out though, Erin was sneaky and managed to create a colorful necklace to give to Nadia. She sprung it on her as they were waiting for their pick up and Gina‘s mom had just texted that she was on her way.
The little necklace had the entire sweep of the rainbow, even though some of the colors were out of order. The letters read GIRLFRIENDS FOREVER with bright red hearts and little female symbols locked together. It was subtle but clear. Nadia lamented that she didn’t have one to give to Erin, but she assured her it was a gift and not some quid quo pro obligation.
And she further highlighted how much Nadia had given her from the intangible gift of kind pleasures, being her strength when she felt scared and alone, making her breakfast this morning, and making some of the most beautiful and amazing gifts that she deeply treasured. This was just to make her happy after such a torturous and confusing day. They snuggle close but restrained a kiss as they saw Mrs. Ferris‘s car pull out of the parking structure.
——-
A steady fire crackles in a corner. One sits and the other stands.
”I don’t like it.”
“What's wrong?”
“A telekinetic who can see past the Veil and one of those… in love with each other, and you ask me what’s wrong? I’m surprised nothing worse has happened yet.”
“So, what do you want to do?”
“…. Bring her in. Let them know what’s at stake. If that doesn’t work, we always have contingencies.“