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<11/05/2010 - 09:15 | Saffrin Middle School (Math), Austell, GA, USA>

My name is Reed. I'm still in the seventh grade, have an average life, and above average intelligence. But ever since the start of this week, I've had a secret, one I've been keeping only to myself. Despite how normal everything may appear on the surface, I'm actually a psychic.

I don't have too many special powers mind you, only one in particular, the ability to telepathically communicate. The other downside is that I can only use this telepathy on one specific person, an individual who by all self-proclamations is an Altiri alien from a distant star system in the Genosis cluster. Lumina is the name of the other person I can speak to, someone who is also a more impressive psychic than myself, on top of having other special abilities.

However, I don't have the means of producing any concrete evidence that any of this is real, that Lumina and the Altiri actually exist. In fact, I'm still not entirely convinced myself, but since our first encounter, things have changed dramatically. I ended our first day with the probability calculation that there was only a 1% chance that Lumina was real, leaving the 99% chance that I had gone insane and lost part of my rational mind to this new world. However, as the days passed into this Friday, I've since changed that probability of her existence to 5%. It's not a very high number, but there are some good reasons for my newer calculations today.

Factor one: Lumina's presence has not gone away. I actually have the power to decide whether I want to see her ever again, and proven the effectiveness of this on some level. I read somewhere that hallucinations typically only last up to 24 hours tops, unless you are really crazy. But here we are on day five, and she's still here with me now. You might be wondering why I keep calling her back, but the answer to that is actually simple. On one hand, I'm having her help me out a little with learning how to be more social, talk to people, and understand the language a little better. On the other hand, I'm also bored sometimes, and I just want to ask her about the specifics of her world.

Which brings me to point two: No matter what I ask Lumina, she has an answer for just about everything on the spot. She's been teaching me all kinds of things about her world, things that are hard to understand given the complicated science aspect to it. However, I've also had her teaching me the basics of outer space and general physics, only to go and look into it afterwards. Her accuracy in outer space physics is too precise and high for all of this to be a coincidence. In all, Lumina is capable of teaching me things even about my own world that I would have had no way of learning prior to hearing her about it. If she were fake, that shouldn't be possible in the first place.

Then there is point three, the realism of her responses and personality. Despite how I imagined a complex hallucination, Lumina isn't like me at all. She isn't an introvert, nor is she afraid to speak what's on her mind. Through this whole week, I've seen reactions and behaviors from her that all feel too real for it to be a product of anyone's imagination. It's actually impressive; I've seen more personality out of her than I've seen in most of my own classmates. As scary as that should be, her helpful nature towards me has at least earned her a spot of trust.

I've gotten used to calling her and talking to her at random intervals of my day, usually having one conversation unbeknownst to anybody around us, while listening or pretending to listen to another conversation, usually a teacher's lesson. I also took Lumina's advice in keeping this a secret from everybody else, realizing only now that it was the smarter move to make. After all, I don't really feel like I'm insane, not with how much control and freedom I still have over myself. Lumina can't control me, my body, my emotions, or my decisions. She actually told me herself that such type of possessive control is not within the realm of possibilities for psychic powers.

Overall, I have not exactly made a decision about whether to believe her as of yet. I mean, I thought that I did decide when she first showed up, but I was just scared and freaked out by it. Now, I don't know what to think. There is a 5% chance that she is real after all, and that I was specially chosen and purged by an Altiri alien, for the purpose of friendship no less. I know how absurd that sounds; you don't have to tell me. But still, I don't really have to decide either way, right? I know it's wrong to believe in an illusion, but there is nothing wrong with being uncertain. So, that's what I decided to do, to stop caring about the prospect of whether she is real or not. The point is, even if she is an illusion, Lumina is more beneficial for me to have around than it is harmful.

She has already helped me become closer to Zero and a few others, has helped me understand more about the world, and has done everything she can to help me with any kind of life advice I had, even if her answer was merely a collection of suggestions.

Because of the nature of our communication, nobody around me knew anything about what was going on under the hood of my mind. It began to feel more special, more exclusive than anything I have ever felt before. None of them realize it. None of these students know that I'm having a private conversation with an alien as we all go about our days. Naturally, I constructed numerous mental simulations and daydreams of what it might look like if someone did suddenly find out, but even I wasn't sure how close to realism the endings were. Still, without the daydreams, it gave me something to think about, considering the weight of the situation. It actually felt like I was now part of something bigger, provided I wasn't making it up, and as a result, my general mood about everything improved gradually. I wasn't just happier to have better success talking to the people in the school. I was also happier because if I ever got bored, I could trust Lumina with a fun conversation, just as much as I can trust her with better advice about other people.

So, this is my new life, a setting where I harbor a secret alien just for the heck of it, and nobody is the wiser. I found it impossible to track how something so crazy became so regular for myself, but at the same time, I was too happy with the way things were going now to switch it all off. Surely you understand where I'm coming from, right? You understand why I didn't just let Lumina go? I could do it at any time! It doesn't have to be right now!

"Reed? Who are you talking to?"

I cursed myself for getting caught monologing to the audience again. "It's nothing Lumina. Don't worry about it."

"Okay then." Lumina hung back from interfering whenever I was wrapped up in conversations during the groups of people I would sit next to, giving me the chance to really practice speaking with everything else.

But it wasn't just the practice that helped me accomplished this. I've come to realize something. I am intelligent, but Lumina is actually five times more intelligent than I am. Just by speaking to her for as long as I have, I've learned to better convey more of my words onto others properly. I'm even beginning to sound a little more knowledgeable of everything like she is. This also made me a little more confident too, enough to handle myself better while talking to Banarus's group, as I was doing right now.

As ironic as it was, Banarus and Malica were just talking about the concept of weirdoes and weirdness itself. Naturally, I felt obligated to chime into it, even if it was unexpected for them to hear me speak after some time of silence. "Weird means the same as being different, right? I can't see what would be so wrong with that. If you think about it, everyone is different in their own way. But what makes things more interesting is that everybody has their own story, their own reality, their own collection of perceptions that defines who we all are. Even then, perspective also matters to every story." I knew just as well. If I had some possible way to present all of my perceptions as they happened to me through some other person, then surely that person would believe everything that was happening to me, and not assume I was lying. But I don't have a way to do that, do I?

Banarus seemed a little awestruck by my response, mainly because it sounded more complete and refined than anything else I've ever said to her. I wasn't even trying to make myself sound that way, but ever since Lumina happened, I've just been better at speaking philosophically, I guess. This is what I meant earlier about sounding a little more like her. "I don't have a whole lot of stories to share though. My sister might..."

"That's nonsense," I corrected. Even if Banarus is the most boring person to me in the world, (which she is not), somebody else will think otherwise. That's how perspectives work when they clash and people meet each other. But let's assume for a moment that she is telling the truth. Her life will remain boring only for as long as she chooses it to be that way. "If you can't recall having any fun or doing any good in your life, then you need to get out a little more, make something happen." I realized the irony of my own words, since I myself did not obey them even today as much as I would want to. I'm the least social person I know. I don't go out to anywhere, never go to parties, never visit any friends' houses, or take part in a lot of competitive events. That's probably why Banarus was now making that surprised face at me right now.

Helpless like a deer in headlights, Banarus turned to her best friend instead, testing her own reality. "Am I hearing right? Is Reed giving me advice on my social life? Me?!"

With a light chuckle, Malica appreciated the advice floating around, but also took careful note of my own demeanor. "He is... You know, you seem different now than you were before." She was addressing me of course, pointing out how social I have become towards their group at least, or perhaps how confident I was when I spoke.

"If that's true, then I worked my magic well."

What magic? Lumina struggled to get things right the third time around, and I had to save myself to some extent. "No Lumina. We both worked on this together." After correcting her, I now needed to speak to Malica and Banarus too, as I have learned to better cycle my conversations in and out of telepathy. "I've been learning things is all. I think it's important to treat people really well and give them at least two chances."

Banarus nearly flipped from hearing that, and she asked me what was on my mine while pointing directly to Malica's face. "Are you talking about what I think you are talking about?"

She can't be serious! Here I thought Banarus would have no trouble getting this right the first time. "No. That wasn't dating advice. I was referring to friendships."

"Right," she nodded with closed eyes and a smile. "I figured that."

[https://i.postimg.cc/4dxY6gkF/Test28-C-Sim-02.png]

Banarus wasn't fooling either one of us, and it was a little refreshing to hear Lumina and I simultaneously agree on that. Still, I was a little floored to think Banarus would consider a meager possibility that I would ever in my life hook up with a cheater again. Malica was lucky I was even still willing to talk to her, even if I was still cold about it.

"What about stuff like forgiveness?"

For once, I was thrown off by the question, since it was coming from Malica directing her attention right onto me. I already suspected that she wanted to get back together with me, but I never thought she would say something about it to my face, challenging my own development. Even so, the best thing for me to do was to give her my entire honesty to the situation. "Well, that depends on the person I guess. I can forgive people too, but it also depends on what that other person has done in the first place. Even then, forgiveness in one area doesn't equate to a free retry in another area. The only reason I can talk to you right now is because I already know that there is a zero percent chance of you and me hooking back up again, Malica."

My words seemed to stun both of them, not because they were harsh, but because they were true. I'm glad I managed to say that too, not that it was easy. My heart began racing from talking about it at all, anxious to what could have happened. I don't even know how I was managing to convey my words so well today, given what little practice I did have, but I regret nothing.

"Oh, right!" Banarus perked up, removing some of the shock of the situation by trying to change the subject, for Malica's sake. "I heard you've been making new friends, from Laura anyway."

"I did manage to talk to a few more people lately." I still don't see why it's any of her business though. I don't blame Laura for expressing it, since she's almost friends with half the people I know. But of course, under some supervision from Lumina, I've done a far better job talking to them than I ever have in my entire life with anybody else.

Even yesterday, as interesting and awkward as everything should have been in Homech, it wasn't as bad as I feared. Kaitlyn came back from her absence of course, and proved to us that she was getting along well with Jaiden, while also getting along okay with Zero. I don't know if Kaitlyn actually forgot about me or the incident involving my previous crush on her, but she didn't bring it up even once. Of course, I didn't rock the boat either. I didn't feel any strange or wild glances she gave me. It was as if the whole thing never happened. So, she either didn't care and maintained total maturity about it, or forgot about the whole incident, which seemed more likely. Hell, I even got to talk to her a little, more than I ever did before, which was interesting.

The concept was weird to me, talking to someone I never spoke to before who I used to have crush on - but no longer did. Everything was so different this time. My words were not as jumbled, my heart didn't feel like it would explode, even though it was elevated still, and I saw Kaitlyn in this new light that I never gave her before. Even with all that, I didn't fall for her the second time. If anything, Zero and I were on the path to becoming best friends, giving it enough time. As I got lost in my own thoughts again, Banarus broke such silence with the slight squint of her eyes and further interrogation.

"Still only hanging out with girls though, huh?" Banarus really seemed put off by that fact, like I was somehow a creeper for maintaining that specific behavior. Even if she was correct, I didn't see what was so wrong about it.

"Man! She will just not let you get away with that!" I knew why Lumina was saying as much, since there was plenty of context. Lately, despite Banarus doing that usual thing of wanting me to sit with her group, she also wanted me to make more guy friends, in other classes of course.

As strange as I found her behavior, I was a little offended that she thought I was in the wrong given where everything was. Sure, the situation isn't perfect, but it has improved, and that is cause for celebration. "As a matter of fact, I am. Got a problem with that?" I really was curious to why she cared in the first place.

However, Banarus replied to me easily, with no guilt at all. "Some people might think you are gay because of it."

Gay huh? In this day in age, people look down on whether a person is actually gay or not, but the context is also used in jokes or memes. A guy being called gay is quite the insult around here, even when everybody knows the literal truth is that their orientation is normal. Banarus and I both know I'm as straight as an arrow, so she's probably more worried about the insult aspect than anything else. "Man! Who gives a rat's ass about that?!" I on the other hand could care less. After what I've just been through, having the school think I'm gay would be the least of my worries. Something worse could happen instead, like the school finding out about Lumina for example.

Apparently, my response got the both of them cracking up. I could tell they were only laughing about my language above anything else. It was an interesting expression I've been hearing more often in video games. I laughed too when I first tried to imagine it, but right now, my face was a serious as ever. "I'll make friends regardless of gender, and regardless of what other people think of me." Despite my last line being somewhat of a stretch, with Lumina on my side, I really was beginning to value integrity in a friendship more than anything else, which was partly why I felt less nervous talking to people. If they didn't like me enough to pay me any mind, then I would learn that being friends with them would be a bad idea, and by extension, caring about their responses would not matter anymore. It's easier to just say I only care about what other people think of me when it comes to those I want to care about in return. "If they think I'm gay, then whatever. I can't control people's minds, and I wouldn't really want to try."

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

"Sup?"

I nearly jumped from my seat, having not expected somebody to be hovering over us like that. When my eyes adjusted, I realized it was only Maddison. She was supposed to be sitting here all the time, but since the freestyle pace of this class was wilder this week, Maddison willingly ditched everyone here to hang out with Ashly in another math class. Yet now she is here again.

"Is Haylen's class doing that quiz thing again?" Banarus spoke to Maddison as if her sudden presence was normal for them, and I was missing some of the context.

"No, I just left early is all. Ashly is absent today." Maddison revealed the reason for her earlier return, giving me time to consider what they were talking about. By quiz thing, I could only assume that Maddison's presence in Haylen's class would be most unwelcome if the students there were in the middle of testing. You can't hang out with friends when they are cramming like that. However, it turns out that the truth is something even more mundane.

"It's strange to see that all of the people you know are somehow connected to each other. Still, you are doing well to mix into this group."

Yes, it is strange to look at it this way, especially from Lumina's perspective. Nobody here is ever directly best friends with more than one person at a time; that much makes perfect sense. But it creates this strange consequential web of acquaintances who all know each other, by the friends of their friends. Banarus and Malica are friends with Maddison, who is a direct friend of Ashly, though Ashly is not a direct friend of Banarus and Malica. The same can be said to most of the people in this entire school. "And I have you to thank for that."

"I only gave you advice that was helpful some of the time."

"No Lumina. You gave me the courage to try harder to talk to people." Even though it was never Lumina's direct strategy, it was something I had to learn eventually, the courage to try. Because of that, I learned that my previous style of passive observation of people was flawed, rather incomplete. All of this has made me a smarter person in that aspect too. I certainly can't take all the credit.

"You're right. I did it all! Now build a statue in my honor."

Lumina was normally this sarcastic, so I was getting used that that too, but something about the way she said that, or perhaps the timing of it made me laugh out loud for a few seconds, confusing those around me since it was so abrupt. Despite realizing my mistake, I didn't deny my own right to laugh at anything Lumina said.

"What's so funny?" Maddison and Banarus were asking at the same time, glancing at me with curiosity.

I knew I had to patch this up real quick. Luckily, this didn't happen as often as it did on the first day I was speaking to Lumina, so I figured they would forget about it later. "Eh, it's nothing. Anyway, what were you saying?"

"Smooth." What was also usual, was for Lumina to make fun of my misfortunes if they were small or insignificant. Her behavior coaxed me into returning the same embarrassment back onto her, if ever it were possible, which in this situation, it was not.

I knew she was right to say it though. I let my guard down yet again. It made me realize that it was going to take a lot more than a tiny slipup for anybody in this school to latch onto the mere idea that anything strange was going on with me, and that boosted my confidence a little too, mainly by removing the fear that somebody would find out.

I still wanted to tell somebody about Lumina, about the Altiri, and about everything I've been going through. But in the newest simulations running in my head, the outcomes of that possibility usually ended in me being ridiculed and not believed in the end. Even so, I was in a better mood today above all else. I don't know how I managed to turn this disaster around to a good situation, but I did it anyway. If ever I became too freaked out by Lumina's presence, I knew in the background of my thoughts that there would always be a kill switch; the idea of never calling her again after a connection drop. I wasn't stuck with this person inside my head, but for now, I choose to have her here with me, enriching my life tenfold.

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<11/05/2010 - 12:38 | Saffrin Middle School (Gym), Austell, GA, USA>

Once I got into gym today, the Friday dodge-ball game started as usual. I ended up getting out early by chance, which caused me to stand behind the team I was on, in a thin corner by the wall where the other out players were. There wasn't anybody here I knew, except for Ashly, who I didn't really try to talk to yet. Turns out she was absent but came in late anyway, missing three periods of school, but my thoughts were still busy handling Lumina.

"I couldn't care less about the game today. I'm too happy with the way things are now. I'm finally fitting in with every group I sit with in most of my classes."

"Okay, so which ones are you going to keep?"

Keep? I realized now what I said earlier, about trashing some of the old friends I had for now ones... But do I even need to go that far in the first place? "Who cares about that? I want to be friends with as many people as possible! I won't favor one over the other..." I had to think about what I just said, mainly in context relation to what Lumina and I have become by now. I couldn't hide it any longer. Of all the friends I have, Lumina is one of them now too. We are nothing close to best friends, but I want her around now. Still, I have no choice but to prioritize talking to her first, since she is the one helping me get this far. "But I guess when it comes to the two of us, we have little choice but to place top priority."

"You say that out of logic or pity?"

Why would she think that? I don't think badly of our conversations... Even so, she could at least try to exercise some restraint. "What I mean is, we're always able to hear each other's thoughts... It's kind of intrusive, and embarrassing." I'm glad I can talk to Lumina about more things than the average school girl, but at the same time, too much exposure is too much.

"I don't see what's to be so embarrassed about. Just because you like big butts and pussy doesn't mean I think less of you for it."

I can't believe she can just say that with a neutral expression! What I do during alone time should be none of her business. "See, that right there is what I'm talking about. Just because that website was on my mind earlier, doesn't mean you can just leverage that against me." Lumina wasn't even there for it. I was at the age now where I was finding and logging my favorite websites on my own, something every teenage boy does.

Naturally, given the situation, I decided to ensure Lumina and I were not connected for that moment, but things never go my way. Today on my way here, my vivid memory of what I saw on that website wound up popping into my mind at random. I didn't know it before today, but apparently, vivid imagery, either through memory or imagination can also transfer to the other person in telepathy, however, it is rare because both a strong connection and a powerful, vivid mental image is needed. Lumina was confused at first, but when I tried to pretend not to know what she was talking about, she sensed my nervousness and found out through indirect interrogation anyway that I had a certain kind of fun last night. It's crazy to think something like a memory can be made public to Lumina if I think about it enough, on purpose or accident. Ever since then, she's been trying to tease me about it.

"Where's the fun if I don't leverage it against you?"

I felt more uneasy now, standing here in sweat trying to turn this around on her. What's done is already done. I never meant to share with Lumina that I had an anti-fetish for boobs. "Let's see... Something embarrassing about you..."

"Good luck finding a single thing. I don't do embarrassing things."

Somehow, I found Lumina's claim impossible to believe, given how long she has been alive for. "Well, you should try that more often. What do you Altiri do up there for fun anyway?"

"Well, I like to think that we Altiri came up with the concept of Truth or Dare, that we never gave that idea to humans in anyway. I'm not too sure though. I guess it was a game both our races developed side-by-side."

"Ah, I heard about this one." At last, maybe I can challenge her to a game and royally defeat her. A smile crossed my cheeks just thinking about it as I tuned out the world around me, my focus entirely shifted onto this moment. "You ask people to give up their deepest darkest secrets, or dare them to run around butt naked."

"Well, the naked part of that is a stupid condition that only humans added. However, you're free to give it a try, if you want."

So now she's mocking me? Does she really think she can get out of it that easily...? Wait a second. Why haven't I ever seen an Altiri wearing any other uniform before? "I can't believe I never asked this before, but, is there something different about Altiri nudity?" I don't care how weird it was to ask this; she owes me an explanation now.

"Not really. Our outer layer of skin is a highly protective suit resistant to scrapes, cuts, and conductivity. It's not something we can really control. Our second layer of skin underneath seems to resemble human skin the most, pale as it might be. But we can only chose to expose certain areas of our body like that with practice, and never for long periods of time, not unless someone were used to it."

I never knew that! The Altiri have two distinct layers of skin? Wait, does that mean... "This outer protective layer of skin you have, that blue and white suit that looks rough and metallic, that's not just a space suit? It's a natural part of your body?" The idea of that being true was already blowing my mind.

"Yes. Essentially, we would consider our second layer of skin to be a part of nudity, should we expose our body parts like that. Normally, there is never a need to do so, especially when our first protective layer prevents us from taking certain kinds of mild damage, usually from bumping into something."

I was nearly holding my head trying to understand it all, but it was so different and complex. "So then, you can retract the first part of your skin to reveal the second, which is your true skin underneath? That means the Altiri really don't wear any clothes... But at the same time, you're not technically nude? Not until you chose to be?" It was obvious that I really needed some help figuring this out. I've seen some of Lumina's body before, her outer layer of skin anyway, which hid every asset I would expect a space suit to hide. I never had a clue that it was part of her biology! "Why are we talking about this?" I only picked up on it now, that Lumina and I were discussing the concept of Altiri nudity. For my own sake, I tried to flush my mind of the thought, before I create a bigger problem for myself in front of everybody.

"You are the one who brought it up, trying to dig into my life hoping to find something embarrassing. Too bad though. I told you before, I don't do embarrassing things."

I still wasn't buying that. "There has to be something awesome beyond all of that doom and gloom from your past. An embarrassing secret... I know! I'll ask your sisters about it." I couldn't ask directly, but I was scheduled to talk with Luminas sisters sometime soon, when the connection gets stronger.

"No!" she yelled, surprising us both. "Eh, I mean, you shouldn't do that. It would only be a waste of time..."

"Hah!" At last, I have broken her! I was right all along. If I know which buttons to push, even Lumina cannot hide a secret from me. Her reaction told me everything I need to know, including the high chance that her sisters won't care about hiding anything embarrassing Lumina has done in the past, not for the chance to have their own fun. "I knew it! There is something there! Spill the beans Lumina."

Even though I could not see or feel it, I could tell Lumina was blushing and fuming in her own humiliation, how she tried desperately to prevent this from getting any worse. "Oh yeah? Don't forget that I've watched you do some very interesting things, before you were purged I mean."

She's blackmailing me? Bad form Lumina, bad form... The weight of her words fell on top of me some more, realizing what she meant by that. I can't believe she actually watched me do that kind of stuff when I was younger! She really doesn't understand the concept of privacy at all. But what's crazier is that she would finally admit it to me now, just to scare me out of my previous plot. "That's just disturbing and creepy in a number of ways."

"Eh, no! That's not how that was supposed to come out!" She sure was nervous about her realized mistake now. With everything she said, it was too late for her to take anything back. It only pointed out how much she knew she wasn't supposed to watch me exploring myself in the first place, while also pointing out to me what a scary power clairvoyance can be in the hands of a curious and bored Altiri. "I wasn't actually paying that close attention. You know I don't go around doing things like that."

"Uh huh... Sure..." I didn't even try to hide my lack of believably to her desperate cover to fix what she had broken. In replying that way, I seemed to have really set Lumina off more than I expected to.

"I'm serious Reed! Don't take me for some kind of pervert! That's not who I am!" Lumina was screaming into my mind, begging me to believe her with her tone of voice alone. Her desperation to seem normal was beyond obvious, and quite a surprise to myself.

But all I could do now was laugh, losing what control and restraint I did have to her cute reaction. "If you could see your face now!" Even I couldn't, but based on her tone, I imagined it perfectly, which is what made this so funny.

"What? You were only messing around?! Reeeeeeeed!"

Unable to help myself, I found the fun I was looking for in her current humiliation. Honestly, I wasn't excusing her for learning that she had been watching me back then, but I was too swept up into the moment to care. She always has this perfect elegant self-image that she portrays, but deep down, even Lumina is a little immature, and is capable of the same embarrassment as I.

Unfortunately for me, my powerful laughter knocked the air form my lungs, dropping me to the floor as I held my stomach. My personal spectacle therefore attracted some attention onto me, mainly from the person I was closest to, Ashly, as I wasn't appearing to be talking to anyone prior to my reaction. Even knowing that, I couldn't help myself. Catching Lumina off guard was difficult to do, but it was too funny for me to resist teasing her in return.

"A— Are you okay Reed?" Ashly nearly had a smile on her face, hoping to be let in one what was so hilarious, but she was still too confused to make sense of why I was stuck in a laughing fit with nobody around talking to me.

"Ha!" Lumina pointed rubbing it this in. "That's what you get! How fun is it now to be awkward around everyone?"

But my laughing fit only continued, dying down slowly and gradually. "It was still worth it." I didn't care anymore how stupid or cringy my experienced was anymore. I found pure bliss in proving I could get to her if I ever needed to. Who's the perverted one Lumina? The kid spending time on adult sites, or the woman watching him get frisky?

"I, um..." Standing there nervously and awkwardly, Ashly didn't know what to say or do anymore.

I finally wrung myself out of the lock, inhaling as best as I could while trying to stand back up. I hastened my own recovery, still interested in reassuring to Ashly that everything was okay. Others were staring at me too, but it was only from people I knew nothing about, and thus cared not for their opinions. "I'm sorry Ashly. I was thinking about someone's day... Talk about a really embarrassing story." I twisted the truth a little, knowing I would not get away with this any other direction. I also realized how valuable that reply could be. If that ever happens again, I could just tell everyone I remembered something funny about somebody else.

"Oh! I want to hear!" Finally excited and on level to talk to me, I seemed to have interested Ashly with the tantalizing thought of hearing somebody else's embarrassing story. Of course, who wouldn't want to hear something so mystical and juicy?

"Don't you even dare!" Before I could even agree or disagree to telling Ashly all about this, Lumina revealed her true fangs of fury first. I've never heard her so vile and angry sounding just to avoid me saying anything humiliating about her.

So of course, I wasn't going to let another good opportunity go to waste. I was barely holding in more laughter just thinking about this. "Sure, okay."

"Reed?!" Her desperate and aggressive yelling sounded evermore desperate. She should know that such a strong reaction was only egging me on more!

"Nah, I shouldn't." Of course, I wasn't really going to tell her what this was really about. I could get away with pretending some of the context was from a forgotten joke, but something told me that Ashly nor anyone else in the school would find Lumina's mentioned behavior to be funny, rather stalkerish instead. I didn't even find that part of it funny, but my ability to tease her like this was too priceless to let go of. By backing out now, she'll realize that she was once again led astray into my devious trap.

"Come on!" Ashly grabbed by arm, bounding up and down in excitement to hear the truth leave my lips. "I want to hear the big secret!"

Still, I wasn't expecting her to cling to my arm like that. Never underestimate the desire for one to hear such hot gossip! I waited for her to quit grabbing my arm like a little kid before giving her my ultimatum. "Sorry!" I chanted deeply. "But I swore an oath to this person's secrecy. That, and the right to some delicious cereal every morning."

Ashly giggled a bit from my own silliness, her eyes lighting up from the discovered opportunity of no longer sitting quietly by herself. "You sure are in a fun mood today. Just what have you been up to anyway?"

"Straight onto that huh? At least you are attracting wanted attention to yourself like never before."

I knew Lumina was correct, but the only way I could keep everything going was to not lose focus of how I was accomplishing this; slow and steady. "Oh, you know. Making some new friends, making fun of their misfortunes, then having them making fun of my misfortunes... The usual."

"At least he's honest."

"If you want to hear a dark secret about someone I know, I'll share it with you, but only if you tell me yours after."

Her offer left me with a strange off put feeling that enticed me to agree at the same time. Ashly looks cute on the surface, but she can be scary with information, so it seems. Was she interested merely in sharing people's embarrassing stories? If so, why did they entrust them to her loose lips? "What are we, gossip buddies?" I was partly joking of course, but Ashly found it a little funny, considering gossip is only something done between only girls. I cared not for the semantics. All I learned so far is that she can't keep any secret. So, telling her the truth is out of the question.

Still, I agreed anyway, since it was more fun than what everyone else was doing. I invented something to tell her during her retelling of someone's unfortunate day, not thinking about how strange it was or what I was really doing. It was almost like I was on autopilot, but I was still choosing which route to fly, always sticking to whatever gave me the most fun or thrill.

After Lumina got a hold of herself again, she also did the same, randomly asking me about stuff throughout the day, in the middle of class, or what I thought about this and that subject in life. Overall, it was a pretty decent day, and on top of everything else, I would be going to my dad's house later after school as per the usual weekend trips. Lumina had never been before, so it was an experience that she was excited to learn about before we even got started. Little by little, we were both beginning to relax, unleashing our true selves onto each other with no regrets or restraint. I couldn't imagine how next week would go, but I was finally looking forward to it.