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<09/03/2011 - 14:05 | Dairy Queen, Marietta, GA, USA>

About a month passed since I started back up in school again. I was more or less right in my predictions for what September would bring in terms of average temperatures; isolated nights of upper fifties scattered throughout the periods. I didn't get very much time with Lumina for that reason, but ever since we reunited again, my heart has given me a new source of power, of hope and faith that everything will get better as the next winter draws near.

So today was special for me. Even though I decided not to go to my dad's house for the weekend, I was celebrating the moment of a full cold day; a day in which the temperature for telepathy was viable from morning to night with no interruptions. Perhaps it was the fall winds coming in; I only focused on how excited I was to spend another full weekend day with Lumina in tow. With no homework to touch, we aimlessly found random things to do, following my long and distant walk into the nearby town.

Since Lumina had been nagging me about her desire to taste the ice cream, I found myself walking into an ice-cream shop without having planned it earlier. As soon as I opened the glass door, bell chimes above us rang on, alerting the staff of another customer.

"Hello and welcome!" The seller behind the counter was excited as usual, though I could never figure out if he cared this much about his job, or if he was simply paid to act it out.

I can't deny feeling some extra excitement at what I was doing here. I've been inside of stores and shops before, but normally with one of my parents. Coming here with Lumina when it's just us somehow made everything feel livelier. It's comforting to hang out with her like this. I don't have to passively try hiding her existence, nor do I need to cover up my delays when speaking to people, caused by of my attention on Lumina.

"Yes!" Lumina cheered with a cute arm dance. "I knew daring you to walk around outside your gated community would play off. I've always wondered what Dairy Queen taste like."

As if! Lumina's never wondered what Dairy Queen tasted like. She's only saying so now to get me to buy something for her. Since she's still so cute, I can't resist giving in to her implied demands. Without much delay, I placed my order, being the only customer who had not ordered yet. "One vanilla scoop please." Vanilla is all I'm willing to try, since I knew from childhood that I didn't like any other flavors.

"I'm gonna level with you Lumina. I'm not sure if I'll be able to enjoy this. It's been two years since I've had anything that tasted sweet. I don't really like the taste of sugary foods anymore, not since the day I threw up two glazed doughnuts from a Quick Trip. I never understood how or why it happened, but I'll become nauseous again if I have too much of any direct sugar. Maybe that day was my body's way of naturally rejecting it or something."

"You and your excuses. I should be able to taste the same thing you are tasting, even if you find them to be different. So hook me up!"

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"Two dollars please."

I've never seen Lumina this excited to try ice cream before. I wanted to tease her about it, since it's the behavior only little kids exhibit, but I don't think she would understand my context anyway. After paying what little saved allowance I had, I finally received the prized cone in hand. I decided to step away from the counter so that I could try enjoying my food in peace. I didn't take a seat, but the seller wasn't looking away from me either, which was a bit creepy. Thank god for the power of private telepathy.

"Let's go already! Take a bite! Try a lick!"

"Alright already, calm down!" I inhaled strongly before I scooped my tongue into the cream like a shovel, letting the material melt into my mouth for maximum effect. "Hm..." It was going to take a few seconds to know what this even tasted like, since my taste buds sometimes delay what to send out. As soon as I finally registered its flavor, Lumina started reacting to it instantly.

"Well it's... It's..."

"Unpleasant!" Lumina and I both spoke on top of each other, uniting our evaluation of this so called, iced cream! I couldn't help but make a slightly disgusted face from the flavor now stuck in my mouth.

"You know, it's actually rare that you and I would agree on something with the way something tastes. Then again, I wasn't making excuses before. My body has been rejecting foods like this if I eat large enough quantities of it. For that reason, it's changed the very way I smell and taste anything that's supposed to be sweet. Instead, I've been craving more salty or cheesy snacks."

"Well I don't really like your salty snacks... But this ice cream is nothing to get excited about. Man, that just killed the mood. This whole date is ruined."

"Oh, don't get all melodramatic! You can't taste it because this kind of food is so dull and bland. Even I used to like sweet things, but ice cream has always tasted this way, even when I used to be able to eat more of it. It was more like a refreshing cold meal than something for flavor... Still—" I wasn't about to defend the slop inside this scoop either, but if Lumina got her hopes crushed that badly, then it's her fault anyway.

"It's literally as bland as air! No, even the air tastes better than that."

"Whatever... I think I just lost my appetite." I turned around, tossing my cone aside into the trash while making my way for the exit, and heard the seller complain about something on my way out.

"Hey! Don't you like your ice cream?"

I stopped before heading back outside, just so that I could answer the nosey employee. "No. I can always get something better from anywhere else."

As soon as I walked out without another word, I heard Lumina holding back a laugh. "Wow! You're so mean sometimes. That cone could have meant the world to that guy!"

"Yeah right." I could hear her snicker now as I called her bluff. "It's just ice cream. That guy can go cry about it if he cares that much." With the fresh air and roads around me, I wasn't too disappointed by all of this. The moment felt ever more relaxing that I got to taste something horrible, because I tasted something horrible with Lumina.

"Well now we both know that we don't like ice cream. So, where should we hit next?"

"You do realize that we're on a walk, right? I can also consider this a date too, but I don't have any more money Lumina. That cone basically just emptied out my allowance from chores already. And without money, we can't just go out to eat at random."

"Aaaawh! Come on Reed!"

For a girl who doesn't need to eat, she sure wants me to treat her to all these fancy dinners. "One day, when I have a job, we'll look into it."