Overlap

Chapter 27-E: Swing and Miss

<11/01/2010- 14:20 | Saffrin Middle School (Music), Austell, GA,USA>

Upon entering music class today, there were three aspects that were different from my usual attendance here. The first aspect was that our normal teacher, Ms. Patterna, had been replaced today by a substitute, an older man with a scruffy peach fuzz beard, Mr. Roger. I recognized him slightly as he was actually a teacher here already for a different class, one for economics or something. The second aspect of difference was my general focus about the room. Carrying Lumina in tow, I had no choice by to divide my attention without making it obvious to anyone around me, and that brought me to aspect number three.

My seating arrangement was altered too. I have already been sitting away from Malica in the first place, up until math today. Laura was also part of this class, even though she and I didn't talk enough to be real friends. I sat in a new seat away from both of them, not because I felt negativity towards them, but because I knew how difficult it could be to hide my latest secret. I have already been distant and spacy today. The weirder I act, the worse it will be. So, I sat a little closer to some other random chick I knew nothing about. As soon as class began to start, I initiated my usual routine of pretending to pay attention to some boring lesson while putting my true focus into my thought projections again.

"Okay, so out of everything I've learned so far, how much left is there for me to learn?"

"In a single day, not much. There are other things to talk about that would likely require a full day's length of explanation."

Full days more of explaining? This can't be! How is it physically possible for a separate part of myself to rapid fire so many crazy details about some other world and an alien race so easily and endlessly? There has to be a limit to this! I'm barely keeping up with everything I've learned so far!

"But there is plenty to learn about the Unity. We are not some made up screen of imaginations like you think we are..." Lumina paused, letting her voice trail into a softer apologetic sadness. "But I'm sorry I didn't notice your feeling earlier."

"What do you mean?" What is she sorry about?

"I'm talking about the way I introduced myself earlier, about the way that we met... I should have assumed earlier that you would not have believed me. But when the purge finally activated and finished, I just got so excited and carried away. You refusing to believe in our existence really shouldn't have surprised me at all, but it kind of did. And that's my fault."

Is that what's bugging her so much? Get real Lumina! You should have known I wasn't going to believe such wild stories... But now that she's apologized for terrifying me earlier, I can't really hold it against her if her intentions are as true as she says. It's the most realistic imaginary acquaintance I've ever had before. Her emotions are so lifelike, her responses too genuine and real to be normal. It's been throwing me off for hours now. "Don't worry about that for now. Just answer my question, about the purge."

"You really want to learn more?"

"I asked didn't I? Tell me everything about the role of a purge. No, tell me more about my role in all of this." I already remembered enough about the properties of a purge. Me being purged isn't what's important. The reason for it happening in the first place is what I should be focused on. I also paid attention to more growing inconsistencies, though sure enough to have them all answered somehow. "I thought that the Altiri hated all men. So why am I suddenly the first to be purged?"

"Because you are different to others."

"Bullshit! I'm still a dude, am I not?" Her flattery is disgusting. I'm no more special than that other guy, and if all Altiri hate men from their own trauma, there is zero reason why I would be an exception to the rule.