Overlap

Chapter 65-A: What Falls into Place

<09/27/2011 - 09:00 | Saffrin Middle School (GA Studies), Austell, GA, USA>

"Oh, but I thought you liked the new hair style." Lumina spun in a cute excited twirl, showing off and flapping her new pigtails in front of her mirror to show me all the hard work her sisters did on her new appearance.

"When did I say I didn't?" Lumina showed me this morning already, so seeing them again wasn't going to feel as shocking as the first time. "Lack of surprise doesn't mean I don't like them Lumina. You look great actually!"

"Yep. They are great... Now it's your turn Reed. When are you going to get a makeover?"

"You think I should get braids or something? I could do ponytails too if I grow my hair out long enough." We both knew I wasn't serious, though Lumina might continue pretending as if I were. It's another contest to see which one of us can be the most silly. Let the games begin!

"I see your feminine side is still perfectly alive. I guess the purge wasn't responsible for prolonging it after all."

"I don't know. Maybe it's because I hate heathens so much, I can't even condone the thought of being one percent masculine. Either way, it's the same reason I can only hang out with girls."

"So long as you don't get carried away," she added with warning.

Yeah, she doesn't have to warn me though. "By the way, are your lips always such a beautiful blue? Or do you have access to lipstick up there?"

"It's natural coloring for us Altiri. Something to do with the air, but of course I'm no expert on it. I'm glad you like it though."

"Of course I do..." As I sat at my desk surrounded by the usual gang of people, I tuned the world out for Lumina's sake, focusing only on her. After I complimented her looks, I perched my dreamy face on my hands, too engulfed in these feelings to care what expression I might be making. Instead, I went much further. "I don't normally get a chance to see what you look like. The connection always has to be so strong before our vision can swap like this. But who would have thought you look so amazing?"

"I'll accept that as a compliment."

I was happy to make Lumina smile again. Despite what I promised myself earlier, it was too difficult for me to retain the visual memory of Lumina's face and body due to last summer's meddling. I recently had her stand in front of her mirror while I stood in front of mine, staring deeply into each other's eyes as I happily complimented her ethereal beauty. It was getting harder for me to tell if I naturally found her this attractive by default, or if I only came to this conclusion because I was now in love with her, but the difference mattered not. For an ancient Altiri alien, Lumina is quite the attractive woman, even if she looks like she's nineteen or twenty years old.

There to break the silent immersion we had wrapped ourselves into, Banarus pointed at me with laughter in her voice. "What's with that weird look on your face?"

Lumina started doing the same, laughing directly at me, though her voice and gesture was so much cuter when she did it. "Better control your expressions Reed. I know I'm irresistible to you, but people will find out about us if you drool over me all the time."

"Oh, shut up!" It was getting easier for me to expect when Lumina was about to tease me about anything or not. In this scenario, she was too correct. I have to mute my external expressions, so that people don't get too suspicious. "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"I don't think that will be enough to save you."

Right on cue to prove Lumina right, Laura took sudden interest in me and asked me something with a brazen grin to her name. "So, how are things between you and Lumina?"