The Reptile Speaks

Insecurity

“Oh, I just know that she’s found someone else!” Bron whined a little. 

“What?” asked Skrol, his roommate at Picard High School. 

“She did! I haven’t heard from Sophra in over a week!” 

“Well, uh,” Skrol cast about, trying to think of what to say, “look, a good six of those days was just her sitting on a transport. And by the time she got back to Cardassia, I bet she was really space-lagged. Don’t worry so much.” 

“I wish I had gone with her. She’s gonna be there for the entire two-month holiday break and I bet there are all sorts of ex-boyfriends there who’ll just casually run into her. And then they’ll ask her out, but they’ll be all coy about it. And Sophra’s so sweet, she’ll just think they’re being nice,” Bron said, “and then they’ll bring her flowers or something, and by the time she realizes it’s a date, she’ll be head over heels! She’ll break up with me via recorded communication, way before she comes back in late January!” 

“Whoa, whoa! Time out!” Skrol called out, putting his hands in the shape of a capital T. He was careful not to let the vertical hand make contact with the palm of the other one; otherwise he’d nick himself with his own claws. He and Bron were Gorn, and they were seniors. This would be their last big school break before college or the Academy. They were spending it at the school. 

“Huh?” Bron was looking out the window, roughly in the direction of Cardassia. 

“You’re acting like you don’t trust her,” Skrol said, “I mean, you got any cause to behave that way? You and Sophra have been going out for three weeks. Has she given you any reason to mistrust her?” 

“No,” Bron said, “but I should’ve gone with her!” 

“You have been going out for less than a month, remember? And you and she are really different, in case you’ve forgotten. You can’t just go ahead and invite yourself to her house. What would her parents say?” 

“I – yeah, you’re right. I think it’ll take some prep work before her parents would ever even want to talk to me, let alone accept me,” Bron sighed. “They’ll be pushing her to go out with guys more like her. And not just Cardassians – I bet any guy who’s warm-blooded would be preferable to me.” 

Skrol just shook his scaly head, unsure of what to say to comfort his friend who, he suspected, might not be wholly wrong about things. There was a door chime. “Come in.” 

“Hey, Baby!” It was Tr’Dorna, Skrol’s Xindi Reptilian girlfriend. She kissed him, and then approached Bron. “Why the long face?” 

“Uh, you talk to him,” Skrol said, and then hastily added, “uh, please? I’m no good at that.” He grabbed a towel and escaped into the dorm room’s little bathroom. 

“Well?” she asked after a few minutes. 

“I, uh, I haven’t heard from Sophra for days. I bet she’s out with some Cardassian guy and is forgetting all about me.” 

“Huh,” Tr’Dorna thought for a moment, “yanno, my roommate Etrina and her family are spending the intercession on Risa.” 

“So?” 

“So I bet they’re going swimming and stuff. But I don’t think they were kidnapped by Nausicaans or they sang some song and won Tellarite Idol or they overthrew the Federation or anything.” 

“I’m not following you, Tr’Dorna.” 

“All I’m saying, Bron, is that you can only go on the facts you’ve got, and what’s, well, what’s logical, whether we're talking about how Sophra is spending break, or how Etrina is. Don’t look at me like I’m a scaly Vulcan or anything! Just, you’re jumping to conclusions and assuming a lot of things. Have a little faith, okay? We girls usually aren’t so different from you guys. We’re not out to actively try to hurt you. I think that’s even true of a warmie like Sophra.” 

Bron cringed a little when he heard that word. It was definitely a slur. “I, uh, you’re probably right.” 

“C’mere,” she said, and he hugged her. It felt good to be hugging someone. 

Skrol came out of the bathroom. “Hey, you makin’ time with my girl?” he asked, pretending to be annoyed. 

“Your girlfriend is a really smart and sweet lady,” Bron said, “I dunno what she sees in you.” 

“I’m just devilishly handsome,” Skrol said, flashing white, sharp teeth. “C’mon, Baby, let’s go look at the stars. Uh, don’t wait up or anything.” They left. 

Bron made sure the door was shut tightly behind them. He then turned around, back to the door, so that if Skrol or anyone else tried to get in, he’d be ready. 

He stared out the window again. “I miss you,” he said aloud, “I trust you. I just miss you. And it doesn’t help that I’m so damned insecure about, about us.” He couldn’t help it, he just felt his eyes welling up. He felt his face reddening. Even his cold blood was being warmed by hot tears. 

He didn’t know how long he stood there, so the sound startled him. It was a Communications chime. 

It was a recorded visual message, her lovely grey face across the light years. “Hi Bron,” Sophra’s recording said, “I’m sorry I didn’t write earlier. When I got back home to Cardassia, I was so tired and laggy. And my little brother’s learning to play a human musical instrument called a kithara. He only knows one song – it’s about how to pet a zabu,” She made a face. “He has played it over and over and over again. I can barely get any sleep! I miss you. Write back soon, okay? These two months will fly by, and then we’ll be together again. I’m counting the days.” 

Bron played the message back a few times, thinking of the perfect response. Finally, he started recording. 

“Hi, Sophra, …”