(Kaylor) This Love

Alive

Taylor didn't feel tired.
She wanted to do something. Do anything.
She hadn't felt that much power in so long. Too long.
She has already revived all of Karlie's plants, including the one beside the toilet in Taylor's room that was hiding away.
The feel of power in her veins makes her long for home.
For her family, for her friends, for her life.
She used to feel that way every single day. It was a part of her. But now, with the strict rules about using her abilities, it feels as if a piece of her is missing.
It seems that the whole world is alive. She turns to stare out at New York, a city she had so much hope for.
She is just about to turn back around when she sees her friend, Ed Sheehan leaning against the balcony wall.
She slides the door open, and he greets her with a smile.
"You know, I will never get tired of seeing you do that." Taylor blushes, looking down at the ground.
"Thanks, Ed. How are you?" Taylor asks standing beside him, her hair flying out behind her.
"Adam is actually really annoying." He chuckles. "You should come over and meet him one day."
"Maybe..."
"It is so nice to finally be able to see you again. I have missed you so much." Ed says, the stars reflecting in his eyes.
"Yeah. I miss seeing you at home though."
Yes, Taylor thinks quietly, where we could be exactly who we are and we felt like we belonged.
"There's no place like home."
"So, Ed. Have you like... done anything with him? Like as friends or whatever?" Taylor asks, curious as to whether she is doing the right thing.
"Not really, I mean, he's about to meet with someone from Japan to discuss trade deals. He hasn't really got time for anything else." Taylor listens quietly, able to hear the disappointment in his voice. "What about Karlie?"
"She's taking me to Central Park tomorrow!"
Taylor can't ignore the way Ed's eyebrows raise as she says this, expresses her excitement.
"Wow, you really are special Taylor. Everyone was right. Everyone that crosses your path can't help but fall in love with you." The words make Taylor turn a pale shade of red, and a smile spreads across her face.
Taylor can't help but feel like Ed might be trying to take this moment somewhere, so takes a few steps backwards, moving over to the other side of the balcony.
"Well... erm..." Ed says, sighing. "Has she come to see you yet?"
By she Ed means their tutor, the woman who taught them everything they know from the moment it was discovered that she was pure.
"No. Has she seen you?"
"Yeah, like four times."
"Do you think there's something wrong that she hasn't come to see me?"
"No, I just think she knows how capable you are and doesn't need to stress about you getting up to mischief on this planet."
Taylor laughs. "Have you spoken to anyone from home?"
"No, but I get to go home and see them at Christmas."
"What's Christmas?" Taylor asks and Ed laughs.
"You are going to love Christmas! You give people presents and they give you presents and you get to meet up with everyone's family and have a great time!"
"Well no one can meet my parents."
"That's because we're lucky, Taylor."
"Why?"
"Because we are what everyone wants to be. Pure. We are the rarest. Out of every thousand children born at home, only one of them is pure."
"I should go." Taylor says, looking back inside.
"You should come over some time."
"I'll try. If I want to meet up with you again just look for a spiral of light in the sky."
"I will. You look after yourself, Taylor. Don't get up to too much mischief with Karlie."
"I'll try not to! Bye, Ed."
"See you later, Taylor."

The next morning Karlie wakes up to Taylor cooking in the kitchen.
"Yum!" Karlie smiles.
Taylor has made fruit salad, with all kinds of fruit in it.
"Where do you even get these fruits from?"
"It's a secret." Taylor says softly, and Karlie smiles.
"I never liked secrets."
"Sometimes secrets are a good thing. Like good secrets." Taylor says softly, as she takes a bite of something called a watermelon.
"Are you ready for our walk?" Karlie asks after a while, and Taylor nods.
"I can't wait. Your plan- I mean your country is so pretty." Taylor get annoyed at herself for almost slipping up. Karlie looks at her for a moment, trying to figure out Taylor. Katie thinks that she seems so simple on the outside but feels like once she got to know her she would find that she is complicated.
"Yeah, I don't get to see much of it though."
"Because of your work?" Taylor asks softly.
Karlie nods.
She doesn't get to see much of anything. Only the four walls that surround her, What she calls her office.

"Do you not have any other clothes?" Karlie asks, and Taylor looks at her, confused.
"I usually just wear this." She says, motioning her light blue dress.
"Don't you get cold? It's freezing outside today."
"I don't really get cold."
"You are so lucky."
Taylor is about to ask whether Karlie actually goes outside enough to know whether it is cold or not but bites her tongue.
"I am." She says instead.
"Let's go."

Karlie opens the door for Taylor, who stares in amazement at Central Park.
"It's so pretty!" It's so different from Taylor's home, Her planet. So green, so alive.
Her planet used to be like this, when she was young. But now the trees are a crimson read colour, the soil a dark shade of orange that once seemed so normal but now, after seeing Earth feels so strange.
"It really is! It's even better on a warm day." Karlie says, remembering coming here with her sisters, long ago. Before she became a billionaire. Before work was the only thing on her name.
"I bet it is." Taylor smiles and Karlie locks her car, and the girls start the walk.
"Are you sure you aren't cold?" Karlie asks, worried.
"Where I'm from it is so hot!" Taylor laughs. "It's nice to have a break."
"I know I've asked you this already, but where are you from? And what brought you to New York City of all places?"
Taylor blushes. She so wants to tell Karlie everything, but she knows how much trouble she would be in if she did tell her.
"Um... well... it is quite a long story."
Taylor is cut off by a sharp ring, and Karlie pulls out her phone.
"Sorry. I have to take this."
Taylor feels her heart sunk, and sadly nods.
"Hello?" She hears Karlie say and sits down on a park bench.

After ten minutes of watching Karlie closely, and feeling her frustration, Taylor gets bored.
Slowly she begins to twirl her finger in a tight circle.
Slowly, the leaves at her feet begin twirling softly in the air, as if a gust of wind is taking them away.
She moves her finger up and flicks the leaves towards Karlie.
She watches as the leaves fall at Karlies feet, and one on her shoulder but realises that Karlie is too busy on the phone to realise it.
Taylor feels as if all of their talks have become nothing, and that they are in exactly the same place they were when Taylor arrived.
She sighs, covering her face with her hands.
"Taylor?" She hears Karlie call. "I'm sorry but I have to go into work."
"Okay. I'll just... ah... stay here. I can walk back."
"It's quite a long way."
"I'll be alright. See you later." Taylor says, hoping just a little bit that Karlie can sense her sadness.
"Okay. Bye." Karlie says, walking off with her phone pressed to her ear.
"Taylor." She hears a voice say from behind her.
She turns to see her favourite person in the entire world.
Her brother.