A Beautiful Woman of Science and Other Absurdities | ✔️ [COMPLETED]

Chapter 15 - Don't be jealous

After days of anticipation and publicity, Aveline arrived in Capital City for the last stop of her nationwide pop-music concert tour. Local news heralded her arrival with fanfare the moment she crossed over the city limits. Photographers tried to catch candid shots of her and members of her dance troupe through tinted car windows as they moved about the city. The large video billboards around the city promoted the dates of her local performances and showed snippets of her previous concerts where Aveline was seen singing and dancing to the delight of tens of thousands of fans. Her concerts were eye-popping, stadium-sized spectacles with flashing lights; ornate, colorful costumes; thirty-foot high sets; and video animated flooring. Aveline herself changed costumes four or five times in an evening, but the one constant which never changed was her signature light green and pink streaked hair which she wore tied up into two long tails that reached down to her thighs. It flowed around her and even seemed to hover at times whenever she performed her songs on stage.

While all the hubbub was about Aveline, in the same city at the National Laboratory, Moyenne and Kylian studied a flat computer screen together. Moyenne puzzled over the results on the screen. She did not look up when Viviane walked in on them.

"Glad you're here, Moyenne," Viviane said, "I have to go visit Anaelle and Marielle at their High School. I want to tell them that I might be able to get them backstage jobs for Aveline's concerts. Would you come with me?"

"Can you go by yourself?" asked Moyenne. She never even took her eyes off the computer monitor. "I have to write this report and I'm under a deadline!"

"Did you say 'High School'?" Kylian asked.

"Yes, there's a High School that operates inside the campus of Renard University," said Viviane.

Moyenne, still keeping her eyes on the computer screen, added, "It's only for children of the people who work here."

"Do you want to see it?" asked Viviane. "I never did finish giving you a tour of the campus."

Kylian's heart lifted with hope and happiness at Viviane's invitation. "How could I refuse?"

The High School was within walking distance from the National Laboratory. Curiosity got the better of Kylian as they strolled.

"Who are you going to see again?" he asked Viviane.

"Anaelle and Marielle," said Viviane. "They're friends of mine."

"You have friends that are still in High School?"

Viviane bristled at that comment.

"Is that so odd? Maybe I shouldn't have asked you to come with me."

Kylian gulped. "No, not at all! I love kids."

"Sure, you do." Vivian wasn't fooled by Kylian's sudden affinity for children. "I don't have conditions on who can be my friends. Anaelle and Marielle are younger than me it's true, but I'd like to help them grow up into mature young women someday. They remind me a lot of myself when I was their age."

Kylian and Viviane came to the entrance of the High School grounds. Before anyone could enter, however, all visitors were required to pass through a military checkpoint which was guarded by armed STS Agents. Two Agents greeted Viviane and Kylian.

"All visitors must submit to search and inspection before passing," said one of the Agents.

"Oh, hello Ms. Fox," the other Agent said. "Please step through," and with a polite wave of his hand he allowed Viviane to skip inspection.