quipped
back.
Ass.
THE RESIN ARE NO LONGER
CONSIDERED LUCENT.
I had to admit, hearing Colby say she loved
me wasn’t what I expected to come from her.
I’d almost settled myself in for a lifetime
of not hearing it.
She got up from the bed, leaving me there
wanting so much more. We wouldn’t bond. I wouldn’t force her hand
just because the Synod expected her to. She never was much for rule
following anyway.
“Where are we going first? I need to speak
to my mother and Ari. I should tell Sway. How long will we be
gone?”
I hopped down from the bed. Realizing I was
only in boxers, I quickly grabbed a pair of jeans from the chair
and threw them on.
“I think Tibet is the best place to start
after we finish in New Zealand. Collin knows a good deal about
Eivan. But Sevella’s handwritten journals are in Tibet.”
She said nothing, so I turned around,
buttoning my pants, to see what was going on. She was mulling
something around in that pretty head of hers, I could tell.
“What?”
“We’re going to one of those
monasteries?”
“Yes.”
“With the shaved heads and the gongs and the
orangey robes?”
“Yes.”
She sighed really loud and dramatically. It
made me chuckle. I couldn’t pin down exactly what part she had an
aversion to.
“What is it? You can flash back home if you
don’t want to stay the night or you don’t want to be there. I can
still do this alone.”
Her worrisome pout turned in an instant into
one of credible anger. “I’m not backing out. I’m just not really
good at being quiet.”
I couldn’t help myself. I broke out into a
doubled over, stomach- cramping laugh. She so nailed it. She could
never be quiet—church, tests… you name it, Colby was going to talk.
She got kicked out of the SATs twice for talking to the person next
to her—who she didn’t even know.
“That’s it. I’m leaving if you’re just gonna
laugh all day. When are we beginning our journey?”
“Friday,” I answered, trying to compose
myself.
“I’ll see you then.”
“Wait.” I grew serious. I couldn’t let her
remember this night like that. I closed the gap between us with a
few steps. Pressing my forehead to hers, I placed one chaste kiss
on her still surprised lips. Then I popped her backside with my
hand. “Now let’s see what color your wake is.”
“No color whatsoever.”
She flashed out of my room and I chuckled at
the wake she left behind. It shimmered in pale notes of pink.
“Yep,” I said to myself in the mirror. “I
still got it.”
***
I skipped out Sunday afternoon after
spending more time with my parents. I got back to my rented cottage
in the backwoods of New Zealand. I spent some time observing my
shadow. That’s what I called him. From a distance, he looked like
just that—my shadow. He carried out meaningless tasks and even
turned out the lights when he was done. It was like having a zombie
for a twin without all the intestine chewing.
Then I simply said the words and his image
swished back into me.
It was weird, to say the least.
I called Collin and made arrangements to
come back on Friday, noting that I would have someone with me. He
seemed excited as Collin could get—which meant he didn’t yell at
me.
Colby had stayed pretty silent the past few
days. I supposed she was juggling her business around and prepping
for whatever we were heading into.
I didn’t worry about it. Colby’s word was
solid.
But I was nervous as hell for whatever would
happen next. Specifically, how everything would hash out with Colby
and me being together again. Not together-together, but in the same
proximity. I tried—God help me I tried to keep cool around her.
Holding up that façade of ambiguity was exhausting.
Cool and unattached just wasn’t who I
was.
Sharing my feelings with Colby was like
second nature to me. I couldn’t imagine being in her presence and
not commenting on how beautiful she was or not letting her know how
much I loved her. It
back.
Ass.
THE RESIN ARE NO LONGER
CONSIDERED LUCENT.
I had to admit, hearing Colby say she loved
me wasn’t what I expected to come from her.
I’d almost settled myself in for a lifetime
of not hearing it.
She got up from the bed, leaving me there
wanting so much more. We wouldn’t bond. I wouldn’t force her hand
just because the Synod expected her to. She never was much for rule
following anyway.
“Where are we going first? I need to speak
to my mother and Ari. I should tell Sway. How long will we be
gone?”
I hopped down from the bed. Realizing I was
only in boxers, I quickly grabbed a pair of jeans from the chair
and threw them on.
“I think Tibet is the best place to start
after we finish in New Zealand. Collin knows a good deal about
Eivan. But Sevella’s handwritten journals are in Tibet.”
She said nothing, so I turned around,
buttoning my pants, to see what was going on. She was mulling
something around in that pretty head of hers, I could tell.
“What?”
“We’re going to one of those
monasteries?”
“Yes.”
“With the shaved heads and the gongs and the
orangey robes?”
“Yes.”
She sighed really loud and dramatically. It
made me chuckle. I couldn’t pin down exactly what part she had an
aversion to.
“What is it? You can flash back home if you
don’t want to stay the night or you don’t want to be there. I can
still do this alone.”
Her worrisome pout turned in an instant into
one of credible anger. “I’m not backing out. I’m just not really
good at being quiet.”
I couldn’t help myself. I broke out into a
doubled over, stomach- cramping laugh. She so nailed it. She could
never be quiet—church, tests… you name it, Colby was going to talk.
She got kicked out of the SATs twice for talking to the person next
to her—who she didn’t even know.
“That’s it. I’m leaving if you’re just gonna
laugh all day. When are we beginning our journey?”
“Friday,” I answered, trying to compose
myself.
“I’ll see you then.”
“Wait.” I grew serious. I couldn’t let her
remember this night like that. I closed the gap between us with a
few steps. Pressing my forehead to hers, I placed one chaste kiss
on her still surprised lips. Then I popped her backside with my
hand. “Now let’s see what color your wake is.”
“No color whatsoever.”
She flashed out of my room and I chuckled at
the wake she left behind. It shimmered in pale notes of pink.
“Yep,” I said to myself in the mirror. “I
still got it.”
***
I skipped out Sunday afternoon after
spending more time with my parents. I got back to my rented cottage
in the backwoods of New Zealand. I spent some time observing my
shadow. That’s what I called him. From a distance, he looked like
just that—my shadow. He carried out meaningless tasks and even
turned out the lights when he was done. It was like having a zombie
for a twin without all the intestine chewing.
Then I simply said the words and his image
swished back into me.
It was weird, to say the least.
I called Collin and made arrangements to
come back on Friday, noting that I would have someone with me. He
seemed excited as Collin could get—which meant he didn’t yell at
me.
Colby had stayed pretty silent the past few
days. I supposed she was juggling her business around and prepping
for whatever we were heading into.
I didn’t worry about it. Colby’s word was
solid.
But I was nervous as hell for whatever would
happen next. Specifically, how everything would hash out with Colby
and me being together again. Not together-together, but in the same
proximity. I tried—God help me I tried to keep cool around her.
Holding up that façade of ambiguity was exhausting.
Cool and unattached just wasn’t who I
was.
Sharing my feelings with Colby was like
second nature to me. I couldn’t imagine being in her presence and
not commenting on how beautiful she was or not letting her know how
much I loved her. It
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