The Aberrations of S.I.D.E.

No. 12: Simply The Best

"It's still kind of surreal," Virgil admitted, shaking his head. "Remy and Emile were cute before, but now they're engaged. And the entire school saw the proposal."

"I think they're planning on getting married this spring," Roman said, tapping on his phone. "At the Academy, too." He looked up and grinned. "Also. Remy's mom is coming."

Virgil gave him a confused look. "Obviously she's coming---"

"No, no, no, I don't think you understand," he cut in. "Remy's mom is coming. Here. Marcelle Adrien is coming to the Academy, and she's going to be staying here to help with the wedding planning."

"Yeah. She's the mother of one of the grooms."

Roman groaned. "You don't get it. Of course you don't get it."

"What don't I get?" Virgil said.

"Look, Remy's mom visited when I was in seventh grade," Roman explained, sitting forward. "In the span of a month, she had the ballroom completely redecorated, got the security guards to improve their performance via French chocolates, bought new equipment for all of the labs, went on fifty different shopping trips with Madame Maeve and managed to get a good deal of the students new clothes via guesswork, and somehow got the dining hall people to seriously up their game, and they're still using the recipes she suggested. She is a force of nature that is both amazing and terrifying."

Virgil's eyes widened. "Holy shit."

"I know." Roman flopped back onto the bed with a sigh. "I just wish she'd get here sooner than March. I could use some serious help with planning Logan's birthday party."

"Isn't that tomorrow?"

"No, his birthday is tomorrow. The party is on Saturday."

"Still not a lot of time to prepare," Virgil said.

"It's his seventeenth birthday!" Roman exclaimed. "It's a momentous occasion!"

Virgil shrugged. "If I were you, I'd save the festivities for next year."

"Why next year?"

"It's his eighteenth?"

Roman tossed his hands into the air. "Exactly! Seventeen is the last year before you become an adult! He has this one last chance to be a teen!"

"With all due respect, Princey, I'm pretty sure Logan was born at the mental age of thirty-six. Him turning eighteen is just gonna make him being an adult official."

"Hey, I'd like to do something special for my best friend," Roman said.

"Even if he doesn't like it when people do something special?" Virgil reminded him. "Logan absolutely hates being the center of attention, and I don't blame him."

Roman paused, then sighed. "You're right, you're right. I'll just get him a present."

"Great," Virgil said, smiling. "'Course, nothing could beat the presents he gives us, amirite, Miles?"

The little spider robot wirred to life. "Do you require my assistance, Virgil?"

"Nope, just appreciating how awesome you are."

"Thank you very much, Virgil."

"I haven't ever seen you use that spider," Roman commented. "You even took it home, and you didn't use it."

"Yeah, well," Virgil said, getting up and giving Roman a kiss on the forehead, "I don't feel as nervous when I'm around you."

Roman blushed slightly, grinning. "Does that make me special?"