Extra Terrestrial

To Love

Most things were two way, a blonde with green eyes noticed as she prepared for the day. Her close family relationships were two way. Their extended family wasn't so much. She never spoke to any of her aunts or uncles unless they were physically together. And family gatherings were few and far between. The family as a whole was pretty bad at keeping financially afloat. Mike's family, her paternal side, weren't good with numbers and none could keep a job for long. He was lucky to have gotten out of his hometown early. And he married up. Vanessa, her mom, had her own flower business. Which was interesting as she had a black thumb. But Bloom was usually around to help. They would garden together and Bloom would somehow get the flowers healthy and beautiful despite Vanessa's accidental murders. But recently their mom was so insistent that Bloom get a life. Bloom hadn't wanted to change who she was to please her mother, but didn't want mom to rant at her and throw out the odd insult again. Ironically, visiting Bloom so much got Olivia tied into helping mom instead of the redhead. And she would fill her older daughter in on the goings-on of her side of the family. They were just as much a mess, but her brother was just as successful as her. Her small family was why she wanted kids. Olivia could mask her introverted self enough to please their mom, but Bloom was blatant in her likes and dislikes. 

But they had a rhythm. They connected. They weren't a close knit family anymore so only the main four mattered to each other. Olivia and her parents didn't live together anymore, but they texted now more than ever. It was a give and a take. They each sent texts regularly and always responded until the conversation was over. Or Olivia was at work. Sometimes, they'd send little stuff: an image they'd taken that day, or a meme Olivia was stoned and couldn't stop laughing at. And they'd so the check-ins. 'Anything new with your life?' That sort of thing. So... what didn't make sense was....

Why Bloom hadn't texted her back. 

She hadn't spoken to her sister in a week and that was unacceptable. Olivia was getting equal parts pissed and worried. But Switzerland wasn't dangerous. It was, like, the safest country in the world. So, as she sat on her toilet, having finished her business, but unable to find the will to stand, she scrolled through her text messages and remembered her suspicion. 

Yesterday at 10:02 A.M.

Olive: Hey, babe. What's up? How's the new school?

Bloom-Bear: Totally weird. Its a freakin' castle. With WINGS!

Olive: OMG, when's parent teacher night? I'm going instead of mom and dad.

Bloom-Bear: Lol XD

Olive: So, not to sound like mom, but....

Olive: Friends?

Bloom-Bear: Ugh, the suite (thats switzerease for dorm) im in, I share with 4 girls. 

Bloom-Bear: And two of them *totally wanna be friends* Suitemate, Aisha, and another girl. 

Bloom-Bear: Flower child. 

Bloom-Bear: Youd like her.

Olive: I am a hippie. Excuse you.

Bloom-Bear: Classes are weird

Olive: Weird how?

Bloom-Bear: Botany.

Olive: ROTF! 

Bloom-Bear: This will help me in life how?

Olive: Perhaps at *mother's* shop?

Bloom-Bear: Oh, yea

Bloom-Bear: I forgot about that.

Olive: Lmao

Olive: What time is it??

Olive: My Switzerland clock says after lights out.

Bloom-Bear: Oh, yea

Bloom-Bear is typing...

Bloom-Bear is typing...

The notification had gone away before popping back up. 

Bloom-Bear is typing...

Bloom-Bear: Phone's under the covers

Olive: ...Took you a minute to type that

Bloom-Bear is typing...

The notification had barely completed before vanishing. Nothing had arrived in her inbox and she'd waited a while. Almost 60 seconds later, the response had come through.

Bloom-Bear: Teacher came in to check lights out.

Olive: That took a while to type too. 

Bloom-Bear: We're at the end of the hall! She came back

Bloom-Bear: Dont you trust me?

Olive: You're in another country and we're texting

Olive: You know you can't hear time through texting.

Bloom-Bear: Look, i just gotta go to sleep. Ive got classes tomorrow. Gn

~~~~~
Yesterday at 7:43 P.M.

Bloom-Bear: Do you remember the heart defect I had in mom???

Olive: Yes??

Olive: Why?

~~~~~

Yesterday at 10:37 P.M.

Bloom-Bear: You know, nevermind

Bloom-Bear: Its fine

Bloom-Bear: I, uh- I was wrong. 

Olive: First of all, it's "it's"

Olive: Secondly, you did have a heart defect

Olive: We were all freaking out about it.

Bloom-Bear: Olivia. Drop it. 

Olive: Bloom. What is going on?

Bloom-Bear: I mean it, Olivia. It doesn't matter

Olive: It mattered enough to fornyou to ask.

Bloom-Bear: Liv. Stop.

And she had. Then a week and a half later, she had had enough and she texted her sister. 

Olive: How you feeling? How's school? How tf are you gunna talk to me that way.

She finally got off the toilet and took care of her hygiene to give Bloom more than three seconds before she checked her phone again. And she said something she needed to read Bloom's reply to. But she knew Bloom didn't wake up for another three hours. And yet, she answered the text before Olivia stopped brushing her teeth. 

Bloom-Bear: Look, im sorry. I was uncomfortable here and i hadn't settled in and i got stoned with this guy so i was focusing on random stuff

Olive: But you did have a heart defect.

Bloom-Bear: Liv, I mean it; let it go

Bloom-Bear: Im settled and Im happy

Bloom-Bear: I just wanna enjoy it

Olive: Ok. 

Bloom-Bear: So, there's this guy....

Olive: Go on.....

And so the moment passed. The discussion was put to bed. But in another world, transport was being arranged for a Changeling's sister.