Black Mirror

Chapter 5 - Rock Lobster

***ALEX***

The first thing I do when I wake up on that futon is check my email (nothing important) and my Instagram. A few random selfies and shit from the stars of my favorite movies, one or two of my favorite authors at some bookish event in New York I only wish I were lucky enough to attend, and then a video mashup Gideon just posted. He's celebrating eight months on testosterone by showcasing how much he's changed since he began transitioning. He's got a nice beard going on; his arms, shoulders, and wings are bigger and more defined; and his voice is at least a full octave lower. He's fighting back tears in the last segment of the video as he says, "I'm still a work in progress, guys...but God, if only you guys could feel the weight coming off me right now." On my screen, he makes a reverse peace sign, and I mirror it with a smile.

Then I realize I'm alone in here. Ty must've gone downstairs already. Maybe the Jacksons are having breakfast?

But I should be getting home all the same.

I go downstairs and find the Jacksons all crowding the small kitchen, doing exactly what I thought they'd be doing. "Oh, hi, Alex!" Mrs. Jackson says, waving a spatula at me. "Good morning! You want a pancake?"

"Or two, or three?" Mr. Jackson laughs. "You can't have just one! It's impossible!"

Am I backing towards the door too quickly? "No thanks, guys," I say with an embarrassed laugh. "No, I'd love to, but...but I was gonna meet someone in Heaven for breakfast today. I, uh, usually do anyway."

There's a surprisingly long pause, then Mrs. Jackson says, in a high-pitched, "letting the air out of the balloon" kind of voice, "Oh? Okay. Okay, forget we...it's all right." She ducks back into the kitchen, blushing furiously.

"Pancakes make her a little overenthusiastic," Mr. Jackson says apologetically.

"I can see why," I say. "They smell delicious. Wish I could try some."

We say our goodbyes, then I head out the door, making my way past the waterfront plaza. Ahead, I see the usual line forming in front of the Bridge - it must be open again. Either that, or it hasn't, and all these visitors are just unaware that it flooded yesterday. Which isn't likely, because I don't see the usual red lights above the entrance signaling that the Bridge is closed-

"Hey, Alex! Wait up!"

I turn around to see Kelly's long legs carrying her up to me at a fast pace. "Hey, what is it?" I ask as she stops next to me, her hands on her knees, panting. "Did I forget something?"

"N-No." She looks up at me, her face on fire. "Sorry you had to see that," she says. "I can swim pretty well - for a land elemental, anyway - but I'm a crap runner."

I let one wing out of my hoodie. "I'm a flying man myself."

"Literally," she says, laughing louder than is necessary.

I turn away from her as Ty's last words to me from last night replay themselves in my head. "So, uh, what's up?" I keep on walking towards the Bridge, and as I expect, she follows me.

"Nothing much," she says. "I just, uh, thought I'd walk with you."

I find my place at the back of the line, and Kelly joins me. "Didn't want your mom's pancakes, huh?"

"I'll let you in on a little secret," she stage-whispers. "My mom can't pancake. Just like I can't run. That's how bad they really are."

"Then why do you eat them?" We both laugh, and she does so loudly enough to attract the attention of the couple holding hands right ahead of us. They turn around, shake their heads, and lean in to kiss each other in almost perfect, creepy-as-fuck unison. And I thought angels were robots sometimes.