Space and Time

1+1

Hey. We're having a pre-Xmas celebration and Iida and Baba - my mom and dad - are yellin at me to invite u over or something. 6? Tonite?

I stare at me phone, held in my right hand, other hand holding a ham sandwich from Starbucks.

"So?" Lev asks, mouth half-full of his own lunch treat. "Wha'shit say?"

"She's inviting me over... for dinner."

Lev swallows immediately. "She's WHAT?"

I shush him, as other people turn our direction to observe the commotion. I smile awkwardly until they look away. "Apparently..." I paraphrase the following couple of texts I receive. "Her family usually does a little dinner party for Evren's friends and since she knows I couldn't make it yesterday-"

"Because I'm more important."

"Yes, Lev. Since I was with you yesterday, she's asking if I want to come today."

"Wow." Lev takes another bite out of his sandwich. "Dinner with the parents already. Damn, Aika, for someone who's never dated you sure are good at it."

"Lev!" I slap his hand and his sandwich falls onto his plate.

"What?" He elongates the word. "I'm only joking, I know that's not your jam." He winks at me before picking up his bread again.

"It's not that it's not my jam, it's just that... I never met someone I was interested in that way."

Lev doesn't even have time to take a bite before his head perks up. "Wait. Are you being serious right now?"

"Am I ever not?"

"Well-"

"Never mind, don't answer that." I throw my hand up to stop him. "Yeah, I'm being serious. She might be different."

"...Well. Shit. Wow. OK, then congratulations for doubly joining the Rainbow Coalition!" he nearly squeals. "You gotta go! Oh man, I'll help you pick out an outfit." He's now rubbing his hands together, having stuffed the rest of his bread into his mouth.

I laugh. "This isn't a formal, I just have to wear something decent."

"Jush... Don' go in bwack," he says, still chewing.

"Sure, sure." I wave my sandwich his way. He's delusional if he thinks I'm actually going to listen to him though.

I show up outside Evren's apartment complex just before 6 in black leggings and a matching tee. One of the nicer ones though. I'm not that fashion-dense. And the blacks match. The complex is pretty unassuming. I half-expected it to be super high end, since it's the Commander of Space we're talking about here, but it looks like it's an average middle class place. Clean. Modern. Not leaking like my own place sometimes does.

Dad waves and gives me his obligatory 'text me when you need to be picked up or call if you need to leave suddenly' spiel before driving off toward the setting sun. I take a deep breath. The gnawing's already started but I need to ignore that. Evren said we wouldn't talk about it until after the competition is over. If she can deal with whatever she's feeling, which is probably way more intense than what I'm feeling from what I've heard from non-aros, then I should be able to tuck my shit away too.

Deep breaths, Aika. Just be normal.

"Hey!" Evren opens the door to the lobby and greets me. She's dazzling. I smile instinctively.

"Hey!"

"Thanks for waiting."

"Oh, it hasn't been long."