Immortalys

Chapter Twenty-Six: Home

December 29, 2292

The capital city of Apylline was beautiful. But I have to conclude that the forests and wildlife out in the countryside were even more so. The four of us did a few hikes that Harmony was familiar with. Some were hard, but we enjoyed them all. I would have kept a log of what kind of plants we saw and maybe the birds, but they were all species I didn't know so I gave up. We also saw natural springs on a couple of our hikes. Friction took a swim in one and went shirtless for the rest of the day. Blainey and Harmony were laughing at him, but I just called him "Sicko," like he deserves. He totally asked for it.

Willow paused from detailing her experiences on her Surface. Usually she wasn't fond of writing, but this vacation to Deneb seemed too good to leave unwritten. Besides, she had plenty of time to start a digital journal before they reached home again.

Willow, Friction, and Blainey were sitting inside the Delarean spacecraft again, headed back to Earth after their week on Deneb. Harmony had showed the three of them all of her favorite haunts and they had continued to stay the nights in Altair's vacation suite. Blainey's farewell to her Denebian friend almost brought her to tears, but Harmony promised she would return the visit someday.

Now Blainey was watching some show on her Surface as they all flew through space, her expression one of exhaustion and moroseness now that their fun vacation was over. Friction was asleep next to Willow, and to her slight annoyance his head had dropped onto her shoulder as he snoozed. After a couple minutes, however, Willow didn't mind it there, and she had a fleeting daydream of her own head resting on his shoulder as she dozed off after a long day of working on cars in the garage...

Speaking of the garage, she thought, we have a brand new house to move into once we get home. The thought of arriving in Immortalys with a new place all to herself (and Friction) had allowed Willow to not be so reluctant to leave Deneb. Soon enough, they would have their own bedrooms, a giant kitchen, their own hot tub... And she and Friction would be able to enjoy the New Years season without any outside responsibilities. At least, until she or Friction would have to get a job to pay for the services coming to the house. That was probably something they should be looking into soon.

Willow paused. She began retracing her whole thought process, completely forgetting about her journal on her lap. She and Friction would have to get jobs... She and Friction would celebrate New Years together... She and Friction would be living in a gigantic house together...

Willow stared at the ceiling, stumped by the dots she was just barely connecting. She and Friction? She and Friction had always just been friends. It hadn't been weird living in the same house when his parents were around, but now that they would be alone together... Suddenly Willow realized how strange it actually was. She had never thought of her and Friction actually being in a relationship... Yes, she had fancied it in the back of her mind a few times, but she had never acted on it. He was the one who was flirty. She had never led him on. But what did onlookers think? Did they just suppose she was his girlfriend? Did they suppose she and Friction were married?

Willow glanced down at Friction asleep on her shoulder. Maybe they suspected nothing. She and Friction had never held hands; they had never kissed. They had always just been friends. The logical side of Willow (which provided the strongest influence, after all) told her to just keep their relationship the way it was. Yes, living together without other adults around was weird to her, but soon enough everyone else would catch on and know that they were just friends.

This will work, Willow told herself, and with this goal giving her more peace of mind, she continued journaling about their vacation to Deneb.

. . .

"Welcome, Friction and Willow..." said Officer Harper as he stood in a large oak doorway, "to your new home!"