Chapter Theme Music: Lake Bresha ~ FFXIII OST136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5cKK6VZITv
<04/07/2011 - 09:44 | Saffrin Middle School (Math), Austell, GA, USA>
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7c8COz9loe
The moment April arrived, I connected the dots of the newest weather patterns happening in Georgia. Suffice it to say, the situation is deteriorating against me. It's still technically spring, but there seems to be more on and off days which I'm capable of contacting Lumina, either based on weather conditions or based on headache conditions.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxX0ClEVDKF
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYLMd9WYkD4
Luckily for today, I had neither of those problems. It's becoming rarer for a full day to get cool and stay cool, but it looks like I drew that lucky straw this time. So naturally, I was in a stellar mood, just as happy as Banarus currently was, laughing about something so hard in the background. Since I'm sitting outside of her group today, I don't know what she and the others were talking about, nor did I care.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkQRdFjrnDs
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvoxbCeonXh
I didn't care because right now, I finalized making some plans tonight with my best friend. "Sounds like fun Lumina! Another night spent with you is another night of awesomeness!"136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoZwoFKReAQ
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAgQX7n8AJj
"You sound so silly and cute right now." Lumina was in about as good of a mood as I was, and it easily sounded through her telepathic voice.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYFnZvNDXHN
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKqNdwQDmMF
Still, I took some offense to that. "I'm not silly or cute." Clueless was I to not know what made her say that. Huh? Before I could say anymore, some more laughter erupted from Banarus's group, enough to make the teacher shush them all with a stern unspoken warning.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyNv4GuVo6w
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw2ShSM7DEo
The class was fairly chaotic in terms of the noise level, though we were all working on our assignments in the background of talking. That's not important to me though. What got to me was how much fun the four of them were having over there. I've never seen a single one of them this excited before, and boy did I feel left out.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnfTCr6lhKR
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjpsPsG9MNv
"Why not just go over there and talk to them?"136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPJxUAcaxLt
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuh5jj9Kpge
"I don't know." It's becoming more awkward for me to hang out with them lately, and they've low-key given me some of the same treatment in return. "Maybe it's because, I've spent so much time with you, that I've kind of ignored them when I do sit over there. I don't want to, but talking with you and talking with Banarus's group at the same time is next to impossible." I knew full well it wasn't as difficult as I made it sound, but there were rarely ever any days where even half of them would laugh or have fun like that. Worse, they've on occasion made it clear that my being there was making them feel awkward, even though I've never been a bother to them before. Plus, on the days where Lumina isn't here with me, it's hard for me to be in the mood to match their energy.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYz5mBNTqDr
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3HLmglacuF
"Well you've got nothing better to do for school. You might as well go and see if they'll let you hang out, right?"136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1T4bLAqOMu
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQeyVxdMcaU
I think Lumina can somehow sense my envy to the group, either that I want to hang out with them when we're all in this good mood, or that I'm simply jealous of not having human friends I can do that with. Even so, it's not like I'm not allowed to sit over there. All I have to do is grab an empty desk and slide it over like it's Tetris. "Let's go find out." I stood out of my seat, heading over there with my supplies to see what kind of fun they were having.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3U9bDmY6MO
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwKApWw9cuZ
"I'll bring the best cards over tonight!" Ashly sure was in a cheerful mood, and her eyes dilated entirely just to show it.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiAg3U1TrOj
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLV3lujvKWC
Banarus relayed her thoughts on that statement back to Ashly while I stood not too far from them all. "You can, but my sister is still hard to beat in bullshit."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0QVINmUDQE
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD31OmjAOEI
Based on what intel I had so far, I knew they were talking about getting a deck of cards together for a popular game. I don't know how well it will age, but it's been a more popular variant of card games lately, one that even I know how to play. Banarus and the others call it bullshit, but it's basically just the same exact game as Go-Fish. The only key difference is that the players call bullshit instead of Go-Fish, and also to get rid of as many cards as possible. The sole reason for its variant is to give people an excuse to curse out loud amongst each other, at least in my opinion.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9kx9OBN1DH
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vEiryzzFP
"You better bring more. I'm not going to sleep that early." Even Maddison was getting stoked for this, a rare sight to my eyes.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZt495HeucK
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuTuJc8HHdD
By now, I had to butt my way into this and find out what on earth was going on... But I knew it would have been rude to just plainly interrupt them like that. Maybe Lumina knows something... Oh, right, I could just ask her. "What's this buzz about? It sounds like they're..." I didn't know if I could finish the sentence, only because I didn't think it was that likely.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0mchHaxssu
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYuNck6cHoO
Lumina however answered for me anyway, now excited since she was certain in her observation to what was playing out before her. "It looks like a slumber party, still in the making. And it doesn't look like it's their first time doing it."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSVsnsdt7UL
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWuai05Q2kY
"Hey everyone!" I so easily matched their excitement after what Lumina just told me. I've always wondered what it was even like, for one school friend to visit the home of another. I've never even had that experience before, which to me is quite sad. "Really? A slumber party? The kind with a sleepover with friends where you have fun playing stuff like Truth or Dare?"136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡM2Dm1GwFE7
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzgIt2GsU2i
"That's the kind."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlBmaWKdsdr
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡO9u18Q6AQD
"That's what I was hoping for! What a wonderful way to spend a night!" "Did I hear right? You are all having a sleepover?"136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOr9yQNchy6
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡU2MfQkD0wJ
"Anytime we can." Ashly seemed receptive to me asking thus far.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡspivLUYg0m
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL4xRntNBd2
I was now glad I came over here to figure this out. This is finally my chance to see what it's really like, the experience I've always wanted. "Cool. I'll join you."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhTMwHVsjjP
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ66jhhC7eU
As soon as I said that, all four of the girls at the cluster of tables all blurted out a nervous "What," including Lumina, all at the same time. It was right then that I realized I might have done or said something wrong.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEpF7jZDiyG
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSDkhaOohpS
Banarus and Malica started laughing at me like I was some kind of idiot, though Ashly wasn't really making the same kind of face. She got stern with me and gave me the short end of the boot. "You can't come over to our slumber party Reed."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡW7Tw1nSQ0F
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeuUNyGTtl4
What? "But why not? It really sounds like fun. Aren't we friends?" I knew full well we we're not really friends, but I don't think the four of them scale the same significance of friendship like I do. The bigger problem was that it was a no go for everyone involved, yet I had no idea why. Am I really so unpopular that I can't be invited over to a potential friend's house, just to have a little fun? It's not like I would have to actually stay the night over and sleep there; I'd leave after long enough.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqvaJPcGH4E
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZGDlvnu3Z6
I really didn't understand the reasoning, but it looked like Banarus was about to tell me herself. "What she means is, this is a girl's thing. And you're a guy."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAbxj7QV9rx
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw5pRe804FG
I had a rough second to process that, partially offended and partially embarrassed given how I felt. "Yeah, but you know as well as I do that I'm into those girly things. I'm definitely into slumber parties." Only my last statement held the most meaning to me. I haven't been acting entirely girly like I used to, but I was certainly going to make an exception for a slumber party. I've seen countless examples of how they play out in teen drama shows, and even Lumina described one to me once. I just don't see how it's really that girly to want to go to one.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl7ZFW9ku2x
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdCa9sUBU4P
"Reed?"136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ72Q06hYe4S
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbieENYHD3T
"What?" I was slightly annoyed by the way Lumina was addressing me, because it was already clear that even she saw some kind of fault with my plans. I wanted to know what her deal was, but Banarus once again spelled some of it out for me before either of us could speak.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2xtJqkog6Y
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa5pC2DivnK
"You're a guy! You can't join us for that. I'm sorry Reed, but that's just the way it is." Banarus didn't seem so angry to me, just surprised that I asked in the first place.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmWS3zgcoXz
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHTKdtLz2qG
But another no is a complete no. "I see... Okay then." Trying not to seem so down about this decision, I turned around and went back over to my old seat. There was no way in hell I wanted to hang out with any of them now, not after they've denied me even a little of more social life in my life.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHHzjV0mCxd
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡL6bV39i0B4
"I knew they wouldn't go for it."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZzQMOVCiP3
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvG7FUoXS8X
"What?" She knew? I would like to know the reason why, but something else had to be answered first. "Then why didn't you stop me sooner? Why won't they just let me join something for once?"136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡY1ZKIJSG3S
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHdTWTuYzbJ
Oddly, Lumina was mute for a few seconds before speaking her mind again. "Actually, I'm kind of shocked. You really don't understand people's perspective sometimes."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk2B65MpwHr
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡoLlxizSJ8j
"Help me out Lumina, cause I don't get it. They know already that I can be a girly guy, and that I'm not into all of that heathen stuff. I'm not wanting to go for something stupid like other men might ask for." The more I talked about this, the more upset I became. I'm really going to have to die and come back to life as an alien just to get the slumber party experience, aren't I?136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgol8LfTTZH
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeiJ35NDjIT
"They suspect that, but to them, there is no guarantee. Besides... It's just not in their best interest to—"136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFDDYcA6qp8
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmdDJucdDBr
"No, that's bullshit! If they really were my friends, then they would understand that I'm not a heathen, that I would never do anything weird or perverted. I have absolutely no interest in making a move on a single one of them. I just want to have the same kind of fun they are having. Is that so wrong?" I wasn't ashamed for what I asked earlier. I know that I'm right! It isn't fair that I have to be kicked out of an activity simply because of the way I was born, something I cannot even control.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkROmjFyLae
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF4r0RLPjyj
"It's not wrong Reed. I just don't think they are ever going to move past their slightest doubts that you are going to behave the way you say you will."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtpPgAjLRoc
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQapGq4og25
Even though I wasn't thrilled, hearing Lumina tell me that I wasn't in the wrong calmed me down enough to breath evenly again. "So then, you're saying they don't trust me?"136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHJ2LYFspMU
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡz8cJmh4irN
"Yeah, that's one way of putting it."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxvkAyWlprq
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxDEGWHHL2Y
I see... "Well then, that's that. What good friends are they for anyway? I'll still give Banarus one more chance, since I feel like I owe her one for the effort she puts in sometimes to keep me in their loop. But after this crap, the rest of them and me are even."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnbJjwidr9n
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkTydgLEcsS
"Don't worry about it Reed." Taking a page from my book, Lumina decided to use her physical voice with me, only to indicate how serious she was about this.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPu3isHftd3
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKDlmLqE64D
"In all of this, I just want to have one single human friend that I can hang out with on some level, someone I can be open with. And out here, there is just nobody I can do that with." Despite how it feels that my world has expanded, aside from myself and Lumina, I feel like I'm totally alone in this school.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPrnesuCvZz
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeP1OTRbbou
"Well..." Lumina paused, trying her best to find a way to lift my spirits back up. "You still have me that you can hang out with and talk to."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRlPi1q9BZL
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5CfOFPKU5V
"Didn't we talk about all of that Altiri stuff anyway?" I wasn't trying to sound like a jerk, but Lumina has really told me almost everything about her world for the most part, and it's a strange feeling now. I used to be amazed after hearing a single fact about an alien world... But now, the shock factor of it all is getting weaker.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs8qnL7Tp3n
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡetndU4dmOa
"So then we just move onto another subject. How about, instead of just sitting and talking all the time, we try to do something else? Or did you forget that there are certain experiences I've never had the chance to have until now?"136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5x2nqS4G0U
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeOirPTPgTq
Her words moved me a little, opening my eyes to the bigger picture I should have seen all along. Lumina and I have mostly just been talking, but there are actual activities she might like to enjoy, even if only through my own body and senses. "Yeah, you're right... Sorry Lumina. I've been a little selfish lately with my telepathy. I totally forgot that this world is still kind of new to you, at least under the new circumstances. You might have experienced a lot using clairvoyance, but it doesn't mean you got to experience things in the same way you could through me and the telepathy."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUpjxUtPoJ5
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvMOiywBaR3
"See? You understand. And the only thing those girls over there are missing is perspective."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1Db4VBomLB
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡubJfuNflJ3
"Perspective huh?" Having them know every second and detail about my life would certainly help. I mean, there is a good reason why I feel strange and girly sometimes. All I want is to not be masculine to any degree, and I'm trying my best to be that way. But without understanding why, they must think I'm putting on an act. "Can I even give that to them?"136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxm2IojQyD2
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuhJEkoG8PS
"Not without revealing all of your secrets to them at the same time." Lumina meant her secrets in particular, but it would be up to me if I ever blabbed it to anybody.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSRJeKt6Usn
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiagbY2Wvdm
"Got it... Okay, what should we do then?" If Lumina want's to try and have a new experience, so be it. I'll let her do whatever she wants, if it's within reason. Come on, alien girl. What's something on this earth you're always wanted to try?136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEG6u2p8p6D
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrTUqpgU4gW
"Well, ask and see if you can go anywhere as a family first. You don't have a car, so that's really your only way to go anywhere outside of your neighborhood."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSmKaOLcdgR
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrtXCugdiC3
I'm for once not happy that she's right. It will be extra annoying having to maneuver my way to other areas for fun while hiding the reasons for doing so. "I'll ask. But for today, I can't promise any results, since it's too soon to plan anything. But, we can still hang out tonight outside my house."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjlqArx0CHN
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxAWMwS46xA
"And after that, you could put on a movie in your room. I'll simply watch it through your eyes, the same way I do with the rest of the world."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlUQTkzpB1Q
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfGCnnSDL7S
That's actually a good idea. I forgot that Lumina has the ability to watch any movie I will let her watch simply by being connected to me, if the connection is good enough. I wonder if she might like some books. "Can you read?" As soon as I asked the question, I had to backtrack my own words regretfully. "I'm sorry. That sounded much worse than I meant it to. Can you read and keep up with a quick pace?" That's what I meant to ask. Applying the same rule, Lumina might be able to read some books with me too.136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzJICdNXzRb
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiY7KvqjXB4
"Yeah, but your eyesight has a quick and narrow kind of focus. This means that I can't see through your eyes in any different way than you can. So, I can only read at the pace that you keep up at."136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmQwdQBTjy0
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLc9S6yc4nP
"Sounds fair... Okay then. Let's have some fun tonight, on our own terms for once." This could work. I can't mimic a slumber party with only two people, but I think I can make this work if I set things up right. Tell me I can't have fun? Suck it world!
136Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQxDFVRKn7J
