Rising Shards

I was still at the pharmacy, waiting for Stella to get done with her own business. They always ask a ton of safety questions and give as much info as needed, and she was definitely the type who’d want all her own questions answered, so I figured she may still be in there for a while yet. Leaving me stuck with Alix Corinani, who was still full of energy.

As if sensing what I was thinking, Alix looked very sad all of a sudden. ”I can be very annoying, can’t I?”

”Oh, come on with that...” I said, but I couldn’t hide the crankiness in my voice.

”Sorry. I know it’s a pain.” Alix said.

”Stuck” was maybe too mean a word for it. I did like Alix, she was annoying, but we were friends now. When I wanted to go home and be with my partner, it did try my patience more than a bit to deal with her questioning.

”It’s fine, don’t worry about it,” I said. ”Stella might be in there a bit longer, so, ask away I guess.”

”Oh for real, the times I’ve gotten these and need the whole screening, they explained the difference between the pills for like an hour, like you and I are teachers, we don’t need the whole spiel!” Alix said.

”Yeah, but I am a total nerd for that stuff, Cani biology is obviously my jam,” I said.

”Oh, right, I could see that being kinda different then,” Alix said. ”How about Stella, would she be excited about any of this?”

”She’s probably in there taking notes on one of her notebooks,” I said.

Alix elbowed me. ”You should see the smile on your face right now. That gal is very lucky.”

”Honestly I’m the lucky one,” I said.

”You two have been going out a while, yes?” Alix asked.

”Uh huh, or, well....it hasn’t been super long, but we click so well that it feels like we’ve been together longer, you know?” I said.

”Oh, totally,” Alix said. ”Me and Pips—that’s Pippi if you forgot—we’ve only been official about a week, but it feels like at least two weeks, maybe three even.”

”Hold onto that feeling, that’s a good sign for you two,” I said.

”You think?” Alix said.

”I mean, you two have been pretty inseparable since that trip, right?” I said.

”Definitely,” Alix giggled to herself. ”We even maybe have a triple threat of a date coming this weekend.”

”Triple threat, huh?” I said. ”Like...eating three pizzas? That sounds awesome.”

”Not so much that, though...” Alix tapped on her smart glasses. ”Notes app. Three pizza date night. Thank you.” She snickered. ”Notes app is great.”

My curiosity got the better of me. ”So...what kind of triple threat do you have, then? If you don’t mind me asking.”

”Heh,” Alix winked. ”Maybe I shouldn’t say.”

”Something more secret?” I asked, assuming with that tone that she wanted me to pry before she actually told me.

Alix looked around. ”OK, keep this on the down low, as they say, but...Pippi and I...”

Before she could say it though, someone marched toward her, dropping their basket filled with snacks to the ground. I almost didn’t recognize who it was at first, without her make up and stylish clothes on she looked very different.

”So.” Kitty said. ”What are you telling her?”