Rising Shards

The pressure hit me as I waited in the parking lot for Stella and her sister Zeta to arrive. Today was a test for me, Stella said so herself, for me to show my guardian-ing skills watching over Zeta. I knew I could do it, and basically had done guardian business for Zeta plenty already, but I did fear it would end up a “being good at something until someone’s watching you” deal, with the watching you part being the whole test deal, not Stella observing me watching over Zeta like from the bushes or something. The mental image of Stella with camouflage and spy gear was kinda cute though. When I finally saw the sisters approach, I drove from my parking space to get them. Zeta looked confused already, which maybe had things starting off on an odd foot.

Alright, Evy. Just act…like not weird. Don’t make the Faleur sisters uncomfy. This is a totally normal thing, we’re easing Zeta into this. Don’t immediately say you and her sister are an item.

“Hey!” I said when I rolled the window down.

“Uh, hi Dr. Diast,” Zeta said. “Fancy…running into you here? Or I guess not since this is your parking lot.”

Stella looked like she’d just been informed her most precious belongings had been run over by a bus. Her stoic, desperately trying to hide panic look had me panicked, and we just stared at each other, smiling, until Zeta spared us by reminding us that we had bigger things to do than worry.

“So are we going or…?” Zeta asked.

“Actually, Zeta.” Stella said. “Dr. Diast is…” She grabbed her sister’s shoulders, which made the poor girl look terrified, joining us in panic now as she slumped down, as though she was a turtle trying to hide her head in her shell. So at least we were all in on being freaked out.

No, moron. Make her not feel panicked. Then you’ll feel better too.

“I’m…your ride.” I said.

“Huh?” Zeta asked.

We maybe should have rehearsed more. I didn’t think Zeta would have this many questions already. They weren't even really questions, she just needed basic clarification, and I was goofing it up immediately. I tried to remember the list of potential things Zeta would probably ask that Stella wrote down in one of her notebooks.

“We’re carpooling!” I said. “Saves a lot of gas.”

“Alright…?” Zeta said.

“We’ll explain on the way.” Stella said.

I felt very stiff on the drive home, as though me driving like a robot would make Zeta feel safer about the weird new situation. I also probably should have cleaned up more, Zeta had to sit near all my garbage, but she’d seen my office at school regularly, she knew I was a disaster in that regard.

“I feel like you’re going to give me bad news.” Zeta said. “Did Dr. Diast find out some Cani disease I have, and you used me wanting to see my new apartment as bait to get me to a secluded locale to tell me?”

“It’s not that,” Stella said.

“Can you say something only the real Stella would say?” Zeta asked. “Just want to make sure this isn’t an ‘impostors of you guys kidnapping me’ situation.”

“When you were fourteen,” Stella said. “You really wanted to win that contest to be on a Tower of Hate and Love video chat, so you wore this bizarre costu—"

“Alright alright, you don’t have to finish that story!” Zeta said, shaking her hands in front of her face like she was physically swatting the memory away. “So it is just carpooling? Not a kidnapping or bad news?”

I looked at Stella, hoping she’d nod or give me permission to say something. Her look kinda gave me “your next answer is part of the test” vibes, so I went for it.

“It’s not just carpooling.” I said.

“Wh—” Zeta yelped.

“And there is some news—it’s not bad!” I said, trying to curb Zeta from her fear escalating. “It won’t greatly change things for you. But, ah…”

“What Evy means to say is—” Stella started.

“Evy?” Zeta asked.

“Dr. Diast, sorry.” Stella said.

“That’s me.” I said.

“Uh huh,” Stella said. “What Evy—what Dr. Diast means is.” She stuck her chin out as she strained for an answer, which made her look kind of dopey in a really cute way. “Remember the day I had my interview and there was that big snowstorm?”

“Uh huh, it was terrifying.” Zeta said.

“So that night I actually ran into Dr. Diast, and she graciously let me spend the night at her place. And her roommate just bailed on her. So…”

I braced for Zeta to immediately piece together what happened between Stella and I that night.

“Her place will soon be our place.” Stella said.

“So, wait…” Zeta said, doing a similar stuck out chin deal as she processed the information. I mentally declared it the Faleur Caveman Face. “Is Dr. Diast moving out, then? Or are we going to be roommates?”

“I signed a dealie to be at that place through spring, so I’m gonna be there for a bit,” I said. "So you're stuck with me 'til then. Hope that's not an issue."

In class so far, Zeta was mostly chill but sometimes got a bit unhinged (see: giving herself Feral Flu because she and her friends forgot to do their big project) so it was possible that she’d start yelling at me. She tended to do that more when she had her friends around, as they all elevated their hyper levels together. Her yelling was never like malicious or anything, just excited teenager business.

“Oh, alright. Cool!” Zeta said.

“Yep,” I said, remembering the other piece of news we agreed I could tell her right away. “The only bad news is that I probably won’t be able to be your medical doctor anymore.”

“Oh, alright. That kinda sucks.” Zeta said, sounding way sadder about that than I guessed. “What, like a personal breach of privacy thing or whatever?”

“Something like that,” I said. “Teacher advisor is still fine; I did check on that one. And to make up for me not Cani doctoring you anymore, I’ll be like your. Kinda. Roommate teacher mentor. Ugh, Stella, help.”

“I know we’re—I’m—throwing a lot at you.” Stella said.

“I’m OK,” Zeta said. “I mainly just wanna see the place before I judge this whole deal.”

“Right, well, we’re almost there.” I said.

Zeta was a big city kid about to be shown my not big city apartment. From knowing her so far, I could kind of guess how she’d react. I just hoped after all the effort I put into fixing up the den for her that she liked it at least a little bit.