09-13-2309
I woke in a large soft bed, snuggled up beside a rare beauty. Koi stirred softly in my arms as I got up, yawning and blinking slowly, her big, doey eyes locking on mine.
“Mmmm. What are you thinking?” she asked with a smile, closing her eyes again.
I’ve always hated that question, but I smiled and chuckled, not really able to give an appropriate answer. I kissed her on the nose and said “Nothing, really,” as I tightened my embrace and nestled back into sleep.
A couple of weeks ago, the only thing I knew about her was that she was from Mars, since we’d had a lengthy discussion about it that first night when I’d met her. I figured she was a Marsling, though she looked as if she may have a little Martian blood in her. She was remarkable though, a look the likes of which I’d never seen. That small, angular frame, impeccably encased in the softest, bronze skin; those perfectly pursed lips, slightly pointed ears and the adorable button for a nose; her high cheekbones speckled with cute little freckles, making her large brown eyes even bigger and warmer.
After a week with no response, I figured I’d probably never see the gorgeous Koi Kidder again. Eager to take something positive from the experience, I thought fondly of her as a I prepared to write her off as an unresolved chapter in my life. Perhaps it was for the best, I thought. Maybe this way her character would remain pure, unwarped by the forces that pull at my life. Or at the very least, this way she would leave the story on a positive note, without me trying to dissect or criticize her.
The half-Titanian, half-Ganymedean finally got back to me when she sent out a mass message, apologizing to anyone who had been trying to get a hold of her, and claiming that her texti had been lost somewhere up north for the past week. I was too excited to hear from her to play it cool or aloof, but it didn’t really matter. I wasn’t going to try to turn this into conquest or victory, or worry about losing ground or influence over her; this was about two people who wanted to be together, not just trying to get something out of the other.
I attempted to make some interesting arrangements for the weekend, thinking I’d just take her sailing and maybe hang out somewhere in Chesapeake for the evening. Even though she was down for adventure, her schedule wasn’t, so I tried to find something nearby that would be worth while, I was so afraid of boring the classy girl. Somehow we ended up at the campus theatre in Nova City, slightly underdressed amongst the freaks and cultists lined up for the weekly Horror Show. I picked up a bottle of red and we went home for some sanguine delight.
Over the next week, I spent my time split evenly between catching up on my chronicling, hanging out with Rip and sleeping with Koi. I felt my time was being used productively though, whether I was adding a few dozen more pages to the file, playing a summers worth of video games with one of my bestis, or walking alongside a slender vixen on old paved streets and walkways. We always ended up somewhere rich with history it seemed, one night in Olde Town, the next across the river on the waterfront of Menesopolis. Out west, near where she and Rip each lived, we spent an evening on a Civil War battlefield, coincidentally visiting on the 147th anniversary of site. There were no spooks or spirits to be seen though, but what do you expect.
The next morning, I woke up with a new message from Koi waiting on my texti, saying she thought that I was postponing my return to Mars because of her, and that she didn’t want to keep me from my life. She suggested we not see each other until after I scheduled my flight, which seemed fair enough to me. I logged on to Zech’s terminal and found the cheapest spacefare before I thought about replying.
The earliest ship I could book passage on in my price range was embarking in almost a week. I confirmed the purchase and the balance was automatically deducted from my account. I sighed and sat back with a undeserved sense of accomplishment, creaking in what used to be my chair.
I ran my hands across the arm rests, feeling where he’d picked away the inner half of the plastic coating while bored, or impatiently waiting for one of his games to start. The yellow sponge-like foam that was revealed felt cold and moist to the touch, leaving an unpleasant feeling on my fingertips. I got up to begin packing my bag, leaving my phone behind in my old room while I collected the rest of my possessions.
With all but one of the items I planned to take back with me to the bright, red world properly smooshed into my luggage, and resolving to dress out of the suitcase for the next 5 days, I went on a hunt for something to fit the other thing in. It’s not easy to throw a delicate, wooden guitar into a duffle-bag, so I racked my brains for any idea I could.
I had owned a guitar case at one point in time, but I had no idea if it would fit this, or any instrument. Back then I’d used the case the transport a four-footer given to me by an old co-worker; a purple acrylic monstrosity which took at least two people to operate. A consistently intense device, I recall blacking out one of the first times I used it, coming to on the floor in a puddle of drool and bong water and my friends cheering. The novelty size smoking utensil had been tucked away in storage closet, somewhere deep in Rip Gozo’s basement for the past 3 years. I hoped it was still there as I looked up his mom in my phonebook, knowing if I called her I’d have to visit her, whether she had what I needed or not.
It was still where I’d left it, luckily. The black case was ready for me on the landing, along with its molded plastic contents, covered in years of neglect. I caught up with Rip’s mom, updating her on my current situation and plans for the immediate future while Koi and I played with her new puppy.
“What about my son, is he ever going to get his driver’s license and become a productive member of society?” she asked in her most worried, demanding tone.
“He’ll be driving before you know it,” I said, half uncertain of my own words and realizing I’d probably spoke those same ones before. I smirked and felt more confident in adding “I don’t know if he’ll ever be a a productive member of society, though.”
“Well I can only ask for so much. He will at least be independent one day, right?” a thick New Tros accent still cut through all the years she hadn’t lived there.
“Of course he will, Din. Your son’s got talent and tenacity, I think he just has too much free time on his hands,” I took a second to scratch behind the dogs ears, her leg flapping on Koi’s lap. “He just needs to have a writing project that pays off, or work on his music career until he has a product,” the words seemed almost too familiar for some reason. “You know, I really shouldn’t be speaking for him…heavens know I’m more useless than he is. At least Rip’s kept the same job since I left 3 years ago.”
“Hey Klay, I don’t mean to cut you short, but we should really be going,” Koi insisted, furrowing her eyebrows as if to say ‘let’s smoke’. I took the hint without any hesitation and stood up.
“I’m sorry Din, but Koi’s right. I’ve got plenty to do still and I don’t have much time left on Earth,” I said as I inched myself towards the door.
“Alright, well be good. And tell my son, Ripton, to practice driving once in a while and be more productive,” she requested as if I were his handler, and gave Koi and I each a good hug.
“Even with him not living here with you anymore, I’m pretty sure you communicate more frequently with him than I do,” I admitted, stepping out of the front doorway with a hard case in my hand.
“Well, whatever,” she said, trying to sound cool. She shouted her superstitious blessing “Don’t talk to the pilot!” as she waved goodbye to us, Koi glancing at me with confusion.
“It’s just something their family says…kinda like ‘break a leg’, you know?” I tried to explain as I stowed the case in her cargo hold.
“Oh I see..” she seemed to understand, but her ever unsure voice always made me wonder if she really did.
We had two more stops to make before the night was through. First was just a quick one to my friend Gear’s house. Gearadot Haze, good friend since grade school, was currently on Mars, staying up north with a couple of friends from high school who also graduated college with him earlier this summer. I was actually supposed to cross paths with him somewhere on Luna, while he was hitching in the opposite direction, but I missed him when he caught a long ride through, right past the little town of Saline where we stayed that first near-fatal night. His parents wanted to send with me a few things he’d be needing, like a couple charge cards with the access keys and some other envelope I never bothered to peek in. As I left, the Hazes wished me a safe trip and, for the second time that night, I was asked to look after someone’s son.
Only one more thing to scratch off the list now: to visit my little brother’s ex-lovi, Nuggy, and her narcoleptic, lesbian, ex-stripper roommate. If there was anyone I knew who could appreciate and take care of a purple four-footer, it was that pair. When Mink went back to school, the girls’ living room became the new chill spot for my brother and I, and we’d spent many of the last days of summer vegging out in front of their screen. There was no marathon staring tonight though, just quick bowls and quick goodbyes, lest I be enlisted to be someone else’s guardian. With all my needs satisfied, we headed back out west to Koi’s house.
“What should we do now?” I asked, hoping the answer would involve sex, smoke or stargazing.
“I’m so tired,” she said without having to force a yawn. “I just wanna take a nap real quick, then we can do whatever you want.”
“That sounds good, I think we need to wait a couple hours, anyway,” I was searching the sky. “I don’t even think the moon’s out yet.”
“Well then, we should definitely nap until it is,” she smiled.
For our final escapade, I’d wanted to show her something special: her own world. I’d brought a simple telescope with me, a gift from Linda’s father a few years ago when he felt I might be homesick for Earth, so I’d never feel too far from my home. I’d intended to use it during the road trip, on the moon’s clear night skies, but the first night we were too excited just being alive still to bother setting it up, and there was too much atmospheric interference each of the other nights. From Earth, Luna and Mars were to be sharing the same sky that night, whenever they got around to rising. I thought it would be interesting to show her where she was born, and see the path I’d soon be taking myself–but it never happened. Instead, after tiring ourselves out even more, we passed out until it was almost morning.
As the sun’s golden light began to pierce the blinds, I woke up in Koi’s bed, our naked bodies pressed against each other. We peeled apart like two pieces of the same fruit and she rolled over, her dreamlike eyes dazily fluttering open as she smiled, silently wishing me a good morning before closing, snuggling up to me again. I gazed at her affectionately, my insides welling up with the want to tell her I loved her. Who knows if I actually did, but I always seemed like I should tell it to her anytime I felt that warm happiness I got from looking at her. I always caught myself though, reasoning that it was all chemical, and I’d be excited to have any attractive girl to stare at. I also had to remind myself, if I were to say it, it would ruin any future friendship or relationship we could have–or worse: become a long distance relationship. I had no desire to ruin the good run we’d enjoyed, or treat myself to a sub-par sequel, so I bit my lip kept my feelings to myself.
“What are you thinking?” she asked, knowing I was staring at her again without even opening her eyes.
“Nothing,” it pained me to say. “Nothing at all, go back to sleep,” I whispered, kissing her forehead and relaxing back into my pillow.
I still wonder what it would it would have been like if I’d said ‘I Love You’.
