“Now, why would we want to paint the city red? That’s just stupid, and everyone knows red flowers make people happy, and to plant the best flowers, you have to be naked.” She shakes her head in amusement. “You humans are ridiculous.”
* * *
Moni
JP meets us at the Admin building and we walk down to the basement to the other ward that connects us to the Hub. “Why didn’t we just take this in the first place?” Rez asks, sounding a little annoyed, which is silly, really.
“Now, what fun would that have been? Besides, I needed coffee, and you needed to see Nova,” I say, flashing my biggest smile at her.
JP just looks over at us and laughs before grabbing Rez’s hand and pulling her into the ward behind him. When I fly through, I feel the cool mist run over my body, just like I always do. It’s the best feeling in the world to me, like when the forest gets a light rain and the dewdrops are still on the leaves. It was always fun running through the woods while we were kids. On the other end now, we walk out of the Hub building and back into Nova’s shopping district. I watch as Rez takes in the sights again, and it reminds me of how I was when I was first brought to Nova. Everything was so new. It took months of coming here before the awe of the city started to wear off.
I can’t wait to go shopping and get my uniforms. Technically, I don’t need them since my nibblets are all covered up by the darker bark color, but it’s the principle, damn nabbit.
“So where to, ladies?” JP asks and beams at us. I feel my wings dip a little as I hesitantly show JP the letter offering to pay for redecorating fees and new furniture.
“Oh! Dangles!” he shrieks. Actually shrieks, like a baby willow toad, and does a fist pump. If you ever want to get on my brother’s good side, hand him money to decorate and shop for furniture with or buy cooking supplies. I swear it’s like giving someone a free pass for coffee.Oh! Coffee. YUM.
He starts doing a little shimmy over the idea of going while my stomach suddenly curls into a knot at the thought of Dangles. Not just any knot, I have the vines from Ever Woods curling around and threatening to crawl up my throat to choke me to death. It’s frustrating to know my coloring is most likely changing to a yellowish blue, broadcasting my feelings like a mood ring. I would rather turn invisible and disappear than deal with the agony going in there would cause me. “Only the best in Nova. Why don’t we go there first and set up a—” he suddenly cuts himself off and looks at me, his mood dropping like an unwanted weight. I can’t even muster up a fake smile. I’m sure I would look like a gremlin if I tried.
Understanding fills his expression. Without another word, he holds out his hand for the paper, and I hand it over, silently thanking him for taking the bullet meant for me. Dangles is the best of the best, and everyone goes there for their decorating needs. Ms. Teal is the name on everyone’s lips. Even though she’s never been there, she consults with some top-notch designers on Earth. At 4 foot 3 inches, teal skin, and as thin as a stick, it’s not like she’s just walking around whenever she wants on Earth. Even with a glamour, it would be hard for her to hold for any amount of time.
Ms. Teal.
The name itself makes my stomach curl again. She’s considered the prim of the prim, but I wonder what they would think, knowing what all she’s done to get there. Ms. Teal, or should I say Marjoriekine. The egg donor that left me to die in the woods when I was just a helpless toddler.
JP and I share a brief moment as I hold his concerned gaze before diverting my eyes up to his spiked hair. I know he’s picked up my thoughts, and he smiles at me in understanding. I return his smile as he folds up the letter. “I’ll just take care of it all and meet up with you in a bit,” JP says. We watch as he walks off in the opposite direction. Rez turns to me and gives me an inquisitive look, then shakes her head and points in JP’s direction.
“Is he gonna know what I like? I mean the color scheme and type of furniture?” She asks. She bites her lip nervously, and all I can do is laugh.
“Believe me, Rez. He’s great at what he does. Now come on. Let’s go get our uniforms for school while he picks out our furniture,” I say, diverting both of our attention. Squealing in excitement, I zip down the sidewalk to a store that’s a few buildings down.
“What uniforms?” She asks once she catches up with me.
Rolling my eyes, I look at her. “We get to wear uniforms during the first half of class, then whatever our specialized classes require. Most of the time you can wear normal clothes or gym clothes during the second half.” Thrilled with the idea of all the choices now, I dart forward to a rack full of clothing and lift up one of the dark pleated skirts, feeling the material in between my fingers. “I’m so excited!” I say.
I can’t believe I can finally have an everyday Purgatory Prep life. It seems like I’ve been waiting forever, and I’ll have my brother and a new friend by my side? I’m the luckiest Pie ever. Yep, I like that name better than Pimp. See, Rez is already making my life better.
A salesclerk comes over to help us pick out the correct sizes and shows us an array of different styles that we can have. After we make our choices, she writes down the style and color combinations we need. Before we leave for more coffee, the clerk informs us that our items will be delivered tomorrow afternoon to our dorm.
* * *
Rez
An hour later, JP meets up with us and we finish buying the essentials for our room and supplies for classes. Before leaving, he sets up the delivery service through the portal so that we’re returning back with very little in hand.
Watching the sunset is inspiring anywhere you go, but seeing it here, in Nova, is breathtaking. The yellows, purples, and teals are so vivid, it makes me wish I could paint. Floating street lights slowly turn on as we walk down the sidewalk heading back toward the dorms.
“Trust me, ladies, those were just the bare minimum essentials. I’ll add a little bit more before our first get together,” he winks and strolls past me to check out his reflection in the storefront window.
“I understand the need for all the stuff you got, JP, but why the accent pillow shaped like a penis, the fluorescent light, and the hot pink pool table?” I ask, looking at him with disbelief. I thought shopping with Moni was a whirlwind; JP was like a 6’ blue Tasmanian devil on speed. When he met us, he grabbed a salesclerk that was walking back into the room from their break and began pointing out everything we needed. He ended up having four clerks trail behind him like he was Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman". Moni and I just tried to stay out of their way.
JP scoffs at my question, running his hands through his blue spiked hair, and turns to face me while walking backwards. “The pool table is for the guys that will surely be over hanging out, and the pillow… well, that’s a secret for another day,” he winks.
“Okaaaaay,” I wasn’t following his logic at all. “So, where do you plan on putting the pool table?” I ask, holding up my finger, stopping his retort. “Wait, let me guess, we’re getting rid of the dining room table or one of the sofas.”
He gasps in horror. “I’m not an animal, Rez. Why would I put that in the middle of the front room? It wouldn’t go with the decor I picked out at all. It will go in the den,” he says matter of factly.
“The den? What den?”
