Don't Touch

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At the risk of feeling out-of-touch and blatantly stereotyping, I’m choosing to stay away from the skater side of Minx and Jason’s character. I basically know the words Ollie and Gnarly, and that the main apparatus for skating is a ramp.

The following day

Crystal’s usual position on the bus was third row on the left window seat, and she’d usually have both seats to herself. Kipper took the one behind going towards school, or the one in front returning home. This is a routine that they never really established, it just happened to be that way with no thought going into the decision to be in front or behind each other.

Now they sat together side-by-side five rows back, from their usual seat arrangement. They wanted the very back of the bus but those were nearly always taken immediately. Still, on this occasion a conscious effort went into them being able to sit together holding hands the entire way to school.

Kipper survived for one minute before surrendering to lay her head against Crystal’s shoulder, to which the latter naturally placed a kiss between her curls. Of course they got looks of many varieties, mostly jealousy and confusion. But it was all so easy to ignore, and it was worth it to see rare approving smiles from kind individuals.

The girls were not afraid to hide their new relationship, but didn’t see the point in putting on a show either. This was their business, and nobody outside the relationship had any say in how they should carry themselves.

The rest of the day yesterday was a blur. They met up by Kip’s locker, a two second stop elongated by a five minute kiss fest. The remaining classes passed and Crystal couldn’t even remember what they were about, too caught up in her dreaming to care. She even stopped noticing all the other girls pink hues, and didn’t give any cute boys the time of day to even feel the slightest bit nauseous.

The two girls then walked home. Sometimes stopping to kiss, sometimes kissing on the move. Always holding hands, and specifically talking about the prospect of going beyond friends, coming to an agreement that that’s what they really wanted.

When the closest home being the Osbourne’s came into view, they naturally slowed down to a crawl, not really wanting to part just yet. When it became unavoidable Kipper drew Crystal in for one last lengthy smooch, then practically skipped up the path to her house and calling over her shoulder “make sure you call me after tea. And I’ll see you on the bus tomorrow.”

When Crystal got home she excited relayed the good news to her mother, who automatically accepted the relationship with glee and pride. “Oh Chris baby, she’s such a wonderful girl, you both deserve each other. I’m so proud.”

Yes. That was the best day of Crystal’s life. And the current one was following its example so far.

Every now and then she’d hear Hermaphroditus’ warning words, and this time it was purely the memory of the words rather than the boy himself repeating it. In fact, he hadn’t spoken to her at all today, maybe because he wasn’t really needed for advice at the moment. Or Crystal’s mind was so occupied he couldn’t get a word in edgeways.

His warning did in fact have her concerned. From what she gathered Hermaphroditus was implying that Crystal was likely to be unfaithful to Kipper, because she was meant to have relations with others too for some unknown reason related to her so-called mission. It sounded like a badly orchestrated prank to try and ruin Crystal’s life, but Hermaphroditus seemed completely sincere and...possibly even caring.

And yes the pink hues were very prominent yet again. The nausea of boys was becoming easier and easier to manage, but there was no escaping the pink. Kipper still had hers, but it was weak again. It’s a blessing in a way because had it been any brighter Crystal might have to constantly wear sunglasses in her presence. But it’s the fact her hue was weak that made Hermaphroditus last words that more concerning.

However nobody ruled over Crystal. She was the master of her body and mind, she will not be pushed around by some Ancient Greeks and their ridiculous blessings. All Crystal needed was Kipper.

Crystal’s mind refocused as the bus pulled up at the school. Crystal lightly shrugged Kip from her shoulder, waking the napping girl from her slumber. “Gotta get off babe.”

Kip grumpily nodded, allowing Crystal to lead her off the bus with their hands linked tightly together. The cool breeze combined with the warm embrace of Crystal’s hand, washed away the rest of Kip’s drowsiness.

Today, Jason and Minx were standing by the gates. The first impression was that not everything was rosy in their relationship, Jason seemed to be off with Minx and the latter seemed almost petulant and most certainly frustrated. Crystal felt bad that whilst her love life was sky high, the six-month love life of both skater friends was taking a knock.

Crystal glanced at Kip who saw the guilt in her face and relieved her of it by letting their hands fall away for probably the first time that morning. “Hey guys” the brunette chirped, hoping a bright greeting might **** the tension to ease up a bit.

Jason tried to smile but it wasn't anywhere close to his usual happy expression. “Heya Kip, Crystal. How's it hanging?”

Was it wrong to immediately blurt out how happy you were to be in a new relationship with someone, to a couple down in the dumps? It probably wasn't but Crystal thought differently. “We’re good. Are you guys alright?”

“Sure” Jason answered, not remotely convincing in tone. Minx meanwhile didn't even bother to pretend things were okay, just shrugging at them miserably.

“What’s wrong guys?” Kip asked.

Minx stared at her boyfriend, making her intentions clear that he should be the one to explain. Jason ignored her stare, but didn't try to dodge the question. “My mom, she went on one of her drunken fits last night, kinda called Minx a slut by mistake.”

“Like shit, she knew exactly what she was saying Jase, and it's not the first time” Minx grilled him, then turned to bitch about it to Crystal and Kip “she called me a whore on his birthday, and rang me up to continuously cuss at me on Mother’s Day. And every time he defends her.”

“She’s my mom Min, she’s an alcoholic. She calls me far worse. But she’s fine the next day, and always apologises” Jason argued.

“She’s never apologised to me”

“She doesn’t get a chance, we’re usually out on the ramps remember.”

Kipper knew the worst thing to do was take a side, that’s a big no-no. She knows Crystal like the back-of-her-hand, and cups said hand over her girlfriends mouth almost perfectly in time for Crystal to speak. Whilst the blonde murmured unintelligibly behind Kip’s hand, the brunette spoke in her stead. “Well, that’s awful and I know it’s not easy for either of you. But don’t both fall out over it, all that matters is what you think of each other.”

“That’s what I tell her” Jason insisted. “But she’s acting like I was the one who called her a slut and a whore.”

Minx blasted his comment. “No you fucking idiot, you don’t seem to understand how a person is meant to stick up for their partner when being insulted”

“I did!”

“Saying “shut the fuck up” to your mom once isn’t good enough”

“Well you don’t cover yourself in glory either. Tell them how you tried to smack my mum silly after she called you a slut, tell them how you threw my entire birthday cake at her whilst the candles were still lit”

Minx turned her back on him completely, reached for her backpack and tried to walk off. “Your mom thinks I'm a waste of space, and you seem to agree with her. I see how how this shit is.”

“You cannot be serious right now!” Jason exclaimed with disbelief. “I won't choose between my mom and my girlfriend, just get over it!”

“Oh I'm over it Jase, but I'm not over you. You’re empty Jase, so empty.” Minx stomped off after that, quickly losing herself in the crowd.

The remaining girls awkwardly turned back to Jason, who did his trademark thing of playing things down. “So how did your nights go?”

Kip ignored the question and tried to give him some optimism. “I’m sure she's just upset Jase, she'll feel better by recess.” That was less like optimism, and more like lying. Minx brooded for nearly a week when her Billie Eilish album wasn't delivered on time, and only stopped when it arrived five days later than scheduled.

“Yeah, sure” Jason sighed. “Seriously though how are you guys?”

Crystal reached for Kip’s hand again, and the brunette grinned at her in that lovestruck way that everyone could identify, and that included Jason. “Hello, lovebirds at last.”

Crystal beamed and replied “yeah, Kip and I are going out now.”

“Well that must be a secret then, get sick and get the girl, well played Chris” Jason complimented jokingly. It was just a joke, but a borderline truth in reality.

“Thanks Jason”

“About time right Kip?” Jason asked knowingly.

Kip blushed and said “I got very lucky is all that happened.”

“No you didn't” Crystal insisted. “You was like so badass.”

Kip remembered how she was able to intercept Phoebe before she'd even left the cafeteria. Not even Crystal knew that part yet, but Kipper got a kick out of the memory. “Yeah, I guess I was.”

They were then interrupted by the school bell, and all three headed to their first class. Kip and Crystal kissed outside the arts building and then went their separate ways. They’d see each other again in an hour or so for Math, but that new romantic bubble made being apart for a minute seem like a day.

Crystal entered the art classroom and smelled watercolours. Yes, her favourite paint method. She also loved pastel and charcoal, but nothing beats watercolours. Her idol was Rhoda Holmes Nicholls, loving her trend of painting beautiful women in beautiful backdrops. She always looked at her for inspiration, and one particular painting “The White Gloves” was one day going to make Crystal create her own version with probably someone beautiful like Kip.

Art was Crystal’s favourite subject, something that drives her ambitions. It was Kip (God she loved Kipper) who explained to her why she excelled so much in art. She said that for everything your brain lacks, it will make up for it with something else.

Like if you are hard of hearing, you might find you have great eyesight, and vice verse. In Crystal’s case intelligence threatened to make her brain weaker, so it balances it out with creativity and imagination. “The human brain hates to be weak.”

Crystal didn't know anything about that, but she believed Kip's view, and believed in herself to be a great artist someday.

The teacher, Mrs Hartford, came over to Crystal and explained that everybody would be working in pairs for this lesson topic. That's very unusual for an arts class, but Crystal naturally appreciated that you got to choose your partner. What a nightmare it would be to work with a boy?

Crystal quickly found her friend at a set of stools besidethe window, who was engrossed already in her scrapbook. Skater girl she may be, it came second to her love for drawing. She wanted to be a cartoon artist, and even got herself a trial role at the local paper. She had to submit a synopsis and her concept drawings for a mini-comic series, in time for the holidays.

It wasn't Marvel, but it was a start.

Minx sensed Crystal was coming and removed her bag off the adjacent stool for her, all without looking away from her scrapbook. Minx nearly always said “hey” when Crystal walked in, but not today. She was really down in the dumps.

Crystal took her place on the stool, not saying a word but her eyes fixed on Minx like a mouse expecting a grumpy cat to strike at her. Minx didn't even notice, not until the sensation of being watched became too overbearing. “Sheesh, you're fine okay, I'm not a fucking dragon.”

Crystal still jumped and pointedly stared straight forward towards the front of the classroom. Minx snorted but otherwise remained quiet.

Mrs Hartford began to explain the reasoning for working in pairs, apparently it was a test of versatility. Each person had fifteen minutes to paint or draw anything they desired in their preferred method, and in the fifteen minutes that followed their partner would try to complete the painting or drawing. Then they'd swap methods to what the second partner preferred, and the first would complete it in the same way.

This was an incredibly daunting task for Minx and Crystal, who both completely sucked at their partners preferred method. But both of them were driven artists, and had full confidence that they could work as a tutor for each other. Minx finally turned to Crystal and looked her in the face “Rock-paper-scissors, winner gets first choice.”

Crystal was happy about this, she was really good at rock-paper-scissors, or so her record says. Her personal best was 21-4 in a single session, although Minx was the nearest challenger. Kip was third. Jason sucked. “Okay, you're on.”

“Best of three. Must count in sync, and no stuttering, we go on three Mississippi’s. Break the rules and you automatically lose” Minx stated the rules, taking the competition very seriously.

“Deal. Ready?” Crystal already had one fist over her open palm. Minx copied her stance. “Ready.”

One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi.

Call:

Round 1-Crystal’s Rock beats Minx's Scissors

Round 2-Minx’s Scissors beats Crystal’s Paper

Decider: Crystal’s Paper beats Minx’s Rock

“Aww shucks” Minx groaned, though she was smiling at least.

“Yes, I'm first and I choose watercolors” Crystal pulled a winning smile aimed directly at the loser.

“Of course you do” Minx rolled her eyes. “Alright, get to it. Try and get it done in fifteen minutes would ya?”

“Nah uh, watercolor takes a long time, and if you rush you get the canvas too wet” Crystal replied, then patted Minx’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, I'll choose something easy.”

Crystal began by choosing her colours and flipping her canvas portrait. Crystal loved colourful subjects, but on this occasion she thought Minx might appreciate a bit of darkness to the picture. Crystal thought of a dark, mysterious and perhaps dangerous thing in a certain mind frame, but on it's own is natural and innocent.

Crystal had her subject, and quickly dabbed into her blood red watercolour. Minx noticed and commented offhandedly “oh I knew you'd go for the vampire theme. Should've seen that one coming.”

“Oi, shut it you, its got nothing to do with vampires _actually” _Crystal replied still dabbing away. “You just wait and watch, I don't want you doing this wrong because you weren't focusing when you should be.”

Minx opened up her hands “okay boss”.

Very quickly, or quickly for a watercolour painting, Crystal had formed a good basis for the main subject, a bright red-apple. Then she washed out her brush completely and changed colour to cream. Crystal hovered a few inches past the red apple.

At this point Minx protested. “Hey, don't start painting new things all over the canvas, you are meant to be giving me less work not more.”

“I know what I'm doing, if I paint all the objects of the picture in for you, all you have to do is finish them off and do the background. The background should be easy” Crystal replied patiently.

Minx pursed her lips and hummed in approval “actually, that's a really good point. Thanks Chrissy.”

Minx started peaking over her shoulder for a closer look, and that's when something distracted Crystal to where her brush nearly slipped. Minx’s hue. The compatibility was high because they both were getting arty together, its only platonic though. Still, it was mega bright, and Crystal was struggling with trying to play it cool as well as making sure she did not touch Minx. ’it's not a problem until we touch and get all zappy, right?’

The one time she needed the girlboy’s assurance, he ignores her. First he's constantly bothering her, now he's being rude. She really started to hate him.

Crystal had to deal with the problem herself. She casually asked “Minx, could you back up a tad? You're getting in the way of the light.”

Minx immediately moved herself away “oh sorry, sure, you're doing good by the way.”

“Thank you, but this is kiddies painting for me”

“Alright show-off, some mortals still struggle to paint perfect red apples, I'm one of them”

“I know, why do you think I said it was kiddies painting?” Crystal teased.

Minx snorted out a sharp laugh despite bring made fun of, or should that be because she was being made fun of...by Crystal of all people. “You bitch. One day of bonking the Kipster and you're already giving me lip.”

Crystal didn't realise she knew, she froze mid-stroke to think of how but Minx filled her in. “Rumor mill is spreading the news of you two like wildfire.”

Crystal tutted, the obvious answer. She got back to her painting, finishing up the wax candle standing proud and tall over the red apple. “You don't mind right?”

“What, you and Kipper? Hell no, I'd be your personal cheerleader if it wasn't completely not my style” Minx replied truthfully. “I’ve desperately wanted Kip to swoop you up for like forever. We all knew it wouldn't be up to you.”

Crystal frowned at that last part, but then it was true wasn't it. Crystal loved Kipper but she just didn't realise exactly how until yesterday. And if it wasn't for Kipper, she'd have “bonked” Phoebe instead, and whilst there was nothing bad about doing it with Phoebe...she wasn't Kipper. She didn't compare.

Thinking about that helped fortify her resolve against this pink hue thing, she'd keep her Kipper in her mind whenever there was a danger of getting into trouble.

Crystal perfected the flame and candlelight, the hardest part of the picture by a mile, and nearly had the tabletop complete when Mrs Hartford called it time to swap around. Minx begrudgingly took Crystal’s recently vacated seat and reached for the brush. The blonde stood alongside and directed her on where she should start “finish off the apple, less water means dark red, more water means light red.”

Minx took a breath and steadied her hand, that came naturally to her, the brush being lighter then her calligraphy pens and markers helped a lot. She rounded of the apple pretty good, but just as she was picking up confidence to tackle the tabletop she failed to look at which colour she dabbed her brush in. Crystal saw her spread a little bit of the brown paint into the red on the palette.

“Minx, you must look where you dab your brush”

Minx looked at the brown segment on the palette and saw that it was two squares away from where she thought it was, she grumbled “god damn it, I was just getting the hang of it.”

“It’s alright. As long as it's not on the canvas, that's the main thing” Crystal stepped forward to try and salvage the brownish-red paint, whilst Minx refocused and cleaned the brush off.

She went on to complete the table, and make good headway on the black background around the candlelight, probably the easiest and carefree part of the painting. When Mrs Hartford declared time was up on the first collaboration, Minx was more than proud to whisk it from the easel to the front of the class.

Everyone presented their work, explaining what parts they did and what they were most proud of. Considering Minx came into this with the least amount of watercolour experience, she got special praise for the good work. Minx held her hand up to Crystal for a high five, but Crystal pretended to miss it.

That sucked. Minx loved a high five, or fist bump. Crystal loved a high five too. She just couldn't afford Minx to feel attracted her, no way. Very bad for Minx and Jason, very bad for Kipper and Crystal. She was not going to let it happen, not over a high five of all things.

Minx had shrugged off the miss by the time they got back to their station, ready to work on the skaters idea. “Okay, how are you with caricatures?” Minx asked.

“Carica-wha?” Crystal wrinkled her nose up, and Minx got her phone out in record time. She went to her photos and found a recent caricature she made of Principal Greene, then showed her phone to Crystal knowing it'll get a laugh and recognition.

Crystal burst out laughing, the exaggerated red bubble cheeks and wobbly chin, so hilarious because it was so good. When she finally recovered she took note of the detail and honestly replied “I really don't think I could draw something like that.”

Minx understood that “yes, you're more into how things actually look, but there are caricatures that are simple to do and also adhere more to realism than exaggeration.”

“Well, I could try doing those I suppose”

“That’s the spirit” Minx replaced the watercolours with her calligraphy set and brush pen. “You will be the subject, so for now could you pose for me, any pose you like?”

Crystal moved her stool a few feet behind the easel, and just to the right. She placed her hands flat on the seat and bent over it like one of them car wash girls. Minx didn't mind a little sexiness, but she thought Mrs Hartford might. “Er, maybe not a sexual pose Chris, try something else.”

Crystal shifted around, now perched on the stool with her hands up like a bunny. Minx chuckled and said “why don't you just sit and give me a peace sign, yeah?”

Crystal quickly complied and finally Minx got to work. She had a problem though. Whereas before Crystal had Minx behind her, away from her line of sight, she now has Minx directly in front for at least fifteen minutes. This was making the hue business completely unavoidable. Minx was so pink it spread to her usual lock of red hair over her brow, and every time she glanced at Crystal it sent a burning of arousal through the blonde.

As Crystal found Minx more and more desirable, the powers in her head started to betray her as they clicked on the auto-pilot. “Minx, am I allowed to talk?”

“Yeah sure, I'm very hard to distract, just don't move too much” Minx responded kindly.

Crystal found herself thinking she should've done a portrait of Minx, seeing as she was so uncannily hot and pretty. “Are you still upset with Jason?”

Minx stopped momentarily and looked straight at Crystal, deliberating if she wanted to have this conversation yet. If this was Kip she'd definitely try to shut it down, Kip meant well but she's so interactive, too helpful. Minx didn't want to fix things yet, she was still processing the emotions and she'd fix, or do something about it in her own time.

But Crystal wasn't here to be her personal advisor, she just wanted to listen to the problems that her friends have. No interfering, no judging, just encouragement. So Minx opened the door to her. “Yeah, I'm still mad at Jason.”

Crystal nodded and moved onto a different question. “Did his mom really say those horrible things to you?”

“Oh yeah, she totally did. That, Chris, was just the tip of the iceberg. The highlight reel.”

“Why doesn't she like you?”

Minx was back to her drawing now but lost a bit of focus as she multi-tasked on thinking of a response and concentrating on her work. “I don't know, maybe I'm not her perfect image for a girlfriend of her son. Or maybe Jason's dad being gone means she's got a problem with another girl in her sons life other than her. Who knows, all I can say is the feeling is mutual.”

The true Crystal came to the front of her brain, she similarly didn't have her dad around, albeit because he died many years ago. Jason's dad ran out on his family for another woman. And maybe that's the difference between Jason's home life and Crystal’s. Tim Miles died with his loving family around him, and the last thing he gave them before passing was his eternal love. Jason's dad seemingly no longer loved his family at all. In a way, she understood why Jason's mom had a bit of attitude, it didn't make it okay though to take it out on Minx.

Crystal was glad to ponder on something that helped to drown out her empowered brain, but looking at Minx again sent it surging right back into action. “Are you more hurt over Jason taking her side?”

Minx eyes popped wide as she turned to look at Crystal “so you agree he took her side, it's not just me?”

Crystal would've normally said I don't know and that played it safe, but in a haze she immediately answered “he didn't seem to understand how hurt you were about him not sticking up for you, I know you did the things with the cake and stuff but it seems like his mom is the one who starts it all.”

Minx gave up on drawing and started down at her hands. “I’m not saying he should take my side, she is his mom and i’d defend my mom to the hilt too if she was wrong, it's not really about her. It's him.”

“What did you mean when you said Jason was empty?”

“Oh I don't know, just...stupid I spose” Minx’s face said that was a lie.

“I’m stupid, and you've never called me empty. And I pee you off loads.”

Minx laughed “yeah, alright it didn't mean stupid, though he is that too. I meant...he’s a little numb, emotionally. Not to himself, he can get angry and upset and all that, but recognising when other people could be hurt, or are hurt by something. He just takes things so casually where other people take it seriously. Or maybe I'm just being melodramatic as of late, I don't know.”

Crystal didn't honestly believe Jason was empty, or Minx was melodramatic...whatever that means. Just one was more emotional than the other, and it was affecting their communication. That could be fixed so easily by sitting down and talking it out, even she knew that.

But who was Crystal at that moment? She saw Minx surrounded by a bright pink hue, and that encouraged the unwanted attraction for the skater girl and made her a **** to this controlling haze. The bad Crystal wanted to jump Minx, and the good Crystal could only just rein it in. “Do you think he doesn't care for you as much as you thought he did?” she didn't ask that question, something else did.

Minx openly sobbed at this question, abandoning the drawing in frustration, probably because she had been reduced to tears which she never publicly wanted to do. Mrs Hartford heard her and came over to see if she was okay “Mindy, what's the matter sweetheart? It's not like you to get upset.”

Minx held her bag to her face to hide her reddening eyes, and muffle her whimpers. Crystal came over and answered for her friend “just private stuff Mrs Hartford.”

“Oh you poor girl, do you need a few minutes to calm down outside?” the teacher asked Minx.

Minx nodded into her bag and Crystal moved to escort her out. Mrs Hartford gave her consent for Minx to be absent for the rest of the lesson if she required more time, and then both Minx and Crystal were gone.

When they got outside Minx pushed Crystal away and said “I don't need you to baby me!”

“I wasn't” Crystal softly returned.

“I knew talking to you was a bad idea, God why can't people mind their own business” she sniffed turning to face the wall now.

“I’m sorry Minx, I should have stayed focused on the work” Crystal admitted, though didn't feel at all guilty about it like she wanted to. ‘Curse this damn curse’.

Minx took a few moments to calm her voice then asked “could you please leave me alone now Chris, go back to class or something? I’ll be fine.”

Crystal followed her instructions, but not before reaching for Minx’s hand. She knew what would happen when she did, but knowing and stopping it were too different things. Lo and behold, there was a zap of energy just as Crystal gripped her hand encouragingly. “You’ll be alright Minx, you'll be alright.”