Reflections

Zodia came into the room, wiping down with a wet towel to clean herself after a heavy workout. The sight of Amy picking at her food was never good. It hurt to see her like that. Sadness crept out from her heart for her sister. She spoke softly, the only trace of her accent left was a harmonic humming behind her vowels. "Amy? Is everything okay?"

Amy didn't make eye contact. Instead, she shook her head and turned her eyes further down.

"...Sean?"

"He didn't even know I was blonde until last night..."

"Oh, my God... Amy that's not your fault."

"What if it is? What if somehow something about me just...does this?"

"Look, it's not your fault the only guys who have the balls to talk to you are raging assholes. Somewhere around is a nice little nerdling who knows what color your eyes are, and where your freckles are on your face.", Zodia threw her towel over her shoulder with no regard for the white tank top it quickly soaked. Inverted, lavender nipples poked out of their shy hiding places.

"I'm starting to think there won't be...not here.", Amy mused sadly.

Zodia sighed gently. "Maybe not. Maybe we should wait for next year, when you transfer to an actual university?"

"But I could be too focused on school work by then..."

Zodia sat down next to Amy, locking eyes with her. The white set of pupils flickered in their nebula-like bath of color that they sat in. "You don't have to take life at the same pace we grew up hearing stories about. Mom and Dad...they had a fairy tale relationship. Who the hell actually comes home to their parents the day they meet and just announces they met their future spouse? That shit had a warlock behind it."

Amy couldn't stop a small chuckle. It was enough to let a small smile break through. "I guess...but they did."

"Yeah, and they're weird.", Zodia nudged her.

She chuckled again, looking back to her plate. "Not that weird..."

Zodiac nudged her, prompting her to look back up. "They adopted a teenage alien orphan and made her your sister. They're pretty weird by Earth standards...and more weird by Nova standards."

Amy sighed. At least her sister could help a little bit. She finally took a bite of her now cold mashed potatoes while shaking her head. With her mouth half full, she gestured with her fork at Zodia's shirt. "Zodie? Your innies are showing."

Zodiac glanced down. "Yeah? You like?"

Amy scoffed and pushed her by the shoulder. "Oh, go fucking change you nasty lady." Even so, the two laughed together while Zodia pretended to resist before finally heading to her room.

Amy stuck her food in the microwave, and sighed. Thank God for Zodia. She'd probably have been in a much darker place by now, if not for her.