… used to be lunatic from the gracious days. I used to be woebegone, and so restless nights …
“'But what if the monsters come?'
'Fancy.' Kit looked away from the drama to stare at her sister, surprised. 'We are the monsters.'”
Reeves, Dia. (2011). Slice of Cherry. Simon and Schuster.
__________
“Of course!” Jacob giggled in a happy, girlish tone of voice. “Why wouldn't I help my friend in her archeology digs?”
It wasn't really what he wanted to do … or was it?
“I'm just positive the artifact should be buried over here,” Kaitlyn said, resuming her front yard excavation. “I've had the dreams so many times; you wouldn't believe it. Oh, who am I talking to here? Jenny, you're the only person in the universe who does believe me: the alternate universe, the steampunk world, the magical artificers, their Toroid of Transformation that escaped into our reality … y-y-you do believe me, right?”
“Yes!” Jacob said emphatically.
He did believe her, after all.
He had found the Toroid of Transformation, and it had … it had … what had it done to him?
“I don't understand it all,” Jacob said aloud. “But I believe you, Kaitlyn. I know in my heart you're right about it all. And I want to help you.”
So, shouldn't I tell you about how I already found the Toroid, dug it up, and used it to … to … what did I use it for, thought Jacob.
“Thanks, BFF!” said Kaitlyn. “I never should have doubted you. It's just … well … all the girls at school make fun of me, my sister is such a bitch, my mom is practically an extraterrestrial – nothing that woman says has ever made sense logically. And my dad may as well not exist. You're the only person who takes me seriously, Jenny. I don't know what I'd do if you didn't exist.”
The Toroid is over there in that patch of tall grass, Jacob struggled to say. Your family needs to mow their frakkin' lawn more often. The grass is so tall, you can't see where I've dropped it. But I found the Toroid, used it to … to … to … make myself unchanged. I'm the same girl I've always, always, always been … and then I dropped it over there.
But no words came out.
Instead, “Jenny” silently mouthed a bit of voiceless nonsense.
Had Kaitlyn been looking up, she might have been able to lip read the gibberish.
As it was, Kaitlyn was intently exhuming the abode of ants and earthworms, vainly seeking an extradimensional artifact of unimaginable power that may or may not even exist … but did exist, had already been found, and had been accidentally hidden just a few yards southeast of her present location.
“Kaitlyn, you've always been there for me,” Jacob found herself saying. “I still remember the day we first met, back in kindergarten. First day of school, and already the other girls were picking on me – so I know what it's like, too. I had a Doctor Who lunch box. You remember the one with David Tennant? All the other girls had, like, Barbie or Hello Kitty or other ranch dressing garbage like that. And I was getting teased a lot. And then, out of the blue, you came up to me and said that you liked Doctor Who also.”
“Tom Baker is the best doctor,” Kaitlyn deadpanned without looking up.
“Screw you: David Tennant is hot!” Jacob said. “Oh, I don't know how I put up with you, Kaitlyn. But you defended me back then. And ever since kindergarten, we've been nerd girl BFFS – forever and ever, no matter what.”
“No matter what,” Kaitlyn replied, with grave seriousness. “And I've always got your back, Jenny.”
“Thanks,” smiled Jacob. “Sometimes I just need to hear that. I've always got your back too, y'know Kaitlyn. And I promise you, we will find your magic, otherworldly Toroid of Transformation.”
If only I could tell you that I already know where it is, thought Jacob. And that I've already used it to … to … to … keep myself the thirteen-year old girl that I've always been.
“I have to be me,” Jacob said with a giggle.
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