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Was. My heart drops at that particular word. I hope V is okay, but I don’t want to pry. I take a bite of strawberry and offer the rest to her. She eats it, seductively ensuring my fingers enter her mouth.

“That’s interesting. My mom made my sister and I celebrate all the elven holidays, so we never learned much about Scotland or any of our other ancestry, really. Kind of a bummer, but maybe one day I’ll go off-planet and visit.”

V puts her newspaper down again. “I don’t know what you do for a living, but if you dream of going off-planet, you’re too rich for me.”

I’m cackling as I grab her pencil, answering the last word on her crossword puzzle. Irrepressible. “Don’t worry, I’m not. Just a fever dream.”

She stands and turns my chair around. My legs wrap around her, and she scoops me up, carrying me towards the couch. “I’ll show you a fever dream.”

three

INDIGO

“Why haven’t you replied?!”Alitha asks, her tight black curls bouncing closely to her head. Long brown ears point up to the sky, the main physical indicator she’s an elfling. Sometimes I long to be more elf. I’m barely five feet tall, and my features are painfully human. Not that it’s a bad thing, but I rarelyfeelhuman. I’m always surrounded by so much magic. It’s the most important part of who I am.

“It’s been over a week. What could I say now? It’ll just be weird,” I pout, wanting to slam my head into the table. I wouldn’t do that, as there’s a waffle on my plate I intend on eating, but I’m sure thinking about it.

“You could tell her the truth, that you have an anxiety disorder and you’ve been freaking out over how to reply, but you’ve finally put on a brave face and want to see her again?” Alitha suggests.

“Or,” Dahlia chimes in. “You could tell her it was the best sex of your life and that you haven’t been able to walk or think all week, and you’ve finally healed and wish to meet up again?”

“You’re both nuts.”

Alitha sighs. “The logical thing to do would be to tell her the truth. Or, tell her nothing and let it go.”

“Don’t let it go. You rarely connect with anyone, Indigo,” Dahlia says. “Youhaveto see her again.”

I pick at my food and take a sip of orange juice, trying to calm my nerves. “I rarely connect with anyone because nobody wants to connect with me. They all just wanna use me to meet Iris.”

Alitha puts her long, slender hand over mine. “Iris is great, I get it. I mean, I’m in the Potions Department. We all worship your sister’s work—”

“Not helping.”

Alitha sighs. “But you’re great too. This orcling would be lucky to get a second date with you. I mean it.” She’s kind. Both my friends are, really, and I’m lucky to have them. I just wish I had the same luck with love.

I pull out my phone, staring at her contact. It just says ‘V.’

“Reply. Do it, do it, do it!” Dahlia smiles at me.

I type away….

Indigo

V, I’m so sorry for taking forever to reply, it’s been a week. I’ve had to pick up a lot of extra tasks at my job this week. I’d like to see you again soon… with specifics, maybe? Just let me know.

Sent. I look up at my friends. “Bleh. What if she never replies and just ghosts me like I did her?”

“Then you’ll know where you stand,” Alitha says with grace, per the usual. A woman of few words, I feel like she wastes all of hers on me and my antics.

Ping. My text tone went off.

“Somebody pinch me,” I say, afraid to open it.

“Check your phone, or I will literally murder you, Indigo,” Dahlia says as Alitha laughs.

I open the text.

Vega