the pie

[instar]

Gym class is mind-numbing. Bella spends it thinking about introversion - Andi finds it peculiar and kept asking her questions about it. Bella's not an extreme case of the type, but definitely qualifies. Andi always has more friends - needs more friends - than Bella does.

Comments

[instar]

"Not having a thing you're attached to like I am to my introspection thing? Yeah. Andi's my benchmark for normalcy and she doesn't have one, for instance."

[aeskhyne]

"Is she super normal or do you just not have anybody else that handy?" he wonders.

[instar]

"She's both relatively normal and accessible."

[aeskhyne]

"Makes sense," says Trouble. "I don't know if I know any normal people. Unless you guys count. Do you count?"

[instar]

"I wouldn't count me, no."

[aeskhyne]

Trouble grins. "I figured."

[instar]

"But Andi works, if you want a sample normal person."

[aeskhyne]

"If I can ever think of something to do with one, I'll ask her," he laughs.

[instar]

"Nothing occurs to you?"

[aeskhyne]

"Nope."

[instar]

"She's often better than I am about predicting how our parents will react to things, since our parents are also pretty normal."

[aeskhyne]

"Handy talent," says Trouble.

[instar]

"It is!"

[aeskhyne]

He giggles.

[instar]

"Well, I'm off to meet Andi. See you later."

[aeskhyne]

"See you!" he says agreeably.

[instar]

And home go the twins.

[aeskhyne]

Trouble doesn't show up to school at all the next day, but he does show up at Bella's house with cake.

[instar]

"Where were you all day?" Bella inquires when she answers the door and waves him in.

[aeskhyne]

"At home," he says, shrugging. "Didn't feel like school today."

[instar]

"How do you get away with that?"

[aeskhyne]

He shrugs. "Nobody cares?"

[instar]

"Not even the school administration?"

[aeskhyne]

"I was," he makes air quotes, "'sick'."

[instar]

"Was this you faking it or did your parents want you home?"