Rising Shards

I asked Oka and Zeta if we could meet. We were all going to the prom shopping spree event later, but I needed to check in about something with them first. Being my roommate, Oka was already there, but we had to wait a few minutes for Zeta to arrive.

"She said Junea made her hand out cards for that event," Oka said as she checked her phone. "But that she's on the way! What did you want to talk about, anyway? Or is this something you need both of us here for?"

"I don't think it's anything major that'd require both of you, but I would like to hear feedback from you both on it," I said. "And it'd be easier to wait so I don't have to say it twice."

Thankfully, waiting for Zeta wasn't an issue as she arrived shortly after.

"Phew," Zeta said. "That's enough socializing for the day. Junea better not be lying about that gift card, either."

"It's Junea, so who knows," Oka said.

"Exactly…" Zeta said. "I ran into Anastasia too, that girl is exhausting."

Exhausting was a good word to describe Zeta's newly discovered sister. But even with her obnoxiously rage-filled side, after my most recent encounter with her, the mental image in my head was her on Sai's lap, napping without a care.

"You OK?" Oka asked.

"Uh huh, when I'm in a don't care mood her getting mad is kinda funny," Zeta said. "Well, the worst was the second-hand embarrassment when she got so mad she spilled her lunch on the ground."

"She needs…anger management. And a lot of therapy, I think," Oka said.

"Don't we all," I said.

"So anyways, what'd you want to talk to us about?" Zeta asked.

I paced in front of the two as Zeta took a seat at our desk and Oka sat on her bed.

"I have a theory," I said. "That I'd like your feedback on. I'm not sure if this is correct, but I have a new suspicion on what Kalei's situation is."

"Oh, for real?" Oka said.

I nodded. "She's at a meet for a little while longer, so I think now would be a good time. I am wondering if…she and Marmalade are dating."

Oka and Zeta processed that idea.

"Huh…" Zeta squinted.

"They do get along," Oka said. "Really well."

"Now does that explain the secrecy, and the pulling away from us as of late? I'm not sure. Maybe. But I think that may be the case." I said.

"I…feel kinda stupid I never really considered it," Zeta said.

"Same here," Oka said. "We're too busy being in our own world I guess, but…I could see them being compatible, Marmalade is always talking about how cool Kalei is…"

"They're both snarky and can be pretty mean," Zeta said. "But if they are dating, they're really good at keeping it from me because we're roommates and all."

"That's correct, and I was going to ask if you'd noticed anything as you have the most direct access to them," I said.

"They play games a lot in our room, but lately I haven't seen them as much because they have beam chasers practice, too," Zeta said. "They don't seem very physical though? Well, I guess Kalei's always patting Marmalade's shoulders, but aside from that..."

"If they were keeping it from us, that may be why," I said.

"I don't get why they'd keep them dating a secret though," Oka said. "We'd be happy for them! Kalei deserves a nice girlfriend after Nikki."

"That's what I'm wondering too," I said. "Maybe they're both just embarrassed about it? Alternatively, another theory I have is that the two are so obsessed with each other that they haven't noticed how distant they've gotten."

"I guess we waited a bit to say anything when we started dating," Zeta said.

"Did we? I thought we told everyone right away," Oka said. "No, I'm right, we did, because I told Lillia like immediately, and we told Kalei right away too."

"Huh, I guess my brain made it feel longer," Zeta said. She crossed her arms. "It'd be kinda annoying if Kalei got all mad at us for keeping secrets before that though while she's keeping secrets."

"There's a lot we don't know about this," I said. "Too much for my taste. It could be something completely benign, or something else. And that's what worries me."

"What do you mean?" Oka asked. "Like them dating isn't a good thing?"

"I don't know," I said. "There's just so much we don't know that my mind attempts to fill in gaps. I logistically can't figure out what would be wrong with the two dating that they'd keep it from us."

"Well, Syval and Aira know too," Zeta said. "So maybe it's a polycule thing? And they're embarrassed about that?"

"I've considered that as well," I said, adjusting my glasses. "But my gut is telling me that while those two know whatever is going on, they aren't involved in the same way. I think Kalei and Marmalade may be dating, and that Aira and Syval know, and then a far too vast blank space that adds onto it that makes them all not want to tell us."

"Maybe a surprise birthday party," Oka suggested. "Zeta's birthday is coming up. Then mine too a bit after."

"I don't think that's it, unfortunately," I said. "I apologize for how vague and perhaps 'vibes' based this is, but that is where I stand at the moment with the limited evidence available. But, I think we can fix that."

"How?" Oka asked.

"Kalei and Marmalade should be joining us at the event tonight. We'll see if they're going to prom together. Then we can press them for more information," I said.

"We haven't had any luck pressing them for info so far," Oka said. "What if they just shut us down again?"

"Oh, I know!" Zeta said. "Before the shopping thing, let's go ask Tik and Kara and Mars! They probably are good at figuring people's secrets out. We don't need them to interrogate Kalei and Marmalade or anything, but maybe we could get tips on how to get the info from them?"

"That could work!" Oka said. "Right?"

I nodded. "If you two aren't busy at the moment, maybe we could go look for them now?"

"We're obviously in," Oka said.

If our friends were just dating and shy about telling others, that'd be the best case scenario. But I couldn't shake the concern there was more to this than that, and I had to find out what.

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