Chapter 2

Brenda looked at herself in the mirror on her bedroom door.

She didn't look pregnant. That was to be expected, given only twelve or so hours had passed. It also was to be expected if all of that had been in her mind. Not the sex. That was real. But the rest. Some religiously induced fantasy...

No. It being real made the most sense. Whatever was behind Alan's preaching (and it WAS preaching), she had felt it. Felt the truth. It was truer than Sunday School had been. Then again, her book on astrology had seemed truer than that, and she had felt most of that horoscope stuff had been crap. Her a Libra? No way.

Satisfied, she slipped into the day's outfit. A skirt. She definitely wanted to wear a skirt. She couldn't say why. Something about exposing her legs, having herself covered, yet free. It just felt right.

She wondered if Jeanie was feeling the same way that morning.

Brenda set the frying pan on the stove, glancing at the clock. There was time. Tossing in some butter, she went back to the fridge and got out four eggs.

"Mom leave?"

She glance over at her younger sister standing in the doorway. Sally wore a version of Brenda's outfit, another point in favor of Brenda's theory of sibling psychic connections. The sophomore was a bit more slender that she was, although as developed in the bust. Her light brown hair, currently in a pony tail, lacked Brenda's curls.

"She's not here." Focusing on the pan, Brenda cracked the eggs. Two broke. Scrambled it was. "Toast is in. Get the plates."

"You going to be late again tonight?" Sally walked up beside her, reaching up into the cupboard.

"I don't know. Maybe." And that was the truth. She didn't know what the day would bring. Which, in a way, made her happy.

"I can start dinner."

That tempered Brenda's mood. She looked at her sister, now pulling the grape juice out of the refrigerator. Mom was probably going to be late again. No, scratch that. She was going to be home at the new regular time, either working or hitting the bar. And now Brenda was going to late, leaving Sally alone. That wasn't right.

"You want to come with me?"

"Where?" Sally's voice brightened. Brenda could see her smile without even looking.

"Don't know yet. Wanna come?"

"Sure!"

Eggs now on the plates, Brenda turned to carry them to the table. It was a plan.

Jeanie was wearing slacks.

Brenda smiled as she spun her lock. That was Jeanie, ignoring the theoretical psychic link. They DID both have red somewhere in their outfits, though. That had to offer some confirmation.

"How are you feeling?" Jeanie leaned against the locker to her right, books resting against her breasts. Brenda found herself taking a deep breath, checking. She let it out.

"Good. I mean, really good. I slept well."

"So did I. I'm worried."

"But I'm the one who worries."

"I know. That worries me as well." Jeanie leaned in close. "Did it ... wear off for you?"

"Somewhat." She closed her locker. "I still felt her."

"Me too." Jeanie straightened. "We're in over our heads."

"It's only been one day."

"Yeah, but I feel like I did when I met Cal. I mean..."

Brenda nodded. Jeanie didn't fall in love often, but when she did it could take over everything. Cal had been the hardest she had ever seen her friend fall.

"You're speaking coherently. That's something."

"You know me. It takes a lot to keep the sarcasm inside." She looked down at the books in her arms. "I started writing."

"Writing what?" Brenda looked around quickly. Nobody was paying attention to them.

"About Him. Her. A ... gospel, I guess."

"You're kidding." She moved away from the lockers towards their first class, Jeanie following.

"Nope. Usually everyone waits until after the prophet dies to bother recording anything. I wanted to do it right."

"Heh. Watch, he's already dead."

Alan tried to ignore the stares as he contemplated the Glory of Her in English.

It was only the girls. Several female eyes seemed to be on him, either fully staring or sneaking peeks. He didn't know why. He had just looked like himself that morning after his shower. Nothing new, or special. Probably Her doing. The guys were just ignoring him. He was happy about that.

For his part, his mind was still trying to comprehend the latest download. That's what it felt like: She was sending him these huge chunks of data, in the hope that some of it had meaning to him. There weren't words. Only images, sounds. Emotions. Alan wondered if the Lady even knew what words were. Why would she? It was such a restrictive way to communicate, everyone having a different language. God blinks her eye, and suddenly nobody she wants to talk to understands Babylonian.

Not that the Lady seemed to be that old. Youngness. That's the impression he got. She was young. A God for a new age. A new people.

He looked around the room. None of his classmates had the right look. The right ... shimmer. Some of them could be followers. Yes. Maybe all. But not disciples. He needed those first. Girls to be his seconds, his connection to the faithful, much as he was the bridge to the Glory. So the Lady had said, or, at least, so he had understood.

Alan smiled. This still made little sense.

"Umm..."

Alan turned away from the bulletin board near the Office he had been half reading. Three Freshmen girls stood before him. He saw, at once, the Glory. It practically blinded him, as if it reflected off each girl in turn, gaining strength. His heart missed a beat at the pure Love he sensed.

"Yes?" His simple question flustered them. The middle one, hair a dark blonde, was the only to meet his gaze. She briefly bit her lower lip.

"Umm, I, we..."

"We've seen the Glory," the shortest girl said, brown haired with pimples on her forehead. The third girl, with an Asian look, nodded.

"Last night. I saw you. We saw you."

"I'm not the Glory," Alan said. "The Glory comes from Her. Love comes from her. Would you learn?"

They nodded. He smiled.

They were now coming to him.

"You sure about this?"

Brenda smiled at Jeanie's question as they waited on the sidewalk near the buses. Trust her friend to try and be sensible about all this. She had just about stopped doing that herself. Go with the flow. She nodded.

"Yup."

Her sister Sally just smiled, almost bouncing in place. Brenda realized she hardly did anything with her anymore. She was always with Jeanie, or maybe a guy. Family time had always been them with Mom, or Mom and Dad. She had just assumed Sally was off with her friends like she was. Had Sally just been alone? All this time? That wasn't right!

"He has friends."

Brenda followed Jeanie's gaze. Alan was with three girls, all apparently younger than Sally. Didn't surprise her. What did is the looks the four were getting from others. Most of the other girls seemed to paying them some attention. So, too, a couple guys, although they looked like classmates of the Freshmen. She nodded.

"Figured. We have to grow our numbers quickly."

"You sensed that, too?" Jeanie kept her gaze on the approaching four. "I get this feeling of time slipping away."

Brenda felt Sally stiffen beside her as Alan approached. He was smiling at her. Them. What did her sister see? Feel? Brenda felt Love. The Glory. Brenda returned it, to him and the strangers. The girls blushed.

"Follow," Alan said. They did.

Brenda looked back as they approached the park.

"Someone's following."

"We're all following," Jeanie said. Brenda almost groaned.

"I mean..."

"I saw her. That's the point, isn't it? Another follower." Ahead of them, Alan slipped into the trees. "As long as it's not a gang with torches and pitchforks, we're good."

They entered the woods, following the path of the day before. The clearing was as they had left it, perhaps a bit brighter. Birds chirped from their perches up above. All seven girls settled in before Alan. The newcomer was someone Brenda had at least seen, a Senior like her. She was the only African American Goth Brenda had ever encountered. She sat beside Jeanie, nodding briefly.