Chapter 29: Tuesday Evening, 6:03PM

It’s really stupid since I just talked to him on the phone and saw him a few hours ago, but I kind of miss Will. Alaina sighed. Between him and ... I guess it’s mostly Laura, if I’m honest. My head is a fucking mess. I still don’t get why she stopped me from telling her about my Class in the car. I wouldn’t have, if I were in her position. I think...

She stood up and stretched, then stared at the wall for a moment. I think after that and everything else today I’d almost be willing to really tell her about my Class. If it weren’t for the promise I made to Mom, that is. She activated her cleaning skill instead of going to the bathroom, just like she always did now. She’s so much sweeter, and kinder, and more thoughtful than I expected! Thinking about it like Mom said, I guess she’s everything I’d want in a sister.

A really sexy sister with big, soft—

Argh! It’s this fucking Quirk again! She scowled. It’s definitely the Quirk. Need to stop thinking about all this. Let’s see...

Alaina sat down at the kitchen island to think. We’re making a lot of stuff tonight. Need to make the taco seasoning for the ground beef, the ground beef itself, guacamole, she said she wanted to make Mexican rice, refried beans, which means the bacon has to—

“Hey, Alaina,” Laura said as she came into the kitchen, her voice slightly softer than it had been.

Alaina looked up and struggled not to stare, failing instantly. Her lips parted slightly as her eyes roamed.

Laura was wearing a pair of black yoga pants. The ends of the pant legs came down to flutter loosely over white socks, and the waist of the pants didn’t quite meet the bottom of the tight, spaghetti-strap, white camisole she was wearing over a thick, black bra. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a high ponytail by a black scrunchie, leaving her shoulders completely bare. She smiled.

Alaina recovered after a moment, her arousal roaring back. She licked her suddenly-dry lips. Her eyes were drawn to—Is that... She blinked. A pink string was hanging out over the top of the left side of Laura’s yoga pants. She’s ... She’s got another pair? And they’re ... pink...

Laura looked down and to her left, following the redhead’s eyes. “Oopsies,” she said in a slightly dismayed tone, her fingers pulling the string gently as though bringing it up for examination. “I can’t believe I did that twice in one day.” She looked up as she tucked the string away with painstaking slowness. “I must be distracted or something.”

Alaina swallowed and rubbed her thighs together, wishing she didn’t have the soft fabric of her sweat pants in the way. Or a Trait that prevented it from mattering.

Laura walked closer, the faint scent of her perfume preceding her. “It felt like you and your mom were having a really serious talk, so I didn’t want to interrupt.” Her forehead winkled a little as she showed a concerned expression, and she leaned against the island next to Alaina. “Everything okay?”

Alaina tried not to let her gaze drop into the other girl’s seemingly bottomless cleavage. I’m trying so hard! Argh, this is fucking impossible! Just a little peek. She peeked. Yup, just like I remember. “Yeah, everything’s great, Laura,” she said, her eyes fixing onto the other girl’s lips.

“You sure?” Laura asked. “You still seem a little stressed.”

“I, um...”

“I know!” Laura said, her expression turning cheerful. She brought her hands up and clasped them just in front of her chest, drawing Alaina’s eyes into the abyss once more. “Let’s do a little bit of stretching to relax before we start cooking!”

“I don’t—”

“Come on, it’ll be fun,” Laura said. She reached over and snatched up one of Alaina’s hands and started tugging towards the den without turning around. “We’ll just do it for a few minutes while you relax, okay?”

“Um, sure,” Alaina said, feeling dazed. Her eyes moved up to meet the blonde girl’s once again. I keep expecting to see disgust, or fear, or awkwardness, but she’s just smiling the same as she has been all day. Maybe even a little wider than before, even. Fuck, maybe I should just give in and kiss her again. I want to more than anything right now. Ugh, no. No, no, no, no, no. Definitely not. I can’t! Wait, why can’t I?

“You sit here,” Laura said, bringing the smaller girl to the center of the carpet in the den. “And sit with your legs out. Yeah, just like that.” She moved around and sat in front, leaving the two girls facing each other.

Alaina didn’t know where to look, so she closed her eyes for a moment.

“No, don’t close your eyes yet, Alaina,” Laura said. “Stretch your feet out to the sides like this...”

Alaina spread her legs in a V, her legs mirroring Laura’s. Her feet feel warm, even through her socks.

“Great!” Laura grinned. “Do you want to go first, or should I?”

“Um...”

Laura held out her hands. “How about you go first. Just take my hands and gently pull backwards.”

Alaina grabbed the other girl’s hands, managing to momentarily detach her eyes from the breasts in front of her. She’s so warm! Mom must’ve turned up the heat. I kinda ignored it since temperatures don’t bother me as much now. “Like this?” She started to pull towards herself.

“Yeah, but you’ll probably need to lean back, too.”

Alaina leaned backwards a little.

Laura’s torso started to bend towards her.

Alaina’s eyes widened. If I keep pulling...

Laura’s head dipped lower, her body bending at the waist.

Alaina leaned back more. She won’t actually reach, will she?

Laura’s smiling face moved even lower, coming to rest inches from her stretching partner’s crotch. “This is a really good stretch to do if you have a partner, or even if you don’t.”

Alaina watched in fascination as Laura’s forehead touched the floor. “You’re really flexible.” She started leaning forward, allowing the other girl to come up.

“I told you I was,” Laura said, sounding slightly indignant. She sat up and pulled her hands back, adjusting the waistband of her yoga pants before reaching out again to take hold of the smaller girl’s fingers. “Your turn now. If you want to stop, let me know. I’m just going to lean back a little bit...”

Alaina started to tip forward, pulled by Laura’s hands.

“Keep your neck straight.”

Alaina sheepishly brought her head down. She leaned forward more. Wait, is that... She ogled.

The waistband of Laura’s black pants had slipped down a little, exposing a hint of pink underwear—most notably a tiny pink bow.

Alaina pressed her lips together tightly as she leaned forward and drew nearer. Laura, you’re such a tease!

“See? That wasn’t so bad.” Laura stood up easily, leaned over to one side at the waist, then the other. “Don’t you feel good now?”

Alaina reached up and pressed her hands over her eyes, the afterimage of a teasing hint of pink fabric still seared into her retinas. I can’t believe I thought I was gonna be able to compete with her. It’s like just by existing she’s teasing me. Nobody’s ever made me anywhere near as horny as she does. She moved her hands and saw Laura, now crouching down right in front of her.

The blonde girl leaned forward. “Ready to cook?”

Alaina stared down her shirt. Fuck.

“How do you want to split this up?”

“What’s the hardest thing to make? It’s all your recipes, so you should probably do anything that’ll need extra care.”

“Well...”

“What?”

“I’ve never actually made any of this before? I, um ... I had my cooking privileges taken away right when I started really getting into it...”

“Oh.”

“But I watched a ton of cooking shows! That’s what I used to watch most of the time when I was doing my Pilates!”

“You ... watched food shows ... while exercising?”

“Is that weird?”

“How’s that guac coming?”

“Pretty good. That beef with the seasoning on it smells really good, though.”

“Yeah, it sure does. Oopsies, have to flip this bacon...”

“Where’d you put the taco shells, anyway?”

“I ate them.”

“You what?”

“I’m kidding. I put them on a tray in the oven so they’d be out of the way.”

“Oh.”

“What are you looking at? Oh no, did I get bacon grease on my shirt?”

“N-no...”

“Why does rice have to take so long?”

“Yeah, maybe we should have put that on a little bit sooner. Where’d the onions go?”

“They’re—”

“Oh, I see them! Let me just squeeze in behind you ... Alaina, are you okay?”

“I’m ... I’m fine, why?”

“Oh, you made a little sound there when I leaned in behind you to get the onions.”

“Laura, why not go around me?”

“Sorry.”

“No, no, it’s okay.”

“Cool, because I need this garlic that’s in front of you, too. Oh, there’s that sound again! Are you sure you’re feeling okay?”

“Y-yeah ... I’m good...”

“Can you stir while I pour this?”

“Sure!”

“Perfect. Ugh, this fucking rice is taking forever!”

“It’s fine, we’ll just get to work up more of an appetite.”

“Argh!”

“What? You’re that hungry?”

“ ... Yeah. That’s it.”

“Done mashing the beans and stuff?”

“Yup!”

“Great. Now we just put all of that onto the stove for a few minutes. I really like cooking with you, Alaina. This is so fun!”

“Um...”

“What? Did I—Oh no! How did that fall out again? I was sure I tucked it in good last time! That’s the third time today! Thanks for pointing it out to me.”

“Y-yeah, no ... No problem, Laura!”

“You’re swallowing an awful lot. You must be thirsty. I’ll get a pair of nice, full cups for us. Oh, actually, I think I want milk. Do you want some milk, too? Alaina? Oh, you’re tired? Don’t worry, I’ll finish up while you rest your head there on the counter.”

“Alaina, I’m just about done! Time to wake up!”

“Mmm, that feels really nice. I mean! Um...”

“Yeah, hugs do feel really nice, don’t they? Especially extra-tight hugs like this one! Oh! There’s that sound again! Alaina, are you—”

“I’m fine!”

“This looks amazing, girls! I’ve really been craving something like this lately, too.”

“Me too, Mrs. B—Dot.”

“I can’t wait to see what real tacos are about. Mom, it’s like a taco bar kind of thing, so just grab whatever. We made extra for you, too!”

“Aw, thanks, Lainy. Laura, too. That’s sweet of you both.”

“Dot, I put our extra seasoning and peppers here, and—”

“Hey! Why are they up on that—”

“Oh, I wanted to make sure you wouldn’t accidentally eat it and burn your mouth, Alaina.”

“But why did you put it up on top of a tray and a potholder when everything else is down on the table? Is this another one of your—”

“Lainy, stop blocking the hot peppers. I gotta have ‘em. The chili powder, too. Ooh, Laura, this is one of my favorite brands!”

“Is it? I’ve never—”

“How is that one of your favorites! We’ve never had that in the house before! Stop cackling! Moom!”

“You’ve never looked under all those packs of ramen, have you, sweetie?”

“Ooh, this is good, Dot! It’s not as spicy as I thought it would be, though.”

“It has such a great flavor, don’t you think? Might be hard to tell if you’re just trying it on your finger and not with real food.”

“No, I really like it! I’ll make sure we keep some on hand from now on.”

“I’ll show you my secret stash sometime.”

“Ooh.”

“WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN IT’S NOT AS SPICY AS YOU THOUGHT? “

“Oh my!”

“Lainy. Language.”

“What the—mmm—It’s so hot! How—mmm—are you even—mmm—still alive after—mmm—eating that?!”

“Lainy, don’t talk with milk in your mouth like that. It’s weird.”

“I told you I put it up there so you wouldn’t accidentally eat it! Why’d you do it on purpose!”

“You said it wasn’t that spicy!”

“It’s not, sweetie. I don’t even think this is as hot as the pizza from Tony the other day, and Will ate that just fine.”

“You got Will to eat spicy food? Wow...”

“Does Will not like spicy food or something?”

“You’re his girlfriend, shouldn’t you know stuff like that?”

“We’ve only been going out since Saturday!”

“Yeah, but you’ve had classes with him for years now, haven’t you?”

“That’s true, Lainy. You’ve been complaining about him for a couple of years now. Why does he have to be so frustratingly handsome if he’s such a slacker? Sound familiar?”

“Wow, M—Dot! That sounds just like her!”

“It does not!”

“I’m very good at impressions.”

“Do me next!”

“Maybe some other time.”

“Okay.”

“I can’t believe you’re eating that stuff. Ugh...”

“It’s a good thing you didn’t try any of those peppers Laura sliced, sweetie. They’re much hotter. Where’d you even find these, Laura?”

“How do you know I didn’t find them?”

“Lainy, please.”

“I could’ve found them.”

“I’m sure you could’ve, sweetie. You’re my little shopper.”

“Well, I had to ask someone who worked at the store. I’ve ... never shopped there before, so I didn’t know where they’d be.”

“When did you do that? You were with me the whole...”

“It was when you were fighting with that man over the avocados.”

“He was like, a few years older than us, tops. And I grabbed them first.”

“He didn’t seem to think so.”

“You could’ve just batted your eyes at him and—”

“So could you!”

“No way! Not after he started going on about how he needed them because they were the last ones and how he had to have his avocado toast in the morning to properly align his chi or whatever.”

“Lainy! I can’t believe you deprived a poor young man of his avocado toast! His chi is gonna be everywhere tomorrow. I thought I raised you better than that.”

“It’s not funny.”

“It’s kind of funny.”

“Moom! Laura always takes your side!”

“Laura, you’ve got a good head on your shoulders.”

“Thanks, Dot!”

“Argh!”

“This guac is really good, sweetie. So I say you made the right choice.”

“It’s just mashing avocados with some other ingredients...”

“You got us the avocados, too, didn’t you? Even if you did have to endure a grueling, nearly-impossible battle with a young man who liked toast to get them.”

“And it was your idea to do tacos, Alaina. We might’ve had to eat leftover lobster mac and cheese otherwise!”

“No, Laura, I already ate that.”

“Mom, I was saving it!”

“Sorry, sweetie, but your old mom’s gotta eat at work, and it was too good to leave sitting around getting moldy in the fridge like that.”

“Food doesn’t go bad that fast!”

“Why can’t you just take it as a compliment that I couldn’t help myself?”

“Because you can never help yourself!”

“You’re just such a good cook. Look at how many tacos I’ve already eaten.”

“I’m not sure I’ve ever seen someone eat that many before, Dot! At least, not this quickly...”

“Get used to it. Mom always eats like this.”

“I might’ve skipped a lunch today.”

“Mom! You promised you weren’t going to do that anymore.”

“I was tied up in conference calls forever, Lainy. I can’t just hang up on these people.”

“You talk to doctors at other hospitals a lot, M—Dot?”

“Some days it feels like it never ends, Laura. I got in this morning, and the translator for the call that one of our departments had scheduled with researchers in Tokyo was out sick, so I had to make them wait a few minutes while I learned Japanese—”

“You learned Japanese in a few minutes?!”

“No, Laura, don’t be silly. I meant I had to brush up on my medical vocabulary, that’s all. I took classes for it in college.”

“That’s so cool. I always wanted to learn another language, but I don’t really have the knack for it.”