Steven Harper - Nightmare

The sun began to warm the slightly slippery wooden shingles of the slanted roof as Kendi watched Pitr. Kendi had found some basic information about him on the computer network. He was seventeen, Silent, and his room was in same wing of the dorm as Kendi’s. Kendi had worked out the most likely route he would take to morning classes and now he was waiting on the roof for him to pass by.

This is insane, he thought as Pitr drew nearer. I’m sitting on a roof trying to get a look at this guy just because I like him. What if I fall?

Naturally, the moment that idea crossed his mind, his hand slipped and he started to slide with dreadful inevitability toward the gutter. Kendi scrabbled at the shingles, but his hands were sweaty and the shingles were still slick from the morning dew. His upper body went over the edge, and with a yelp he managed to snag the gutter with one hand. The gutter wasn’t strong enough to support his weight. It came away from the roof with the screech of half a dozen nails wrenched from wood. Kendi crashed to the balcony.

There was a moment of silence. Kendi lay on his back, stunned and in pain. His still-healing shoulder felt like someone had stuck a pitchfork through it. Two faces, one male and one female, poked themselves into his line of vision.

"Kendi?" Pitr said. "Are you hurt?"

Kendi wished with every aching muscle that he could sink into the planks and disappear. Humiliation burned in his face, and he wondered if Pitr would notice the difference in his complexion.

"Can you get up?" Pitr continued, holding out a hand. Kendi started to reach for it, then realized he was still holding a piece of the gutter. He hastily dropped it and grabbed for Pitr’s hand. Pitr hauled him to his feet. Kendi felt the strength behind the move and it made his legs a little watery.

At that moment, Dorna and Mother Ara came hurrying around the corner of the dorm, and Kendi gave a mental groan. Mother Ara would certainly chew him out, and right in front of Pitr. How could it get worse? He was half tempted to leap off the balcony and get it over with.

"Are you okay?" the dark-haired girl asked. "What were you doing up there?"

Kendi ran a quick inventory. Nothing seemed to be broken, though he was sure a few bruises would make themselves felt tomorrow. "I-that is-"

Mother Ara got within speaking range. "My god, Kendi," she said. "You know the rules about climbing unsafe places. What in the world were you thinking?"

Kendi was all too aware of Pitr’s eyes on him. He looked at the walkway and tried to think of something to say. His mind remained blank.

"It’s my fault, Mother," Dorna said.

Kendi’s mouth dropped open. He shut it quickly.

"Your fault." Mother Ara crossed her arms.

Dorna chuckled low in her throat. "I’m afraid I told him about how I used to watch the sunrise from the dorm roof and I …I sort of …told him it would probably be okay. I mean, with him being Australian Aborigine and all that, he does, you know, spiritual stuff with the sun."

"Is that true, Kendi?" Mother Ara said dangerously.

Dorna shot him a heavy glance. Something about her bothered him, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. At the moment, however, she was offering him an out and he gladly took it.

"Tribal thing," he said. "Greeting the sun. Right. I guess the roof isn’t a good place to do it, huh?"

"You have the right of that," Mother Ara growled. "Good heavens, Kendi, think before you act, will you? You could have been seriously injured, especially with your shoulder healing the way it is."

"Sorry," Kendi mumbled, and blushed again.

"You’re from Earth?" Pitr said. "You never said that before."

"Uh, yeah. Australia."

"Nebular!" Pitr said. "I’ve always wanted to visit Earth."

"Kendi," mused dark-haired girl. "Is this the guy who was attacked on the ultralight a few days ago?"

"Oh, sorry," Pitr said. "Kendi, this is Trish, my twin sister. Trish, this is Kendi Weaver."

His sister! Kendi thought with a rush of relief. She’s just his sister .

Trish stuck out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Kendi."

Kendi automatically shook it and yelped, the jolt exacerbating the pain he was already feeling.

"Whoops," Trish said. "I should have warned you that I’m Silent."

"It’s okay," Kendi reassured her. "Really. Completely okay." A sister! She’s his sister!

"Right," Pitr said. "We’d better get to class before we’re late. Are you going to be at Festival tonight, Kendi?"

"Sure am," he said instantly.

"Great. We’ll probably see you there. And there’s your flying lesson tomorrow. Later, okay?" He flashed a quick smile that made Kendi’s heart soar before he headed off with his sister . Kendi stared after him, admiring Pitr’s muscular figure from behind. A strange coppery taste tanged his mouth.

Mother Ara tapped his good shoulder, startling him. "All right, sun boy. I’m not going to add a duty shift to your week, but I think it’d be appropriate if you helped the custodian repair the gutter, all right?"

"Yes, Mother," Kendi said meekly.

"I’ll see to it, Mother," Dorna put in. "Come on, Kendi. Let’s go find her."

She took him by the arm and lead him firmly away. The moment they were out of sight and earshot, she stopped and gave him a heavy-lidded stare.

"Which one is it?" she demanded.

"Which one is what?" he said, bewildered.

"Which one do you have your eye on, Casanova? Come on, be honest."

Kendi flushed one more time, and again something bothered him about Dorna. Exactly what it was still eluded him. "I–I don’t know what you’re-"

"Yes you do." She leaned forward and whispered breathily in his ear. "I can tell. It’s written all over you. Go ahead, you can tell me. Maybe we can figure out what to do about it."

Her breath was warm in his ear and it sent a confusing shudder through his body. "It’s Pitr," he confessed without knowing why. "But you can’t tell anyone!"

"Wouldn’t dream of it." Dorna tucked her hand under his arm and continued walking. Kendi stumbled to stay with her. "It does make things trickier, though. I don’t know if Pitr goes for the boys, even ones from Earth. I guess I could ask around."

"Don’t!" Kendi said, horrified. "Everyone’ll know."

"No risk, no gain, big boy. But if it’s going to get you upset, I won’t. Let’s see." Dorna pursed her lips in thought. "Pitr is interested in Earth, and you come from the place. That seems like a logical place to start. Hmmmmm …Earth. What does it say to me? It says far away. It says exotic. It says I’m available ."

"It says hot, dry, and boring ," Kendi supplied.

"I think we’ll leave that part out," Dorna said. "Now shut up let me think." She made some mmmmm noises as they walked. "We could tell him you’re dying of a terrible Terran genetic disorder, and you have one last request. Or maybe that your ancestors gave you a directive-to hunt down someone cute and drag him home by the hair."

"Pitr’s hair is too short for dragging," Kendi pointed out.

"Don’t bother me with silly details. Maybe we should just cold-cock him. I’ve always wanted to do that to someone. It sounds so suggestive."

As they continued into the dorm and downstairs, Dorna outlined half a dozen more plans for getting Pitr’s attention, each one more outrageous than the last. Kendi laughed, his embarrassment forgotten, even when they found the head custodian and told her what had happened with the gutter. The older woman sighed, muttered about empty-headed first-years, and told Kendi to meet her right after his classes were over for the day.

"Speaking of which," Dorna said, "you better fly, Casanova. Meet for supper?"