Alkalians

by Caleb S. Bugai

  A voice says from behind him, “Hello, Sean. How’s the studying treating you?”

  Perking up at the familiar, sweet voice, he turns around in his chair to find Cynthia standing by him. Surprised to see her again, and in the library of all places, he replies, “Oh, uh, hi there, Cynthia. What are you doing here?”

  “Oh, I just wanted to talk. Do you mind if I sit?” Before Sean can reply, she enters the chair next to him, letting one of her bare legs peek out from the long skirt. Sean can’t help but notice it has a dark tan, like the rest of her visible skin. As he fantasizes about whether her entire body is tanned the alluring shade of red, the sharp, delightful scent of spices fills his nostrils. Stroking some hair away from her face with the back of her hand, Cynthia asks, “So, is it true?”

  Distracted by more fantasies of deciphering where exactly her skin smells so good, Sean responds, “What?”

  Cynthia looks at him with an amused grin and explains, “You know, about you and Tony. The story going around tells you clobbered him in brains and brawn.”

  Finding something to focus on besides her, Sean replies, “Oh, that! Yeah, it was pretty cool. Who thought I could do it, especially with my reputation? Heh, it was only a week ago, but it now seems like a funny memory from far away.”

  “Indeed. Now, that’s what has me so curious.” She leans toward him, and the perfume’s strength increases. “You couldn’t fight at all last year, and you only just got the basics down this first week back. How did you do it?”

  After a nervous gulp, trying to keep more fantasies out of his head, Sean sputters, “Uh, I had some help, here and there, and, um…”

  “Do you want to talk somewhere else?”

  Sean almost falls out of his seat. Did Cynthia Volvaron just ask him out? He suddenly wonders if she is sane at the moment. “Uh, I hate to ask, Cynthia, but are you feeling like yourself right now?”

  “Oh, I’m perfectly fine. But the real question is…” She lays her hand upon his notebook. “Are you?”

  “…Gah.” Sean is baffled. What was Cynthia up to? Should he go for it, anyway? “What exactly did you want to do?”

  “Oh, just talk to you about things. Alone. Without interruption.” There is a hinting glimmer in her rosy eyes. “How about your place? I’ve forgotten what the freshmen cabins are like.”

  Sean can’t resist anymore. Acting on impulse, he answers while slamming shut his textbook, “Sure, why not!? It would be wonderful to have you over! Forget about my silly homework here, I couldn’t keep you waiting!”

  ***

  Some time later, Sean opens the door to his cabin, and he and Cynthia enter. While Sean closes the door behind him, Cynthia looks about the entrance room intently. She says, “Wow, the space in here is so small. My senior cabin probably has three times the capacity and comfort.”

  “Oh, well, me and my roommates still love it.” Sean bobs with his legs as Cynthia turns back to him. “So, now what?”

  Cynthia looks sweetly at him, saying, “Why Sean, surely you know how a private date goes. What do you think we should do?”

  Sean forces a smile, his face flushed red and his shoulders twitching. Clearing his throat, he says, “Hey, I really have to use the restroom. While I do that, why don’t you explore the rest of the cabin? I’ll only be a minute!” He rushes to the bathroom, vanishing behind the door.

  With Sean out of the way, Cynthia has found her chance. Wasting no time, she searches the bedrooms. First she checks the room by the kitchen. She finds it repulsive with clothes and papers scattered all around and the bed unmade. Must be Sean’s.

  She then heads upstairs and checks the room on the right. It is the opposite of the room by the kitchen, plus it has a dresser full of women’s clothing. But it doesn’t have what she was looking for.

  Finally, upon entering the last room, she finds it, a prescription bottle upon the desk by the bed. Grabbing and peering at it, her growing excitement is cut short when she reads, “Anti-Insomnia Capsules. Prescription drug for Matthew Calamos. Please take once per night, one pill only. Side effects are limited.”

  Sighing, Cynthia figures her search is somewhat fruitful, and then wonders what to do with Sean. How could she conveniently get away from him? Her attention returns to the pills. She obtains one from the capsule, eats it, and places the bottle back where it was. She exits the room and heads back downstairs, intending for the drug to knock her out before she actually did anything with Sean.

  Cynthia leans against the kitchen counter, making herself appear pretty, before Sean comes out from the bathroom. He isn’t a nervous wreck anymore as he acts like a charming gentleman, just as he did in their contest of words and will at the casino before, and asks her, “So, what do you think of my humble estate, milady?”

  Cynthia tries wooing him by bringing her left leg across the other, showing a little of her hip, and answers, “It’s alright. Now then, what would you like to talk about?”

  Impervious to Cynthia’s lures, Sean says, “Oh, a few things of importance, I suppose. But first, how about I get us some drinks?” He heads past her into the kitchen and retrieves two bottles from the fridge. “How about some of my favorite, vodka? It gets people to unwind, if you know what I mean.”

  Cynthia, at first unsure what would happen if she took alcohol with the pill, yet decides she can’t appear to have odd behavior as she says with a smirk, “Sure, that would be fine, Sean.”

  “Ah, excellent!” Sean opens the bottles before handing one of them to her, and they both sit down on the couch. They each take hearty sips before Sean asks, “Now, what’s with the change of heart? Last I remember, when I tried asking you out last year, you called me a pauper and stomped over me. After that, I thought you would never bat an eye toward me again. Am I wrong?”

  Cynthia sighs before replying, “Well, I guess I must be changing. The men around my grade, they feel old and wearing to me. I’ve realized that trying out some fresh blood might not be so bad.” Her flashing eyes stare at him. “And why not start with the freshman prodigy?”

  Sean blinks at her. “Freshman prodigy? Heh, I think you may have the wrong guy. Don’t you mean my bud, Matt? He’s the real hotshot around here.”

  Cynthia puts on an amused face and says, “Oh, I wasn’t sure about him, especially with Cain brooding against him. I felt like staying out of the crossfire, if you know what I mean. But you…” She lowers her voice to an enticing whisper. “You should be fine, as long as Tony doesn’t go out of his way for revenge. And besides, I must admit, you impressed me with our little game of luck and charm at the casino the other night. And so, I would like to, oh, continue our little game.” As she says her intentions, she traces her hand over Sean’s leg, a teasing, tempting gesture.

  Sean, glancing at her hand on his leg with intrigue, then looks her in the eye and says, “Is that so? Well then, let’s go right ahead and resume it, shall we?” He takes another sip from his bottle, smacking his lips. “So, if we are playing this game of wit, I suppose I have already asked you a question. Now, you may ask me a question.”

  Cynthia wonders what to ask as she takes another sip of vodka, hoping it would not cause any bad reactions with the pill she has ingested, before she comes up with a good question. “So Rose Alamence is in this cabin too, yes? What is she like?”

  “Ah, yes, Rose! Wouldn’t you already know much about her, with you two being in the same music class?”

  “Oh, I guess I would know a little about her. Like how she is very studious, and plays the flute well. But, what is she like if she’s not being a student? What is she like at leisure?”

  Sean thinks for a moment, tapping his bottle against his chin, and replies, “Well, I can tell you she’s nice. Er, as long as you don’t get her mad. And she’s as athletic as she is smart, as well as very skilled in her battle morph.”

  “Indeed. Have you tried going out with her, yet?”

  A bit startled from the direct question, Sean keeps his stature and says,
“Oh, we all know how hormones can make one think about it, but I have not asked Rose out! More correctly, I haven’t dared to ask her out. I mean, I’ve only been with her a week, and whenever we’re together, half the time we’re always butting heads over something.”

  Cynthia nods, wondering to herself when the pill is going to kick in, and reminds him, “Your turn.”

  Sean gulps down more of his vodka, looks back at her, and then asks with a smirk, “Is it time we went to the next level of this game, my dear?”

  Cynthia mimics his smile, knowing something he doesn’t, and tells him, “Almost.” Then, she leans closer to him, their faces inches apart, and for a brief moment they stay there, as she hopes the pill will make her pass out, until Sean closes the gap between them, and their lips meet in a kiss.

  In that moment as their kiss lingers, Cynthia is surprised by not only how the drug isn’t working, but also of the sudden attraction she has to Sean. Things she had said earlier, things she really hadn’t meant, then come back to mind. Perhaps she has grown weary of men her age, and would like to try with someone younger and fresher to the game.

  And why not Sean, she thought. Sure, he had some odd, embarrassing quirks in his behavior, but he could be as charming and, as she was learning in their kiss, experienced as other men she knew of. Sean could be the dark horse of potential suitors at the college, and she finds herself willing to go for a ride with him.

  Soon, their kiss finally ends, and they look into each other’s eyes, Sean’s light brown sparkling with daring and Cynthia’s hot pink burning with desire. Sean smirks before saying, “Hmm, raspberry, still. I’d dare say, this could become a favorite flavor of mine.”

  “Yes. Would you like to taste more of me?” Cynthia whispers suggestively to him, her panting breath hot against his neck and sweat streaking her.

  Glancing between Cynthia’s skin and mouth, Sean chuckles, “Heheh, I would like that.” Cynthia suddenly embraces him, holding him as if she would squeeze the life out of him while passionately kissing him. A few seconds later, he returns the kisses just as passionately, his arms wrapped around her to let his hands caress her back.

  A moment goes by before they pause in their passion, and Cynthia stands up from the couch, grabs Sean’s arm, and roughly tugs him off the couch, dragging him across the room and into his bedroom. After the door closes behind them, the sounds of gasps and moans of pleasure soon come from within the bedroom.

  ***

  Some minutes later, the front door of the cabin clicks unlocked, opens, and Matt enters the main room, letting the door close behind him. Sighing, he thinks back to his latest encounter with Amelia. They had another private session and she showed him her whole body naked. When he told her that he had happened to already see a woman nude, not disclosing it was Rose, she shrugged and asked how much he had gotten to do with her. When he said he had simply seen and touched her, Amelia insisted on the next step, and he got to see, touch, and taste all of her.

  As the scene and sensations echo in his thoughts, Matt is on his way to the kitchen for a drink when he overhears strange sounds coming from Sean’s room. Curiosity pulling him out of his thoughts and to the door, he was about to knock when he detects the sounds as exhausted panting, and then finds himself staying quiet as he eavesdrops on Sean and a female voice. Sean is the first to speak, saying through his breaths, “Wow, that, was amazing! What, did you, think, Cynthia?”

  “Hmm. It was wonderful, Sean. You did well.”

  “Really? Because, you know, this was my first time ever. The farthest I’ve ever gotten was second base. Until now, that is!”

  “Haha, oh, you did fine, Sean. You kept pace with me excellently.”

  “You sure? There were a few moments I could have sworn you were crying out in pain.”

  “Oh, no, don’t worry about it. Yes, I did feel some pain, but it also felt so good.” A moment goes by as Matt hears what could be kissing noises, his face twisted between intrigue and surprise, before Cynthia asks, “So, do you think we could go another round, you and I?”

  “Uh, another round? Sure, I guess we could try. But first, I need some water. You need anything?”

  “No, I’m fine. All I need is you, Sean.” There’s another kissing noise, followed by her gasping breath, before she teases, “Do be quick about it. I’ll be here, waiting.”

  “Hah, but of course. I’ll be right back!” Then well aware he was about to come out, Matt thinks fast and ducks behind the corner to the stairs as Sean opens the door and steps out. When the door closes, Matt dares a peek around the corner to observe Sean in the kitchen. He has nothing on but a pair of brown boxers, his body is streaked with sweat, and his black hair is a mangled mess as he fills a glass with water and gulps it down.

  Turning to lean against the sink, his eyes wander about the room until they spot Matt’s eyes, and he jumps with surprise, spilling the last bit of water in his glass and letting out a little squeak before snarling, “Ma-Matt!? When did you…” Remembering to keep his voice down with Cynthia in the bedroom nearby, he hustles over to Matt and whispers, “When the hell did you get here, man?”

  Matt replies in a whisper, “Only a minute ago. Sean, did you do what I think you did, with who I think you may have done it with, in the bedroom there?”

  “Gah, spirits, is it too much to ask for a guy to get some privacy around here? Didn’t your mother ever teach you to not go snooping on people in their bedrooms!?”

  “Well, uh, yeah. Sorry, I didn’t know what I was listening to until it was too late, and I couldn’t pull myself away.”

  “Yeah, yeah. I don’t blame you, I would have done the same. And, as to your question, yes, I did do it, with none other than Cynthia Volvaron.” A crazy grin crosses his face as he grabs Matt and shakes him, hardly containing his glee. “Isn’t that great? I, the freshman failure, did it with the hottest woman on campus!”

  “Uh, hehe, yeah, I guess. So, I suppose I’ll just get going and…” Matt’s statement halts when he stares at something behind Sean, his eyes widening. “Um, um, Sean?”

  “Yeah, what’s the matter? You look like you just seen a ghost.”

  Matt points over his shoulder, and Sean turns to look, gawking himself as they see Cynthia emerge from the bedroom. With a blanket wrapped around her figure, her long red hair mangled and clinging to her slick skin, she has a strained look on her sweaty face as she says in a daze, “Sean, I don’t, feel so good…” Her legs buckling beneath her, she is about to fall over before Sean lunges over and catches her, gently setting her down.

  While Cynthia is panting from whatever afflicts her, her body and limbs shivering beneath the blanket, Sean puts a hand to her forehead, but recoils from the touch, exclaiming, “Whoa, she’s hot. I mean, literally hot! I think she’s got a fever, Matt!”

  Coming up beside Sean, Matt kneels down to see for himself, grateful he is no longer nervous around a near-nude woman, and asks, “Sean, was she okay, before this?”

  “Oh sure, she was fine, healthy as a horse! Why do you ask?”

  Matt frowns as a reason comes to mind to explain Cynthia’s sudden fever. “Was there any time when you two were out of sight of each other, before you two, er, got busy?”

  Thinking back, Sean tells him, “Well, when we got here earlier, I went to the bathroom, and she explored the cabin while waiting for me.”

  Matt's frown cringes. “Uh oh. This could be bad.”

  “What? What’s the matter?”

  Matt brings his grim-lit eyes back down to Cynthia. “She must have taken some of my drugs.”

  A derailed Sean asks, “You’ve got drugs!?”

  Matt explains, “I have a prescribed medicine that’s supposed to knock me unconscious and keep me asleep all night. But it’s designed for my body only, so there’s no telling what would happen if someone else took it.”

  Sean blinks and exclaims, “Holy stones! We’ve got a medical emergency here! We need to get her to the infirmary for profession
al help, ASAP!!” He morphs, picks up Cynthia in his arms, and commands, “Come on, Matt, let’s get going!”

  Raising an eye brow, Matt asks, “Wait, we can enter our battle morphs in the cabins?”

  “Yeah, duh, but just because we can doesn’t mean we’d be stupid enough to start fights in our small, cramped living quarters! Now come on, let’s get her to the infirmary. I’ll hand her off to you at the college entrance, and you get her the rest of the way inside, out of morph. Got it?”

  “Uh, yeah, got it!” Entering his morph, the two hurry out of the cabin, only to run into Rose. She, surprised to encounter them hauling an unconscious woman, in nothing but a blanket, out of their cabin, in battle morphs, asks, “Wha-what are you two doing? What’s going on?”

  “Rose! You’re not going to believe this. Well, actually, I hope you do believe it!” Sean tells her all that happened as briefly as he can, finishing with, “So now, we’re off to the college to drop her off in the infirmary. Would you like to come with us?”

  A bit overwhelmed by all that happened, Rose stays calm as she says, “Yeah, I’d better. It will look less suspicious of any foul play with a female roommate helping you.” She morphs before the three head off toward the campus buildings with haste on air balance, trying to be as subtle as possible.

  Unknown to them as they hurried off, someone had been hidden on the roof of their cabin, and she heard every word of Sean’s story. Knowing she got what she needed, the concealed figure takes a moment to aim her left arm, a rifle in her battle morph, at the four off in the distance, mouthing out “bang” as she pretends to shoot a single shot at them.

  ***

  The case with Cynthia is resolved as Matt, Sean, and Rose hand her off to the nurses at the infirmary, who will watch her until she recovers and keep the incident secret. On the next day, the first part of the weekend break, the three have stopped worrying about Cynthia, as well as not bothering to talk about what Sean did with her, and indulge themselves at the college casino.