“Will you hurry up?” Leslie called as soon as they walked into my and Ramona’s apartment, tossing a stack of mail they’d picked up for Ramona on the table.
“Ietmwekfdlen!” Ramona called back from her room.
The two of them were getting ready for some special religious ceremony that only happened every seven years. Only believers were welcome at the temple, so it would’ve been disrespectful for me to join them.
From where I sat at the dining table, I gazed at Leslie, still standing in the doorway. Their dark blue dress fanned out below their knees. And the slim sleeves wrapped around their upper arms, exposing their bare shoulders. Leslie wore a bracelet on each wrist, a feather attached to each dark blue band. They’d worn those same bracelets at a festival a couple years back. Leslie also wore hair clips so that their short black hair framed their face.
Leslie glanced my way. I jumped when our eyes met, my face heating up at being caught staring. Leslie smiled. “What are you looking at?”
“Nothing,” I replied, glancing back down at the book I was reading – the third book in a romance series Leslie liked. “I like your dress,” I said.
“Uh-huh, sure,” Leslie said as they walked over. They bent down so they were eye level with me, a playful smile on their lips. “Why don’t you just admit you think I’m gorgeous?” Leslie asked as they pinched my nose which only made me giggle.
“Alright, I’m ready!” Ramona announced as she entered the room. She wore a white dress trimmed in red and her hair was styled with circular braids wrapping around her head.
“Finally!” Leslie exclaimed. That earned them an eye roll from Ramona. Leslie quickly kissed me on the cheek before following Ramona out of the apartment.
“Maejwtoejmfdlksfe so long if you cut your hair,” I heard Leslie say. The door shut behind them before I could hear Ramona’s response.
Left alone in the apartment, I noticed something odd in the pile of mail on the table: my name was on one of the envelopes. I never got mail. Myself and other former bytes never saw any point to it since we could visit each other whenever we wanted. And anything from the Strokes was usually given to me at headquarters.
I pushed the book aside and opened the envelope, curious why anyone would send me something. Inside was an official letter from the mayor’s office. Mayor Isabel of Illagu was requesting a meeting with me.
To be continued…