Dreamland

School... I'm in and had to listen to the boring classes.

Oh, well; it seems that I was right, and nobody was after me after all. I was so relieved to realize that. I need to act like usual, just do your things, Dolores, and everything will be OK. They do not have my i.d., they do not have my Dolore's face, but they might have some genetic material if they took it separately from the compound. I need to be careful about that. Theoretically, my genetic material as Dolores is in no database. I hope.

This might spell trouble in the future; I need to be careful and have an escape plan prepared. Oh, fuck, how did I got me into this?

Of course, Constance asked me who that girl was at the entry. I laughed: can you imagine that I was the one who brought those two together? I gave Gonzo some good advice, and there it is; they are a pair now. She came to thank me personally.

Constance laughed: I should open my own pairing agency: Dolores et company, where we hear your pain and make you happy!

The funny thing is that it is true. If it really works and they stay together, I will put it on my list of good deeds I did in my life.

Hm, why wait? I'll put it anyhow; I did my best.

I let the hours wash over me, trying to give the least resistance to the flow. I was tired; I hadn't slept but a couple of hours during the night in that truck's cabin. Lol, how angry I was that I fell asleep at the time, but in the end, it was OK.

I chatted a lot with Constance. She's a sweetheart and tells me all the gossip I need to know.

Matt came to us during the breaks and asked if something had happened. He and the boys had exercised the whole Sunday and had sent me at least twenty messages. If I am angry with them, or is there something that does not suit me? Oh well, I could not tell him that I was kidnapped. I told him that I was sorry, but I could not come. I am sorry for him, but this should be enough info. They must be thinking now that I am an unstable bitch or something. I don't know how best I could appease their fears. He made me promise that I'll join them this afternoon to exercise again.

Now Constance knows about me going to sing at Stavros' place. Oh, well.

I've heard from Constance and Matt that people are talking about the raid in the gamers' compound. The newest gossip is that they had some connection with the gang that caused the nuclear/chemical catastrophe in Bounty County, and the army avoided by a narrow margin a similar incident here. Funny how this fits with my assumptions. Nobody tried to explain what they could have done to cause such an incident here. There is still no official explanation about the raid, and not much in the big national news.

I wanted to skip the last hours and go home to take a nap, but just as I went to the canteen, I saw Joe, and he saw me. He was there with several boys dressed for sports, and my eyes wandered hungry over his muscled body. Oh, fuck, I like him. My heart accelerated its beats just at sight.

“Dol sweetheart!” - he said - “We have a friendly match with the boys from the Ipswitch college and are missing one in our team. Would you join us?”

I flinched as he said, 'Dol'. I hate it when somebody calls me like that; I'm no doll, but he also said, sweetheart! That warmed my heart! That was a bit of a dare from him, but I swallowed it hook, line and sinker. Playing handball now with him? Cool. Even Cala sent good vibes; however, there was a problem:

“Ahm, but they'll close the girls' locker room at noon?”

“You can put your things in my locker! Come on, please?”

I was a bit conflicted, but my heart started beating faster. Is this really happening to me? I am really Joe's girlfriend, isn't it? Can I say no to him?

So instead of sleeping, I went to play another handball game.

Well, as soon as I was on the field, I realized that I did it again; typically Dolores, I took a decision on a whim, hastily decided and not thought through.

I let Cala lead as I am a zero in sports. Strange how fast my Cala personality did adapt to this world. I can now fully rely on her even if it is a bit cumbersome to communicate with my other half, or rather third? Well, OK, back to the game. I like playing with them, I like their rough and hard edge style to play, but I had fucking wings and horns. I had to keep my wings sticking to my body; I had to avoid any hand that would hit my horns. That was fucking stressing. OK, you can also take it as a damn complex avoidance and awareness test. Only with this set in mind was I able to continue playing and somehow enjoy the game.

In the end, we lost by one point. I waited by the door for the boys to finish changing when Daniel came out. He was the first one to get dressed.

“You were not by the game today; what was wrong?” - he asked.

I shrugged. What could I say?

“I cannot hear you; why don't you come inside?” - yelled Joe from the locker room.

“Let the boys have their peace,” - I protested with a sigh.

“You can go to the showers; everybody is finished!” - said Daniel.

“Sure?”

“Yes!” - confirmed Simon from inside - “We are done!”

The showers were to the right of the entry and the locker room on the left, with a corridor in between.

As I went towards the showers, Simon, who was just coming out, asked me:

“Daniel was right, Dolores; you were not in the right mood today, else we would have won.” - I heard some protests from the other team. He continued - “Do you come with us for a consolation lunch? There will be extra sausages and chips, just as you like it?”

“And beer!” - yelled Joe - “it's going to be a loong day!”

“Oh boys, I'm really sorry, but I'll have to go to Matt's place and exercise!”

Oh fuck, this is what happens when you let Cala lead. She tells everything like it is, and I cannot even talk to her; I can only talk to White Flower, who can relay it to her! Why do I have this damned setup in my head?

There was a bit of silence in the locker room after that.

“If it's not too indiscreet, what do you exercise with Matt?” - asked Daniel.

Now some bloody, noisy comments came out of the locker room.

“Yes, truly?” - asked Joe, a bit miffed.

I shrugged. Is Cala oblivious to the situation, or does she make fun of it?

“Matt has a band, and we have a performance at Stavros' place Thursday evening, and I don't know the songs by heart. Should I read from the notes? Besides, we still sound like crap most of the time.”

I was now undressed and went under the shower.

“What? Did I hear this right?” - wondered Simon

"Speak louder; I cannot hear you!" - I said from under the shower.

“At Stavros?” - asked Jonathan, another guy from Mike's class - “Don't tell me you are Fata Morgana? I go there with Linda Thursday evening? Would we hear you?”

“Yes, that's the name the boys came up with!” - I confirmed, yelling from under the shower - “Hey Joe, do you happen to have a towel? I forgot mine in the girl's room.”

There was laughter and all kinds of gallant proposals. Yeah, fuck me, I forgot it; what can I do now?

“Sure!” - he said and appeared in the door frame with closed eyes balancing his hand with the towel in the air. Of course, he may be cheating, but that did not disturb Cala, and at least he was doing as if.

I took the towel, and he turned away.

“Thanks!”

“Wow, that's great, Dol, sweetheart. Boys, do we go there to ask for a replay?”

“Yeah!” - screamed Simon - “Replay, replay!”

Now my trousers were in Joe's locker. Should I put the sweaty sports shorts on again?

“Hey, are you finished there in the locker room? I would like to dress?”

Someone answered:

“You can come; the boys don't mind!”

“Yeah!” - a choir of five or six agreed.

Cala rolled her eyes. This is not much different to the assassins guild team.

“They'll be ready in a minute!” - said Simon, who was the cooler head between them.

“You spoilsport!” - said Joe.

“When is your performance scheduled?” - asked Daniel

“It is planned after 19:00, isn't it? There are only two groups planned; you are the second one.” - said Jonathan, who obviously had read the program.

“Yep!” - I confirmed

“We'll be there!” - confirmed Joe

OK, well done, Cala. So now I'll have a vocal gallery and possibly a lot of stress once we finish our performance. How will Matt digest this?

As soon as the boys evacuated the locker room, I went to equip myself while Joe was guarding the door while chatting with Daniel.

Once I was ready – and it did not take me more than two minutes – the noisy group of about fifteen boys left towards a fast food restaurant, and I went towards the entry to take my bike when I met Matt.

“Hey, Matt! Waiting to be picked up?"

His mother usually comes to pick him up in her sports car. He shook his head:

“No, I'm waiting for the bus, ma just called me, she cannot come to pick me up so I've sent all a message that I'll be late. Haven't you seen it? We can go together if you want?“

Oh. OK. The clever thing would be to ride the bus with him... Hmm, and try to avoid any touching with all those people in the crowded train and buses with my naked torso and my wings in the back? Fuck, no. No way! I shuddered at the thought.

Besides, he knows I am a witch; I don't have to extra hide from him. Cala should take him for a ride. Should I fly over there? I imagined myself as a dragonfly Dolores carrying Matt in her fangs. Well, it would be funny; however, I'm not sure my wings are strong enough for two, but I grinned at the image.

“With the bus and the train? That'll take ages. If you are a brave man, you can join me on my bike... Is it still valid that we'll eat at your place? Because else I can go with the boys and hurry up...”

He nodded dutifully:

“Yes, that's still valid, but you know we just have sausages, chips and beer?” - I grinned at that. He continued - “I wonder, why do I have to be a brave man to drive with you? Are you such a lousy driver?”

Cala raised a brow, but her grin only grew wider:

“You forgot to mention cucumbers; I hope you have those! For the ride, I need to mention that I don't have a helmet. I don't use such a thing just for riding a bike, and no extra for you, but I'll make an illusion of it. So you'll be on the bike with an illusion of a helmet.”

He nodded at the cucumber part of my answer, and then his face became a little pale:

“Err? Are you joking?”

“No, and this is the easy-peasy part. So do you come with me or do you go with the bus?”

“Er. OK. And the rest? You said this is the easy stuff? What comes after?”

Cala shrugged.

“This should be enough to help you decide.”

He sighed.

“If you go without a helmet, I'll go without one too.”

We were approaching the bike. Cala's brows rose:

“Matt, let's put it like this, you are a fragile china vase, and I am an iron statue. I'll take care of you, but still, the risks are different, are you still decided to come?”

“Do you want to scare me?”

“Well, yes, in a way.”

“Since when are you such of an iron-girl?”

“Since I drank some powerful elixir. No, joking, but trust me, it is like this.”

“The fragile china vase sits here.”

He climbed on the bike and then looked a bit uncomfortable at me:

“Or should I wait and climb after you?”

“It can work like this, but normally you should have waited.”

“Oh!”

“Is this your first time on a bike?”

“No, my pa took me on his bike when I was a kid. I still have his bike, but ma does not let me drive it.”

“I see. I guess that she will be very pleased to see you riding the bike with me.”

He sighed, nodding.

Flo took over and placed a fake helmet over his head.

“Everything OK?” - she asked.

The way she talked and the way she asked, he must have felt it was a different person. I heard his heart beatings changing. His whole posture changed. Before he was tense, now, he smiled, and a warmth appeared in his eyes.

He nodded:

“Yes!”

She bound her hair, and I saw his hungry eyes looking at me. It was not necessary; Cala's hair, which is now mine, is short enough. I guess she did it for him, for the show; she can be damn sexy when she wants, but then Cala was back in the lead. She heaved the motorcycle with him standing on it from the stand and climbed in front.

“Now, don't scream, and if you feel something hitting you, keep calm, I may not be able to keep my wings still.”

She quickly slipped a leg over the bike, taking the seat in front of him.

“Wings?” - he wondered, confused. It must be damn confusing for people to suddenly be aware that there are things they cannot see.

“Rule number one, hold tight, don't fall!” - she yelled as she started the motor.

The bike roared, and we were on the road. At the next red traffic light, his face landed on my neck.

“Upmf. Sorry!” - he mumbled

“No, problem. You can keep closer!” - said Cala

“What do I feel here? Are these really wings?”

“Rule number two: don't talk about them.”

Cala laughed, the bike snaking through the traffic, the noise making any conversation now impossible. Oh my, as much as I hate bikes, the more she loves them.

“You said you have sausages, cucumbers, chips and beer? I insist on the cucumbers!” - asked Cala at the next traffic stop.

“Yes. Why do you ask?”

“I don't want to be sorry.”

“But I need to arrive in one piece home for you to get them!”

“We have a deal!” - said Cala with a zeal that reminded me of the black angel