"Part One: Signs of Unrest" Ancelin Yi woke up to the rhythmic sounds of her mother and Kiki in blissful throws of lovemaking. She smiled faintly, feeling content, and rolled slightly in her bed before shucking off the covers. She put her slippers on and walked out, yawning, several minutes before her alarm went off. As she passed by her mother's room, the noise became louder and louder, happier and more loving, and she nearly giggled as she dove inside the bathroom, undressed, and took a shower. Best to have the hot water now than to let the lovebirds hog it all to themselves. "Bonjour, Ancelin!" called her mother as she and Kiki wandered into the kitchen. They still had their robes on and were trying hard not to giggle, but they were far too happy to hold it in for long. Ancelin noticed their childish tittering, smiled, and served them each some tomato juice. "So," she asked slyly, "did you two sleep well?" "Umm..." They exchanged bashful glances and smiled. "Well enough." "I see." "Honey, does any of this make you awkward? I mean, me sleeping with another woman?" asked her mother as she sat. Ancelin's smile became broader. "No, of course not, maman. I'm happy for you, for both of you. Honestly. I'm all right with it. You deserve each other." She kissed her mother on the cheek and stole a piece of grapefruit from her plate. Madeline Yi yelped and fought for it, but was distracted as her girlfriend and lover took her food as well. They shared afterwards, a bit from each plate, and ended up feeding each other, which even for Ancelin was embarrassing to watch. "Maman?" she said. The two adults stopped acting silly and turned to her. "Oh, sorry. We got carried away." "No, it's okay. I, uh, I'd actually like to talk to you seriously for awhile—about an issue that's came up." "Oh, all right. Um... you know, dear, since Kiki and I are lovers, you can say whatever's on your mind in front of her." "No, it's all right," said the slightly younger woman, rising from the table. "This is between mother and daughter, so I've no business listening." "I don't mind," admitted Ancelin, but Kiki stopped her. "Really, it's okay. I have to go pee anyway." She smiled and kissed Madeline before leaving the two Yi girls alone. The mother shrugged, oh well, and turned to her daughter. "Well, we're alone. What is it you have to say?" Ancelin then continued the conversation with her mother in French, a language they were both naturally fluent in, since her mother originally came from that country. "Mom," she said, "you know how you and Kiki like each other, right? Well, I... like somebody too." "Oh. So my daughter's finally fallen in love." "I wouldn't call it that," she answered, a little red in the face. "Not yet. But I know I have a crush on h—on them." She had almost revealed too much too soon. Madeline smiled anyway and stirred her oatmeal around absently. "That's fine. I'm glad you feel like you can talk about this with me? So tell me, do I know them?" "Yes." Madeline Yi smiled knowingly. She knew her daughter had very few friends, male or female, and very few of them had ever graced the Yi household, or very many conversations, or crossed Madeline's eye. Based on that, she could guess with ease. "It's Ivory, isn't it?" Ancelin flinched in surprise and stared. "How'd you kn...ow?" Madeline grinned and chuckled lightly, not wanting to upset her child. "Well you practically told me when I asked if I knew them, and you haven't brought many of your friends over. I've seen you with her, dear; I have an eye for this sort of thing. And Ivory and I have spoken enough times in private for me to know. Don't worry," she assured her as she took her hand, "I'm definitely not upset that you're attracted to another girl. I guess the apple didn't fall far from the tree." Ancelin's face turned bright red as she tried to hide her face. "Mother, please." "There's nothing wrong with it at all," she insisted, putting some food in her mouth. She chewed, swallowed, and said, "I think it's very sweet. She really would be good for you, honey. Ivory's a sweet kindhearted lady—a bit on the wild side, but I think you need a wild girl around you. No offense, my lovely, but sometimes you can be very passive." Ancelin blushed again and smiled. Her mother approved, then? Well, she did, and strongly at that! Had she secretly wanted her daughter to hook up with Ivory all this time, or was it just happiness that two young ladies she liked had found love, and with each other no less? "Uh... thanks," she managed. Her mother smiled warmly, stood, and gave her cheek a solid mother's kiss. "You'd be good for each other. So have you told her?" "Not... outright." "I think you need to, honey." Ancelin nodded, agreeing strongly. She needed to, all right. She had put poor Ivory through enough trouble already, and the girl was so dedicated. She didn't deserve to be put off as an afterthought while Ancelin went on a journey of self-discovery, figuring out if she really liked girls or not (all those dates proved only one thing: that Ivory was the one she really wanted). Yes, Ivory had a licentious past, but she was constantly redeeming herself every day, especially around "Annie". She deserved a real chance. "I'll do it today," she answered. Madeline smiled and gave her daughter another kiss. "Good. Now... speaking of love interests, I wonder where mine is. Does she want me to just walk in there and..." Madeline trailed off as the house echoed from the sounds of a toilet flushing and a sink flowing, and shrugged. Kiki came out of the bathroom and joined them, saying hello before kissing her love. "So are you finished?" "Yes, we're through," said Madeline in English (she had been teaching Kiki a little French on the side, including—yes—how they kissed). "Ancelin was just telling me that she had a crush on somebody, and I encouraged her to go for it." "Oh!" said Kiki happily. She smiled at Ancelin and asked, "So who's the lucky guy?" "Uhh... it's a girl." "Oh, I'm sorry. So who's the lucky girl?" "Her name's Ivory; we go to the same school together and share Health and PE classes." "Ah," she sang, "I see. So it was a locker room romance?" Ancelin flinched and turned pink; her mother nudged Kiki gently. "Oh, sorry. Well, I am happy, although now I wish I knew—hey!" she exclaimed suddenly, "I have an idea! Madeline, why don't the four of us go on a double-date?" "Now that's a good idea," she admitted. "I've been meaning for you two to get to know each other better, and I'd like to get to know Ivory." "Not that kind of date, silly! You and me with Ancelin and Ivory!" "Kiki! That's not what I meant and you know it!" The women laughed and shoved each other gently, fighting and kissing to Ancelin's surprise. She watched with a fixed look of bemusement. "Um... Uh, yeah, a double-date sounds nice. I'll ask her." ......... Ancelin had three chances to speak with Ivory during the day: one before school, one during lunch, and one very long period during Leena's class and her own personal kendo class. She wanted to see the wily girl as soon as possible, and since she knew Ivory's route, she waited and watched for the blonde to appear. Ivory came into view, all right—she could recognize her by all her piercing—but she no longer sported a golden mane. Her hair was black, black as obsidian dipped in jet paint and thrust into a dark room. She was nearly unrecognizable. "Ivory?" she guessed, hoping she was right. The girl had one brown eye and one blue eye, because of contacts, a jade bracelet, and a happy, slightly mischievous smile. It was her, all right. "Hey, Annie. Oh, the hair? Eh, I decided to wear it in its original color today. I don't know why. So what's up?" Ancelin couldn't help but stare—not just because Ivory looked wildly beautiful, but her hair was just so different. She was so adjusted to blonde Ivory that she nearly thought the black color was a dye. "Uh... sorry. I didn't recognize you at first." "Well, that's the fun of dyeing your hair. But don't you dare change yours, it looks just perfect." "Thanks. I... think I kinda liked you better as a blonde." "You like blondes?" She smiled sweetly and leaned forward, easily within kissing range. Ancelin had just barely been comfortable "coming out" to her mother, the person she loved and trusted the most, so of course she was very reserved around Ivory. She didn't know what to do. "Hmm? What's wrong?" asked Tran. "You really want me to change that badly?" "Oh, uh, no!" she said hastily. "No, please, don't change on my account, please. I like you just the way you are." Ivory grinned as her cheeks turned rosy. Ancelin had said "I like you"! Okay, so it might not have been in the fashion she preferred, but it was a start (in truth, though, Ancelin had meant it to sound the way Ivory preferred—she just didn't know it). "Aww, that's sweet. Well, let's say I change into a blonde tomorrow because I felt like it. You wouldn't have anything against that, wouldja?" "No," she squeaked. Ivory beamed. "Then that's what I'll do. Whoa, better get to class." She groaned as she stared at her watch. "Madsen's gonna have my ass if I don't hurry. Catch ya later, Annie-pants!" "Uh, Ivory?" "I gotta go!" She hurried along, waving, leaving poor Ancelin by herself. She grumbled and smacked herself in the head. "Dummy! You had a perfectly good opportunity and blew it. Well... I guess there is lunch..." ...... But there was not lunch; Jocelyn McKeough had the cafeteria in the palm of her hand, and Usha Krishnan was standing beside her. Behind them, displayed as large and bright as the sun, was a gigantic sign with writing in thick red ink. It read: WE OPPOSE THE DRAFT, and all around it were similar messages, ranging from "I won't fight in a war I don't believe in" to "More trees, less Bush" and even "A vote for the draft is a vote for evil", among racier and more vulgar comments. "Right now," announced Jocelyn, "in Washington, they are contemplating whether to reinstate the draft so that thousands of unwilling men and women will be sent to a pointless war to fight people they don't even know, perhaps to die in a distant country without ever having any choice in the matter. Just think! If this passes, every one of you might be called up to serve once you graduate! And will you? Does this country think you don't have any other plans?" "We are by no means against soldiers that volunteer," said Usha, trying to sound peaceful and reasonable (Kula watched her from far away, keeping her arms crossed). "If you honestly feel that is your calling... then that is your calling, and you have our best wishes and prayers. But nobody has any right to force you into something, least of all a war that remains unbelievable!" "If they do call a draft," resumed Jocelyn, "my Canadian home will reaccept me, but even if they don't, I will never enter the same war that killed my lover and made my child fatherless! Stanton, if you agree with us, then stand! Stand up for your right to choose! And protest, if you must! Resist, if you have to! Tomorrow morning, Usha and I will hold a meeting in front of the building before school starts. We'll gather around the flag and summon all those who are of the same mind as we are. If you are not, then I pray we'll have the decency to let you pass into these halls, and hopefully even have your prayers in the future!" Usha: "Please be there, all; this concerns every one of you. We are all boats adrift in the ocean, but the tide is turning, and we must gather together to form an armada. That way we can fight off any brigand who aims to sink our purpose." The girls continued to shout, to call those for their cause, and many came forth, each one adding something to the large banner. Ancelin looked for Ivory but couldn't find her; she never saw her approach the sign or write anything on it. She herself was indifferent to the war, so perhaps Ivory was as well. They would certainly have time after Leena's class. ......... Leena was not very good at teaching Health Education classes; she was more suited for Physical Education. Dr. Andrews kindly donated her time and instructed the girls as best as she could, which was obviously excellent in quality since she was, quite humbly, brilliant in her field. Leena did what she could and left the Doc to the rest; she dismissed her class and wished them well, and only Kathlyn remained behind. Nobody knew why, nor did they really want to; they had other concerns. Ancelin found Ivory and walked next to her. "No kendo classes today?" "No, it's too cold. I'll have to start having them indoors, or not at all." "Oh, don't cancel them," she whined, "they're the highlight of my day!" Ancelin smiled warmly. "Really?" "Yeah." "Why?" Ivory winked. "Cuz' I get to see you." She gave Ancelin a polite nudge and kept walking. Ancelin found herself adoring the time she spent with Ivory, even if it was a simple walk to their respective homes. Lately she had not been very good to the attentive girl—Ivory didn't deserve it even with her past dealings—and yet Tran continued to care for her, spend time with her, and flirt with her, sometimes very openly. She had charmed Ancelin by way of her wild side and her devotion, and she had been good to her promise of abstinence and "monogamy". She deserved recognition. "Hey, Ivory?" Ancelin took Ivory's hand and looked away shyly. Ivory squeezed it. "Hey Annie-pants. You got something on your pretty mind?" Ancelin blushed. "Uh, yeah." She looked up, right into Ivory's beautiful brown-and-blue eyes, and placed both her hands on the girl's cheeks. Now Ivory became flush as Ancelin leaned closer and gently touched their noses together, rubbing them softly. She opened her eyes and stared so deeply, she could see herself in the reflection. "I'm ready to be your girlfriend," she whispered. Ivory was paralyzed with happiness. She had been infatuated with Ancelin ever since the moment she saw her—a classic case of love at first sight—and through troubles and troubling times, she had turned from a randy sex fiend into a more patient and caring character, though of course the spunk was still there. She gasped and breathed Ancelin in with her mouth; Ancelin closed the distance and kissed Ivory deeply. Their embrace lasted. "Hell yeah," managed Tran at last, once the kiss faded. Ancelin chuckled. "Yeah, I know, you've been waiting for me to say that. And I'm sorry I made you wait so long, I just... wanted to be sure." "So I guess this means you are," she said. Ancelin grinned, and kissed Ivory again, quickly and flirtatiously. Tran's spark turned sweet; she took Ancelin into her arms and stared directly into her face, looking happiest as she studied the beauty she had been pining after for three months. And when Ancelin told her about the double-date with her mother and Kiki, Ivory nearly screamed. She jumped in Ancelin's arms—Oof!—and kissed her hard, using restraint only after remembering the moment was simply too beautiful for rough play, that she could just gaze at her Ancelin and be happy, and know that finally, Ancelin felt the same way. She even pinched Ivory's bottom on the way home. ......... Jocelyn wearily settled into Erica Fox's couch and felt like not moving until the baby came. She was never much for glory or attention, but events had came up that forced even her hand to act. She had to stand up for what she believed, to defend and to speak, and to fight what she believed was total evil. Her would-be husband had been carelessly murdered; her heart had been ripped; her baby would never know his or her daddy. Loss after loss had taken its toll until she snapped, and much like anything that snapped, she struck quick and hard, and was exhausted for it. But the next day would be tougher. So of course she welcomed the massage given to her by Erica. "I don't think I could say much of anything," admitted Fox as she rubbed her friend's shoulders. "You know me, I'm not the type to stand in front of a crowd. I'll talk if you want me to, but it'll just be the same thing you and Usha say." "You don't have to do anything, just be there for me." Erica smiled and wrapped her arms around Jocelyn's protruding belly, hugging her from behind. "Of course." She kissed the girl's neck, then her ear, whispering, "You know I always will, Joss. No matter what. Always. I'll always love you." She kissed the curve of her friend's neck, then her shoulders, and quietly helped her friend remove her shirts, knowing they would not be disturbed by Janet Keys for a long, long, long time.
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