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Why, Sumomo anguishes, is he cursed to speak his mind? No one else lets every stray thought in their head wander out of their big dumb mouth.
He can’t blame himself for thinking it. Watching Miss Midoreen as she watches Miss Guunjoh, flitting around like a bee in a flower field, asking question after question and smiling at every answer. Still, with Miss Midoreen staring down at him now, like she’s looking into his soul for the offending thing that let him look into hers, and with the air between static with unwanted vulnerability, and with the question he can’t take back hanging heavy over them, he almost wishes he could.
Because “you love her, Don’t you?” is not something you say to a girl you’re still a little afraid of.
Miss Midoreen closes her eyes, and when she breathes out, she sounds more tired than Sumomo has ever heard her. And considering their kafna training, that’s saying something.
“Yes,” She says quietly. “Always.”
The truth makes everything heavier. How quickly this little corner of the training ground is becoming theirs alone. The rest of their class is blissfully unaware. Most of them are still running their laps, and the rest of the early finishers are chatting loudly on the far side of the court. Alv has noticed something going on, because he notices everything, but he’s too far away to hear them. Ohgga begins telling an animated story, capturing Theo’s and Miss Guunjoh’s attentions with ease
“I really shouldn’t be surprised, scaredy cat. You’ve always been vocal about your preferences for company.” Midoreen says.
“It’s pretty common among kafna, I’ve heard. They call them bookend pairs. Apparently you can tell by an asymmetric green bead on their tikeeka.” He touches his collar where her own tikeeka will someday hang. Midoreen’s hand drifts there as well. The quiet between them is lighter than before.
“I like Alv.” Sumomo blurts out. As long as they’re being honest they might as well go all the way.
“Hmm. I would have thought you’d go for Theo, like everyone else.” She says. Indeed even now there's a small crowd around Theo.
“Theo’s popular and it’s not hard to see why. He’s truly in a league of his own. But Alv, Alv notices everything. He always knows what to say and when to say it. Not like me.”
“Definitely not like you,” Midoreen agrees. “But I know what you mean.” she tilts her head up to the sky. But she doesn't elaborate, and it’s probably for the best.
More of their classmates are finishing their laps. Ohgga’s story seems to be coming to an end, and without it Miss Guunjoh is going to remember they exist. Well, at least she’ll remember Miss Midoreen. And Alv will have to stop looking at them like he’s trying to read their lips from across the courtyard. Which he probably is, the little shit. And Sumomo and Miss Midoreen will pretend this conversation never happened, but they won’t forget it. And when their training ends, they'll look for green beads on the other's tikeeka.