Silver Awakening

Chapter Nine

The sisters of Sigma Nu slowly gathered in the main dining room.

From the kitchen, they could hear Ginny's voice alternating between screams and laughter. For some reason, she only ever allowed one sister to help her in the kitchen, a sure handed young woman named Sophie.

Katsumi remained in the library, still dazed from Amy yelling this morning. In her notebook, she sketched some manga characters.

Sailor Moon juggling books.

Goku wearing a waitress apron.

Doraemon pulling a big bottle of forgetfulness out.

There was a gentle knock at the door. Katsumi looked up as Tina ducked in. The door clicked shut softly behind her.

"Kat."

Katsumi heard the sound of judgement in her voice and nodded stiffly.

"So Amy told you."

"Amy didn't have to say anything," Tina took the seat across from Katsumi, her face full not of judgement but concern.

"Are you going to mope in here all day?"

Katsumi glanced back down at her drawings.

"Amy said I'm not allowed to see him."

"Bullshit." Tina tucked her arms into the loose hoodie she wore.

"Amy's never been able to stop you from doing anything. Not during our freshmen rush. Definitely not now. She said you couldn't see him until you learned the meaning of aftercare."

Katsumi whipped the book shut.

"I don't do aftercare, Tina. Most guys disappear! They're too ashamed or too terrified."

"And Evan? What was he?"

Katsumi's face flushed. She stood abruptly and began pacing the library floor. Books written by authors, dead for over 200 years, watched her silently.

"I don't know, okay? He's something that I can't say. He's a big x and he's a big O and I don't have the time to play bingo."

"You know only old people play that right?"

Katsumi packed her things into her bag.

"It's easy for you to say. You've had Marcus since freshman year."

Tina handed her her notebook.

"And how do you think that came about? Do you think love just blooms like an apple tree? No. It's hard fucking work".

Tina held up her own hand and stopped herself.

"I'm sorry. That wasn't fair."

Katsumi scoffed.

"Of course I know it's not fair. Nothing about this job or this place is with fair. But I refuse to apologize for who I am and what I want."

Tina leaned in.

"The problem right now I think is that you want Evan. But you're so tied up in your own self hate that you won't allow yourself to feel anything beyond dominance."

The president of Sigma Nu glared at Tina.

"Fuck you."

They stood in quiet solace.

Then after a beat, they both burst into laughter.

Kasumi cradled her face in her hands before exhaling deeply.

"I don't know what to do. I just worry that I'm gonna go out there and he's gonna look at me like a monster."

Tina clasped Katsumi's shoulder.

"Having spent some time around him, I can wholeheartedly assure you the last thing he's gonna think of when he sees you is a monster."

Tina stood and held Katsumis hands in hers, the raw heat of her hand, restoring her vitality after a moment.

"But just because he's willing to kiss the ground that you walk upon doesn't mean that you should give him your entire heart and life's work. You built this place up brick by brick. Now as your chance to let someone else in on your terms."

They stood silently. Katsumi apologized.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you."

"Trust me, you don't get to be the risk assessment chair without knowing what type of risk you run telling the president what I just told you."

She pulled Katsumi through to the door.

"Now come on. Ginny sent me in here five minutes ago to bring you inside."

Chairs scraped as the sisters of Sigma Nu assembled at their house dining table. Chairs and sisters stood next to each other. Katsumi placed at the head.

They waited. Then:

"Excellence and sisterhood," Katsumi intoned gracefully.

The sisters replied in unison.

"May the bonds we build last a lifetime."

Eva was pulling his own chair when Amy stopped him.

"Not here, Evan." She pointed to the spare next to Katsumi.

"There."

The silence as Evan hobbled over was deafening, until Amy gave a look.

The sisters sat and normal chatter resumed. Evan watched as Katsumi greeted him, pulling out his chair for him.

"Evan. Please accept your place as ou--MY guest of honor."

She smiled, and Evan felt that warm glow he had felt yesterday when they first met.

The wooden chair bore a padded cushion. When he sat, for the first time that day, he felt a sense of relief.

The kitchen door is open, and Ginny emerged, clutching a large pot, looking triumph.

Eat!

Steaming ladles of poutine hit the paper plates. The smell of salt, grease, and love all mingled together.

Roasted veggies done in a glaze, lemon cucumber infused water, and biscuits so fluffy if Evan weren't in pain, he would have wept over.

He felt a nudge at his foot. He glanced up, and Katsumi handed him a biscuit, already buttered.

He nudged back and she smiled.

Dessert was a spiced ginger cookie, and warm, hot chocolate.

After the younger sisters cleared away the table, Katsumi rose and addressed them.

"Thank you everyone for making Evan feel welcome today. It is my hope that we can continue to rely on him in the coming weeks. I am ready to announce what our spring and therefore final project will be for Sigma Nu this year."

Rounds of applause, followed by some knowing looks.

"The Nu house will play host to an art festival. With Evan as our curator!"

The sisters erupted in cheers and applause. Evan felt Katsumi's hand on his shoulder squeeze. He looked up and smiled.

"Thank you for trusting me Kat."

For the first time, she didn't look like a president. She was just Kat.

...

Night arrived. With it, every type of warm hoodie, jacket or sweater combination appeared in the Sigma Nu house.

Thick wool socks, warm pajama bottoms, and even beanies made appearances.

The radiator rattled. The sisters fought to secure all the windows. At the center fireplace, Ginny and Amy's cuddle on the warm couch together, watching the fire crackle. Ginny sighed.

"Do you think Katsumi and Evan will be all right?"

Amy pulled Ginny closer.

"Only if Kat learns to stop being president and start being a partner."

...

Tina was passing Myra's door and paused at the sight of a light inside. Her efforts to be silent were for naught: the whine of an old door opening made her wince.

Myra had fallen asleep at her desk, her soft snores muffled by the stack of books and papers surrounding her. Tina gently lifted her out of her chair, set her in bed and pulled a warm blanket over her.

She smiled as she clicked the light off and left.

...

In the basement of Sigma Nu, Phoebe shuffled the deck, dealing a card to each of the Neos.

"The sisterhood we build brick by brick is ours to hold in our hands. Just like these cards, we each have a hand to play."

She twirled the deck in her hand slyly and flipped the top face card for them to see.

The Queen of Diamonds.

"The Queens of the Campus."

...

Bree had piled her blonde hair into an immaculate when she had started looking at the recruitment binders.

That had been three hours ago. Now, her hair fell past her shoulders, anchored only by the thick rimmed glasses, and she only wore in the same of her own home. She rubbed her nose and yawned.

"Already nodding off, Bree?"

Chloe, a younger sister from Florida sauntered in, two mugs of steaming coffee. Bree smiled faintly.

"We've still got a lot of work to do."

She wrapped a hand around the mug and settled in, as Chloe began reading off eligible names.

"Kara Bleeker, Margaret Lowe....,"

...

Katsumi parked her gently preowned CRV in front of Evan's dorm.

He gripped the handle of his door, only for Katsumi to lean over and stop him.

"Before you go, Evan, we need to talk about something."

He wracked his head.

Here it comes, he sighed.

"Look Katsumi, I understand if you wanna leave things as they were. You've got a whole lot of work to do and not a lot of time. I'll respect that--,"

His concession speech was cut short as she leaned in and planted a kiss directly on his cheek.

"Mmm."

She lingered longer than most. And when she finally withdrew, his heart stumped through the seatbelt.

She blushed.

"I've never felt more myself than when I've been with you, Evan. But right now what we need is space. I want you around, but I also need you and me to see if we're more than just what we were last night. I know I want that. Do you?"

His cheek burned where she had chest time. His fingertips brushed hers, hesitantly, then he crossed her hand fully and felt restored.

"Deal."

She raised an eyebrow.

"Are you sure? What I'm asking you might not be what you want. But it's what I--what we need."

Evan nodded, his gaze slowly returning back to normal, as if gravity was slowly pulling him away.

"Goodnight Katsumi."

She watched him walk slowly, back up to his dorm room entrance. He turned as the door opened and waved. Her hand motioned back-and-forth waving until the door shut.