Guardians: The Triplex Part 3

"Okay, if I am confident and all the other stuff you said, I should be able to seduce him."

"It's a good bet."

She smiles and I get my stuff to head out the door. Then a thought occurs to me. It stops me dead in my tracks.

"I don't have any seduction clothes!"

I run to my closet and begin to pull everything off the hanger. It is exactly as I fear: All my clothes are jeans, sweaters, and cartoon T-s.h.i.+rts.

"You aren't trying to sleep with him this morning are you?"

"No, but I need to go shopping. I need to look like...her."

"This is about Ameana," Miku concludes.

"No. Well, not really. It's just that she is stunning all the time. I know I won't be that way but I want to be as beautiful and perfect as I can be. C'mon Pretty, his last girl was a freaking Angel!"

"So?"

"So that means she had a perfect Angel body. Along with perfect Angel b.r.e.a.s.t.s."

"You have b.r.e.a.s.t.s."

"Yeah, but there not...done yet. I always thought they would get full and wonderful in a year or two. I don't know if you've heard, but I don't have a year."

"Don't worry. Whatever time doesn't give you, Victoria's Secret will."

"Okay, as long as it has lots of padding cause..."

I study my chest in the mirror again.

"You keep doing that and you will never get Marcus to sleep with you."

"Doing what?"

"Comparing yourself to another girl. Guys hate that. You're amazing all on your own. You have to go in knowing that."

"You're right. I am fine. The way I dress is fine."

"Well...a little shopping couldn't hurt," she says softly.

"Will you go with me?"

"Sure."

"Thank you," I shout, hugging her tightly.

"Can I ask you another question?"

"So, we are officially not going to first period," Miku says to herself.

"This is much more important than math."

"What is it?"

"Did you get to have s.e.x when you were human?"

"Yes."

"Did it hurt?"

"At first, then it got it better."

"What did it feel like?"

"Strange, then nice, and then strange again; he wanted to do like a Q&A afterwards."

"Really?"

"Yeah. He was like 'How was I at this part?' 'Did I do this right?' 'How long should I have done that?'"

We burst out laughing. For the first time since I knew her, Miku was blus.h.i.+ng.

"Then he launched into a bunch of random facts about the first time. It was like having s.e.x with Wikipedia."

"So how would you rate his...?"

"Website?"

"Yeah."

"Not bad."

"How many guys have you..."

"Q&A guy and someone else."

"Did you love him?"

"Yeah, that's why it was better with him. I think s.e.x is always better with the guy you love. Because even if it's bad, it's good."

"What about now, as an Angel?"

"s.e.x for us is different."

"How?"

"Put it like this: s.e.x as a human is like is like a single firecracker. s.e.x as an Angel is the Fourth of July."

"Wow..."

"I mean it, Emmy. You may not be able to handle it."

"But I want to try."

"Okay, then talk to Marcus. Just be upfront with him."

"Do I need to buy condoms? Do Angels need that?"

"Condoms are like cute shoes; you always need them. That is unless you're doing it with an Angel. In that case, you two are fine."

"So there's no way I could get..."

"No."

"I don't understand why Marcus doesn't want to do it."

"He may be a little busy trying to save your life."

"Yeah, I guess. I just want us to have a night together that is perfect. I made a list."

"Of course you did."

I get up and take a small notepad out from my desk. I hand it to Miku. She begins to read it out loud.

"Flowers, music, candles..."

"I try to cover the basics. What do you think?"

"That's mostly for us. Guys just need one thing: the girl."

"I know I'm going overboard, but it's the memory I want to hold on to when..."

"You think Marcus is really going to take your life?"

"He doesn't have a choice."

"You are so brave, Em. I don't get to say that to you enough."

"I'm not really brave, actually. I just try to stay busy and not think about it. It got so bad the other day I actually studied for my chem test."

"Wow, you were desperate."

"Yeah and I got a B."

"Seriously?"

"Yup, leave it to me to become a super nerd just as my time runs out."

"When I was dying, I could only think of pain. But if I knew ahead of time, I'm not sure what my last thought would have been."

"Some days I think about serious stuff like what would college life have been like; what would my children have looked like; and other days I just think how much it sucks that I'm gonna miss the next installment of "The Hunger Games."

Tears spring to my eyes. But I pull them back. I've gotten good at that. No more crying all the time. It does little to help. I look down at the floor. Miku places her hand over mine.

"Frat parties suck, someone always throws up on you. I hear childbirth is excruciating. And the books are always better than the movie."

"Well then, I'm totally ready for death now," I laugh despite myself. She looks at me with sadness and concern.

"Emmy, I'm sorry that you're..."

I know Marcus wants me to keep hoping, but when the girl that died the worst death in Guardian history looks up at you with that much pity...you know the end is very near.

It was a good thing Miku and I went shopping because a few days later, Marcus texted me. It turns out I didn't even need to seduce him.

"Hey, need 2 C U alone"

OMG! This is it! What do I do? What do I wear? How do I...should I...???

Okay, Emmy. Do. Not. Panic.

I make myself calmly reply to make sure that we are both on the same page.

"Is it about the Triplex?" I text.

"No. It's...personal."

Just to make extra sure, I texted more questions.

"Will team B there?"

Please say "no."

"No"

We're going to have s.e.x. Yes!