apollo

[point_b]

It is the first day of the Swan twins's second year at the Phoenix Gemini School, Apollo High, and this time around Alli isn't soliciting reassurance from her sister about conspiracy theories that the schools are designed to brainwash, de-power, or otherwise mishandle their charges. It's basically just high school, with unconventional gym requirements and an above-average proportion of superpowered faculty. And way more money than most public schools, and excellent diversity because the entry requirement cuts neatly across all demographics.

Well, in most conventional demographic respects.

There are no only children here.

Alli and Bella have all their classes together, which is nice - that wasn't always possible in elementary and middle school; here it's a matter of course.

This year they're signed up for gym but they can skip until two weeks into term, at which point they'll have their basics and Bella will be just as competent as anyone else. More so, relative to the general population. She has no idea what bonus she'll get and she's excited anyway. She's going to be able to actually go to dances, and dance at them, if she wants. Not the homecoming dance because that's not for underclassmen, but there will be others.

"Uuuugh," says Alli, "math first thing in the morning."

"Wouldn't it be funny if you said that and you got a math boost of some kind for your bonus?"

"No, that would just be horrible. And sad. Be sad for me if that happens, Bella."

"All right. What do you want to get?"

"I don't even know, is there a point? I'll just get something and so will you and that'll be that."

"Suit yourself."

The bus pulls in and out they get, uniform skirts swishing around their knees, swan emblems matching on their sleeves so everyone can tell who is whose twin.

Comments

[alli_oop]

"Ooh, you got it, didn't you, what'd you get, what'd you get?"

[point_b]

"I - I don't know yet, it's - I've got a new sense of place, but I'm not sure yet what I do with it. Maybe yours'll be a hint."

[alli_oop]

"Maybe."

Andi has to wait six minutes for hers.

"...this feels weird."

[point_b]

"Weird how?"

[alli_oop]

"Just weird, like - I don't know - it feels like being bored only not? Like I should be doing more things to be not-bored? But it's not boring, just, it's telling me youuuuu are not living up to your full potential like it's a magic guidance counselor, it's weird."

[point_b]

"So - live up to your full potential, c'mon."

[alli_oop]

"You haven't even done yours yet, relax!" But Alli closes her eyes and concentrates -

And then there are two Allis.

"Ack!" they say in perfect unison.

[kindestgarden]

Renée had been quietly supervising up until this point but now she's kind of alarmed! "Alli, honey?"

[alli_oop]

"Sooo trippy," say the Allis, still speaking together. "Oh wow, this is cool, this is like actually useful in life!"

[point_b]

"Not if you just stay in sync it's not so much," says Bella, "can you - unsync?"

[alli_oop]

The Allis sway in perfect time, even when they close their eyes. They turn to face each other, they turn away -

"Maybe you have to do it," they say.

[point_b]

"Okay, you -" says Bella, pointing at one of them at random, "go upstairs, maybe my new spatial thing will work through you, and you, stay put, see if you can twine with each other or if you have to use me as your communications hub."

[alli_oop]

"Thaaanks," says Downstairs Alli, as Upstairs Alli goes up the stairs.

"We can't twine with each other," hollers Upstairs Alli, presently.

[point_b]

"There's no need to shout, you should still be able to do it with me," Bella says in a normal tone.

[alli_oop]

Downstairs Alli giggles. Upstairs Alli grumbles.

"Can you spatial-thing to me?" asks Upstairs Alli through the twine.

[point_b]

"...No. I feel like it does have some kind of exception for you but that's not it," says Bella. "Buuuut I think to might be the right -"

And then Bella is across the room.

"Preposition. Oh hell yes I can teleport."

[alli_oop]

"Woo!" says Upstairs Alli.

"Can you take people with you?" asks Downstairs Alli.

[point_b]

Bella goes over to her downstairs twin-half and tries it.

"Yes. Yes I can. Mom, can I try with you to see if it's just Alli?"

[kindestgarden]

"Of course, Bella."

[point_b]

A few experiments later and Bella has determined that she can take both of Alli (Alli does not seem able to subdivide further) and her mom anywhere she can go by herself. She does not yet know if she can take more than one non-Alli, but suspects not.

"Okay, next question, do you always have to be two of you?"

[alli_oop]

"I dunno - maybe not, but I'm scared to try, which of us gets to keep going?" says she who was once Downstairs.

[point_b]

"If that's actually a matter of it being just one of you it's better to figure that out now than after you've - I don't know, been separate for three years and have different boyfriends or whatever."

[alli_oop]

The Allis hesitate.

"You pick," Formerly Upstairs finally says.

[point_b]

Bella points at one.

She's not sure whether Alli's going to interpret the pointing as 'you stay' or 'you go', which is half of how she manages to do it.

[alli_oop]

The Allis pick an interpretation.

The pointed-at stays. The other goes. There is only one Alli.

"Oh! Oh that's weird I remember being both of me, I'm just all folded up again."