Rising Shards

My eyes kept darting back and forth between the driving Dr. Diast and Stella in the passenger seat beside her as we continued onto a highway.

“I feel like you’re going to give me bad news.” I said. “Did Dr. Diast find out some Cani disease I have, and you used me wanting to see my new apartment as bait to get me to a secluded locale to tell me?”

“It’s not that,” Stella said.

I had never been in a teacher’s car before. Dr. Diast’s was messy like her office. We had to clear out a yoga mat and a box of what appeared to be the remnants of a marble focused arts and craft project just so I could sit in the back.

“Can you say something only the real Stella would say?” I asked. “Just want to make sure this isn’t an ‘impostors of you guys kidnapping me’ situation.”

“When you were fourteen,” Stella started. “You really wanted to win that contest to be on a Tower of Hate and Love video chat, so you wore this bizarre costu—"

“Alright alright, you don’t have to finish that story!” I said, not needing to relive the dreaded Tower Chat AB-813 Annual Costume Sweepstakes incident and my subsequent defeat, once more being denied a chance to be in a live chat with Raina Starlight and the rest of the Tower cast. “So it is just carpooling? Not a kidnapping or bad news?”

Diast and Stella looked at each other. 

“It’s not just carpooling.” Dr. Diast said.

“Wh—” I started.

“And there is some news—it’s not bad!” Diast said. “It won’t greatly change things for you. But, ah…”

“What Evy means to say is—” Stella started.

“Evy?” I asked.

“Dr. Diast, sorry.” Stella said.

“That’s me.” Dr. Diast said.

“Uh huh,” Stella said. “What Evy—what Dr. Diast means is.” She strummed her fingers on the little divider thing between the passenger and driver seats. “Remember the day I had my interview and there was that big snowstorm?”

“Uh huh, it was terrifying.” I said. Stella for some reason went out into a blizzard after her job interview, after I’d graciously offered to let her sleep in my room at school to ride out the storm. She even went out for food, which I made sure to let her know made me very nervous with the big snowstorm.

“So that night I actually ran into Dr. Diast, and she graciously let me spend the night at her place. And her roommate just bailed on her. So…”

I felt really stupid because I couldn’t piece together what they were telling me. I thought Stella was gonna suddenly say “when I ran into Dr. Diast, she told me about this rare disease you have, actually it is the rare Cani tail condition tailvitis and you for real have it,” but she didn’t.

“Her place will soon be our place.” Stella said.

“So, wait…” I said. “Is Dr. Diast moving out, then? Or are we going to be roommates?”

“I signed a dealie to be at that place through spring, so I’m gonna be there for a bit,” Diast said. "So you're stuck with me 'til then. Hope that's not an issue."

“Oh, alright. Cool!” I said. If it were any other teacher being a roommate, I’d be incredibly displeased (or terrified if I somehow had to live with Caya), but Diast was by far my favorite teacher and cool in that way that transcended her being a teacher. And if I did get a rare Cani tail condition called tailvitis, having Dr. Diast close by would be good.

“Yep,” Diast said. “The only bad news is that I probably won’t be able to be your medical doctor anymore.”

“Oh, alright. That kinda sucks.” I said, the wind taken out of my sails a bit. This was another life change incoming, but not in a fun way. “What, like a personal breach of privacy thing or whatever?”

“Something like that,” Diast said. “Teacher advisor is still fine; I did check on that one. And to make up for me not Cani doctoring you anymore, I’ll be like your. Kinda. Roommate teacher mentor. Ugh, Stella, help.”

“I know we’re—I’m—throwing a lot at you.” Stella said.

“I’m OK,” I said. “I mainly just wanna see the place before I judge this whole deal.”

“Right, well, we’re almost there.” Diast said.

A few minutes of me processing all they’d just told me while we drove through winding suburban streets brought us to the new place. When I heard apartment, I thought a big apartment building like our home in Litus Empirica, like a skyscraper. This looked like just a house. A cute house, at least. I spotted Stella’s car parked in the street in front. Dr. Diast drove into an alley behind the cute house and into a small parking spot.

“What are you gonna do now about all your Dr. Diast calls?” I asked.

“My what now?” Stella asked.

“Since you call her so much to check up on me, you know?” I asked. “Now you can just bug her in person.”

“That’s true,” Stella said. “I guess we have to figure that out, huh?”

When I got out of the car, I heard something crinkle in my pocket and remembered I'd made something for Stella.

"Oh, I almost forgot." I said. I shoved an envelope toward her, trying to slyly hand it to Stella so Dr. Diast wouldn't see. Diast of course saw through my attempt and gave me an inquisitive look, but didn't question further. "Don't tell her, Stella." 

Stella, of course, immediately opened the envelope blatantly in front of Dr. Diast. "Aww. Whenever we have an argument or a fight, Zeta always makes me a handmade card, it’s so sweet.” Stella said.

"I just said don't tell her!" I said. Diast put her hand over her mouth in what I assumed was her trying not to laugh, which made me want to just lie down in the grass of the backyard and become one with the dirt. "Geez."

Stella held up the card. It was true that whenever Stella and I had a blowup I'd always feel super guilty afterwards and need to let Stella know I still loved her and that she was still the best big sister ever. I knew I was risking her telling Diast immediately, but my weird tradition overwhelmed my desire to not let my teacher see that side of me.

"That really is precious," Diast said. "I hope it wasn't a big fight. You guys aren't like secretly constantly having big fights, are you?"

"Oh no, the normal amount, I think?" Stella said. 

"I hope?" I added.

"Not a whole lot of fights, but she's still my bratty little sister, so..." Stella said. I stuck my tongue out at her. "And no, not a big fight. Just me...being bad about our family stuff."

"Gotcha, gotcha." Diast said.

"I kinda...blew up a bit about it." I said.

"No, you didn't," Stella said. "But you did make me a very nice card."

"Stop talking about the card! Let's just go inside." I said, my face feeling like it had somehow become a stove top on full blast. 

"Hang on, I still have to read it." Stella said.

"Not out loud, please." I said.

Stella didn't say the words I'd written out loud, but she "aww'd" and "dawwww'd" enough out loud that my stovetop face basically ignited in fire. And then on top of that, she hugged me in front of Diast, who looked like she'd just watched a really cute commercial about a puppy farm that didn't even have a tearjerker ending or anything.

"OK I'm gonna talk about the apartment now!" I announced as I walked down the backyard so my back would be to them. “After a few minutes of thought, I have a quick judgment. And I'm only gonna say it if we stop talking about the card!"

“Uh huh?” Dr. Diast asked. “Without seeing the inside of the place?”

“Preemptive judgment,” I said, holding my right pointer finger up for emphasis. “Now this could change once I see the inside, but right now I’m cool with it so far. I’m getting good vibes. I just don’t want to tell Kalei because she’ll make fun of me for living with a teacher.”

“I think I’d prefer that too,” Diast said. “That girl can be brutal.”

I waited by the side of the small stoop at the backdoor for Diast and Stella. When they unlocked the door and went inside, I took a deep breath and cautiously followed them into what was apparently going to be my new home.