Page 18 of My Monster, My Choice

“Yeah. An’ then the school find stuff in Mr. Pichito’s room. An’ they gotta call da police. I thinka he a stealer.”

“Then he probably sits in jail. If he doesn’t, I’m going to make sure he does. And just so you know, if anyone ever calls you a name, you come to me.”

His grin stretches wide. “I willa, sir!”

He snuggles to my chest, just like hismamandoes, and I stroke his back until Christina returns.

“Hey, guys,” she says softly, her eyes glued to us as she approaches. “Jaire just told me he got word that Dori and her daughter, Irene, arrived. You want to go see them?”

“Yess!” Kenny jumps up with excitement. “Come on, Elex! You gonna love Uween. She wonna my best fwends. ‘Cept she’s a girl. But that’s okay, ‘cause she gotta vagina. ‘Cept she can’t pee standing up.” He shrugs. “She gotta sit to pee and thatsa sad.”

ChapterFive

CHRISTINA

“Dori!” I embrace my friend where she stands on the front porch, Adroki males carrying her belongings into the house that is to the right of mine.

“Uween! You see Sushi at the park?” Kenny says to her daughter.

“Yah, Kenny. You wanna go play?”

“I dunno. Maybe more fwends will come? I shoulda watch for Sammy. For Jinny.”

“Ok, but what if she learns how to swing higher than you and me, Kinny?” For emphasis, she pokes her chest first, then his.

But just then Susie rolls into the yard. “Kenny! You here too!”

“Yay, Sushi. Now you canna come see my room,” Kenny says.

“My room first,” little Irene says. “I have a pink one.”

All three kids scramble inside the house, leaving us staring after them.

“Dori, you remember Elex?”

“I do,” she says, holding out her hand for him to shake. “Thanks for making this happen.”

He inclines his head, a purple blush marking his cheeks.

“This is a dream come true,” Dori says. “I can’t believe it.”

“Who else is coming?”

Her smile is bright, and her eyes shine with sudden wetness. “All of our crowd. Susie’s parents aren’t here yet, but they let me bring her while they pack up. Sammy’s are. So are Jenny’s.”

“When do Connor and Sean get here?”

“Tomorrow. They want to wait so they can be sure to get all their belongings from the school without any ramification.”

Connor and Sean have a more difficult way of life. While rights to alternate lifestyles has never gone away, after the third war, laws changed. Same sex marriage was again deemed illegal. Even though individual hook-ups weren’t frowned upon, a man was still expected to wed a female to spread his seed. But Connor and Sean both refused to take wives. When an anonymous child was left in the state’s care because of the way he was born, they adopted him and named him Simon. He has a brother now, Aaron.

“We may as well get the permissions out of the way,” Dori says. “I already have Susie here. Kenny’s going to ask to spend the night. I know it’s your first night in the new house all alone. Do you want time to yourself to finish unpacking? Or do you want Kenny there for company?” Dori asks.

“I’m okay with him staying if you’re up to having three. I can take them tomorrow night if you want some unpacking time. Or I can even come help you put stuff away.”

She waves her hand at me. “You have your own stuff to put away. Don’t worry about it. Besides, I have three kids over. I might have to use them for a couple of hours to help unpack the kitchen stuff.”

“Don’t worry about preparing dinner,” Elex says. “I know the dancers from the main house are bringing meals out to the families who are settling in.”

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