“Lots of people have prosthetic eyes,” Marilyn answered.

Jiji was at home. On the phone with one of her girlfriends. Continuing a conversation from the previous night.

“Yeah, but I’ve got a weird feeling about this. It wasn’t like light hit it, or he moved it. It reacted to his emotions. The same way my powers do for me!”

“You think he’s a genie?” Kamkin asked.

Jiji circled her room. Literally from the floor to the wall, to the roof. She spun a blue ‘Ford Le Faye: Freelance Photographer’ business card between her fingers.

She spoke with a tight focus, “No, he’d have tattoos on his arms. Or on his back if he were a Marid. Plus, I don’t think there’s any French genies. Definitely none as light skinned as him. I don’t know if he’s magic. But I don’t think he’s fully human, either. Or if he was human, and got a magic eye. I can’t explain it. It’s like a gut feeling.”

“So, did you have fun checking him for tats,” Marilyn joked.

Jiji eased up, “Why? Do you want me to check you next?”

“Girl, you haven’t even kissed me. You’d melt into a puddle if you saw me naked!”

Gravity suddenly kicked in. Jiji landed right on her kitchen counter and flopped to the floor.

Marilyn only heard two loud thuds and a tiny yelp.

“See, short-stack. You can’t handle me,” Marilyn bragged.

Pained, “I can too handle you!”

Smugly, “Really? Then poof over here, get on a stepladder, and prove it.”

Jiji hung up. Went into her closet. Then she came out of Marilyn’s.

But Marilyn wasn’t there. Not on her bed. Not in her room. Not in her apartment.

Jiji completely forgot it was Thursday. Marilyn had cheer practice. The bonk must’ve done more damage than she thought. Because she also thought it’d be a good idea to snag a snack before teleporting to the school.

One for Marilyn. One for herself. One for Alice.

Alice, on the couch, lowered her book to see Jiji bent over in the fridge.

“Evening ‘apple-ass’,” Alice announced.

Jiji clanked her head in the fridge. Knocking everything over and falling backward.

Alice stayed put. She would’ve helped Jiji up. But Jiji was already up and panicking.

“Alice! Sweetie! What’re you doing here?”

Cool as ice, “I’ve been staying here since my car’s still in the shop. It saves gas. What were you doing in Marilyn’s room?”

“I was just uh, coming to drop off…um…Star’s textbook. She let me borrow it for a few days,” Jiji lied.

Alice didn’t move. She closed her book. Set it on the table. Then, seemingly staring into Jiji’s soul.

Alice listed off, “You’ve been in ‘quarantine’ for a week. Star has been crashing with Maria to duck out on her half of the rent. Star doesn’t have a car. You don’t have a license. Marilyn hasn’t said a word about a textbook. There’s no textbook near you. You’re not a student, so why would you need a textbook? And I saw you come in from Marilyn’s room.”

Jiji had three choices. She could run and ignore everything. Which would make everything worse later. She could use magic to make her girlfriend forget everything. Which would be no different from lying to someone she cared for. Finally, Jiji could just come clean.

Jiji took a deep breath. Hoping for acceptance. Preparing for confrontation.

“If I tell you the truth, do you promise not to get mad?” Jiji asked.

Alice shrugged, “You can tell me if you want. Unless you’re an alien here to destroy the earth, you’re still my girlfriend.”

“Why does everyone think I’m an alien?” Jiji tried to recover, “I mean…uhm…you see. I’m…”

Alice sat up. She waited patiently for Jiji to keep talking. For Jiji to tell her the truth.

Jiji went and opened every door in the apartment. Making sure they were alone. Before she sat down and told Alice who she was.

She admitted, “Ok, Alice, I’m a genie.”

Unimpressed, “I know.”

“Y-you know?” Jiji repeated. “What do you mean ‘you know’!? Did Marilyn tell you?”

“She didn’t have to tell me. Little miss ‘glitter on everything’.”

Jiji fell backwards. A trail of glitter as she went. Her head nailed the arm rest with a loud thud.

If she were human, she’d be concussed at this point. At this point, Jiji didn’t care.

“Will you stop hurting yourself?!” Alice called.

Jiji hid her tomato red face in her hands. She kept them there after Alice pulled her back up and checked for knots. They stayed up until Alice gave her a hug.

In the past, Jiji had fallen asleep on Alice’s lap. Shared her drink. Talked with her for hours. But this was something better.

It felt as comforting as a dream. As if every negative thought and feeling was magically gone. All from one embrace.

Jiji hugged her right back.

“Thank you.”

“For the hug?” Alice asked.

“For giving me that second chance,” Jiji said.

They separated. Eye to eye, neither said a word. Neither had to.

Jiji brushed Alice’s hair out of her face. Alice gently nodded. Higurashi cupped the back of Jiji’s neck.

Then, they kissed. Not for too long. Just long enough for Alice to make a deduction.

“I’m your first kiss.”

Jiji retreated, “Was I that bad?”

Alice pulled her back in, “Try like this.”

Kissing her this time got a soft moan from Jiji. Unexpected, but very welcome.

The two continued. Getting closer as their kissing got more comfortable. Anxiety was traded for intimacy.

Alice broke off. Thinking that Jiji might need air. Then remembered she was making out with a real life cartoon character.

Like a cartoon, Jiji's eyes had turned into hearts. Valentines floated around her head.
The open mouth smile screamed 'brain off'.

Alice didn’t feel stimulated. But her ego officially was.

“How’s my little rabbit doing?”

“Aces,” Jiji squeaked.

Amused, “Oh, you think you’re funny?”

Jiji stuck her tongue out. Like a smug brat. So, Alice snagged one of the floating hearts and stuck it in Jiji’s smug mouth.

For her next magic trick, Jiji turned the hearts into marshmallows. Swallowing her snack whole. And sticking her sugar-coated tongue back out.

Alice taste-tested one. She’d had better.

“What do you want to do now?” Alice asked.

Jiji enthusiastically yelled, “Keep kissing!” Then lowered her voice, “Please. If you want.”

Alice ate another valentine, “You don’t need to give Star her book back? Or whatever you actually came here for?”

Somehow, on Que, Jiji’s phone began to ring. Jiji’s eyes shrank. She already knew who it was.

The phone rocketed from the counter top to Jiji’s hand. Alice didn’t even flinch or react.

“Hey,” Jiji hesitated.

“So, are you & Ford checking each other for birthmarks? Where are you?”

Jiji looked at Alice, “I got…uh, held up.”

“Are you all good?” Marilyn asked.

Alice clued Marilyn in, “She’s making out with her girlfriend on your couch.”

Marilyn didn’t hesitate, “Is she still in one piece?”

Alice eyed Jiji. She smiled when Jiji got red cheeks. Chuckling to herself.

“For now,” Alice answered.

Marilyn got the final word in, “Ok, just don’t mess her up before I get a chance to. See y’all in a few! Byeee~!”

Jiji didn’t know the word for ‘scared but aroused’. But whatever it was, she was feeling it. Trying her best to look as neutral as possible.

Alice could read Jiji’s sudden frisson. The stiff posture. The now gone valentines. It wasn’t exactly hard for Alice.

It actually made her next choice easier.

The book on the coffee table was handed off. Alice led them to Star’s room. A disorganized mess with clothes all over the floor.

“Nope,” Jiji said.

Jiji clapped her hands, and the room was organized. All of Star’s stuff was put away. The floor still needed vacuuming. Something Star could do.

Alice laid back. Feet off the bed. She gave Jiji enough room to lay next to her.

“Your turn to read to me,” Alice requested.

Jiji instantly eased up. It was like she was holding her breath for the past few seconds.

“Someone’s demanding,” Jiji said.

Alice’s impression got Jiji’s bubbly nature down. But failed to reach her girlfriend’s high pitch.

“Oh my gosh! You’re a novelist?! Why didn’t you tell me earlier? Read it! Read it! Read it!”

Jiji laid her head on Alice’s stomach, “Fair enough.”

Jinn read the fantasy novel. A tale of 5 adventures traveling a mythical land filled with poisonous golems, fire breathing bears, and storm summoning dragons. Each detail was played out for Alice.

As Jiji described the riverside forest the group trekked through, the leaves fell into the room. Droplets of water hit Alice’s legs. For every swing of a sword, the sound of the magical battle echoed. When the witch cast a spell, the green flares and yellow sparks ran through the air.

Alice was speechless. Not since she was a child was she more immersed in a tale. As if her imagination was unlocked. On blast and narrated by a woman just as magical as what she was reading.

A romance through an adventure.

End