The Book of Firsts

Seventy-Three

I spent the next two days mechanically going through the familiar process of preparing to leave. Because I wasn’t absolutely sure what city I’d end up in, I couldn’t start house-hunting yet, and hadn’t given notice on my apartment. Even so, I prepared everything for departure, emptying the fridge, cleaning enough to expect the bond to be returned, and packing all my belongings.

Ms Lezecki, the guidance counsellor, contacted me the day before I was due to fly out to notify me I was Dux of the School. Given I was heading out of the country, they wanted me to come in wearing my uniform for a medal presentation, some photographs, and to record a short message to be played at the graduation ceremony. Luckily my flight wasn’t until the afternoon, so I arranged a time the next morning. Then I called Millie and asked for makeup tips, since the last few days showed a little too clearly on my face.

Even with expert help, Ms Lezecki gave me a lecture after the photos were done.

"I know stern warnings about health don’t seem very relevant at your age," she said. "But these stresses build up on your body. Aim for a little moderation."

"No more two-day tabletop dancing sessions?" I asked, twirling my medal on its ribbon, and then laughed at her expression. "Just insomnia, Ms Lezecki. I’m very boring."

"I suspect all-night gaming sessions," said a familiar, beautiful voice.

I turned, discovered the three people I’d spent my nights thinking about, and decided to be glad for another chance to see them.

"This seems like an excellent opportunity for a Student Council Executive commiseration photo," Rin said. "It will remind us not to make bets about which of us would be Dux."

"A near-run competition," the counsellor said, smiling as they bracketed me. "It’s not too close to your flight time, Mikaela?"

"No, still plenty of bonus airport appreciation time to go."

We took a couple of shots, and then I packed my medal away, and thanked the handful of teachers who were in the office.

"Let’s have a cup of tea, and then we’ll give you a lift," Rin said. "I thoroughly enjoy the idea that you’re planning to fly to Peru dressed like this. Will you wear it on the walk up to Macchu Piccu?"

"I could, I suppose. These shoes aren’t bad for walking."

"Can this possibly constitute all your worldly possessions?" Kyou asked, appropriating the single battered suitcase I’d brought with me, while Bran took my backpack.

"There’s another suitcase, and two whole boxes, which I’ll collect when I come back to Helios," I said. "It felt strangely uncomfortable, packing those boxes, because I’m so used to having to keep all my things to a strict two-suitcase limit."

"Do you just throw away everything each school?" Bran asked, a little incredulously.

"Anything we want to keep permanently we send to my Nan’s. The boxes of the author’s copies of Dad’s books are threatening to completely take over her garage."

"Bran and his six monitors would never cope with two suitcases," Rin said.

"This from Mr Twenty-to-Infinity Guitars," Bran retorted.

They were all in spectacularly good moods, or chatting to hide nervousness, or both. I couldn’t decide, and followed them without comment out and along the path to the garden that had been so central to my year. It was the first time I’d walked in honestly, and passing the windows allowed me to see just how close we’d been to an entire row of teachers, every time I’d snuck through the fence.

Kyou, a little ahead, unlocked the gate and went to start the water heating. Bran arranged my backpack on top of my suitcase, then drew me over to the wide patch of clear grass in front of the climbing roses.

"When we were kids, Rin and I weren’t capable of having any kind of serious debate without an attempt to turn each other’s faces black and blue," Bran said. "Kyou started to make us sit down back-to-back, and wouldn’t let us up 'til we were done."

"Eventually, all three of us would do it whenever we argued or made big decisions," Rin said, sitting down.

"Not being able to see the gratuitous smirking does wonders for resisting the urge to choke them," Bran added, tugging my hand to prompt me to sit, my back against Rin’s.

Bemused, I allowed myself to be arranged, and watched him sit as well, back against our shoulders. Kyou calmly came out and took up the opposite side, so we sat in a plus formation. It was very odd to sit like this, gazing at the pale pink roses, but sensitive to every movement of three boys leaning against me. Rin had looked entirely relaxed and confident, but his back was tense.

"I owe you a debt, Mika," Kyou said. "And that is a very convenient thing."

"What debt?" I asked, frowning.

"Sage advice to the tune of razing things to the ground as a deterrent. Which gave me a way through, and even let me turn a trap into a massive profit. I cannot begin to describe the relief, and at the time I even told several people who asked why I was so happy that someone had given me a suggestion that more or less saved my life."

"But why is that useful?"

"Because you need accommodation near the university, and we’ve just bought a large house with several spare rooms. Offering to rent one to you is the least we can do."

I went still. He wanted me to live with them?

"Much as we’d like to, we couldn’t see a non-destructive way for the three of us to openly date you," Kyou went on. "There’s no denying that would have a massive impact on you, particularly before you’re established in your career. But giving you the status of housemate means we have every excuse to be walking around with you, meeting you for lunch, heading out on trips, and coming home together. It’s no-one’s business what we do once we get there."

"Your ambiguous actor becomes highly convenient," Rin said. "As is Bran’s so-called girlfriend, who has so thoroughly taken on a life of her own that half the school knows she’s just won a job that takes her frequently out of the city. As for Kyou and I: while I think it would be disrespectful to tell people we’re gay when we’re not, enough people already think we’re involved with each other that we’d simply have to sound a little half-hearted when we deny it, and they’d cease to wonder why we have no visible girlfriends."

"Are…" I paused. "Are you sure it’s possible for you? You’re so competitive, and—"

"We’re not competing for you," Bran said, firmly. "We want you to be our girlfriend. And then put a blindfold on you, and see if you can guess which of us touches you next."

Silence followed, a little startled, but interested. I bit my lip. The cover story was good, effective because it was true, but it didn’t mean there was no risk. Too many people were fascinated by these three for there not to be a handful who would target me just for being in their proximity. Nor, no matter what they said, could I believe I could date all three of them without teetering on the edge of a maelstrom. No jealousy? No hurt feelings?

But these past days had taught me that walking away would cost me more than I ever anticipated. And the idea of a blindfold, and the three of them…

"That sounds like I’d end up very sore," I said, after the longest pause. "We wouldn’t be able to do that too often."

Rin let out his breath. Kyou reached over and took my hand, squeezing it hard. Bran laughed, a sound that wavered strangely between carefree and full of bad intentions, and then turned around, and wrapped his arms around me.

This was close to painful. I blinked, but squeezed him back. Kyou and Rin, after a moment’s hesitation, apparently decided that this would be a turn-based round and left, heading into the summer house.

"The last few weeks have been torture," Bran said, relaxing his arms a little, though by no means ready to let me go. "Even when we finally found what seemed a safe solution, we knew we couldn’t push you if you decided not to risk it."

"How could I pass up seeing whether you really are a considerate and attentive boyfriend?"

"We’ll go on that coastal ride for our first date," he said. "There’s a spot north-east of the city I want to show you."

When he’s happy, Bran takes on a distinctly angelic air, and I thought it a good moment to kiss him, though just briefly. Having three boyfriends at the same time was going to be a juggling act.

Letting Bran go, I climbed to my feet and found Rin sitting at the picnic table, watching us with a thoughtful air. I considered him in return, then crossed to my backpack and drew out a leather-bound journal.

"Still a long way to go," I said, handing it to him. "I’m designing it so the music should accompany you as you turn the pages. Almost like storyboarding a short film, which is a bit of an experiment for me."

Rin’s eyes lit, and he opened the journal without hesitation. I sat beside him, watching his face. After four pages of maps, we began on scenes of the approach to the aeolian city: a gentle landscape where laundry stirred in the breeze, windmills circled lazily, and all the whitewashed stone structures featured some kind of spiralling curve, usually in the form of outer stairs leading up to rooftop patios. I’d played about in the outskirts for about ten pages, and had just started to move toward the towers glimpsed occasionally in backgrounds. Rin drank it in, entirely absorbed.

"You said you drew buildings," Bran said, leaning across the table. "I underestimated what that meant."

"You’ll notice that there’s very few people or animals, and they’re mostly off in the distance," I said. "I had a teacher a few years ago who was so frustrated with me, because I would spend hours on the buildings, and five minutes on populating them. And I apparently have only a very basic colour sense."

Kyou, bringing out a tray, gave me a surprised glance, then leaned over to look as well.

"You’re hired," he said, putting the tray down.

I laughed. "To what? Illustrate Rin’s music?"

"In a sense. Concept art for the cities in Echoes. And then probably modelling them as well. Buildings are one of my weak points."

"Girlfriend-housemate-employee might be complicating matters a bit too far."

"We’ll handle it," he said. "We can do some planning over the break to avoid any issues." He sat down opposite me and smiled at Rin, who was turning back and forth between the completed pages, humming faintly. "If you draw something inspired by his music, and that inspires him to create more music, will you enter an endless loop?

"Virtuous circle, perhaps," I said, eyeing Rin. I wasn’t sure if he was paying attention, or was entirely lost to a world of sound.

"Drink," Kyou said, handing me a cup. "And if you want to be truly kind, give Rin a pen and paper, and leave him be for a while."

That was easily accomplished. Rin took my offering with a distracted nod and immediately started making notations.

"Phone, please," Kyou said, holding out his hand.

I raised my eyebrows, but went to fish it out of my backpack, unlocked it and passed it to him. He took his own phone and transferred contacts, then completed a few more details.

"I’m not asking for daily hour-long calls," he said, "but I have some poetry I’d like to discuss, when you have some down time."

"I can’t guarantee hour-long, but I think I can manage daily for official boyfriends. Or even secret ones." I paused, a little helplessly. "I guess I’ll rotate in alphabetical order."

Rin proved he was listening by looking up and saying: "My full name starts with A."

"If you’re okay with us calling you Arinn, we’re okay with you taking first," Kyou said.

"You don’t like being called Arinn?" I asked.

"Family name—there’s three others currently, and a long list in the family tree." Bran smirked faintly. "If you want to annoy him, call him Arinn."

"Stick with Rin," Rin said, after a long pause, glanced at his notations, then put down the pen and wound an arm around my waist. "No-one’s ever given me a city before."

"When it’s done, I want you to name it," I said.

Rin leaned forward, then glanced at the audience on the other side of the table. "Close your eyes."

"If we’re going to do this at all…" Bran said, but then shrugged and picked up the tray, heading for the summer house.

Kyou collected leftover cups and followed, and Rin turned his attention back to me.

"Do you really think this is possible without you three tearing each other apart?" I asked, finding my face was a little hot. Being affectionate when we were all together was very different to separate rendezvous.

"Yes," Rin said. "We’re very motivated not to lose you, and we…" His lips curled toward wicked. "We’re thoroughly used to the idea of sharing you, since discussing you has long been our favourite topic of conversation. Not that there won’t be occasions when we feel possessive, particularly if I was wanting to throw you over my shoulder, only to find Bran or Kyou had already whisked you off. We’ll work out ways to avoid that."

He gently touched my cheek, but didn’t go further. "Just now I’m far too inclined for that shoulder throwing to indulge too much. It wouldn’t do to get caught on the last day here."

"I don’t want to sleep on the plane anyway."

"Underneath this makeup, you look like you haven’t slept since we last spoke, so why don’t you want to sleep?"

"Time zone adjustment mainly, but also not necessarily a good idea when travelling alone."

He frowned. "If you’re in a seat next to someone who invades your space, ask a flight attendant to change."

"Not my first solo flight," I told him.

He paused, then shook his head. "While I don’t recall ever travelling alone. I should probably be more worried about your actor, anyway."

"Christophe is so completely besotted with Millie that you don’t need to worry about him putting a hair out of place on this trip."

"And does Millie like Christophe?"

"Quite a bit. The hurdle at the moment is she doesn’t believe in him."

"A figment of the collective imagination?"

"A very beautiful and charming boy who has women throwing themselves at him at every opportunity, but only wants her," I said, with a wry smile. "Even if she lets herself believe that’s true, she doesn’t think it will last."

There could not be a more obvious parallel.

"Well," Rin said, after the longest moment. "I’m not sure my imagination is broad enough to produce you, but I certainly hope you’re a lasting delusion."

I laughed, and couldn’t help but blush, and that brought a triumphant light to his eyes.

"I live to make you flustered," he added, and was reaching toward me when a murmur of voices gave us a bare warning, and then the garden gate swung open.

Rin had changed his movement at the last second, and collected my journal instead of me. The Principal and Vice-Principal at least did not seem to have seen anything suspicious, and took me off for more photographs, some of which were posed beside my model of the Sunseeker Bridge. By the time I was done, Rin and Bran had left, and only Kyou remained to guard my luggage.

"Your turn," I said, as we headed out of the building to the teachers' carpark.

"They’ve gone to bring Rin’s car around, but yes. Even though we think we’re going to enjoy, ah, sharing, time alone together is important. Not that I was expecting to have to compete with the faculty today. Are you pleased with your results, Mika?"

"They’re about what I estimated. Being Dux might help with the course application. I don’t have much in the way of competition results or other extra credit activities."

"Good news, then. I admit to being surprised. I knew your score would be high, but I didn’t expect you to beat Bran, especially when he’s in such a good state. This, incidentally, is when you mention that you can’t house-hunt until you get the course offer, and I respond by offering to rent you a room."

"How close is it to the university?"

"It’s on the west end, not far outside the grounds, so we’ll be able to walk to class. Although, given the bulk of the lecture halls are on the east end, we’ll probably take the tram when we’re in a rush. The nearest tram stop’s around four minutes' walk away."

"Walking to class sounds irresistible," I said. "How much do you want for it?"

"How much do rooms rent for?" Kyou asked, clearly not concerned. "Perhaps half whatever you’re paying for your apartment?"

"That’s probably an extreme bargain for the university district," I told him.

"Given how much we owe you, I wouldn’t charge at all, but it adds a level of truth to the cover story, not to mention sidestepping some of the social complexities of moving you into our house so we can take advantage of you."

"Mm. Yes, I’d definitely rather be a rent-payer, when you put it that way." I resisted the temptation to reach out to him, just smiled and said: "If escaping the trap gave you a windfall, does that advance the schedule you’d set for your game releases?"

"Not really—we don’t want to expand too quickly, particularly if that means compromising on the personnel we hire. We did spend a lot more on the technical equipment than we were initially intending: we’ll have one of the best motion capture setups in the country. And we’re negotiating purchase of an old dairy farm out in Noonerry as a site for the larger office."

"Is that a suburb?"

"An outlying town. A total backwater, currently, but I had a technician do an analysis of the best alternate route for the high-speed rail, and she predicts they’ll put a stop right on the edge of Noonerry, which will make it perfect for employee commuting."

"Sure it’s not another trap?"

"Trying to predict the route is purely my own speculation, and if it works out, we’ll owe you an even greater debt, because I only started investigating after you said the current route would be delayed or unviable."

"Now I’ll worry whether I’ve lost you money."

"One thing about land is you rarely lose money on it. If it doesn’t come off, well, we’ve enough liquidity to keep a bunch of abandoned paddocks until someone wants them. Besides, it’s a very pretty area, and I’d like to build a house there, for when we want to get out of the city. Do you like horse-riding?"

"Yes. I wanted a pony when I was a kid, but couldn’t find one that would fit in a suitcase."

Kyou reached out and brushed the back of his hand against mine. "Is it too soon to say I want to build a home for you, Mika?"

"Probably. But you make me want to see it."

An odd whirr heralded the arrival of an enormous cherry and black Hummer, and cut short any response Kyou might have made.

"Electric," Rin explained, after my luggage was stowed, and Kyou and I had climbed in back with Bran. "The law requires it play a noise when travelling at certain speeds."

"Does yours do the same?" I asked Kyou. "I didn’t notice."

"It pretends to make car noises," Kyou said, smiling, and then stopped me from buckling my seat belt. "One thing I like about this behemoth is that Rin has more than the legal amount of tinting on the side windows."

Pulling me into his lap, he kissed me hard, then regretfully returned me to my seat as Rin reached the exit to the carpark.

"How many Student Council duties do you have left?" I asked, fastening the seat belt.

"Just the Award Ceremony and some handover work," Kyou said. "Then we fly out as well."

"I take it you haven’t told your families you’re going to intern in a game studio."

Kyou shrugged. "They think we’re touring Europe. We’ll primarily be in France, since that’s where the studio is based. We’ll take a few weekend trips and send photographs."

"You have relatives in France, right?"

"Not many we want to be in the same room with," Bran said. "There’s a couple we’ll look in on. And Rin is obliged to visit the office, because his sisters' birthdays aren’t until we get back, so he can’t kick off the traces just yet."

"Which set of sisters is it? I don’t even know their names."

"It’s both sets of sisters—they were born three days apart," Rin said. "Marcelline and Evgenie are the older, and belong to my father. Anthea and Jessamin belong to my mother. I think you’ll like them."

"They’re anyone’s worst nightmare when they take on a cause," Kyou added, laughing. "Corascur won’t know what’s hit it, this coming term."

"I’m hoping they dismantle the Rose Court," Rin said, smiling at me in the rear-view mirror.

Lania’s ringtone cut short my response. I fished my phone out and told her hi.

"Are you done at school?" she asked. "Did the photos go okay?"

"They weren’t too painful," I said. "It went on a little longer than I expected, but I’m on my way to the airport now."

"Say hi to Dishy Christy for me."

I laughed. "He hates being called that."

"I probably would too, but it rolls off the tongue, you know?"

"How’s your trip going?"

"Not bad so far. Gran’s birthday is always a bit of a rollercoaster because it turns into a competition over who brought the best gift, and whose career is going best, and then the family drama queen decides it’s time to add excitement. The fact that Mum and Dad are starting their own firm is a hot topic this year."

"Sounds exhausting," I said, with a quiver to my voice because Kyou had pulled off my tie and Bran was unbuttoning my shirt. "Is it actually necessary to participate? Why not be with her in the morning, let them have her for the afternoon, that kind of thing?"

Rin made a choked sound, and I realised how what I’d said might sound to him, particularly given Bran and Kyou’s current activities.

"Big emphasis on everyone sitting down at the dinner table together," Lania said, oblivious. "I’d far rather be on my way to Peru. Send me some photos of your not-boyfriend when you get there."

"Will do," I said, hung up, and had my breath stolen by Bran.

A pleasant interlude followed, making me reflect on what exactly it would be like with three of them and a blindfold. Certainly enjoyable. Potentially overwhelming.

Bran, after much exploration, fastened his lips on my bared shoulder and made a concentrated effort.

"Falling back into bad habits?" I said to him, when Kyou gave me a chance.

"A message for Dishy Christy," Bran said, lifting his head.

"Good plan," Kyou said, and immediately began working on the same spot.

Fortunately for my skin, Rin had reached the airport, and only had to roam around a little to find a parking spot. Less fortunately, as soon as he turned off the engine Rin climbed into the immediately crowded back seat and added his contribution to the message.

"You three are seriously overestimating my feelings for Christophe."

"Send us off on a holiday with our exes and say that again," Rin said, then pressed me into the seat for a final, hard kiss.

Having worked each other up, it was not the easiest thing to get out of the car and revert to school acquaintances, and to wave them off casually, because at this stage we should not be close enough for them to wait with me.

It wasn’t until I was mid-flight that I remembered the message and took a trip to the bathroom to unbutton my shirt to find a trio of overlapping love bites, neatly arranged in a triangle below my collarbone.

I touched the blue-purple marks. A challenge, a secret, a friendship. A year like no other. And, hopefully, years to come.

Playing games with my boyfriends.

END

Thank you for reading The Book of Firsts.