Flexible Thinking for a Modern Life: Chapter 3
Added 2019-04-19 23:14:52 +0000 UTCSummary: A commission series for Alfalfa. Iris Fleurs, the stretchy daughter of a slime mother and a human father, tries to live her best life and feel comfortable in her own skin. Teenage rebellion ensues.
CHAPTER 3
Iris, Sarah, and Miguel hit the sidewalks, making their way home. Despite Sherry's best efforts at ruining their day, they kept their spirits high. If anything, their competitive fire, fueled by the prospect of showing up the heinous bitch, was stronger than ever.
The two had been walking home together since middle school, and they had all gotten accustomed to the usual bends they had to take, when they had to break off. They usually took their sweet time, and the odd detour into the commercial district was fairly regular.
Today, they stuck to the easygoing suburbs. Still developing and expanding, the cobblestone walkways beneath them were still freshly installed.
"Okay, so, first thing's first. Have either of you ever ran in a relay race?" Sarah had a planner in hand that she was scribbling into.
"Not really. Mom didn't want me doing athletics as a kid." Iris rubbed her shoulder. Miguel merely shrugged.
"Mm. Well, doesn't have to be relay. Any kind of track, really. Marathon, hundred meter sprint, that one minigame in Giuseppe Bonanza..."
"That's a video game, Sarah." Iris pointed it out, her mouth flattening.
"My parents only let me get a Omega Drive..." Miguel frowned, sticking his hands in his pockets. He kicked a pebble down the sidewalk.
"...Mmmmmm." Sarah hummed to herself, scribbling some things down.
"...What's that 'mm' sound you're making? That doesn't sound like a good sound." Iris tried to leer over Sarah's shoulder to look at what she was writing, imperceptibly growing a few inches.
"Well. You're all starting from square one, so I have to plan a regimen around that." Sarah explained, her pencil working feverishly. "Normally, for new runners, we work on stamina for the long term, but we're working on a deadline here."
Sarah flipped the planner around. The other two hunched over to get a better look. Sarah's writing was so tiny...
"...We have to wake up that early??" Miguel staggered back.
"Best time to do it. Gets the metabolism work, and the morning air's great." Sarah explained, deadpan.
"'Fifty pushups, fifty sit-ups, fifty laps around the track'?" Iris looked at Sarah with a look of concern. "That's insane, isn't it? Normal people don't do that, this isn't a comic book..."
"...I mean, you're the one with literal superpowers, so I dunno about that." Sarah muttered, closing her planner.
"Ugh, c'moooooon, this is different!" Iris whined, rolling her eyes.
"If you wanna stand an ice cube's chance in hell against Sherry, you'll need to get in shape." Sarah frowned. "You're the one who volunteered everyone for this, right?"
"I, I was on edge! Ugh, stupid Sherry..." Iris groaned. "I don't know what the hell her problem is, she's been stalking me since freshman year like a total creep."
"I guess when you're a star athlete, a successful student politician, and a goddess among mortals, you have to get your kicks somewhere." Sarah commented, putting her planner away.
"But she's a bitch! Am I crazy? Are we crazy? We can't be, right??" Iris pleaded, turning back and further to the both of them.
"Dunno. Maybe the entire school's sadomasochistic." Sarah pondered, rubbing her chin.
This was met by perturbed looks from both Iris and Miguel. Sarah remained as stoic as ever. "I mean. High school's the time where you experiment with this sort of stuff."
"That... that''s college, Sarah." Iris muttered.
"Ohhhhhhh. That makes much more sense." Sarah nodded.
"A-anyway, we aren't crazy, she's a real piece of work. She doesn't even laugh at my jokes..." Miguel hoisted his backpack. "Like I go up to her, and I ask her about the thing that's black and white and red all over, and she just up and walks away! What's that about??"
"Is it a prisoner at a riot?" Sarah asked with a tilt of her head.
"Wh- no! I mean, technically, sure, but..." Miguel wondered about that.
"...That's, like, an elementary-level joke, Miguel." Iris commented, her mouth flat.
"Yeaaah... I really gotta pull out all the stops with her." Miguel chuckled, shaking his head. "Just wish she'd give me the time of day, y'know?"
"...Why do you care what she thinks of you?" Iris asked.
"Yeah, aren't you gay?" Sarah cut in with a tilt of her head.
"Well, yeah, duh! 'Course I am! But it still sucks to get rejected like that..." Miguel sighed, slouching as he admitted it.
"Ah, don't worry Miguel. I'll laugh at your jokes." Sarah smiled invitingly.
"Awwww... thanks." Miguel blushed slightly, turning his head away. "...It's an angry zebra, for what it's worth."
"...Ohhhhh." Sarah paused to think about it. "...Heh."
"...You don't need to provide pity laughs..." Miguel groaned.
"Noooo, that's pretty much what Sarah's laughter sounds like." Iris commented, glancing aside.
"...Oh, crap, I gotta turn off here." Iris commented, turning towards the other two. "Catch you guys tomorrow?"
"Yup. First thing in the morning. Don't forget!" Sarah's eyebrows furrowed in her best attempt to be stern.
"I won't!" Iris called, breaking off from the group to veer right. It sounded like a rough training regimen, but... it was nothing she couldn't handle.
...Hopefully her parents wouldn't mind.
---
Iris was, as usual, the first to arrive home. Neither of her parents worked a traditional nine-to-five, so she had the house to herself for a while. This had its ups and downs; while it offered her the opportunity to let loose, it also meant she was expected to tackle a few chores in the meantime. Like getting a head start on dinner, and homework, and readings.
She checked the kitchen to make sure she had everything she needed for dinner, before returning to the living room. Rummaging through her backpack for her science textbook, she flopped onto the sofa, lying back to the assigned chapter. Resting her back against one of the armrests, and sprawling her legs over the other, she let the book lie in her lap.
They were starting with molecules and polymers. Iris would likely have to review the text a few time until it really stuck - there were a lot of vague symbols tossed about. At least the explanations came with conceptual illustrations.
...Reading this stuff too long was exhausting, and she had to double check the terminology every other sentence. It was getting tiresome. She yawned, stretching her arms and legs out, They slowly extended, doubling in length and piling up on the rug. .
"...Oop!"
She didn't realize her neck had stretched with her limbs as well, and when she relaxed, her three-foot long neck flopped backwards. The world around her flipped upside down as her head dangled downwards.
...And her hair was getting in her eyes. She tried to blow it away with a sarcastic puff, before she mentally willed her neck and her arms to retract back to normal length. With a cursory adjustment of her hair, she returned to the text, redoubling her focus. If she didn't get through the chapter in one sitting, she'd probably forget and be really confused later.
...She was contented to let her ropey legs sprawl for now. She kicked her foot back and forth.
"...'Natural rubber, produced in the Nigrebo Isles, is an example of a polymer. Polymers have so many common-place uses, and synthetic alternatives are a fixture of everyday life.'... huh," Iris adjusted her posture, sitting up in her seat. She took a closer look at her palm, twisting it back and forth.
Her body always had a slightly glossy sheen. It wasn't the most obvious thing, but if you shone a bright light - like from the table-side lamp - her body would reflect it. Remembering this, she angled the back of her arm to catch the light; it responded with a pretty glow.
"...So I guess this is, like, some kind of polymer too?" Iris mumbled,
Gently, her arm extended, watching her hand extend further and further away. She playfully let it loop in the air a few times, her eyes following its movements as it grew ten, fifteen, twenty feet in length. She reached for the ceiling effortlessly, splaying her fingers in all directions.
"...Well. It's 100% natural. Maybe there's a rubber tree in my... family... tree." Iris blinked, sighing to herself. Her extended hand reformed into a palm so she could smack herself in the face.
"C'moooooon, that's a joke Miguel would make..." She groaned.
Thump, thump, thump...
"Oh, crap, they're home!"
Iris whispered, sitting up straight. She willed her limbs to reform in a matter of seconds. Like a snake, her hand zipped across the room, following the arm as it retracted to normal proportions. Within seconds, Iris looked like an average normal girl once more, cradling her textbook in her arms.
The front door unlocked, and opened slowly.
"I'm hoooome..." Celes called out. She removed a white jacket, turning her back to Iris to hang it up. She let a heavy leather bag slump to the floor., one that looked more suitable for transporting sporting equipment than boutique supplies.
"Welcome home!" Iris replied, perhaps a little too enthusiastically. She took notice of Celes' bag. "Brought your work home with you?"
"Something like that. One day I'll get the guest bedroom back." Celes chuckled to herself, turning to Iris. "How was your first day at school?"
"Oh, it went fine. Miguel and Sarah are-"
"Iris, feet off the sofa." Celes gently chided with a frown.
"...Oh, whoops." Iris blushed slightly, readjusting her posture. She missed that small detail. "We're all in the same homeroom together."
"That's great, honey! They're good kids." Celes nodded. "I wondered what they were up to, we didn't get to see them during the summer..."
"Well, Sarah went back home to see her relatives. I think Miguel got sent to comedy camp." Iris folded her arms, trying to remember.
"...Comedy camp?" Celes inquired, tilting her head. "What on earth is that?"
"Uhhhh, based on some of Miguel's new material, it's... probably a joke." Iris shrugged.
"...mm." Celes' mouth flattened. "Well, Iris, I got some patterns I need to prepare for a client, can you get started on dinner? Your father will be home in an hour."
"Yeah, sure thing. It's Taco Tuesday." Iris rose to her feet to head over to the kitchen.
Taco Tuesday was a family fixture. Mostly due to the fact that making tacos was so easy, a kid could handle it. And Iris had a handle on the process, cutting the vegetables, cooking the meat, heating the shells...
---
"So we had a class from St. Moore's at the greenhouse today!"
The whole family was back together for Taco Tuesday, and everyone was in good spirits. Sier in particular was quite cheerful, loading up his plate with beans and rice.
"Field trip? The school year just started." Iris commented, stretching to reach the bowl of salsa. It was well out of arm's reach, but if she extended her arm a bit...
"Iris, mind your reach." Celes cautioned Iris.
"No mom, it's fine, I can reach it-"
"It's not a question of whether you can or cannot, it's a question of manners." Celes turned to Sier. "Sier, can you pass the salsa to Iris?"
Iris pouted, leaning forward a bit more. "Dad doesn't need to do a thing, this is-"
"Sier." Celes insisted.
"...Ah, right. Here you go, kiddo." Sier casually moved the salsa bowl a little to the left, placing it in Iris' outreached hand.
Iris blinked, slowly retracting her hand with a scowl. She silently piled faaaaar too much salsa on her tacos.
"Now where was I... well, school for those kids started a month ago. Oh, that was a hoot, I'll tell ya." Sier leaned forward. "Those little kids are like sponges for knowledge! We did a tour of the flowers, and I gave them a lesson on communicating in flowers..."
"...'The language of flowers'?" Iris raised her head. "What does that mean? Flowers don't talk."
Sier stared, not sure what to make of Iris' comment. He cleared his throat. "W-well, no, they don't talk, but... they still have symbolism and meaning. Like... a daisy represents innocence and purity, and a carnation represents pride and beauty... and a rose is shorthand for passion and r-romance."
Sier tugged at his collar, glancing over to Celes. She chuckled, averting her gaze. "Not in front of Iris, dear..."
"...It's pretty interesting stuff, but I think the kids were too young for it. None of them got their cooties shots yet, heheh." Sier laughed. "They were really into watching all the butterflies! Though I wonder where they get their ideas... a couple of them wanted to watch beetles fight."
"O-oh no, that sound dangerous." Celes covered her mouth.
"Well, it's not dangerous, but I'm preeeetty sure it's illegal." Sier squinted. "It's okay though, I got to show the kids the dung beetles instead!"
"...Dung... beetles?" Iris inquired, her eyebrow raised.
"Yeah, the boys love it! They roll up excrement into a little ball for easy transport, and then they eat-"
"Iris! Why don't you tell your father how your day went at school??" Celes interrupted him, urgency underlying her tone.
"R-right, yeah." Iris swallowed. Good save on her mother's part. "Not a lot happened, uhhh... got to see my friends again... we got some homework... oh, and we're gonna participate in a relay race on the weekend."
"Relay race?" Sier paused, looking up from his plate. "...That sounds fun! Is this at school?"
"Yeah. It's for cancer research, and... stuff." She made a sidelong glance towards her mother; Celes' mouth was flat, a complicated look on her face.
"Well! I'm glad you and the other kids are getting involved for a good cause! Your mother and I'll be out there to cheer you on." Sier glanced over to Celes. "Isn't that great, Celes?"
"...I mean..." Celes rubbed her hands together underneath the table, trying to pick her works very carefully. "...Will you be alright, Iris?"
"What? I'll be fine. It's a relay race, not a marathon." Iris laughed, trying to defuse her mothers worries.
"W-well, there's that, but..." Celes lowered her head. "It gets hot out on the track, and I wouldn't want you to, um..."
Celes paused, leaning forward. Her cheeks were tinging a dark purple as she whispered.
"...to melt."
"Ugh, mooom!" Iris leaned back in her seat, rolling her eyes. "I'm not that delicate, I can handle a few laps!"
"I-it's a perfectly normal thing that happens to... to girls like us! When you get exhausted, you lose your focus, and your body just goes... thbpt!" Celes pantomimed, complemented by the sound of her tongue letting out a raspberry.
"That's ridiculous, I'm not gonna just pass out on the field!"
Iris scowled, folding her arms. True, she was a bit... sweatier than the other girls in gym class, but that's what deodorant was for!
"Is that why you wouldn't let me sign up for soccer?" Iris asked, her eyes glaring. "Because I couldn't handle it??"
"No, Iris, don't be ridiculous! It was a precaution." Celes shook her head sharply. "What would the other kids think if their teammate melted down into a puddle?"
"Of course, protect the other kids from your own freaky daughter..." Iris rolled her eyes. "I could've been a great goalkeeper, you know! Don't even have to move to block a shot..."
"...Using powers for something like that is cheating." Celes frowned, leaning back in her chair as she folded her arms. Iris looked away, eager to avoid Celes' judgmental look..
"I dunno, honey, I doubt they have anything in the rulebook for elastic players." Sier piped in.
"S-Sier! Can't we be on the same team here...?" Celes turned to him, an exasperated look in her eyes.
"I-I mean, you really need to leave that kind of decision-making to the officials..." Sier stammered. He turned to Iris. "So you really wanna run in this relay thingy?"
"Yes! I have to, it..." Iris stopped herself from going too far into detail; the nuances of high school melodrama had nothing to do with her parents. "...It's important to me."
"Well. I think that's all I needed to hear." Sier grinned, glancing to Celes. "Let the girl run, she wants to get out there."
Celes paused, considering the idea. She stirred a little in her seat.
"...I don't know, I... if something goes wrong, I... I don't want the other kids making fun of her." Celes explained.
Iris hoped for a second that her mother would've relented, but still she stuck to her guns. She sighed with aplomb, deflating in her seat as she flopped against the table, folding her arms.
"Ugh, people are gonna make fun of me if I don't do this anyway..." Iris muttered.
"...People are making fun of you??" Celes asked, eyes wide with concern. "What's wrong? Should I talk with the principal?"
Iris realized she let something slip, and went on the defensive.
"N, nothing's wrong! I just wanted to do a race, for charity!" Iris was getting heated, her mother was being ridiculous! "I should've expected Mom to make a federal fucking issue out of-"
"Language!" Celes interjected with a sharp tone. Iris just clicked her tongue. This was the last straw for her.
Iris wasn't angry enough to curse out her mom; she had just enough self-control to rein in the remaining expletives in her vocabulary, rising from her seat storming off without a word.
"Iris, wait a second-" Celes tried to call out fruitlessly. The two parents watched as their daughter retreated up the stairs, her stomping echoing through the house.
The two parents flinched as the cacophonous sound of Iris slamming the door to her room rang throughout the house.
"Not on Taco Tuesday..." Sier muttered sadly. They couldn't have nice things, it seemed.
"This isn't over." Celes scowled, rising from her chair. "I'm gonna go up there and-"
"...Let it go, Celes. She needs to cool off." Sier shook his head, going back to his food. "Bickering won't help anyone while you're both hot under the collar."
Celes paused as Sier signaled her to sit back down. She hesitated, slowly lowering herself back to her seat. Sier had a point, but... Celes was a worrier, always has been.
"...Iris..."
Celes frowned, turning back to the table with a heavy sigh. She didn't seem to want to touch her food.
"...What're we going to do about her, Sier?"
---
