Chapter 10: Major Third Wheel

So this is kind of an apology for like doing nothing for three weeks. Please read and review :) They make my day.

"Luminara," her mother called from the kitchen, "remember to drop Barriss off at her friend's house!"

"Yes, mother," she yelled back, hurriedly pulling her hair into a loose bun. "I'm going now!"

She dashed down the stairs, simultaneously tucking her white tank top into her long black skirt. Barriss was having a music session with Obi-Wan and Cody, and she had to be there by ten. It took two hours on the tram from the border to get to the Stewjon sector, and it was eight o'clock already. And then she had to go join Gree and Taé to spend the afternoon with them in the Naboo sector.

Hooray.

"Put on a long-sleeved top!" Mother shouted as she ran past the dining table. "A headdress, too! Mirial has a reputation to uphold!"

"I'll grab a community cloak at the border!" was her reply as the door slammed closed behind her. The sun was already out, but Luminara disregarded the difference between the air-conditioned house and the baking street, plunging immediately into the foot traffic. People crowded around her, neighbors and teachers and veterinarians but all friends.

"Anyone seen Barriss?" she hollered.

"Saw her heading for the border a few minutes ago," Arwen Cohl, a fruit-seller on his way to market, bellowed back.

"Grab a community cloak while you're trying to get out, Nara," came someone's admonshing voice.

"Of course." With that, she started moving toward the path leading toward the exit. A few more minutes brought her in sight of her cousin, who was sifting through the community clothes racks, waiting patiently as Mirialans walked into the tram in single file.

"Here," the other girl said, thrusting a black cloak at her. "Let's go."

OooOooO

Toothbrush in his mouth, Obi-Wan stumbled to get the door. The bell rang again- the third time in the same minute.

"I'm coming!" he spluttered, but it came out as "Icoshing *splutter*".

Yanking the door open, he came face-to-face with his best friend, said friend's kind of- maybe-a-little-bit girlfriend, and the girl he was dating.

Cody pushed past him, holding Barriss' clarinet case and his own cello case, and he heard him dump them on the couch in the living room. Barriss followed him with a polite "excuse me", leaving him alone with Luminara.

"Have you even had breakfast yet?" she asked, seemingly scandalized.

He shook his head, toothpaste spraying her cloak.

"Then I'll make it for you," she sighed, and he was suddenly grateful that they were dating (even if it was just pretend).

OooOooO

Eirtaé stepped inside the café, immediately noting where her boyfriend and her best friend sat chatting, and strode confidently over to them. They smiled up at her as she slid into the booth, and she suddenly felt this strange sense of power. Only she could make them smile like that, only she could be loved the way they loved her and she loved that.

"Anything for you, dears?" the waitress asked.

"A medium caramel latte, please," she answered. "Decaf with nonfat."
The woman nodded approvingly, then turned to Luminara. "And you?"

"A large cup of the house roast would be great."

"Decaf?"

"No thanks."

"You keep drinking regular and the pounds are going to love you," Eirtaé admonished. Then, turning to the waitress: "A small cup of pomegranate tea for her. Gree?"

Her boyfriend, who had been staring obliviously out the window, turned his head and said absentmindedly, "Large house roast, regular."

The waitress moved away and Taé dropped her head on his shoulder, watching Luminara play with her fingers. "Stop that, Nara."

The Mirialan stopped, and she felt another rush of power.

"So where are we going?" Gree asked, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"We haven't been to the flea market in a while," her best friend suggested.

"That place is atrocious," she declared. "It's filled with all kinds of seedy people. Bounty hunters-" Gree tensed. "-and sluts with STDs-" Nara's gaze fell to her hands again. "-for a start. No, let's go to that new bookstore a few streets over."

"The white one with all the colored lights? It looks expensive."
"We don't have to buy anything," she said, exasperated. "It'll add to my reputation. None of the other É Society girls have gone yet, so they'll be asking me for all the details."

"Here you are, dears," the waitress announced, sliding their drinks off her tray. "Enjoy."

They said their thanks in unison and left the booth, clutching their paper cups. Taé led the way with Gree, and couldn't help but feel the power.

OooOooO

"Dammit!" Cody yelled from the hall, and Barriss heard the doorbell ring again. She was getting this strange sense of déjà vu. "I'm coming!" Then there was a thud- she strongly suspected he had tripped over something.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes and got up from the couch. "Come on, Barriss. Let's go save him."

She giggled and set down her clarinet, brushing her skirt down. He held the door open for her and they both slid out of the room.

Cody was sprawled beautifully on the floor exactly one foot from the door. He was looking pitifully at the door but didn't bother getting up.

Obi-Wan rolled his eyes again and opened the door.

Luminara was standing there, clutching a paper cup labeled 'tea'. And that honestly didn't make sense- her cousin despised tea.

"You're early," she pointed out.

The other girl smiled bitterly, and that was when Barriss saw the barest glimmer of tears in her eyes.

"You okay?" Cody asked, suddenly sitting up.

"No." It was said angrily, and her cousin entered the house, pushing her cup into Obi-Wan's hand. He proceeded to chug it down, smacking his lips, and the four of them automatically moved into the kitchen.

"We can talk about it," the oldest Fett offered again.

"Let's not." This time Nara didn't sound as angry, but that might have been because she was pulling out flour and sugar from the cabinets. "How about I make you guys cookies?"

OooOooO

He'd enjoyed himself with Eirtaé, but he would have had a better time if Luminara hadn't randomly ditched them as they entered the bookstore. After he had parted from Taé with a hug and a kiss, Gree had started on a search for his best friend. Which, incidentally, had collided with the search for his brother.

"COOKIES!" came a random yell from inside Obi-Wan's house. Speaking of brothers...

"NO! ME FIRST!" That was Kenobi for sure.

"WAIT, YOU IDIOTS!" And there was Luminara.

The door suddenly opened, and the smell of chocolate and cranberries wafted through. Nara's cousin Barriss was smiling politely at him. "Hello, Gree."

"Hi. I'm here to round up Cody. Can I come in?"

She nodded, so he rubbed his shoes on the doormat and walked in. "Are you guys done practicing?"

"We were done a long time ago," she laughed, gesturing to the three instrument cases lined up neatly in the foyer. "We've just been hindering Luminara's progress in making cookies."

Nara made the best cookies.

"Wait, did she say why she came here?"

Barriss' pretty face closed off a little. "I have no idea why."

He could almost hear the accusation hanging in the air- Isn't it your fault?

"Can I talk to her?"

"I don't know. Can you?"

"COOKIES!" Cody wailed desperately from the kitchen.

"ME FIRST!"

The Mirialan rolled her eyes and disappeared around the corner. Gree followed hesitantly.

Obi-Wan's usually spotless counters were covered in eggshells, flour, brown sugar, and clumps of dried cranberries. It smelled heavenly, though, which was probably because of the huge tray of cookies on the table.

His brother and his friend were being held back by Luminara, who had flour on her hands and berries in her hair.

She looks pretty.

He blinked. That was random.

Barriss was calmly packing cookies in a Tupperware container labeled "Take Home". As soon as she snapped the lid on, the two boys attacked the tray and grabbed three for each hand.

"Smells amazing," he offered to Nara, who was looking at him almost resentfully (and why was that? He wasn't the one who ditched).

"Major third wheeling happening," somebody whispered, and he whipped his head around to see Obi-Wan straightening from where he had been talking in Cody's ear.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"Well, you're oblivious, aren't you?" the other boy laughed. "I mean, honestly..."

Luminara wasn't looking at him anymore, but Gree could swear he saw something glitter from underneath her eyelashes.

And then he knew he had to make it up to her immediately, even if he still had no idea what was going on or why she ditched. So he suggested, "How about the flea market tomorrow?"

The corners of her mouth turned upwards, and he had his answer.

Please read and review. ~jedikhaleesi