Catalina had expected to have to go to Suzee's room to retrieve a pair of pajamas, but the dresser already contained all-or at least a large amount-of her best friend's clothes. She found the sleepwear easily enough, selected a soft yellow nightgown, and waited her turn to use the bathroom and change.
Carmee went first, being the oldest.
"She takes really long showers in the morning," Mizee warned Catalina. "With all that hair, she needs to. But she's faster during the night."
Catalina nodded, although she thought that the older girl's hair was still quite short compared to their mother's. And if Mizee ever saw Radu's hair, she'd likely be astounded. But thinking about her Andromedan friend hurt. Just like thinking of everyone on the Christa.
"Mizee," she began, haltingly, "it might take me a little while to get used to how everything works."
"Oh, don't worry! You can ask us if you need anything." Mizee grinned. "We've heard so much about you over the years. It's so exciting to finally get to meet you, Catalina!"
"Did you ever think I was imaginary? That's what everyone thought about Suzee." She knew that invisible friends weren't as unusual on Yensid as in her own world, but that didn't necessarily mean everyone had believed Suzee from the start.
Mizee chewed on her lip, considering. "I was only six when she first started talking to you, but I think Mom and Dad believed that you were real from the beginning. Carmee, too." She laughed. "Wow! Did your friends really think Suzee wasn't real?"
Catalina considered. "At home, they probably saw it as a coping mechanism. Suzee did appear right after my parents died, so I guess they thought it was a way for me to grieve. No one teased me-my teachers made sure of that. But things were different while I went to the Staracademy. I know that some of them thought I was crazy. Now, they're seeing that she was real all along."
"You'll have the last laugh," Mizee agreed. "And Suzee."
"Definitely. I'll remind them of when they used to say Suzee was imaginary," Catalina assured her.
Mizee giggled. "Oh, you have to!"
Carmee returned then, wearing a nightgown. "Bathroom's all yours."
"You can go first," Mizee offered.
"No, you go on ahead," Catalina insisted.
She wanted to clear the air with Carmee, if she could.
Mizee glanced at her sister, then left the room. Carmee walked over to her bed, not paying Catalina any attention.
The room was certainly larger than the bunk room, but had a rather different vibe than the room she shared with Rosie. Obviously, there was the enhanced technology, which intrigued Catalina immensely. At the same time, the fun and personal nature felt missing. She remembered all of the stuffed animals Rosie had found in the cargo hold on the second day of their journey. After checking to make sure no one else wanted them, she'd promptly decorated her side of the room with them, even sleeping with one on occasion.
Catalina hardly begrudged the younger girl of this pastime. While she considered herself to be far too old for stuffed animals, Catalina had to admit they were adorable. Upon their discovery, the crew had wondered how they had they come to be in the ship's cargo hold in the first place. Thelma's memory banks were faulty, but she recalled other crews with children before them. Well, if the other journeys had been as long as theirs would be, it was likely that other kids had been on voyages, and outgrown them by the end, and left them on the ship.
Now, they decorated the bunk room of Rosie and, Catalina supposed, Suzee.
Catalina looked more closely around her new room. At the StarAcademy, some students decorated the space above their bunks with holographic images. Landscapes from their home, popular celebrities, photographs with family. Catalina's had similar decorations, although they were probably long gone by now. Maybe in storage, perhaps sent to her family, or even thrown out entirely.
The space here felt rather utilitarian. Enhanced by technology, but nothing personal separated the space the girls shared. Even the beds were identical, although much larger than the one she had slept in on the Christa or at school. Catalina sat down in the one that would be hers, indefinitely, and suddenly felt very lonely.
I'm not going to cry, she told herself.
She forced herself to take a deep, steadying breath.
Carmee turned over, facing Catalina. "You okay?"
Her tone didn't sound insincere, which was a good sign.
"Oh, I guess I'm just a little homesick," she admitted.
The older girl considered this. "Haven't you been away from home for years?"
"Well, yeah." Catalina sat down, facing Carmee. "But after the past year on the Christa, we've gotten to know each other pretty well. Besides," she added, feeling her voice crack just a bit, "I had Suzee. For some reason, I can't get in touch with her."
Carmee's eyebrows shot up. "Did you tell my parents this?"
"Of course I did!" Catalina couldn't hide her defensive tone. "We know she's alive, but we're still a little concerned."
Carmee wrapped a piece of hair around her finger. "It might be related to the stress of the dimensional tear as much as the planet atmosphere. Not that I'd know, personally. Until you showed up, I've never met anyone from another dimension."
"Me neither," Catalina pointed out.
Carmee stared at Catalina as though she was an idiot. "Suzee?"
Catalina shrugged. "We've never met face to face, though. We've been in contact all these years through our mental link. I've never even seen you guys before I showed up here."
Carmee laughed. "Good point." After a minute, she added, "Catalina? Let me know when you can talk to her, okay?"
"Okay," Catalina promised. Then, tentatively, she asked, "Carmee? Do you hate me?"
The girl looked surprised. "Why would I?"
Catalina shrugged.
"I barely know you, and I..." She paused. "Everyone says I'm rather cold at first. It's not personal."
Catalina didn't say anything, just nodded, which seemed like answer enough.
Before the awkwardness could get to be too much, Mizee came inside the bedroom, offering to give Catalina a refresher on how the bathroom worked. Catalina accepted, of course, and even took a nice shower before heading to bed.
When she put on that nightgown, she was delighted with how soft and roomy it was. So was her bed, when she climbed into it.
Catalina expected it to take hours before she fell asleep, especially without Suzee there, but when she opened her eyes next, it was morning.
Author's note:
We know from the TV show that Catalina is happy-or happy enough-on Yensid. Suzee reports early on that she's safe and she's fine, and in "Long Distance Calls," Catalina reassures her that everyone's being really nice to her. All the same, I expect that it would be a little odd to have someone you never met, from another dimension, just show up in your house. Mizee reacts with friendliness and curiosity-Carmee is rather more reserved.
The next chapter will be from Suzee's point of view, as will others in this fic.
If you're enjoying this, please let me know! :)