Story One
First Love
~Cause all I know is we said, "Hello"
And your eyes look like coming home
All I know is a simple name
Everything has changed
All I know is you held the door
And you'll be mine and I'll be yours
All I know since yesterday
Is everything has changed.~
~Everything has changed by Taylor Swift
Planet Shlorp
He was popular among his Peers. He is compassionate, funny, risky, bold and knows a thing or two in the bedroom. A "Good Time" to go to when having a bad day and even "A Dirty Little Secret" his Professors will contact in the middle of the night. He wasn't the smartest Shlorpian around, but he knew how to draw Shlorpians in thanks to his fun-loving personally and flashy smile. So it was no surprise he caught the attention of a pretty Pink Shlorpian on his first day of his Basic Pupa 101 class.
But not in the way he expected. She caught him during one of his low points. Something Most of his "friends" would ignore til they need something from him.
His assigned seat was next to her, getting a few gruffs and snuffs from his Fellow Classmates for having such a privilege. A telltale sign he wasn't the only one who noticed the Pink Smokeshow. He can tell by the way she prepared herself for this class that she was one of the smart ones, the Loyal, "Don't ask questions" and "Conformity is Cool" ones. She already had her tablet out and electric pen to take notes with this exciting look on her beautiful face. Obviously, she chose to be a Pupa Expert unlike him.
He was just there because there was no other place that would take him. He was too clumsy to be a Bounty Hunter, had too much of a short attention Span to be a Data Analysis (Something he heard his little Replicant was in now), too dumb to help build ships and buildings, and he nearly killed a large batch of Replicants due to him neglecting to water them, so Pupa Expert was his last shot.
If he fails this program, he'll be sent to work in the fields on the outskirts of the city. Slaving away day in and day out to grow food for the Rich to eat while they sunbathe. He gritted his teeth from the thought
"Don't be nervous, it's only the first day."
His eyes trailed over to the pink Shlorpian next to him smiling at him while waiting for him to respond. He quickly hides his woes and smirks. "Nervous, what makes you think I'm nervous?"
"You were smiling awfully forcefully there." She said, before holding out her hand. "I'm Number 626330 by the way."
He stared at her hand before shaking it with his own. "Nice number, but what's your name?"
She giggled, "I don't think we're at that personal level to know our names, yet."
"We can be, if you want. I'm quite popular around here. A good Shlorpain to go to for a Good Time."
Her smile slightly dropped a bit, but kept her cool. "Oh, You must be Terrence?"
His grin grew even larger. "Wow, good guess.
She let go of his hand and chuckled at his remark. "Well, like you said, you're very…popular."
"You can call me Terry for short if you like. All my friends do."
"My friends call me Terri as well." She said, showing off her name on the back of her tablet. Next to it was a sticker that said "Future Pupa Expert"
That just made Terry grin even wider. He never thought he would get to sit next to a Hottie with the same beautiful name as sense of dread of being in this class soon vanished after that.
While their introduction was sweet and smooth, it didn't take long for Terri to see past his funny and some would say "Distraction" charm. While they were getting along well and slowly forming a nice friendship, his laziness and procrastination was a sore topic she would point out constantly, leaving him feeling standoffish to pursue her to take her back to his place. He lost count how many times she would nudge him to wake up during class, leave dozens of messages on his Phone Watch about his half of the assignments she needed in order to finish their projects, and lecture him about being late and let's not forget all the coldness she would give him whenever she caught him flirting or partying with random Shlorpians till the early morning hours. Honestly, with all the nagging, he would've bailed the stuck-up pink Shlorpian a long time ago, if it wasn't for this strange feeling he's been having about her.
And for once, it had nothing to do with trying to sleep with her. In fact, as the months went by and the more they were spending time together, he couldn't get himself to go out for a quick laid. He just didn't have it in him with Terri on his mind with her disappointing look and it felt like he was disrespecting her after all the things she's done for him.
While others would yell at him for his incompetent and foolish behavior, Terri would voice it in a more softer and concerning way. Showing off her disappointment and a pinch of hurt that he couldn't do half the stuff she did for him. She was probably the reason he was scraping by in the Academy and hasn't been on the Higher UP's spit list. She was tough and firm, but caring all at the same time and it wasn't just her passion she had in school that caught his eyes, it was the way she could make him relax. A comfortable silence he hasn't experienced in so long and was very well missed. He didn't need to act out or entertain her in order to prove a sense of worth, she was just happy to have him sit with her while she read or just enjoy the outside fresh air.
After a year of just being classmates and realizing he was falling for her, he decided to make his move. They were sitting in Library one night (the library for fuck sake, a place he would never step foot in, but did it so Terri could study for their final exam) and thought it would be a perfect time to tell her. There were only a handful of Shlorpians in the building and the atmosphere just felt right, but…
He wiggled his robe's collar for the hundredth time while staring at Terri across the table. Her face and attention was head deep in her book while chewing on her electric pen to notice his anxiety and his top head bubbling with gooblers eager to come out. How strange, normally expressing himself wouldn't be so hard, but he's never been in love, he had many one-night stands, FWB and booty calls, but was never in love. How could he tell his friend that he wanted to be something more with her…especially since she never showed any signs that she felt the same-
"Is something wrong with your robe?"
He snapped out of his thoughts to see Terri looking at him with a questionable face. He swallowed and looked down at the book he was pretending to read and realized he was still on page one. "My Robes?" He asked.
"Yeah, is something wrong with it, you keep tugging on it." She asked
"Oh!" He laughed nervously, "Sorry, it's just a bit warm in here that's all." He said and unbutton the top button of his robe causing his rectangle gem to slant.
Terri raised a brow, but giggled. "You look nice that way."
He looked down at the simple change he did on his Robe, the ugly, uncomfortable garb that had no taste of style or color. "You really think so?"
She giggled again, "Oh yeah, totally cool. So rebellion." She said in a lovely sarcastic way.
He smirks, "What can I say, I just look good in anything, my Boo."
She didn't laugh at his pet name, but he could see the velvet blush forming on her cheeks. "Are you nervous about the Exam tomorrow?" She asked, while placing her book down to give him her undivided attention.
"Exam?" He asked, forgetting why they were here in the first place.
She frowned, "Yes Terry, the final exam tomorrow. The one that's going to see who's going to advance to the next class and get a real live Pupa? Remember?"
"Oh right, right. Duh, I didn't forget, Terri. I mean, why do you think we're in this place full of books."
"You mean the library." She corrected him.
"Yes, the library…to study…for the final exam…" He said, while playfully flipping the pages in his book to show her he was reading. He can tell she wasn't buying it, but she smiled nonetheless. "And I'm not nervous, I have a feeling I'll pass this exam with flying colors" He beamed.
"I have seen a lot of improvement over the months, you should be proud of yourself." She said, before going back to her book. "I know I am."
A small pang of guilt hit him. Oh yeah, he has shown some improvement in his work and it was thanks to him paying off a friend who knew how to hack the computers for the Answer Sheets. He made sure to put enough correct answers on the test for an average grade, so they wouldn't catch on. He didn't even tell Terri since he enjoyed their lunch and study dates together.
"...I'm kind of nervous though. They only made a hundred Pupas so only a hundred can advance to the next class."
"Oh please, Terri, you're in the Top Ten, I'm sure they have a Pupa all ready to go just for you." He said as a matter of fact. "In fact I bet it will be the one that will save our species from being erased when the time comes."
She hummed, "That would be something, but let's hope that never happens in our lifetime."
"I doubt it, I mean what are the odds that our planet will explode anyway? I think it's a complete waste of time to have everyone prepare for extinction that will never happen."
Terri rolled her eyes and smiled. "Oh Terry, what am I going to do with you?"
Then it happened without even thinking about it, his arm reached across the table and placed his hand down right on top of Terri's, getting her to look up at him from her book. She blinked and he squeezed her hand gently. "How about be with me…forever…" He whispered, while not sure if he could call that as a confession or a proposal. It just came out and as cheesy as it sounds, he decided to roll with it. Terri was just looking at him like a failed math test, so he took her other hand and clasped them all together. "Terri…I lov-"
"-I need to go!" She said, loudly while getting up from her chair to leave. Leaving before her bag and the books she was going to check out.
She was nearly out of the room before he could mutter a single word. He flew out of his seat, knocking it over. "Terri, wait…Terri!" He ran after her till they were both outside with him still calling out her name. It was dark, so the only source of light was from the other buildings around them and the lampposts on the sidewalk. He knew she could hear him, because every time he would call out to her, she would walk a little faster while making sure not to look back. "Terri…I'm sorry…just forget what I said…fuck…will you slow down…" He heaved. He was out of shape and could already feel blisters forming on his feet due to his tight boots. "Will you talk to me?" He shouted in desperation, forcing her to stop underneath a streetlamp.
When he finally caught up to her, she was mad to the point, her eyes were watery. "I'm not stupid, Terry, so don't think you can play with my emotions like that." She said, while wiggling a pointed finger in his face.
He panted, bending down a bit to catch his breath. "Terri, I'm…I'm…not playing here." He exhaled. "Fuck, you walk fast."
Terri sniffled, "I like you Terry, but I'm no fool. My friends…my social circle…when I told them about you, it was the same reaction. He's funny, he's good-looking, and great for a "Good Time." But that's all he is: A "Good Time." because he will sleep behind your back or get tired of you and toss you aside, but either way, it will hurt and…and…I don't want that."
He sighed, never knowing his reputation would bite him in the ass later, "I get it…I really do, because even I can't believe it, but…" He straightened himself up, slightly towering her due to his height and stared deep into her beautiful eyes. "I love you, Terri…you're so smart and amazing and caring…I'll be the dumbest Shlorpian on this planet to use you and give you up so easily…I mean I know I'm a little dumb, but not that dumb…boy, I'm making this longer than it should be…(Deep breaths, Terry, you can do this) He thought before gaining back his composer. "I just want to be with you." He confessed while gently grabbing her trembling hands again. They were so soft and warm.
She was still unsure, "Terry, it won't work, we're too different and that's fine since we're friends, but-"
"If it doesn't work out, alright, there won't be no-hard feelings, that I can promise and I know I'm not the easiest guy to deal with, but all I'm asking is for a chance." He said, giving her a soft, assuring smile while pressing his forehead against hers. "I really do love you."
When she didn't say anything, he was about to take it as a rejection, only to be stunned by her kissing him softly on the mouth. He didn't waste time pulling her close in a tight hug while kissing her back with passion. Even going as far as twirling her around while promising himself he will never let her go. When they parted, Terri stroked his cheek and smiled "I love you too…" She whispered, before he captured her mouth for another kiss.
Terry couldn't wait to spend the rest of his life with her.
Sadly, a month later, word spread of an asteroid heading in their direction, giving everyone on Plant Shlorp a year to plan their evacuation….
