Warning: This chapter has mention of transphobia and intentional deadnaming, along with other derogatory terms towards LGBTQ+ people.
Also, Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone!
Chapter Two: Hanging Out
Vee sat in her bunk, reading up on Latin culture. She especially liked the dancing they did, the way they moved their hips, the way their arms flailed about, as if they had a mind of their own. The door opened. Vee looked up from her tablet to find Willow standing there.
"Vee!" Willow said excitedly. "Come downstairs! We got something to show you!"
She was about to ask if they found any magic, but Willow left before she could. She slithered down and followed her down the stairs. They ended up in the living room, where Camlia was holding her hands behind her back, with everyone else sitting on the couch or the floor.
"I smell magic!" Vee said excitedly.
"You have a good nose," Camila laughed. She showed her hands, presenting her the training wand they'd retrieved from the Gravesfield Historical Society. "It's not a deck of cards, but it's something!"
"A wand?" Vee asked, taking it out of Camila's hand. "I didn't realize Witches actually used wands."
"It's a training wand," Amity told her. "It's typically reserved for Witches who can't perform higher tier spells, so it holds a lot of magic."
"And Jacob had it all this time?" Vee asked. She inspected the wand, admiring its smooth design. "What an idiot."
"He probably didn't realize what it was," Amity said. "You know that one looks exactly like my old training wand. Must be the same model."
"How'd it even end up here?" Gus asked.
"Eda, probably," Luz replied. "She didn't just sell human stuff in the Demon Realm, but magic stuff in the Human Realm."
"That is HIGHLY irresponsible!" Camila said. "What if this wand ended up in the hands of someone smart enough to use it?"
"Fortunately, it didn't," Willow said. "How much magic is in it, anyway?"
"About half its capacity," Amity told her. "The best part is that we can charge it up using our magic, so Vee can have a constant source."
"You can do that?" Vee asked.
"Yeah, it's not that hard," Amity replied.
"You can't do the same with ordinary batteries?" Camila asked.
"I tried that last week," Amity replied. "The stupid thing melted in my hands."
"So..." Hunter said. "You gonna eat the magic, or not?"
Vee looked at the wand then opened her mouth. She started sucking out the magic, blue energy escaping from the wand and going into her stomach. It tasted delicious. When she was full, she couldn't help but sigh in contentment. It'd been such a long time since she'd actually been full.
"Wow, that was good," Vee sighed, dropping her herself on the couch. She looked at the battery, seeing it was now at empty. She could also see her stomach bulging a little at the amount of magic she'd eaten. She blushed; it was a little embarrassing. "So, I can eat about half and be full. That's good to know."
"Can you change your form?" Gus asked.
"Yeah, definitely." Vee stood up and was about to shift into her form from when they went to the arcade but stopped. "On second thought, I think I'll save the magic for when I go outside. I don't want a repeat of last time."
"We can charge up the wand a little bit every day until it gets full," Amity said, taking the wand from Vee. She put a finger on the bottom and the battery symbol started to glow as it charged up ever so slightly. "With Willow, Gus, and I working together, we can probably fill it up in two, maybe three, weeks."
"I can't wait to go back outside," Vee said. "I really wanna get the hang of my new form."
"Well, if you wanna do something outside, then maybe take this," Luz said, handing Vee the post-it note.
"A number?" Vee asked.
"It's Masha's," Amity told her. "They said they had fun with you at the arcade and wanted to hang out again."
"Really?!" Vee asked loudly. "No way! I'm gonna go call them right now! Thank you all, so much!"
Vee slithered out of the room, up the stairs, and into her room. She climbed up her bunk and grabbed her phone. She quickly tapped in the number and brought the phone to her ear. After three rings, Masha answered.
"Vee?" It really was Masha; Vee would recognize that lisp anywhere. "Is that you?"
"Hey, Masha!" Vee said happily. "Long time, no see!"
"Or hear, in this case," Masha replied. "So, I guess this means you got my number. Unless this was a misdial."
"No, no, I got your number!"
"Good to hear." Masha laughed on the other side. "So, whatchu doin'?"
"Oh, you know, just... hanging out in my room. You?"
"Oh, I'm at work. You know, where the bear attacked us?"
"You still work there?!" Vee asked, surprised to hear that.
"Hey, I'm not gonna let some stupid bear scare me outta my job," Masha laughed. "Besides, the odds of another bear attacking this place are even slimmer now. If anything, I'm safer here than anywhere else."
"That's good to know."
The two talked for almost an hour about what they'd been doing the last two weeks. Masha mostly just stayed home due to their injury, while Vee stayed home due to her lacking magic to maintain a human form (though she told them it was due to the stress of surviving a bear attack).
"So, I was thinking," Masha said. "Maybe you'd wanna come over my house tomorrow? My aunt bought me the new NS5 after the whole bear thing, but I haven't a chance to set it up since my arm was still healing. I'll call Marco and Darko, have them come over, too."
"Really?" Vee asked. "I thought the NS5's were super hard to get."
"My aunt has her ways," Masha bragged. "The boys told me how great you played after I left. I'd LOVE to see how you play on the NS5."
"I'll be there!" Vee said enthusiastically. "I'll have Ca-, I-I mean, my mom, drop me off!"
"Cool. Come over, say, 3 p.m.?"
"I'll be there!" Vee said again. "See you tomorrow!"
"See you tomorrow!"
Vee hung up the phone and fell into her bed, her lips in a wide smile. It'd been weeks since she'd been with her friends, her own friends, and she was looking forward to it.
At 3:12 p.m., Camila parked the car in front of Masha's house and hugged Vee. She'd taken the same form she'd taken last time, back at the arcade. She was excited to be with her friends again after all this time, even IF they didn't know it was her.
"I'm so happy you get to be with your friends!" Camila said. "And by the way, I love your new form! Especially the hair!"
Camila ruffled Vee's hair.
"I wanted to keep a little something from my normal form," Vee chuckled. She exited the car and leaned into the open window.
"Call if you want to get picked up early," Camila told her. "I'll be back by ten at the latest. Unless you spend the night here."
"I can sleepover?" Vee asked.
"If Masha's parents are okay with it," Camila replied. "I want you to have fun tonight. You've had a hard couple of weeks; you deserve this. Love you!"
"Love you, too!" Vee turned around and hurried to Masha's house. She stopped at the door and rung the bell. She took a deep breath and waited until the door opened. It was Masha's aunt, who was dressed in deep blue leotard and rainbow skirt. Her phone was strapped to her right bicep, which had a pair of earbuds attached to it.
"You must be Vee!" Masha's aunt said happily. "Come in! Come in! Masha's upstairs."
Vee turned around to give Camila one last wave. She watched as she waved back then drove off. "Thank you for inviting me into your home."
"Not a problem! Masha told me all about you. Said you were a HELL of a gamer!"
"I dabble," Vee said.
"I'm Masha's aunt Rose, by the way. Don't call Miss, or Ms., just Rose will do. Anything else makes feel old."
"How old are you?" Vee asked innocently. She looked her up and down, trying to figure it out for herself.
"You should never ask a grown woman her age," Rose said. "But I'm young enough to answer honestly. I'm thirty."
"Seriously?" Vee looked her up and down again. "I wouldn't have guessed that."
"I know, right?" someone said. Vee looked to her left, seeing Masha standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Aunt Rose's always going to the gym, exercising, you know, basic health nut stuff."
"I gotta burn off all the sweets and junk food somehow," Rose replied. She struck a pose, placing her hands on her hips. "If I didn't, I wouldn't be as hot I am, now, would I?"
"OK, you can go now Auntie!" Masha said, covering their face with a hand. "Bye!"
"Bye-bye, sweetie!" Rose pushed a button on their phone, put her earbuds in, and started jogging in place then ran out the door. "I'll be back in a few hours! Don't do anything I would do!"
"Did she say, 'would do'?" Vee asked.
"Yeah, she did." Masha walked over and closed the door. "Sorry about that. My aunt is a little too bubbly sometimes."
"It's no problem." Vee looked around the house. "What did she mean by, 'would do'?"
"Don't ask. Trust me."
"If you say so. So, are Marco and Darko here yet?"
"I told them to come later."
"Why?"
"Because I figured we could have a little girl time before they show up." Masha went up the stairs, Vee following them. "You know, get to know each other better, learn our likes and dislikes. See if you'd make a good fit for little group."
"You kinda make it sound like an interview."
"I suppose it is," Masha replied with a slight laugh. "If you're gonna be hanging out with us, then I need to know more about you. I know you're cool and brave, but I need to know a little more. And, no offense to the boys, but I consider myself the leader of our little friend group, so I figure I should do the 'interview'."
Vee couldn't help but agree with that. She thought back to their time at camp. Masha was always the one to take the lead back then, planning the activities, telling everyone what to do. They knew how to take charge. Though she didn't have to do an 'interview' back then.
They went to Masha's room on the second story. Their room was immaculate, completely organized and spotless. A dog with golden fur lay on their bed. It looked at Vee and tilted its head. It got up, walked over to her, and started sniffing her.
"Rosie!" Masha scolded. "Leave her alone!"
"I don't mind," Vee told them. "I like dogs. They're cute."
Vee bent down and pet Rose all over her face and back, letting her smell her face. She tilted her head again. The dog was confused by Vee's scent, knowing she wasn't human, but looking as if she were one. She didn't feel threatened, so she didn't get aggressive, but she was still confused. She tilted her head in confusion, which the teens thought was adorable.
"I've never seen her sniff someone so much before," Masha said. 'Is it because she's a shapeshifter?' they thought.
"How old is she?"
"Almost three," Masha replied. They joined Vee in petting her. "My Auntie got her for me after I moved in with her. She's kinda my best friend."
"Where are your parents?" Vee asked. Back at camp, they never mentioned their parents. She just assumed they lived with them.
"They died in a car crash three years ago," Masha said sadly. "They were supposed to pick me up from school when some drunk driver hit into them."
"Titan! I'm so sorry!"
"It was three years ago. I'm over it. As much as anyone can be anyways." Masha then looked at Vee with a questioning look. "Did you say 'Titan'?
Vee mentally slapped herself. She kept saying things without thinking! "Yeah! It's just... you know... something I say!"
"Cool. I prefer saying Goddess myself, but you do you, girl!"
"EEP!" Vee shot up when she felt Rosie sniffing at her butt, her cold, wet nose sending a slight chill up her spine. "OK! Butt sniffing is where I draw the line!"
Masha laughed, then guided Vee to their bed. They lifted a lid off a glass jar and took out some small, brown pellets, handing them to Vee, who sat on Masha's bed to get Rosie to stop sniffing her butt.
"Here, try these."
Vee popped some in her mouth and chewed. "MMM! These are good!" She kept Rosie away from her butt as she tried to sniff her, popping the rest of the treats in her mouth.
Masha just looked at her, then snorted. "I meant give them to Rosie to get her to leave you alone! They're dog treats!"
"Oh... uh... heh heh... I knew that. I was just kidding." Vee held out the treats, letting Rose lick them out of her hand.
Masha kept Rosie next them, letting her rest her head on their lap, the two occasionally giving her treats. When she thought Masha wasn't looking, Vee snuck some of the treats into her own mouth; they really were good.
They talked about their favorite shows, their favorite games. Vee already knew most of this stuff about Masha, and Masha Vee, but it was nice hearing it all again.
"So, how's your arm? Vee asked. "I heard you had to get a sling for it."
"It's fine." Masha moved their arm up and down, showing it off to Vee. "No permanent damage. Didn't even take the pain killers I was prescribed."
"That's good to hear." Vee pet Rosie's paw. "So, why'd you name your dog Rosie. Isn't that your aunt's name?"
"I named her after my aunt," Masha replied, giving Rosie another treat. "She took me in when I had nowhere else to go, so I wanted to honor her in some way. I thought naming Rosie after her was the best way."
"Aww, that's so sweet."
"When I first started dressing in girl clothes and wearing make-up, Rosie was the only one in my life that didn't look at me any differently. The kids at school looked at me like I was a different person, including Marco and Darko. Even my aunt was a little taken aback. They were all fine with it, it was just a little jarring for them."
"Sounds rough," Vee said.
"It was. The worst part was this one teacher, Mr. Johnson; he kept deadnaming me, even in front of other kids, even after he was told by the principal to call me Masha."
"'Deadnaming'?" Vee repeated. "What's that mean?"
"Oh, you don't know? It's when a person intentionally calls a transperon by their old name. It's like calling someone a slur, only more personal. My original name was Mark, but when I realized I was trans, I started going by Masha."
"I didn't know that was a thing." Vee, having been locked up most her life, was still a little unfamiliar with queer things and culture. "Why'd you choose Masha? Was it the name of someone you admire?"
"No, I just liked the sound of it. Got it from a tv show."
"That's a little anti-climactic."
"Not everything has to be deep and awesome." Masha fed Rosie another handful of treats. "Sometimes things are just simple."
"So, what happened to Mr. Johnson?" Vee snuck one of the treats into her mouth.
"He got fired after he called me a freak. I refused to raise my hand one too many times when he called me Mark, so he lost his temper. It was funny, too. Said I was probably just trying to get into the girls locker room to spy on the girls, said I would identify as a cat next and demand a litter box, said the water made me gay, which didn't make any sense." Masha let out a laugh, but Vee could tell it was forced. They were just trying to remember it in a positive light. Rosie started licking Masha's hand as her owner recalled the memory, sensing they were becoming distressed by it. "He actually called me a tranny in front of the whole class. I'd never been so embarrassed."
"What a creep!" Vee said with a disgust. She'd never been so mad before, not even when she was locked up and forced to feed on magic. "Why'd you never tell me about this before?"
Masha let out a little laugh. "Well, duh! We only met once before! Not really a conversation you have when playing video games. Or when a bear attacks you."
"Oh! Right! Sorry. Guess I forgot we've only hung out once before."
Masha laughed at Vee's embarassment. They knew she was talking about their previous friendship, back when she looked like Luz, but it was fun to mess with her a little.
"Anyway, I didn't have to worry about for him long. A lot of the kids recorded his little outburst and he got fired from his job. He kept getting the cold shoulder from everybody in town, even some hate-mail from what I heard, so he eventually moved to another town. And before you ask, no, I wasn't the one who sent the hate-mail."
"Well, good riddance. If I ever see that guy, I'm gonna give him a good kick right in the bad spot!" Vee kicked her leg up to show how serious she was.
Masha laughed at Vee's choice of words. She sounded like a little kid. Wait, was she?
"I've been meaning to ask," Masha said. "How old are you? Are you the younger or older sister?"
"Oh. I'm fifteen. So, the older sister."
"Oh, thank Goddess," Masha said under their breath, placing a hand over their chest.
"Why are you thanking-?"
"No reason!" Masha suddenly grabbed a large, black case from under their bed and presented it to Vee. "Check out what my Auntie got me." They opened the case, showing off a large collection of make-up and nail polishes.
"Whoa, that's a lot of make-up," Vee said, looking over the case.
"I know, right? My Auntie's really cool. She wants me to have the full girl experience, so she bought me the best make-up she could. You should see me without it; you wouldn't recognize me. She showed me how to put it on. Wanna try?"
"Sure!"
Masha started with some foundation on Vee's cheeks, making sure it was evenly spread like their Auntie taught them.
"So, what were you in juvie for?" Masha asked.
"What's 'juvie'?"
"Juvie. Juvenile detention?" Vee merely looked at them with confusion. "JAIL, girl! Remember? You said you spent some time locked up."
"I did?!" Vee thought back to when she could have said that, then recalled the night of the bear attack. "I did say that, didn't I?"
"Yeah, you did. So? What'd you do?"
"I don't really wanna talk about it."
"Oh, come on! I opened up to you, so you gotta open up to me. It's how being friends works."
Vee ran through any plausible excuses she could think of. She could only think of one. "I stole something."
"What'd you steal?"
"Just... something. Look, I-I-I don't really wanna talk about those days. They were very traumatic. Can we talk about something else?" Vee started heaving slightly, clearly uncomfortable with the memories.
"Right. Of course. Sorry." Masha thought the whole jail thing was just an excuse, but perhaps it wasn't; perhaps she really was locked up at some point. They were going to push further but stopped when they saw her trembling ever so slightly, a slight look of panic in her eyes. They wondered if she was a government prisoner, or even an experiment. "You know, I was kinda a prisoner before."
"You were?" Vee replied, surprised at the confession.
"Yeah. With Luz, in fact." Masha smiled as they wondered how Vee would react.
"With Luz?" Vee asked, tilting her head in confusion.
"You gotta hold still while I apply the make-up," Masha said, grabbing Vee's chin with their fingers and centering her face. They kept eye contact with Vee as they spoke. They couldn't help but admire her pretty eyes. "And yeah, with Luz. At Reality Check Summer Camp." Masha started gently applying blush to Vee's cheeks.
"Right! Of course! The... summer camp. Heh heh." Vee cursed herself for being so stupid. "So, um, why'd you go there?"
"I asked my auntie to send me there," Masha told her. As they explained why they went there, it occurred to them that they'd never actually told Vee about WHY they went there in the first place. "Marco and Darko told me their parents were sending them there after they were caught doing a ritual from Angelbaby Laughman."
"The anime?" Vee asked.
"Yeah. They blew the whole out of proportion; they were just having fun, not like they used actual blood. They told me the camp was used to make kids... boring. Conformist. BLEH!" Masha stuck out their tongue as if they were throwing up to show how much they hated the concept of the camp. "I figured I'd do my part to undermine them as much as possible."
"THAT'S why you went?!" Vee asked. She thought back to all the shenanigans Masha had gotten their friend group into; sneaking out at night, swimming in the lake without a chaperone or lifeguard (which Vee was actually completely against, despite Masha's insistence that they could do the rescuing and CPR if needed), the late-night scary stories, the underwear raids. They'd convinced some of the other campers to go along with their escapades, always telling them to break the rules they thought were unjust or oppressive, to undermine the counselors whenever they tried to make them into something they weren't. "Oh, man, that makes so much sense in hindsight."
"You act like you were there," Masha said with a small laugh, fighting back the urge to laugh out loud.
"I, um, I mean, uh... Luz told me! Yeah! She told me all about the things you did! It, um, sounded really cool. I could REALLY picture it!"
"Too bad you didn't go with her," Masha said. They grabbed some blue lipstick and twisted it open. "Purse your lips for me."
"What my lips?"
"Purse them. Like this." Masha pursed their lips, then gave made small kissing noises. "Like you're giving me a kiss."
"Oh. Um, okay." Vee pursed her lips, keeping her eyes open as she did so. Masha snorted a little at the sight. They started sliding the lipstick across her lips.
"As I was saying; too bad you weren't there. Would've been even more fun."
"I was... doing something else," Vee said through her lips. Her voice sounded squashed."
"Yeah," Masha snorted, pulling their hands away. "Time."
"Heh. Yeah. Time. Heh heh." Vee's face scrunched up a little as she spoke. She cleared her throat. "So, did your aunt know what you intended to do at camp?"
"Oh, she not only knew, she encouraged it; she's never been one for conformity. She actually made me give her updates on what I did and gave me suggestions on what to do next! She acted like I was a secret agent, trying to speak in code and calling me 'Changeling' as a codename. It was actually kinda fun."
"Sounds like it." Vee didn't know any of this before; she wondered why they never told her back at camp or when they returned home. "So, how often do you put make-up on?"
"Pretty much everyday. If I want to pass for a girl, it's kind of a requirement. My auntie lets me practice on her, since it's a little difficult to get the hang of it by yourself. First time, I swear, I looked like someone shot me the face with a shotgun loaded with make-up. I've gotten better, fortunately." Masha took the mirror out of the make-up case and held it up to Vee's face. "Take a look and tell me what you think."
Vee looked at her reflection. Her eyes widened; she was gorgeous! She felt her face then pulled back when she lightly smudged her lipstick by mistake. "You're amazing! I look so good!"
"I think my skills as an artist helped prepare me for make-up stuff," Masha bragged.
"Artist?" Vee repeated. She then remembered Masha's drawings she was also doing back at camp. "Oh, that's right, I forgot you draw! I always loved them. So dark and creepy!"
"You've seen my drawings before?" Masha asked innocently. Vee was obviously not that good at hiding the fact she already knew a lot about them.
"Um... Yeah! On... that site! You know, um... ArtDeviant?" Masha enjoyed Vee's stumbling over her words. "I actually follow you."
"But how'd you know that was me? I don't have my actual name up." Masha hid their smile behind their hand as Vee continued to stumble. It really was fun to mess with her.
"I... guessed?"
Masha laughed. Vee was really bad at improvisation.
"Well, I'm happy to meet a fan," Masha said. "Maybe I can autograph something for you later; what do you think?"
"That'd be really cool." Vee blushed at her constant stumbles.
Vee started doing Masha's make-up next. Unlike Masha, she wasn't very good at it. She pressed too soft at first, then too hard when she thought she didn't apply enough. She used the wrong colors, trying to make them compliment Masha's skin tone, but failed miserably.
"Alright, let me take a look," Masha said, reaching for the mirror.
"NO!" Vee said, keeping the mirror away from them. "I'm not finished!"
"Vee, I'm sure it's not that bad." Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Masha stood up. "That must be the boys. Be right back."
Vee breathed a sigh of relief as they left; she didn't want them seeing the horrible job she did.
Vee suddenly heard Marco breaking out into an uproarious laughter from downstairs; his laugh was very distinctive. She slapped herself when she realized she'd just let Masha be seen with such horrid make-up on. It continued all the way until they reached Masha's room.
"Alright, give me the mirror," Masha said. They took the mirror and inspected their face. They calmly looked themself over, pursing their lips and moving their eyebrows up and down. The only thing that was done well was their lipstick, but even then, it was a bad color to go with. Deep green.
"Hey, Vee," Marco said, holding his gut as he failed to stifle back his laughter. He pointed at Masha with his thumb. "Did you do this?"
"I'm not used to doing make-up," Vee replied with a blush. "Much less to another person."
"I think doing it to another person would be easier, but okay," Darko said with a shrug.
"You'll get the hang of it," Masha said. They opened their closet and looked at the full length-mirror inside, striking the same pose their Aunt Rose did. "I think this is a good look for me. What do you think?"
"I think you look... good." Vee didn't want to say they looked like the clown from that Stephanie Queen movie. She was so embarrassed; she really was bad at doing make-up.
"Thank you, Vee." They looked at boys. "At least SOMEONE has the common sense to compliment a pretty thing when they see one." They sat next to Vee and grabbed an alcohol wipe from the make-up bag, and started wiping off what Vee did. "But in all seriousness, I'll teach you how to do it properly next time. Auntie Rose would be more than happy to help."
"That'd be great," Vee said. She went for an alcohol wipe as well, but Masha stopped her.
"Oh, no, no, no, no, no! You keep yours on; you look way too good to take that off." Vee smiled at the compliment. Once Masha was finished wiping off the make-up, they sat back down.
"So, Masha told me you guys did a ritual from Angelbaby Laughman. Which one did you do?" Vee asked.
"You told her about that?" Darko asked.
"I told her a lot of things," Masha replied.
"Yeah, we did a ritual," Marco told Vee. "The one where the main character tries to summon the dark lord to Earth using virgin blood."
"Whose blood did you use?" Vee asked, pointing back and forth at the two of them.
"They didn't use real blood!" Masha laughed. "I told you that earlier!"
"Oh. Right. So, what DID you use then?"
"Corn syrup," Darko told her. "It's the stuff they use in movies, so it looked real."
"We were just fooling around," Marco said. "Not like it would've worked."
"Maybe if had that magic wand, it would've," Darko said.
Masha shot him a look that told him to shut up.
"Magic wand?" Vee asked.
"Yeah!" Masha said loudly, hoping to avoid Vee finding out they already knew about magic. "I had this novelty wand at the museum! Your mom bought it off me today."
"That's where they got the wand?" Vee asked.
"Yeah," Masha said. Despite their heart starting to race a little, they managed to keep their cool. Hoping to avoid Vee asking questions about the wand, Masha decided to change the subject. "So! Now that the boys are here, how about we set up that NS5!"
"FINALLY!" Marco said. "I've been waiting forever!"
"I still can't believe your aunt actually managed to get one," Darko said. "She must have connections or something."
Masha led them downstairs to the living room, where the game was still in its box. They opened it, carefully, so as to not damage the box. They treated the machine almost as if it were a holy object.
"So cool!" Vee said. She ran her fingers across the white plastic. "So smooth. Not at all like the NS4."
"What games you got for it?" Darko asked.
"Auntie told me I could use her credit card to buy some on the online store. Only two, though."
The kids set up the console, logging onto Masha's internet and powering up the console. They set it up to Masha's account, then scrolled through the games. They settled on Ultra Crush Sisters Scuffle 3 and Immortal Combat 1 (despite the name, it was actually the latest in the series). Vee hadn't realized until they set the clock but was already a little after six; she'd been having so much fun, time just flew by. As they booted up the game, the front door opened.
They all looked to find Rose back from her run. She was sweating profusely, holding a near empty bottle of water in her hand. "Hey, kids." She was out of breath. She opened the bottle and finished it off. She then removed her earbuds, letting them dangle off the phone. "You hungry? I can order something if you want."
"Pizza would be good," Masha said. "Vee, you like anchovies, right?"
"Yeah, that sounds great!" Vee replied. "Wait, how'd you know I like anchovies?"
"Uhhhh... Luz likes them!" they said quickly. "I just assumed, being sisters, you had the same tastes."
"Oh. That makes sense." Vee laughed inwardly; Luz actually hated anchovies on her pizza.
"Alrighty, I'll order the usual and one anchovy." Rosie huffed. She held her stomach, which growled angrily. "Maybe I'll get double what we get. I'm starving."
The teens played their new game, completely engrossed in it until the pizza arrived half an hour later. They stopped to eat, each enjoying their favorite toppings. Masha had meatballs, Darko had pepperoni, Marco plain (as in not even cheese or sauce, which no one understood, not even Vee), and Vee anchovies (she loved fish). Rose ate with them, her pizza having several toppings, including all of the kids as well as some extras. Olives, bacon, even pineapple.
"I don't know how you never gain weight," Masha said to their aunt, resting their slice on their plate. "Even with all the exercising you do, you shouldn't be that skinny."
"High metabolism, I guess," Rose replied as she finished her second slice. She handed the crust to Rosie and grabbed another slice. "Believe me, though, without my exercise routine, I'd be as big as a cow."
"Or a bear," Masha said, giving a small snort. They looked at Vee. "Get it?"
"I get it," Vee snickered. She suddenly lost her grip on her drink, dropping it on her lap. "Oh, man!"
"It's fine," Rose said, standing up. "I'll get some paper towels." She left and came back with several sheets of paper towels, handing them all to Vee, who put all of them on her lap. Fortunately, there wasn't much soda in it, so none of the liquid had fallen on the couch or carpet. "Masha, think you can lend her some clothes?"
"It's not a problem," Vee said. "It's just a little soda."
"Nuh-uh, sweetie," Rose said. "You'll be sticky and start to attract bugs. Go get changed."
"Come on, I've got some pretty cute things you can wear," Masha said. They stood up and gestured for Vee to follow. When she didn't, they grabbed her by her wrist and pulled her up. "Come on!"
Vee apologized profusely to Rose as she was pulled away by Masha. They went to Masha's room, where Masha opened up their dresser and started going through their clothes. Vee felt her stomach; it was sticky from the soda.
"Try these," Masha said, handing Vee a top and a pair of shorts. "I think you'll good in them."
Vee took the clothes and inspected them; a red T-Shirt with half a skull and half of Earth on it, and a pair of grey, denim shorts. She didn't actually NEED the clothes, since what she was wearing was technically her skin, but she couldn't very well tell them that.
Vee stood there for a few seconds, while Masha stared. She looked at the door, then at Masha. She then tilted her head to the door. They still didn't take the hint. "You gonna... you know?"
"Huh? Oh!" Masha exclaimed. "RIGHT! Sorry. Wasn't thinking there for a second!"
Masha left the room, closing the door behind them. Vee, not knowing what else to do, put on the clothes. She had to shapeshift the ones she was wearing off first. She'd never really worn clothes before, so she didn't know what to do. She pictured the other girls at home in their clothes, how they dangled ever so slightly, something she never had to worry about. Vee then changed her clothes into that of her skin tone, complete with a belly button, but wearing only black, plain underwear. It was weird how exposed she felt.
"If you need some underwear, you can take a pair!" Masha said through the door. "They're in the top drawer!"
Vee looked at the drawer and opened. She inspected the underwear, then morphed her upper and lower body into the ones she thought looked best, just in case the clothes dangled enough to see under them, like she'd seen with so many humans. She didn't want to use Masha's underwear, though; that seemed a bit too... personal. She closed the drawer. "I'm fine! They didn't get wet!"
Vee put on the clothes and checked herself out in the mirror; it was weird having actual clothes on. Even with the clothes on, she still felt a little exposed. It was nice, but weird. Maybe she would have to look into doing this more often; if nothing else, it would look more natural whenever she went out.
Vee opened the door to see Masha standing by it. "Let me see," they said, grabbing Vee by the shoulders. They put their thumb and pointer finger on their chin. "Oh yeah! That look DEFINITELY suits you!"
"Really?" Vee asked. She stretched out the hem of the shirt. She did like the symbol on the shirt.
"Totally. Strike a pose!"
"What?"
"A pose! Strike one!"
"Uh... okay." Vee flexed her arms awkwardly, as if showing off her biceps, not sure what else to do.
"Not exactly what I meant," Masha laughed. "But good enough. We'll work on poses later. For now, let's go back downstairs. Nothing worse than cold pizza."
The two went back downstairs.
After eating, while Rose went into the kitchen to get some work done on her laptop, the teens resumed playing. Masha couldn't help but notice Marco watching her as she left and paused the game.
"Could you not do that?" Masha asked in a judgmental, slightly disgusted, tone.
"Do what?" Marco asked innocently, already knowing what they meant.
"Stare at my aunt's ass. It's creepy."
"How is it creepy?" Marco asked.
"Cause she's, my aunt!"
"Hey, I had a crush on her long before I met you," Marco said. "Therefore, it's allowed. It's called the grandfather clause."
Vee laughed at that. "Why are you getting mad, Masha? It's not like he has a chance with her anyway. Even if they were same age, I doubt she'd pay him any mind."
"Ouch," Darko said. "Talk about a burn."
"Whatever," Marco laughed. "Still, I'm allowed to look."
"Just don't make it so obvious."
"Deal."
They resumed their game.
Vee, just like before, was destroying them all. Even when they teamed up against her, they still lost. In the ninety minutes they were playing, they only beat her three times. The first time was legitimate; the second was because she felt bad and let them win (but only just barely); the third was because she kept scratching herself due to the clothes rubbing up against her skin, making her lose the game.
"Is that seriously the time?" Darko asked when he looked at the clock. It was almost eight. "My parents are gonna end me if I break curfew again."
"Mine, too," Marco said. He took out his phone and called his parents. "I'll call them for a ride. They can drop you off on the way."
"Thanks."
The boys left thirty minutes later, leaving Masha and Vee alone. Lacking four players, they decided to play Immortal Combat 1. Neither had played the game before, so they were evenly matched at first. However, Vee got a much faster handle on the controls than Masha.
"You're so good at these games!" Masha said. They looked at Vee, deciding to try something a little risky now that the boys were gone and they were alone. "You know, if you played sports half as good as you played video games, you'd be unstoppable."
"I'm not really into sports," Vee replied. "Too much activity, not enough creativity."
"I hear that!" Masha paused the game.
"Why'd you pause the game?"
"Because I wanna do something," Masha replied. "Something I didn't wanna do with the boys or my aunt around."
"Go to the bathroom?" Vee asked. Masha laughed then looked at Vee. They put a hand on the couch and leaned in. Vee backed away slightly as they neared her face. She could feel her heart beginning to race ever so slightly as they neared her. "Masha? Masha, what are you doing?"
"Something I've wanted to do since camp," Masha replied with a whisper.
Suddenly, Masha closed their eyes and kissed Vee. Vee's eyes widened from the sudden kiss. She sat there, frozen, not able to think. She looked back and forth, not sure what to do. Masha pulled back, opening their eyes and keeping eye contact with Vee.
"Wowzers," Vee said.
Masha snorted at her choice of words. "Wowzers?" they asked.
"I couldn't think of anything else."
They were silent for a moment. "Did you like it?" Masha asked.
"I don't know," Vee said.
"You don't know?"
"I don't know," Vee repeated. She was having trouble processing what just happened.
"Can I do it again?" Masha asked with a sly smile. "You might know if we do it again."
"I don't know," Vee said again.
"You gotta expand your vocabulary."
"I-I mean... if you want to? I... wouldn't stop you."
Masha snickered. "Good." Masha kissed her again. Vee didn't do anything again, merely sitting there. After a few seconds, however, she started kissing back. She didn't know what to do, so she just moved her lips left and right. It was super awkward. Masha once again pulled away.
"So?" they asked. "Did you like it?"
"I don't know," Vee said again.
"You don't know?" Masha asked with deadpan tone. "To reiterate; 'expand your vocabulary'!"
"Maybe if we do it again?"
Before Masha could agree, Vee kissed them. The kiss was better this time, more mutual, natural. Vee opened her mouth to try and do it better, but suddenly banged her teeth against Masha's. The two separated, holding their mouths. They started laughing.
"That hurt!" Masha said, unable to control their laughter.
"I know!" Vee laughed back.
They continued laughing for a few seconds before resuming their kissing. Vee hadn't expected this from Masha. She expected to simply come over and play some games, reestablish their former friendship. She wasn't expecting for them to start kissing her, much less to kiss them back. She'd never thought of them as more than a friend, but she was liking this. She wondered if this was how Luz and Amity felt whenever they kissed.
Masha cupped Vee's chin as they kissed, becoming more passionate and confident. They could feel each other smiling as they kissed. They were getting better at it. Vee would have to thank Camila for giving her that wand. If it wasn't for the magic inside it, she'd wouldn't have been able to take a human form, she wouldn't have been able to-
... A human form...
Vee suddenly stopped kissing, pulling herself away, her smile gone. Masha laughed.
"Need some air?" Masha asked. Vee jumped off the couch and backed away from Masha. Their smile faded when they saw Vee's face. She had a look of guilt and shame. "Vee? What's wrong?"
"I'm sorry," Vee whispered. "I-I'm sorry."
"Sorry for what?"
"I'm not... I'm not...!" Vee started crying. She ran away, bolting out of the front door and into the night.
"Vee, wait!" Masha yelled. They tried to go over the couch but fell to the floor when their foot hit the top of it. They stood up and ran for the door but was too late; Vee was too fast for them. They stopped at the open door, Vee nowhere in sight. "VEE!"
Before anyone says anything, yes, I did take the 'Wowzers' line from MoringMark.
