First Person Plural

Barry and Yugen exchanged numbers before standing from their chairs. They stood outside to say their goodbyes before heading in opposite directions.

"So I'll...see you again soon?"

"Of course!" Yugen replies, flashing Barry a welcoming smile. "Text me."

"Definitely," Barry says as he smiles back.

Barry hung the painting in the living room of the handcrafted home. He and the others certainly lucked out in getting this job at the Philadelphia Zoo, not only was the pay decent but it also provided them their own space as well. He put it on the opposite wall from the doorway, that way the others could see it when they entered the room. He stood there for a moment gazing at it; mesmerized that it was even a painting at all. It was so detailed, so realistic; it was as if it had been digitally printed. However, when he touched it, he could feel brushstrokes upon the stretched canvas. Barry felt delighted to have hit it off with an extraordinarily talented and interesting girl. She mentioned she had been house sitting in New York during Labor Day, then she facetiously articulated that she spent the majority of that time, "drinking and writing while stumbling after a 3-month-old Labrador."

Barry inwardly laughed as he looked down from the painting, shaking his head as he thought back on the quip. He sat down on the couch and propped his feet on the coffee table, crossing his ankles. Barry felt a swarm of anxiety invade his chest and his stomach. He was concerned about how his disorder would affect his ability, or better yet THEIR ability to establish connections outside of Kevin's body. He also thought about Kevin...would Yugen be good for him? For us? It was wrong of us to take his life from him but will he ever wake up?! Barry inhaled deeply and then exhaled sharply, attempting to calm his frustration. He looked at his phone on the table and decided to email Dr. Fletcher. He picked up his phone and saw the time, then decided against it.

"Jade, it's time for your insulin," Barry stated aloud. Shudder...switch…gone!

Barry gave Jade the light, immediately he was bombarded with questions and random chatter.

"So, what's she like?"

"Is she pretty?"

"What's her name?"

Barry stood in front of his chair and put up his hands to quiet everyone down. "One question at a time you guys!"

The room systematically fell silent then Barry finally continued, "Her name is Yugen McAvoy; she's an artist, musician, writer...and she works with animals. She's 32, funny, gorgeous…

"Have you told her about us?" Dennis cut Barry off as he sat in his chair, arms crossed defensively over his chest. Patricia stood behind him with her hands clasped in front of her, listening intently.

Those two are up to something, Barry thought.

"That'll have to come later," Barry replied as he sat in his chair.

"She's an accomplished 32-year-old woman Dennis, not some naive school girl," Luke's southern drawl chimed in from across the room.

Although the comment was cruel and uncalled for, Barry knew he was right. Dennis was banned from the light for a reason, half being that he preferred the company of young girls. Anyone who knew him never would've guessed that he would have any interest in a woman like Yugen. Barry felt the worst part about it was, Dennis knew he was wrong and yet, he still couldn't contain himself. The only thing Barry respected about the man was that he was strong enough to admit his faults.

Barry glanced around the dark, dilapidated building as everyone speculated among themselves. There was plaster and rubble all over the cracked concrete floor, the walls were molded and eroding, the entire room was a tangible representation of Kevin's psyche; corroded and unstable. One could travel outside this decrepit building, beyond it was an exact replication of the world outside; only it was always dark and lightly misted with fog. The only things that seemed to be intact within these ruins were the large, brown leather chairs and the large window covered with thick, black curtains. If Barry or the others wanted, they could peer outside the window to see what was going on in the light. Unfortunately, it was very difficult to see due to the thick fog, which effectively distorted the outside world. Ultimately, that is what Kevin wanted. The only thing any of them could rely on were fragments of images and voices. Barry looked at the light that illuminated the center of the room, past it in the far corner lay a wicker rocking crib containing a baby Kevin, resting in a state in which peace was only ever known.

Jade stared at the painting that Barry had bought in awe. "Cool," she whispered to herself as she grazed her fingertips over the canvas. She grabbed the cell phone off the table, then made her way to the office to take her insulin. She decided to make her video diary as Dr. Fletcher suggested, in an effort to make a statement.

"All the doctors, besides Dr. Fletcher say that we're the same person, just personalities. Huh? How do you explain that I'm the only one who needs these, you mother fuckers?!" Jade spat in bitter desperation as she held the needle to the camera. She longed to be heard just like everyone else, but being in the body of a nearly middle-aged man made it no easy task.

A text message popped up on the cell phone, and Jade stopped the video. She smiled jovially as she read the message.

'Hey I hope its not weird that I'm messaging you this soon lol! I'm playing at the underground theater and I have a couple of tickets. You can either give one to a friend or I'll give the other away. So what do you say?'

Jade sat back in the chair as she swivels it back and forth, and giggles at the message. She thought it was awkward and cute; boy, was she in for a rude awakening! Jade hoped that Barry had some understanding of what he was getting them into, despite his social finesse, romantic relationships were not a muscle any of them were used to flexing. Jade took a deep breath and cast her worries aside, set the phone on the desk and gave the light back to Barry.

Yugen laid on her soft, gray couch wrapped up in her pink fluffy blanket. Throw pillows were stacked on the large ottoman that came with the couch, an apple core and an empty coffee mug sat carelessly on the glass table. The only light that came in the apartment came from the flat screen TV, mounted on the mantle of the fireplace. Yugen meant to doze off, binge-watching Big Mouth on Netflix but ended up on her phone instead. She was texting a promoter, who went by the name of Christina Lundy, about booking a spot at the Underground Arts Theater.

'Hey Christina! I noticed on fb that you're looking for local musicians for the 18th. Would you happen to consider me?'

'Yes! In fact I'm happy you contacted me. I've had a string of musicians that didn't follow thru or they picked fights with some of the patrons. LOL! We're losing money! If you perform that night, I'll give you a couple of tickets to invite whoever you want.'

Christina really liked Yugen, she's reliable and knows how to put on a good show. Not to mention, of course, she's well known in Philadelphia; so she's guaranteed to bring in some money.

'Totally! I'll drop by tomorrow mid afternoon to pick them up. Cool?'

'Sounds good I'll see you tomorrow.'

When the conversation ended, Yugen immediately thought of Barry, wondering if she should invite him. She didn't want to push things too quickly like she had in the past, but she didn't really have any close friends. Yugen had always spent the majority of her time alone, even as a child. She became so numb with loneliness, she never realized how starved for affection she was until she became romantically involved. Yugen had many reasons to be guarded, but Barry was different.

Then again, that's what you thought about all the others. Yugen thought cynically to herself.

"What the hell!" Yugen said aloud, pushing away her self-doubt and insecurities. She would play things by ear and see how they go, remembering what her therapist back in Texas told her a long time ago about setting boundaries.

"Check the phone!" Jade said once Barry was back in the light. Barry looked down at the pink sweater and tugged at it with his thumb and index finger. He swiveled the chair around, only to notice his clothes discarded chaotically in random spots on the floor. "Thanks, Jade," his tone conveying ironic detachment. He looked at the message on the screen, and a faint smile came across his lips.

'Oh yeah, she definitely interested.' He thought. However, Barry didn't want to wait two weeks to see her again.

"You should ask her out this weekend, and don't forget to email Dr. Fletcher!" Jades voice echoed from inside Barry's head, sensing his conflicting emotions.

Despite being individuals, they were all profoundly the same. They were conceived from pain when one felt intensely, everyone felt intensely. Depending on who is the strongest and most capable at the time, will take the light and deal with the situation accordingly. Most of them worked together in unison to create a functional system, one which gave Kevin the stability he needed.

"Good idea!" Barry replied aloud.

'I'll see what I have going on then. In the meantime would you like to do something this weekend?' Barry texted back.

'Yeah what do you have in mind?' Yugen responded almost immediately.

Barry thought about it for a moment before looking down at Jade's attire, realizing he hadn't yet changed. He decided to think about it while getting dressed into his own clothes.

RECOMMENDED SONG: Aesthetic Perfection-Ebb and Flow

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