Elites don’t reproduce, at least not in the traditional sense. The symbiont reproduces asexually, prompting periods of rapid growth and tissue regeneration. Many Elites report feelings of sexual arousal during such periods, sometimes to the point of spontaneous orgasm. Others claim a reverse causal relationship, i.e., self-stimulation preceding growth. Regardless, nearly all Elites report a significant diminishment in feelings of shame and guilt associated with arousal and nudity, the latter supporting Alouf’s theory of photosynthetic biogenesis in relation to the amount of skin exposed to solar radiation.

- On Elite Biology, Second Edition, 1970

Les sat alone on the bus ride home. Paisley’s mom had picked her up from school, offering Les some much needed solitude. Given what she’d been through, part of her wanted to crawl into a tunnel and hibernate for a long time, at least until all the chaos in her life disappeared.

She simply couldn’t have a boyfriend. Non-vassal relationships between humans and Elites weren’t forbidden, but they certainly weren’t common. Furthermore, as Ky had explained on multiple occasions, the first rule of middle school was to avoid getting a boyfriend. They never lasted, and they distracted from important things like studying. She didn’t need any more distractions from the latter. Math might be easy now, but her other subjects were as hard as they’d always been.

Then there was the matter of her first kiss. She’d gone and given it away to Jakob, the first boy she’d ever really become friends with. In truth, he’d stolen it from her, though she hadn’t put up much of a fight. She remembered, quite vividly, the way his lips brushed against hers for that fraction of a second before they merged warmly with her own. She could’ve pushed him away, she had the strength to do so, but she’d remained still, even pressed back into him. Why?

Les drew her legs against her chest, and buried her face in her knees. She needed her sister. Hopefully Ky wasn’t still asleep, because Les would go crazy if she didn’t talk to someone soon, and her sister, as usual, had to be that someone.

The bus rolled to a stop at the street leading to her house. Les bolted up and strode off the bus. As soon as her feet touched pavement, she burst into a sprint, surprising herself with her own speed as her legs carried her across lawns and driveways.

She’d impressed herself yesterday too, at how easily she’d lapped her sister. During the day, it was as if her legs worked on autopilot, siphoning energy from the sun instead of from her own body. If the sun dipped behind a cloud, she could maintain her speed, but it required more conscious effort.

As promised, Ky had submitted herself to a victory hug, and Les had been extra careful not to squeeze too hard. She could use another one right now. It would calm her nerves, and put her mind at peace, making everything ok again for a little while.

“Mom, I’m home!” Les tore open the front door and flew into the living room.

“Welcome back, sweetie,” Mom said, not moving from her position on the couch. “How was school?”

“Good.” Les kissed her mom on the cheek. “Where’s Ky? Is she ok?”

“She’s fine, but she’s grounded.” Mom snubbed her cigarette out in the half-full tray. “She can’t go outside for the rest of the week.”

“Why?” Les asked.

“Ask her,” Mom said. “She’s in your room.”

It wasn’t her room, it was their room, but Mom knew that. She must still be upset at Ky. What had Ky done to deserve grounding?

Wasting no time, Les ran down the hallway and burst into their bedroom. Ky shut her laptop and swiveled her chair around. “Ever hear of knocking?”

Les knew she should knock when the door was closed, which it had been, but she couldn’t be expected to remember Ky’s rules when her brain was stuck on repeat.

“I kissed a boy.”

Ky blinked once, then twice more. “You idiot.”

Les belly-flopped onto Ky’s bed, instant relief calming her stomach. Somehow those were the words she’d desperately needed to hear. It meant her sister had, once again, accepted her stupidity and would now help in solving the problem.

Ky’s bed was unmade, and the sweet, oily smell of it filled Les’s nose. She resisted the urge to curl up in Ky’s sheets and hug her sister’s lingering essence. She’d only been gone a day, but she’d missed her sister.

“Who was it?” Ky asked. “Jakob?”

Les propped her chin on her hands and nodded.

“I should be surprised, but I’m not,” Ky said.

“You’re not?” How could she not be surprised? It’d surprised the heck out of Les!

“It’s obvious he likes you,” Ky said. “We thought he’d try to kiss you last year.”

“We?” Les asked.

“Amanda and Jennifer,” Ky said.

“You never told me!” Les couldn't believe her sister would hide such important information from her.

“Because I thought you’d be smart enough to stay in the friend zone,” Ky said. “I even made it the first rule of middle school.”

“I know but…” Les kicked her feet back against her butt, her mind racing. “Well now he’s my boyfriend.”

“Ugh.” Ky slapped her palm against her forehead. “He knows you’re ascending, right?”

“Duh!” Les said. “I’m practically as tall as him now.”

Ky sighed. “I can’t believe I’m jealous of my little sister for two reasons now.”

“You’re jealous?!” Les bit her bottom lip, but couldn’t stop the smile from creeping across her face.

Ky rolled her eyes, then turned to the side, hiding what appeared to be a smirk behind her hair.

Les crawled off the bed, rose, and angled to get a better view of Ky’s face.

Ky stood, her t-shirt straightening to cover her peach underwear. “Gotta use the bathroom.”

Les took the opportunity to grab her fleeing sister in a backward bear hug, then back slammed onto Ky’s bed. With her height advantage, the maneuver wasn’t difficult and Ky’s weight didn’t pose a challenge to Les’s enhanced strength.

"Hey!” Ky twisted ineffectively in Les’s embrace.

“Jealous?!” Les teased, brining one hand under Ky’s t-shirt and tickling the smaller girl’s stomach.

Giggles erupted from Ky as Les assaulted the flesh beneath Ky’s shirt. In the past, Ky had always escaped from ‘tickle torture’ within seconds. However, Les found she could now hold both Ky’s legs in place with one of her own, and single-handedly immobilize both Ky’s arms by binding them at the wrist, freeing one of her own hands to seek the vulnerabilities on Ky’s body.

“Stop, you idiot!” Ky squirmed, coughing and laughing hysterically. “I’m going to pee myself!”

“Kay.” Les stopped the tickling, but used both arms to lock Ky in place, refusing to let her get up. “Why are you jealous?”

The question was more of a delay tactic than anything else. She simply wanted to lay there, holding her sister tight against her own body, drinking in her body heat, and tasting the strands of blonde hair that fell into her mouth.

“It’s obvious,” Ky said, panting. “You’re almost an Elite, and you’ve already kissed a boy.”

“Are you trying to say I’m better than you?” Les maneuvered her right knee, using it to separate Ky’s legs, then slowly drove it upward.

“Idiot,” Ky said, but without spite. “You’re not controlling your emotions.”

“Do you want me to stop?” Les opened her emotional gates even further, passing her true feelings directly into Ky. Les’s leg slid further up, making contact with Ky’s panty-clad crotch. Electricity flowed through Les and into Ky, igniting the areas where their skin touched.

Ky inhaled sharply and straightened, her legs clamping down around Les’s thigh. The smaller girl spasmed multiple times in quick succession, each time Les pulling her tight against her own body, curling up, feeling the familiar fuzzy pressure build in her own lower abdomen.

In the back of her mind, she knew what she was doing to Ky, but she couldn't stop because it felt so incredibly right. Furthermore, she sensed Ky didn’t want Les to stop. For that moment, it was as if they’d become single person. Neither could be jealous of the other because nothing separated their souls.

Finally, Ky relaxed and Les unfurled her body.

“Idiot,” Ky said, but she made no attempt to move. She lay there, her legs still wrapped loosely around Les’s thigh. Les didn’t want to remove her thigh because she could feel some moisture, and she didn’t want to embarrass Ky any further. Plus, they were so warm together, Ky snuggled protectively in Les’s arms.

Unfortunately, the blissful heat in Les’s belly retreated before she could experience the same explosion of pleasure as the other night, perhaps what Ky herself had just experienced. But it didn’t matter. Les held her sister so close, and it was a hundred times better than some fleeting bliss.

Ky’s ragged breathing steadied. “You have to break up with him.”

In direct contact with Ky’s skin, Les could not only sense Ky’s feelings, but she could ‘hear’ Ky’s surface thoughts. For some reason it didn’t even come as a surprise, almost as natural as reading her own thoughts.

“You’re not saying it just because you’re jealous?” Les asked, though she already knew the answer. She could feel Ky’s jealousy, but it was the good kind, if there could be such a thing. It was mixed with pride for Les, and yes, even a weird sort of happiness….the sort Ky would never openly express.

“I can feel you in my head,” Ky said. “It’s annoying.”

“Sorry,” Ky imagined the wall, the same she’d used to block the magic numbers, and erected it between their minds. She could still feel Ky’s feelings, faintly, but the wall blocked Ky’s thoughts.

“No,” Ky said. “You’re not sorry.”

Les giggled and pressed her nose against the back of Ky’s head. “I’m out. I promise.”

Ky shifted, lifting her right leg slightly before dropping it back down with an exasperated sigh. “You know why you need to break up. I don’t need to explain it.”

“But I really like him.” Les inhaled her sister’s sweet scent of sweat. “A lot.”

“He’s not a puppy,” Ky said. “You can’t be with him as an equal. You can make him your vassal if you want, but remaining his girlfriend will only hurt him and you.”

“But...I’m going to be your vassal.”

“We both know how it works,” Ky said.

“What?” Les couldn’t believe her ears. “What do you mean?”

“If anything, you’ll pretend to be my vassal, just like we did as kids. But by law, I’ll be your vassal. There’s no avoiding it.”

“Not true!” Les said. “You’re going to become Prime. You’ll change the laws. I know you will.”

Ky’s breathing caught and Les relaxed her embrace so her sister could breathe more easily.

“I spent a lot of time reading today. I don’t think I can become Prime. There’s too many — “

“Liar!” Les said, thankful her mom had the tv turned up. “You can and you will become Prime. I know it.”

Ky’s breath stuttered with soft laughter. “You’re such a dork.”

“And I will be your vassal,” Les said. “You can’t stop me. I don’t care about the stupid laws.”

“Fine,” Ky said. “Then as your master, I command you to release me.”

Les frowned, but did as requested. However, her frown turned into a slight grin as Ky stood up and reached below her long t-shirt.

“Ew.” Ky scowled as she wiped her hand on her shirt. “I’m teaching you how to contain your emotions. This is ridiculous.”

“It felt good, didn’t it?” Les asked, genuinely curious. She knew she could project, but she didn’t know if the recipient always felt the exact same feelings as the Elite. For example, sometimes Elites could feel anger, and the target would feel fear.

Ky rolled her eyes. “Obviously. But I don’t want to make a habit of it.”

“Why not?” Les asked, remembering Paisley’s words. “Why stop doing what feels good?”

“Because it’s not right,” Ky said. “It’s something you do in private, by yourself, or not at all.”

Les wanted to argue further, but her mind had shifted to Paisley. Crap! She’d forgotten all about the redhead’s proposal. Les hated to burden Ky with yet another problem, but it wouldn’t wait for another day.

Ky shut the door to the bathroom. Moments later, the sound of shower water reached Les’s ears.

*****

Ky had locked the door the bathroom, leaving Les stuck outside. She considered changing her clothing, but found them to be surprisingly dry. Les needed to ask Ky more about the good feelings. She still didn’t understand why they sometimes made her panties wet, and sometimes not.

Her eyes drifted to where Ky had tossed her own panties on top of the dirty clothes pile. She inhaled and caught Ky’s scent of sweat, skin, and something else — the wet, non-pee stuff. Curious, she extracted the panties from the pile and smelled the area where Ky’s private parts had been. The aroma made her head floaty, and gave her tingles in her chest and groin. She felt the smell more than she smelled it. It was similar to the good feeling when she grew, or touched herself, or both.

But why? Perhaps because the smell belonged to Ky, a private smell, one only she could produce. Perhaps because it was a product of Ky’s happiness. After all, the explosive feelings had made Ky happy, right? Somehow making Ky happy seemed more important, and more rewarding, than doing the same for herself.

She returned the panties to the pile, arranging them the same so Ky wouldn’t notice. It would be awkward to explain she’d been smelling her sister’s underwear…

Goodness, was she becoming a weirdo? Maybe she should visit the doctor again. She’d touched herself in the past purely for comfort, but by involving Ky, things had escalated. Furthermore, it wasn’t easy to stop herself from thinking about Ky in weird ways. She would stop though. She’d respect her sister’s wishes, her sister’s wellbeing mattering the most.

Les left the room and headed into the kitchen, her hands seeking lettuce while her mind focused on Ky’s happiness. How could she make her sister happy? Better question — how could she make her sister happy without flooding her mind with the good feelings? Ky didn’t want the latter and, in a way, it seemed like cheating.

Whether or not to break up with Jakob was one thing, Paisley yet another, but Ky’s wellbeing outweighed them all by a significant margin. During the time when she’d held her sister, a deep rooted sorrow dwarfed the other emotions, bigger than jealousy, anger and pride combined. Except it wasn’t just sorrow, it was inadequacy, disappointment, defeat...so many negative emotions rolled into one.

Les didn’t think Ky knew of her own sadness or else Ky would be an entirely different person. Les couldn’t simply talk to Ky about the problem, thereby handing it off as she usually did. It was already Ky’s problem, and somehow, Les knew bringing it to light would be dangerous for Ky.

No, Les needed to solve this one for her sister, somehow. Fortunately, she already knew the solution. If Ky became Prime, the ball of negative emotion in her subconscious would wink out of existence, like a dying sun exhausting its fuel supply.

Les plopped onto the couch beside her mom and, using two hands, brought the lettuce to her mouth.

“I can make you a salad, sweetie,” Mom said, taking a puff of her half-burned cigarette.

“Itsf kaay,” Les said, her mouth full of crunchy lettuce.

“What were you and your sister doing back there?” Mom asked. “Fighting?”

“Um,” Les said, trying desperately not to blush. “Yeh.”

“Remember to be careful,” Mom said. “You’re stronger now, even though you still far from your full height.”

“I know, mom.” Geez. She didn’t need a reminder of her stupid increased strength.

“You’re going to be a fine, Elite,” Mom said, turning her attention back to home shopping network, where humans modeled the latest style of boot-cut jeans.

“So...why is Ky grounded?” Les asked.

“I told you to ask her,” Mom said.

“I forgot.” Les stuffed more lettuce into her mouth. “Jusff tell meef.”

Mom exhaled a plume of smoke. “She ate some of your pills.”

“What?!” Les almost choked on her food, but managed to swallow. “Why?”

Mom shrugged. “Ask her.”

Les scowled, already knowing the answer. Still…

“Ok, but why is she grounded though?” Les asked.

“She ate your pills.”

“I know but — “

“We almost had to take her to the hospital to have her stomach pumped,” Mom said. “Can you imagine the bill? We don’t have your stipend yet, so it would’ve been more than we could afford.”

Les frowned. “Yeh, but she threw up twice. She probably learned her lesson, right?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Mom said. “I grounded her, so she’s grounded. Period.”

“It does matter and” —  Les hesitated, struggling to swallow her nervousness — “and I’m ungrounding her. Period.” The last word barely audible.

Mom looked over, an eyebrow raised.

Les picked at her thumbnail with increased vigor. “I — I mean — if you think it’s ok…”

Both of Mom’s eyebrows raised, her lips a straight line until they parted to exhale a stream of smoke. Unlike Ky, Les couldn’t read Mom’s emotions directly, but she could guess.

“I’m — I’m not really an Elite yet, but — ”

“No,” Mom said. “You’re not.” She put out her half-finished cigarette in the ashtray. “And even when you are, don’t go gettin’ a big head. I raised you better than that.”

“Y — yes, ma’am.” Les could barely speak, her throat constricting as if choked by an invisible hand. All of the confidence she’d acquired over the last couple of days vanished in an instant, replaced a debilitating nervousness. The same nervousness she’d known all her life. The same nervousness Ky lacked.

Would her paralysing self-consciousness disappear after she’d fully ascended? Only time would tell, but she doubted it. With her luck, she’d be the first non-elite Elite in existence — too timid to accomplish anything of significance. She might grow in size, but if her mind didn’t accept her new status in society, what good would it be?

Not much, she decided. Not much at all.