~

Allison and Elizabeth were seated opposite each other at the dining table. Allison’s eyes were as cold as an iceberg, while Elizabeth’s were solemn and repentant. She was immensely grateful for the opportunity to explain herself, a feeling that Allison told her to direct towards Brian, but she was fully aware that Allison had no obligation to forgive her. Still, she was hopeful that their relationship, which she valued so much, would remain intact.

Allison had wanted Brian to be present, but he insisted on letting them speak alone. He knew that they were going to get into some dark territory, and he didn’t want Allison to talk about it with him unless it was on her own terms. So, he was in their bedroom with the door closed, reclined against a pillow with a contemplative look on his face. He was also hoping for a positive ending to their discussion, but he committed himself to supporting whatever decision Allison would make. After a few long moments of silence, their conversation began. Brian could not make out any individual words, but he could hear the tone of their voices. The chill from Allison’s tone practically made him shiver, while Elizabeth’s was as soft and light as a feather.

Back at the dining table, Allison was showing a robotic expression that was clearly inspired by her tiny boyfriend. She started by demanding to know just how much of what Elizabeth previously said had been lies, and thus began a recount of their original conversation at the university dining hall. Obviously, Elizabeth had been aware of Allison’s former job. She was not aware, however, that Brian had been sent to her, or indeed that she had rescued him. She had hoped for the best, admittedly, when she learned that Brian had been sent to the Silver Strip, but there had been no grand plan behind the scenes. Just as Brian had, Allison could see that she was telling the truth. This was of some relief to her, but that feeling was immediately undone by the next admission.

Next, Elizabeth revealed that she had been keeping tabs on Allison after she graduated. This meant that she knew the exact circumstances surrounding the end of her previous relationship, as well as everything that happened after. Allison’s face twisted into yet another look of intense anger at this breach of privacy, and she nearly ended the meeting right then. Remembering Brian’s plea, however, she got herself under control and let Elizabeth continue. Elizabeth apologized for her secret monitoring, as well as lying about it, but she explained that she only did so because she knew that Allison’s relationship wasn’t going to end well, and she was being pushed out of her life. Although this soothed Allison’s anger somewhat, she pointed out that her explanation didn’t excuse the lying. At that, Elizabeth hung her head.

As Brian had asked, the logical next question was why Elizabeth did not reach out once Allison’s life went up in smoke. Then, as had been revealed to him, Elizabeth told her how she did reach out, multiple times. Allison raised an eyebrow in skepticism, retorting that she would have noticed. Elizabeth rightfully pointed out that, by Allison’s own admission, she had been nearly homeless for a while. As such, reaching out had been very difficult, and there was no way of knowing if any correspondence would actually make it to her. Allison had sold her phone at the time, making it even more difficult. Then, with a critical look, Allison asked why she didn’t just reach out in person, if that was the case. At that, Elizabeth’s face darkened in pure sympathy. She then began to recount what had happened the one time she tried to visit in person.

As her story continued, Allison’s face went through a gradual and striking transition. It twisted in confusion at the beginning, not understanding how she could forget something like that. It then dropped in dismissive denial, confident that Elizabeth was incorrect. Then, there was a sliver of doubt. A few details began to register in her mind- a few locations sounded familiar, a few descriptions of houses. Still, she was confident that things never got that bad for her. At that point, though, Elizabeth described the state that Allison was in when she found her, as well as what had happened when she tried to help. Once again, Allison was dismissive. After a few moments of gentle nudging, however, something clicked in her mind. Suddenly, as if a door had been opened, an entire ocean of repressed memories flooded into her recollection. She immediately remembered just how bad things had gotten, as well as how close things had come to getting even worse.

She weakly shook her head a few times, in one last feeble burst of denial.

“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Elizabeth said gently, her eyes carrying an ocean of concern. Allison simply continued to shake her head, her face pale as tears began to form. Then, after a small eternity, she broke down into hysterical sobbing. The memories were too painful, and it exploded out of her like a bomb. Elizabeth dashed from her chair over to Allison’s side and wrapped her arms around her tightly. Desperate for some kind of physical comfort, even from somebody she was angry at, Allison accepted her embrace, burying her face in Elizabeth’s soft sweater. Back in the bedroom, Brian could hear Allison’s uncontrollable wailing, and he clenched his fists in anger at his own helplessness. He had never felt so enraged by his height, and his determination to become normal sized increased by a factor of thousands.

Allison and Elizabeth stayed like this for a while. Overwhelmed by the forgotten feelings of despair and hopelessness that had dominated her life for a while, Allison continued to cry into the chest of her former mentor. Elizabeth continued to hold her tight, fighting back tears of her own, softly stroking her hair as she continuously reassured her that she was safe, and that everything was okay. Elizabeth had never seen Allison cry with such melancholic intensity before, and it pained her heart as if she was seeing it from her own daughter. Nothing else in the world mattered to her- she simply had to hold her and reassure her that the bad times were over. Eventually, her loving embrace and reassuring words started to get through, and Allison began to calm down.

She was guided over to the couch where they could sit in greater comfort. Elizabeth sat down right next to her, keeping her close with one arm around her shoulder. With her other, she gently helped Allison wipe her face with some tissues as she slowly got herself under control. When the tears had lessened enough, Elizabeth decided to continue her explanation.

“Seeing you like that broke my heart, Allie,” she said softly. Allison continued to sniffle, her eyes shut tight as the occasional small tear streamed down her face.

“I knew that you felt like everything that he did was your fault. You had so much anger, and you were directing it at yourself. You probably felt like you deserved it. Am I correct?” she asked.

Allison weakly nodded, a sobbing gasp escaping her lips.

“I knew that if I didn’t do something, you were going to wind up dead. I felt so helpless. You obviously weren’t going to accept help from somebody you knew, so I thought about ways in which I could give you an out without you knowing it was from me,” she continued.

“But… b-but why a… Chevalier?” Allison choked out. Elizabeth sighed.

“I remembered how you always expressed mild support for the SP, despite my best efforts,” she started, giving Allison a gentle nudge with her elbow. This elicited a weak smile.

“So, I thought that it would be a way for you to direct your overwhelming anger towards something else. Something that was unable to hurt you back. Like you told me, as well, it was a job with good pay, few commitments, and complete anonymity. I just… thought it was something you could accept. And let me make this clear,” she said, gently moving Allison’s head in her direction. 

“Allie, I’m extremely sorry for going behind your back. I’m sorry for lying to you about everything. I’m sorry for taking advantage of your pain to try and bring down the SP. I’m sorry for all the pain, regret, and guilt that you’re feeling right now. But I’m not sorry for getting you that job. I truly believe that if I hadn’t, you would be dead. It also led, unintentionally as it was, to you meeting Brian. I think it’s safe to say that we’re both glad that happened, right?”

Allison smiled through her tears, nodding in affirmation.

“So, thank you for letting me explain myself. If you still want me to leave you and Brian alone from now on, I completely understand. I don’t expect you to forgive me for lying, but I hope you understand why I did it. I did it because I love you, Allie. I love you like you’re my own blood, and I couldn’t bear to see you destroy yourself. And no matter what you decide to do, I will always love you.”

At that, Elizabeth moved in for another hug. This time, Allison reciprocated, wrapping her arms around Elizabeth as she laid her head on her shoulder. Showing an emotional, teary smile, she let out a colossal sigh.

“I love you too, Elizabeth,” she said softly. The weight of a thousand suns was lifted from Elizabeth’s shoulders, and she squeezed her former student even harder as she tried not to cry. Just like that, they had tentatively made up.

After a while, they finally let go of each other. Allison was still crying, but she was clearly feeling a lot better. Elizabeth lovingly brushed Allison’s hair out of her face, her own face showing a tender expression.

“What would you like to do now, sweetheart?” she asked gently. Allison thought for a moment.

“I need my Brian,” she said firmly. Elizabeth smiled warmly.

“You certainly do,” she replied. At that, Allison rose and dashed to her bedroom, ready to collect her one-inch boyfriend.

~

“Hey,” Brian said softly. Allison sat down in the space between her bed and nightstand, so her face was roughly at Brian’s level on the bed. Seeing the face of someone she loved look so concerned for her well-being, she struggled not to break down again.

“So, what did Elizabeth tell you the other day?” she asked with a sniffle.

“An abridged version of what happened when she tried to visit you in person. As for the rest, I only want to hear it if that’s what you desire,” he replied. Allison’s face softened in gratitude, and her lip quivered.

“I don’t understand… how could I forget something like that?” she wondered incredulously. “I didn’t realize things had been that bad… how is it possible to not remember that?!”

Brian sighed.

“I think it’s your brain doing you a favor,” he answered. “Like what happened with my mother, I had completely buried it. Sometimes… when something unbelievably painful happens, I think our brains make us forget it, so we don’t have to relive the pain.”

“But… then, how are we supposed to move on?” she asked.

“By confronting it.”

“How are we supposed to do that if we don’t remember?”

“By getting help.”

“I wish it was easier.”

“Me too.”

They both let out a deep sigh, before transitioning into comfortable silence for a minute. Eventually, Brian spoke back up.

“So, what are you wanting to do about Elizabeth?” he asked. Allison nodded.

“I’m still angry at her for lying, but I honestly can’t blame her for recommending me. I understand why she did it, and I’m not sure what I would have done differently in her position. For all the pain being a Chevalier caused me, it did get me out of that bad place. Plus, it got me a cute boyfriend, so it’s not like I can be too mad,” she replied with a wink, causing Brian to grin.

“So, you want to stay friends with her, then?” he asked.

“Yeah. It will take time for her to earn my trust back, but I still love her. I want her to stay in my life, and help us prove your innocence,” she answered. Brian flopped over on the bed.

“Well, I’m glad to hear that. I was going to support you no matter what, but the selfish part of me was hoping that you’d let her stick around to help us out,” he said with a guilty smile. It was Allison’s turn to grin.

“You should let your selfish side out more often, it’s pretty adorable,” she said. “Anyway, she’s still here, so do you wanna go say hi?”

Brian shrugged.

“Sure, not like I’ve got anything else going on,” he said dryly. Allison beamed, and scooped him up from the bed, giving him a few quick kisses before exiting the room.

~

As Allison returned to the living room, Elizabeth eagerly trained her eyes on her palm, waiting to see the treasure hidden within. When she finally rested her eyes upon him, her face was overtaken by pure happiness and gratitude. Brian took a few exaggerated sniffs.

“Smells like a breakdown in here,” he said plainly. Elizabeth laughed out loud, caught off guard by the unexpected joke.

“You would know, asshole!” Allison cried, giving him a poke with her free hand. “You’re the reason I invited her back in the first place!”

“That’s right, and let me tell you how unbelievably grateful I am that you made this happen, Brian. You’re just the cutest, most wonderful little sweetheart in the world,” Elizabeth said adoringly. Allison curled her fingers around him possessively, making a noise of disapproval as she scowled at her former mentor.

“No worries, Elizabeth,” Brian replied through the cage of fingers he was trapped in. “It’s the least I could do after tricking you into confessing.”

Elizabeth waved her hand dismissively.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. You obviously couldn’t be expected to keep that big of a secret from somebody you love so much. And honestly, I think it’s a good thing that you did. I told myself that I had a reason for keeping it secret, but I think I was just being selfish. I hope that, with it being out in the open now, we can all begin to move on. I’ll work hard to win both of your trusts back,” she explained. Brian nodded appreciatively, while Allison carried the smallest hint of a smile.

“Also,” Elizabeth said, “I was actually kind of impressed that you tricked me like that. Pretty sneaky, little guy.”

Brian chuckled.

“Three years in a prison where everybody hated my guts, I had to learn how to be a little sneaky,” he retorted. Both women let out a small noise of appreciation, and Allison sat down on the sofa a small ways down from Elizabeth. She was a little disappointed that neither of them had asked if she wanted to try holding Brian yet, but she knew not to push her luck.

“So, have you done any more thinking about my case?” asked Brian, causing Elizabeth to make a small squeak of realization. Although he would never say this out loud, lest he incur Allison’s wrath, Brian found it to be pretty adorable.

“Yes I have! I obviously wasn’t going to make any moves without your permission, as I wasn’t sure if we were all planning on proceeding, but I did give some thought to potential strategies,” she said.

“What are you thinking?” Allison asked.

“Well, it’s tough,” Elizabeth replied. “We obviously can’t go about this in any kind of official way. The way they handled your case was sneaky, Brian, which means we have to be sneaky in turn. But, I did come up with two things.”

She held up one finger.

“One: when we find the pieces of evidence we need, we can’t present them to the police,” she started.

“Why’s that?” Allison asked with a raised eyebrow.

“Well, because there’s no guarantee they won’t just cover it up again. No, we need to take this story to the media,” Elizabeth replied.

“The media?” Brian asked skeptically. As you could imagine, he was not exactly fond of the times when the media and criminal justice intertwined.

“That’s right. Whereas the media was used like a weapon against you, Brian, we now want to use it for you. If we expose that the Brian Bentley’s case was tampered with behind the scenes, and there’s a possibility that he was innocent, it will absolutely blow up in the media. Create enough attention and public pressure, the government will have no choice but to reopen the case. Then, we could let them do the work for us. And as they would now have the pressure of public accountability and transparency, there’s very little chance they would be able to get away with covering it up again,” she explained.

As she continued, both Brian and Allison’s faces transitioned from doubtful to appreciative.

“Elizabeth, you’re brilliant,” Brian praised, while Allison vigorously nodded.

“Don’t I know it,” she replied with a wink. With that, she held up a second finger.

“Two: in terms of how we get enough evidence to start the media wildfire, this is where I have to start acting shady. Brian, you remember how I told you that I wasn’t the only one on your side when you got convicted?” she asked. 

“Yeah,” Brian replied.

“Over the years, I’ve built up a web of connections with people who feel the same way as I do about the SP, and the state of our criminal justice system in general. One of the things we agreed on was the dubiousness of your trial, both when you were convicted as well as ‘re-sentenced.’ I think that this web can help us out,” she said.

“Hold on,” Brian cut in, “I thought you said that there was no conspiracy?”

Elizabeth chuckled.

“We’re just a group of like-minded individuals. We have no collective power, we mainly just get together to rant and rave about the SP sometimes. However, we all agreed that your case offered the greatest opportunity to strike at the SP, and they may be willing to help me get what we need,” she replied.

“Wait, you’re not planning on telling this entire web about Brian, are you?” Allison asked cautiously. Elizabeth shook her head reassuringly.

“No no no, of course not. But, I think I can convince them that it would be worth taking a look into Brian’s case files. That’s all,” she said. Brian and Allison nodded, convinced with what they had heard so far.

“So, that’s it. Just some preliminary thinking. Thoughts?” Elizabeth asked. She was met with a couple of heads shaking “no.”

“We haven’t really thought about the case since we saw you last,” Brian said.

“Yeah, we’ve been… busy,” Allison continued sheepishly. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow, but decided to let it go.

“So, what can I do for you, Elizabeth?” Brian asked. “Do you want more information about what happened to me? What my actual lawyers said, what happened in prison, or what happened when I was ‘re-sentenced,’ perhaps?”

“I mean, yes, yes, and yes, but let’s not today, honey,” Elizabeth said. “I’m sure you’re a bit burned out with all this talk about your case, so why don’t we save it for another day?”

“Oh, well, okay. I’m really not worried about it, but whatever you think is best,” he replied, a little surprised.

“What about me? Anything I can tell you?” Allison asked, a bit too eagerly. She felt like she hadn’t been of much help yet, and was itching to prove herself. Elizabeth pondered for a moment.

“Well, I suppose I have been wanting to know about what it’s like to be a Chev, but I didn’t want to push my luck today. I’ve been taking advantage of your situation for my own interests enough, and I only want to know what you’re comfortable telling me,” she said softly, a guilty look on her face. Allison’s heart softened. At that moment, though, Elizabeth’s face lit up in realization.

“Well, there is one thing you both could provide some information on,” she said.

“What it be?” Brian asked dryly, reclining into Allison’s hand.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to know about Catherine Gates.”

~

“Cathy?!” Allison exclaimed.

“That terrifying woman?” Brian asked with a sigh, closing his eyes.

“She goes by Cathy, huh? Good to know,” Elizabeth muttered. “Yes, of course. This is the only other person who knows about Brian, and unlike me probably has no intention to help prove his innocence. She’s a Chevalier- an enthusiastic one, from the sounds of it, and she could prove troublesome. I said I was going to look into her, but I haven’t had a chance yet. I’d appreciate everything you can tell me about her, as well as… well, the circumstances of her discovery.”

“You mean the torture, don’t you?” Brian asked plainly, still reclining with his eyes closed.

“Brian!” Allison hissed.

“Come on, Allie, think about it. This is probably your best opportunity to tell her about it. She’s literally not allowed to be mad at you today, so you have free reign to tell her everything without fear of a scolding,” he explained.

“Thank you for your, er, candidness, Brian,” Elizabeth cut in. “Yes, to put it in unflattering terms, I wanted to know about the ‘torture.’ And yes, Allie, I promise not to get mad. I’m in no position to criticize your actions, and Brian has already clearly forgiven you.”

Allison nodded, slightly relieved. Elizabeth turned her attention to Brian.

“Are you okay talking about it, sweetie? If it’s difficult, we don’t have to. Or perhaps Allie and I could go somewhere else,” she said kindly.

“Nah, I’m good,” Brian replied with a thumbs-up. “I’m over it. Plus, I kind of want to see Allie squirm.”

“Oh my god,” Allison breathed. “You’re the actual worst, Bentley.”

“And proud of it! Hey, I said I forgive you, but that doesn’t mean I can’t get a little payback,” he replied plainly. Allison groaned, while Elizabeth broke out in a huge smile at their bickering.

“You two are adorable,” she said jovially, causing Allison to blush.

Thus began a recount of everything Allison knew about the blonde bombshell Chevalier known as Cathy. Her age, her looks, her “preferences” as a Chevalier, anything that she thought could be helpful. Brian listened intently as well, as all he knew about Cathy up to that point had been her methods of torture. Eventually, the recount caught up to the moment where Cathy had discovered Brian. Allison had fled home after her execution, and Cathy had followed as soon as she could. She stormed inside, overwhelming Allison with questions before she could get her to leave. She broke Allison’s plant pot, and asked to use the bathroom amidst the chaos. Then, with not enough directions given as to where the bathroom was, she wound up seeing Brian in Allison’s bedroom. Brian noticed that, a few times, Elizabeth’s face twitched during this section of the recount, indicating that she was holding back a bit of anger at Allison’s carelessness. Luckily, Allison was too wrapped up in her story to notice. Before she could continue, though, Elizabeth spoke up.

“Hold the phone. Before we get to the bad part- well, all of it’s been bad… anyway, I need a drink. Allie, could you spare a glass of wine?” she asked.

“Yeah, that’s a good call. The glasses are on the top shelf, could you get me some as well?” Allison replied.

“Of course. What about you, Brian, do you want a drink? I’m sure we could find a thimble or something,” she asked with a chuckle. Brian made an odd face.

“Er, I’m good, thanks,” he said. At that, Elizabeth moved to grab some wine. Soon enough, they were both settled, drinks in hand. Allison took a large swig, in a manner that was quite inappropriate for wine. She couldn’t have cared less, though, as she was about to relive some unpleasant memories.

“Alright, so she found him. What happened next?” Elizabeth asked, taking a sip.

This time, Brian began the story.

“Well, I had recognized her voice as the same person who spoke with Allie when she smuggled me out. I also saw that the door was open, so I prepared myself for the possibility of being found out. So, the instant she recognized me, I began screaming my head off, begging her for help,” he started. Elizabeth raised an eyebrow.

“I told her that Allie was this vile, horrible, sadistic, cruel, terrible-”

Allison poked him in the cheek, stopping his excessive description.

“Ahem. I convinced her that Allie had only smuggled me out to continuously torture me,” he said.

“Really, and you thought of that all on your own?” Elizabeth asked incredulously. Brian shrugged.

“Hope for the best, prepare for the worst,” he replied.

“Oh, that’s a good line. I’m stealing it,” Elizabeth said with a wink.

“Anyway, once Allie understood the lie, she picked up on it right away. Pretty good at acting like a sadistic kidnapper, this one. The crazy lady bought it immediately,” Brian continued.

“Is that so, Allie?” she asked slowly, a curious look in her eye. Allison’s blood froze.

“I took lots of acting electives in college! You know this!” she replied defensively, causing Elizabeth to giggle.

“Of course, I’m just messing with you. What happened next?” 

Allison took over, and began to recount the details of the discovery. They managed to keep up the ruse, but were blackmailed into letting her have a ten minute session. Then, so as not to raise suspicion, Allison reluctantly agreed to participate. She was quick to mention, however, that she had no intention of letting ten minutes actually pass, as she had messed with the timer, and she had ordered a cab ahead of time. These details were enough to quell Elizabeth’s anger that was bubbling beneath the surface. At one point, though, she noted an important detail.

“Wait wait, she said that she had also smuggled out convicts?” she asked slowly, making sure that she understood correctly.

“Uh, yeah. It’s pretty disturbing to think about,” Allison replied with a grimace. Elizabeth put a hand to her forehead.

“Allie, I think we just found a clue as to why she agreed to keep quiet about Brian,” she said with a sigh.

“Wait, what?” Allison asked.

“Think about it. She couldn’t tell on you, because she had committed the same crime. Mutually assured destruction,” Elizabeth explained. Allison frowned.

“You… really think she did it for such a selfish reason?” she asked hesitantly. Despite everything, she still wanted to believe in Cathy’s friendship.

“I don’t know, honey, but it had to have crossed her mind,” Elizabeth replied with a gentle smile. Allison nodded, looking somber.

“Actually, this could present an opportunity,” Elizabeth continued. Allison made a questioning noise, then Brian suddenly spoke up.

“You think we could blackmail her?” he asked skeptically.

“Quick on the uptake as always, Brian,” Elizabeth praised. “If she’s smart, then she would have… well, disposed of her stolen convicts the minute she returned home. If not, though…”

“If we got evidence, we could use it to ensure that she keeps quiet,” Allison said, slightly in awe.

“That’s right. Who knows, maybe we could even get her to give us some information,” Elizabeth continued, causing Allison to frown.

“You’re talking about blackmailing and manipulating her like it’s nothing…” she said softly, disturbed to think that this was who her mentor truly was.

“Allie, it’s not like that…” Elizabeth replied quietly. “It’s more like, well…”

She let out a huff.

“She tortured Brian and made him cry. Don’t you want to get some revenge?!” she asked angrily. Allison’s eyes shot up at her in shock. She looked down at Brian and saw that he was looking into the distance with an odd expression, indicating that he shared the sentiment. After a moment of thought, her eyes hardened in anger.

“…point taken. We can think about it,” she replied plainly. At that, the recount continued.

After a little while, they got to the point where the session began.

“Brian, are you sure you want to stick around for this? I probably shouldn’t even be asking you both to talk about this, but I simply have to know what this awful woman did to you,” Elizabeth said guiltily.

“Really, I’m fine,” Brian replied reassuredly. “Look, I’ll even start us off. She began by flicking me.”

Elizabeth’s eyes widened.

“She flicked you?!” she exclaimed.

“Yup. I was on the table, and I flew right into that remote,” he said, pointing at a remote. “It knocked the wind right out of me, but it actually didn’t hurt that much.”

“Oh, you poor thing,” Elizabeth cooed sympathetically. Allison rolled her eyes, as she could tell that Brian was eating it up.

Brian forced Allison to describe the torture, enjoying how uncomfortable it was making her. At every step, Elizabeth would make borderline-motherly crooning noises in sympathy, her face twisted into one of overwhelming concern for Brian’s well-being. She would occasionally reach out to try and physically comfort him, only for Allison to swat her hand away. Eventually, they reached a peculiar part of the recount.

“Then, she said that Brian deserved some “relief,” and tried to get him to…” she said, her voice trailing off at the end in embarrassment.

“What?” Elizabeth asked concernedly. Brian decided to take over.

“She wanted me to masturbate,” he said plainly. Both Allison and Elizabeth went beet-red- a rare sight for the usually unflappable professor.

“Oh, my…” she muttered. “And… d-did…?”

“Professor!” Allison cried. “Why do you need to know?!”

Brian laughed out loud.

“No, I didn’t. She tried to give me some ‘material,’ but her feminine charms had no effect on me. You see, I’m asexual-”

He stopped.

“Well… I’m asexual, but… I don’t…”

“What is it, sweetie?” Elizabeth asked kindly, noticing his discomfort.

“Actually… maybe you can give us some advice,” Allison said, sensing an opportunity. “You see, over the past few days Brian has been having some questions-”

“Allie!” Brian exclaimed, in a rare burst of emotion. “I don’t… wanna, you know…”

“You’re fine talking about torture, but not about sex?” Allison asked incredulously.

“Compared to sex, torture is easy,” he countered.

“Honey, you really don’t need to be embarrassed talking to me about stuff like that. Sex is natural, it’s nothing to be- wait, are you two having sex?!” she asked, her eyes darting towards Allison. “How do you even…?”

“No, we’re not!” Allison quickly replied. “That’s kinda the point… ‘cause, you know… I’d sorta like to-”

“Everybody shut the fuck up!” Brian yelled. The room went silent.

“Alright, fine,” he eventually said with a huff. “Look, my whole life I’ve never been even slightly turned on by anything. It’s been kind of difficult, actually…” 

His face turned somber.

“I’ve always felt… broken. If our primary instinct as humans is to reproduce, then… it made me feel like a failure of a human, if that makes sense,” he continued. Both Allison and Elizabeth’s faces softened in sympathy.

“It’s embarrassing, but… I used to look at porn- both women and men, and just… pray, to feel something. Anything, like what my friends told me about. I wanted it so fucking bad, but it didn’t happen. I eventually just accepted that it’s a part of who I am.”

“And that’s the right thing to do, honey,” Elizabeth cut in. Allison nodded.

“But… over the last couple days… a few, well, sexual things have happened with Allie, and they made me feel really strange,” Brian said.

“Strange how?” Elizabeth asked. “Do you think it’s arousal?”

“I wouldn’t know, since I have nothing to compare it to,” Brian replied. “But… it’s not a good feeling. I feel sick, my heart starts racing, and I get extremely scared. Sometimes… I even forget where I am. I always thought arousal was supposed to make you feel good, so I’ve been really confused. Anyway, do you have any idea what’s going on, Elizabeth?”

Elizabeth reclined into the sofa, pondering carefully for a moment.

“Well, let me get this out of the way. Brian, it’s perfectly natural to be questioning your sexuality at your age. Believe me, I’m an undergrad professor. I see kids going through what you’re going through every day,” she began with a reassuring smile.

“But, it doesn’t feel like questioning…” Brian replied. “Literally my whole life, I’ve never felt anything. But now… it’s like something suddenly changed.”

“Well, something did change,” Elizabeth said. “You fell in love with Allie.”

Brian looked up at her, while Allison raised an eyebrow.

“Brian, have you ever heard of demisexuality?” Elizabeth asked.

“No…” Brian replied unsuredly.

“A demisexual is someone who only feels sexual attraction to somebody they’ve formed a strong emotional connection to. Would I be correct in assuming that this is the first time you’ve been in love?” she continued. Brian slowly nodded, completely captivated by what she was saying. Allison was showing an appreciative, impressed smile at Elizabeth’s immediate insight.

“Well, there you go. A lot of demisexuals think they’re asexual, but then they form a bond with someone and start to feel attracted to them. It doesn’t mean you’re wrong about what you’ve felt your whole life, it just means that you’re feeling something new. Does that sound like it’s possible for you?” Elizabeth asked. Brian reclined into Allison’s fingers, a faraway look on his face.

“Demisexual…” he muttered. Elizabeth smiled kindly, while Allison was positively beaming.

“Sweetheart, maybe the scary stuff that you’re feeling is just your body reacting to a strong, unfamiliar sensation. So, maybe if you experiment a little and get used to it, the bad parts will fade away, and you’ll get to experience something new and exciting. Just give it some thought, and I’m sure Allie will take good care of you if you decide to try,” she said. With that, she looked back up at her former student.

Allison’s eyes were sparkling, as if they contained an entire universe. She gave Elizabeth an enthusiastic thumbs up, ready to completely forgive her for lying about the recommendation. Elizabeth adopted a slightly exasperated smile, before she suddenly turned stern.

“But Allison Starr, if you get carried away and hurt this precious boy…” she said firmly.

“It’ll be fine!” Allison replied defensively. “Shrunken convicts have increased durability, so they can take quite a bit of punishment.”

The room went silent.

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes, while Brian slowly turned to look up at her.

“What exactly are you wanting to do to me…?” he asked nervously. Allison turned beet-red.

 

“A-Anyway, I think we were talking about the torture?”