“That was my little sister,” Linda said when she hung up the phone. “She’s about a decade younger than I am and wanted to know if she could stay with me this summer like she did last summer.”

“I guess it’ll be good practice for me,” Asuna said uncertainly.

Linda smiled, “It certainly will help. You can tell her about your situation if you want. She won’t out you. She manages to keep secrets well despite talking non stop and she thinks mutants are cool. I won’t suggest you emulate her but she is a living, breathing, hyperactive example of teenage girlhood so you can certainly learn from her. By the time school rolls around you’ll be letter perfect.” She got in the car, “We have to get going though, she called from my house phone and we need to get before she finds the espresso machine.”

Asuna gets in, “She called to ask if she could visit from inside your house?”

Linda snorted, “Yeah, she can be a handful but I love her dearly.”

Soon they entered a quiet suburb full of tree lined streets and lush lawns.

“Very nice,” Asuna said. “You must get paid well.”

“Well enough,” Linda replied. “It’s the expensive accounts that allow me to save a lot really. I don’t spend too much of my own money normally.”

As they pulled into a graveled driveway a short blonde missile rushed out to greet them. She reached the driver’s side window just as the car stopped and knocked on the window three times before Linda could lower it. She was only a few inches above five feet and showed a definite family resemblance except for the fact that she was practically vibrating in place.

Bouncing up and down she leaned in to hug Linda and chattered non-stop, “Hi! I’m so glad you let me stay. I love you! Who’s this? Hi, I’m Kimberly! You brought her from work? She looks too young but you could be the reason for that I know and I can’t think of any reason you’d be bringing a real teen home with you. I got here early so’s you wouldn’t have to help me unpack. I’m all set up in the guest room but I can move my stuff to your room if she needs the guest room. Not that I mind sharing, ooh we could have a sleepover!” She said all that in a single breath that ended in a squeal.

“I see you found the espresso machine?” Linda replied shaking her head. “You know you aren’t supposed to drink coffee much less espresso.” She gestured to Asuna, “This is Asuna. She is a coworker. You are right about her age though, she’s a year younger than you.”

Asuna leaned over to stick a hand out the window, “Hi, I’m Asuna. Pleased to meet you Kimberly.”

Kimberly shook it in time to her bouncing, “Hi! I’m Kimberly but call me Kim. Wow, you’re pretty; how come you’re working already if you’re only fourteen? Are you staying over tonight? That would be awesome! Linda is a great sister but it would rock to have another teen in the house. We could have sleepovers every night! She’s no fun sometimes and she’s rarely home during the day but she has a great house and an Espresso Machine! She even has mocha syrup to go with it. I love espresso but nobody will ever buy me any because it makes me a little hyper, you know?”

Speechless, Asuna just took her hand back and nodded.

Linda said, “If you are good and help us bring in the packages I’ll tell what’s going on but you have to swear to keep it to yourself, okay?”

Kimberly nodded, “Sure! I’d be happy to help.” She reached the trunk before either of them got out of the car and tossed it open. “Ooh! You did a lot of shopping! I wish I’d been there; I love shopping! Wow, it’s like you bought a whole wardrobe; next time you go you simply have to take me!” She gathered up a double armful of bags and rushed inside the house.

Asuna started to take everything else but Linda said quietly, “Be careful not to show too much strength. It shouldn’t matter here but it’s good to get in the habit.” So the split the remaining bags and made their way inside.

“I’m going to put these in the guest room,” floated down to them from the staircase. “You’ll like the guest room, it’s got a queen sized bed so we can fit on it for sleepovers and girltalk. Oh, I’m so happy you’re here! This will be the best summer ever!”

Linda started for the staircase after closing the door, “Don’t worry it’ll wear off soon. She’s much more tolerable when she doesn’t have caffeine rocketing through her system.” She sighed as she climbed the stairs, “I’ll have to hide the espresso machine. I’m going to miss it but if she keeps drinking it she’ll drive us both nuts and this can’t be good for her either.”

In the guest room Asuna dumped her bags on the bed and was suddenly hugged from behind. She blushed as she felt the other girl’s breasts press against her back. She started stammering something but didn’t manage to even get the first word out before Kim let go and started chattering again.

Asuna listened with half an ear and nodded in the brief pauses as she put her clothes away then practically swallowed her tongue when she turned around and saw Kimberly with her shirt on the bed and taking her bra off.

“What is it? I mean like you did say I could borrow one of your shirts right? I mean it's so cool and all I just love it. So why you giving me the face?” Kimberly said all in one breath.

“N-no, you can wear whatever,” Asuna stammered a bit but got the words out. “I was, um, just surprised that you're,” she waved a hand at the bra now hanging from Kim's hand.

“Oh, well this black bra just won't go under that ubercool pink croptop. It'd show! And I know some girls like that look but I think it looks skanky on a fifteen year old you know? Don't worry, nothing will show through the knit so no boys will be will be getting any more of a show than I want to be giving them.” Kim then raced off on a high speed fashion lesson and Asuna did her best to remember it all because, well for two reasons. One, she was still learning to be a teenage girl and regardless of how good Linda was at her job she wasn't one and Kimberly was. The second reason was that it kept her from staring and drooling. Kimberly, unlike her sister, was close to Asuna's age and someone Akira would have been happy to date.

“All done, you can look now,” she heard.

Blushing Asuna asked, “Am I that obvious?”

“Maybe I'm just that perceptive,” Kim grinned. “Either way, totally cool, at least by me. You need to get over that though or you'll totally out yourself.”

“Huh?” Asuna asked confused.

“Stammering, blushing, and looking away are not things straight girls do,” Kim said. “I suppose a hardcore prude or something might but if so she'd also be complaining about it or something.” Kim stuck her head out the door, “Hey sis! Make sure she knows not to look away from bare boobs if she's doesn't want to out herself! I thought you would have said all this to her already?”

Linda came in and saw Asuna beet red with her hands over her face and her sister in one of Asuna's new shirts with her bra on the bed next to her old shirt. She sighed, “Okay, so tell me why you were flashing her?”

“That bra would show through this shirt,” Kim said shrugging. “So I took it off after she agreed to loan it to me. Although I am guessing she was tuning me out and just agreeing without listening because when she turned back to get more clothes to put away her brain sort of seized up and she started stammering. If she wants to stay in the closet she'll have to learn to take things in stride.”

“Well on the plus side at least the espresso has worn off a bit,” Linda said. “If you think you can help her put away the rest with stripping I've got a pizza coming and then I'll tell you what the deal is. Okay?”

“Deal!” Kim stuck out her pinky and the two sisters pinky swore. “I guess espresso with the pizza is out of the question?”

“Definitely!” Linda said. “When you are finished come on down.”

When she was gone Kim closed the door, “Okay let's kick this into high gear. I want to find out why the DPA is hiring 14 year old closet cases.”

Asuna sighed, “Okay but seriously, if you expect my brain to function right don't show me that much skin. Even if I have the same bits it's not the same right?”

Kim just grinned, “You are such a darling, just like a geeky boy in a hot body. Don't worry, I have your back.”

They soon finished putting the clothes away and as they headed downstairs they saw Linda paying for two pizzas.

"Two?" Kim said, "Are you hoping the extra weight will slow me down?"

"Nope, just two hungry exemplars, Asuna burned a lot of calories today," was the reply.

"Oooh! So you're a super like big sis here?" Kim said excitedly as she brought out paper plates and grabbed a few slices.

"Yeah, I'm uh, what they call an Exemplar and a Manifestor. I also have to get checked out by a mage but I'm not sure why," she looked at Linda who nodded. "Uh, there is one other thing. I was an Asian boy last week." Asuna stopped and cringed, expecting to be called a pervert and a fraud and a peeping tom. She looked up when she heard giggles.

Kim patted her arm, "Aww, don't be afraid. If you were still a boy I'd be upset but you aren't the first gay girl to get a look see. One of my BFFs is gay too and if she didn't have a girl I'd so be trying to hook you up with her." Kim giggled, "You can let your freak flag fly while you're here!" She looked over at Linda, "So that explains the wardrobe. I still want to go shopping with you guys. Is she going to school here in fall? That would be rad."

"No," Linda said. "She's going to a special boarding school in September. I hope she comes by for a visit around the holidays but she'll be living there during the semesters." Looking at Asuna she said, "If your dad is still a pain by December you are certainly welcome here. I'm sure we'll be great friends by the end of summer."

"Thanks! I may take you up on that," Asuna said. They ate most of both pies and stuck the rest in the fridge for tomorrow or midnight munchies and went to watch some TV.