Ticking clocks (Lesbian story)

The sibling committee

We eat on the floor, behind the couch. While the pizza was in the oven she went to take her memory glasses, the cask that shows your memory. She puts it on, showing me stuff like her in high school, and her getting her diploma, and her first experiment gone wrong. I see her working on some sort of robot, and the thing explode suddenly in front of her. Big raging flames are coming from the thing on the floor and Eliza jump and grabs a fire extinguisher and puts it out. I can't help but laugh. She shows me a memory of her mom. She was a beautiful women, with long blond hair like Eliza's, and a soft smile. She was a teacher. She shows me a memory of her dad and herself working on a small electric car. She tells me her dad is a mechanic. Then she hands me the cask. She explains how it works. You need to close your eyes and relive the memory yourself. I put the cask and some sticky band slides around my forehead. She tells me it's the memory reader. I close my eyes, thinking about the night my clock appeared on my wrist. I show her my family, I show her how Briha always has to be superior, how London only thinks about his studies, and Ulysses about going out, and I show her Ruthy helping me pick up the broken plates and running toward me when I feel off the tree outside our house and broke my leg. I show her Glass before she met Zare, how fun she was. When I take off the cask, I'm crying. She wraps her arms around me, pulling me to her heart. I can hear it beating inside her chest, and it calms me.

-I heard something one day. Before the clock, they said soulmates where the people who's hearts were synchronize, and you had to find your match.

-I like that, I say, making the beating of her heart with my finger on her arm.

***

When she takes me home, she doesn't drop me right in front of my house. I get off her bike five houses away and walk the rest. But she doesn't leave until I close the door behind me. Nobody is home yet. I text London, telling him I'm already home so he doesn't have to pick me up at school. I lock myself in my room. I have so many texts from Glass, but I don't feel like answering her. I grab my earphones and take my robot on my bed. I found some old music from a band called Oh Wonder and I put the volume to max. I start playing with the robot, trying the  tricks Eliza told me about. It's kinda fun playing with it alone because when you destroy something it doesn't fix itself back up and when you suicide your robot you never break it. Because of my music I don't hear everybody coming home, I don't ear them knocking at my door and calling me. When the lock falls on the floor and the door swing open I jump on my feet.

-What the hell! I scream.

-We've been knocking for like half an hour, we thought you were dead or something, Ulysses says.

I see his eyes trail to my robot.

-Cool! he says. Where did you get that?

-Nowhere.

All my siblings are in my room now.

-Did your girlfriend gave it to you? Briha asks with a mean smile.

-No, I say. She made it.

Their mouth drops. London takes the robot from my hands.

-She made that? he asks, super impress.

I nod.

-What kind of technology is that? he asks.

-I don't know, Ulysses says, but it's unbreakable. I've seen that on the new collection of motorbikes. Wait! What's her last name?

-Clane, I say while taking my robot back.

-Like in Clane tech motorcycle?

I nod.

-Oh my God! Your girlfriend is a genius! he screams.

-I know, I say. She also made the phones you all have in your pockets.

-You're girlfriend is Eliza Clane! London says more like a fact than a question.

I nod again.

-Wow, why didn't you tell us, Ulysses asks.

-I would have if you cared.

They all fall silent. I see in Briha's eyes a wave of disgust.

-It's still weird, she says.

-Let it go, Briha, Ruthy says.

-No Ruthy, it's disgusting. Plus, where were you today? With her?

The way she said "her" was exactly like if she had spitted on the floor.

-No, I was sick, I went home.

-Yeah, after she gave you that hickey in your neck! Did you have sex with her!

-No!

-You know it's against the law. You haven't had your ceremony yet. Technically, you aren't found yet. Well, you'll never be found, you're broken.

-I'M NOT! I scream.

I'm about to start crying and Ruthy sees it.

-Briha get out, she says.

-What? WHy? I didn't do anything!

-You didn't do anything my ass! she says kicking her out of her room.

The boys are still talking about my robot. Ruthy walks up to me, putting her hand on my shoulder.

-Were you with her? she asks nicely.

I nod.

-You know dad doesn't want you to see her.

-I can't do that, Ruthy. I want to be with her all the time.

-I know, and I understand, but still. Can't you wait till you're 18.

-No.

-Ok then, we'll make it work.

I smile.

-Really?

She smiles too. She takes me to the bathroom and help me cover the hickey with makeup. When our parents get home, they ask why the school called saying I wasn't there and I just tell them I was sick. They don't ask questions and nobody says anything, even Briha. She keeps talking about Joz coming to dinner and stuff and I'm not listening. In my pocket my phone keeps buzzing because she's texting me. I just want to grab my phone and answer her right away. But I don't. I eat my salad, trying not to eat too fast and trying to look normal. My dad gives me a weird look, I give him a small smile and take even more my time to eat. I'm the last one to finish, and I also do the dishes. Nobody asks questions, and when I finally get to my room I take my phone out and call her.

-Rio, she says.

-Eliza, I say.

-Hi, she says.

-Hi.

-Do you want to meet my family? she asks me.

-Yes, when?

-How about saturday?

-Ok.

I can hear her smile on the other end of the line. I smile too, closing my eyes and remembering what her lips on mine felt like.