The Switch In Time

“Sage is burning my bedsheets,” Nettle announced in lieu of saying “hello”.

Ava regarded her over the top of his glasses. The fact that she burst into his room without knocking didn’t surprise him nearly as much as the hour in which she did it. The digital read on his laptop said almost 2am which was usually 3 hours past when she usually passed out anyway.

When he raised his eyebrow at her, it somehow managed to comment on both the time and the bed sheets without the encumbrance of actual words and she rolled her eyes in response as if he spoke aloud. “I repeat, Sage is burning my bedsheets,” she said as if repeating it would offer sufficient explanation. She marched forward and flopped face down onto the bed next to him. “When I asked her why, she pat me on the head and told me I was better off not knowing.”

“I thought the campus dormitory frowned on things like arson and destruction of school property?” he replied. He pressed his laptop screen down far enough to take in her fuzzy slippers and pajamas, and added almost as an afterthought, “Actually, they’re probably not too keen on breaking and entering or coed sleepovers either."

Nettle lifted her head high enough for him to see her disappointed frown, as if he’d said the wrong thing. “You’re supposed to be on my side.”

“No, I’m supposed to be working on my midterm paper,” he retorted, gesturing at his laptop.

Nettle retaliated by flipping over and flopping gracelessly into his lap, feet dangling off the side. “Oh, am I disturbing you now Mr. Studies-are-suddenly-more-important-than-best-friends-without-beds?”

Ava balanced his laptop on the edge of his knees to make room. “You’re acting like your sister stealing your sheets is grounds for being inducted into some oppressed minority group.”

“Sibling bullying is oppression. It’s like the textbook definition of oppression,” she said, frowning up at him. The frown seemed out of place for their playful argument, and sure enough, seconds later she was reaching up to poke at his glasses. “Since when do you wear these?”

“Since practically forever,” he said, smirking. “I can’t help it if you’re exceptionally unobservant.”

She narrowed her eyes. “I am extraordinarily observant, thank you very much. And besides, you have magical demon laser eyes that can practically see through walls. What in the world do you need glasses for?”

“There is not a single part of what you just said that is even partially correct. And I use them to cut through the glare on my laptop screen - not using them gives me a headache.”

“How come I’ve never seen you wearing them?”

“Probably because my chances of working on my laptop diminish drastically whenever you’re around.”

“Oh.”

She said it like a whisper, soft and suddenly uncertain. He knew she knew this paper was important, and all it would take was a word for her to leave him to it in peace. But instead of considering that word like he should have, he reached for the light on his side and switched it off leaving the computer screen as the only source of light.

“Won’t this make it harder on your eyes to read your paper?” she asked, making extra sure.

“Are you doubting my magical demon laser eyes?” he returned, raising an eyebrow she sensed more than actually observed.

She giggled and turned on her side, curling into a ball while using his thigh as a pillow. “Never.”

“Damn straight,” he agreed.

“Good night Ava.”