The BLTS Archive - Cloud 9
by Amiroq. aka Gypzy (fitchett@netaccess.co.nz)

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Disclaimer: no $$$

Challenge Response. This was written a couple of months after the
actual challenge was issued, but basically, you have to write a story
using no articles (a, an, the). It's harder than it sounds, until you
get the hang of it.

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It's simple things that get me. Like, you're walking along, right? And
you see your ex, having a friendly conversation with your best friend.
You got no idea what they're talking about, but you feel this sudden
rush of jealousy. What if he's asking her out? Of course he isn't,
there's no way he's interested and you know that. Your brain knows it,
at least, but your gut has this way of taking random facts and
twisting them around in your stomach until you feel sick.

It's like that with B'Elanna. She smiles at some joke I've just made,
and my stomach feels like thousands of butterflies fluttering around
my mom's garden. I'm on Cloud Nine all day when she smiles. Now, I
know and Tom knows and she knows that she's really falling all over
Chakotay, but is that gonna stop my gut wrenching every time she looks
at me?

Which is why I'm in my quarters tonight. I'm not that masochistic that
I'm going to sit all night in Sandrine's, watching her watching him
while he's oblivious to her and she's oblivious to me. Now *that* is a
case of Ouroborus. It could be worse, I guess. I might be oblivious to
Chakotay. But before that happens, Kathryn's going to have Tom's
children.

I only make it an hour before my doorbell rings. I bet myself on who
it's gonna be - one side thinks B'Elanna, one side Chakotay. It's
Chakotay. He comes in and sits down, cool as anything. "I was just
wondering where you got to tonight," he says. He sounds like he's
getting into counsellor-mode.

"I'm surprised you even noticed."

"Everyone notices."

"Yeah, well, I just couldn't be bothered being a part of this cycle
that seems to be constantly in motion." I can tell that confuses him.
He's not too observant, for someone who knows how to hunt deer.

"Which cycle would that be?"

I debate telling him. My sadistic side wins out. "You know, the one
where everyone likes someone else and pretends no one knows about it.
It gets... boring, eventually."

"You mean you know?"

"Know? I've known for ages. It's not that hard to work out, you know."
I lean back some in my armchair to watch him better. He's got this
weird expression on his face, this "tell me more" deal. "Why do you
think I hardly ever go out with you and B'Elanna anymore?" I continue.

"Well, if that's how you feel--" He doesn't bother finishing that
sentence, just gets up and leaves. I blink. What did I say? I wonder
what could be so infuriating about me liking B'Elanna, and for some
reason, I think of lizards.

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The End