The Yashnid Household

"Well, I meant as a couple! Serious-boyfriend and girlfriend." Selia said, grinning.

"... Oh, right. Well, yeah, I guess so!"

"Great!" Selia got up on her tiptoes and kissed him.

Jake's sister entered the Entrance room of their house. She stared at them.

Jake was kissing her happily.

"... Lips are for talking and eating, not connecting." she said suddenly.

Selia stopped kissing Jake and turned to look at Jake's little sister. "Uh.. uh.. u-u-u--uhhh.." She seemed completely frozen.

But she didn't seem to care. "Really, though. I hope you guys brushed your teeth, because otherwise it's really just disturbing." And she left.

"Did you brush your teeth?" Selia asked suddenly.

"Obviously!"

"Okay.. I sort of don't feel like kissing anymore. Sorry. Want to go get that sorbet?"

"Sure. I like lemon sorbets the best."

"Really? That's my favorite too!"

And so Selia went down and walked back with one lemon sorbet. "I ran out of money. You can have it." She said, handing it to him. "Sorry.."

"No! I'll pay for both!" Jake nodded. and took out money. "Here you go!"

"No, I don't need it!" Selia scooted away from him. "I'm not hungry anymore. You just eat that one."

"You didn't have any. Oh, fine. Let's just share."

"Fine!" Selia made a funny face. It looked sort of constipated. "Let's go get the sorbet, then."

"Yep!" Jake grinned, and they bought the sorbet, and shared it.

Selia ended up taking the last bite without thinking. "Oh, sorry.." She said, but wouldn't have reversed her decision if she had the chance.

"That's fine." Jake shrugged. "What else do couples do?"

"Well.. We've already kissed, we've already shared ice cream. What else is there? Ice skating is still on the list, but it's summer, and when winter comes, we'll be in school.."

"I heard they're closing the school for a year until it repairs."

"Really? Well, then, let's go ice skating this winter!" Selia said, smiling. "No school.. this sounds great."

(The day after Serenity arrived in Amsterdam.. )

Selia went up to the door, holding one little bag, and knocked on it, wiping off her eyes. She was holding a letter in her hand, and she knocked on the door again, this time more frantically.

Jake opened the door. "Hey, Selia! What's wrong?"

Selia started crying again. "My sister just wrote me this letter." She thrust it out at him, wanting to get it away from her. "She's found a job, in Amsterdam. And she's kicked me out of our house, because she can't afford to pay the bills anymore, and the bank owns the property and I don't have anywhere to live. And my sister's gone." Selia just shook her head and stopped talking.