I thought about her the whole time. At the bus stop the next morning we stood very close, leaning shoulder-to-shoulder. A brief glance from a lady als... waiting at the stop was enough for Mariya to move away in embarrassment. We talked for awhile, mainly about her music instructor and the pieces she had to practice for an upcoming competition. On Thursday I asked her, "Are we still on for Saturday?" and I took her embarrassed shrug, as she bit her lower lip, for a "yes." She called me Friday. “So what’s wrong?” I began. “Nothing, just relax. I just wanted to tell you that I think you are ready for the next step.” “Next step? What next step?” “I want to take you to a t-girl club this weekend.” “Okay, so what’s the big deal?” “I want you to go dressed.” “What?! Are you kidding me?! I’ve never gone out dressed! I’ve only dressed in private. You can’t be serious!” “I am serious. I think you need to do this.” “No, I really don’t. I’m just fine with the way things are. Really!!” “I know. To main kyun chance chhodunga main tel le aayi aur kaha ki thik hai tum ghum jao aur baal ko mere rtaraph kar lo taki main thik tarah se tel laga sakun to Wo mere taraph apni baal ko chhod diye.Main tell agate lagate ek dum hit ho gaya mere laund to ek dum hit hoke pani nikalne laga to main kya karta apni pant ki chain kholdiya aur unke baal ko apni laund par ghumaya kyun ki chichi ki kuuch dikhai nahin de raha tha o mere se pichhe hoke beithe the to maine pura phaida uthaya.Main yese karte. . Well yes... Maybe. There is an island just off the coast of Scandinavia I've been thinking of. I just haven't had time to check it out completely yet. It could, as far as I know, be connected to the mainland during the time I'm thinking of." What time is that?" A couple of hundred years AD." Well, I should have thought it was too cold to consider that." No, as a matter of fact the climate in Scandinavia at that time was subtropical." Oh. Just as it is here?" More or less, I guess. I haven't.