“I still can’t believe your parents bought you a car. And a classic even!” Christina said, with a hint of admiration in her voice
“Come on Tiffy, don’t say that. I worked like, two years on this thing”
“All alone, i take it? The All-conquering Linn who can do anything on her own!”
 
Christina received a thump in the shoulder and giggles. Locker room banter was hardly something unusual for the year she had known Linn
 
“You’re free to get a bus home, or ride with Alice’s ayy-Uber or whatever that was called”
 
“Shut up Linn!”
 
The shout is heard across the room. Alice, having just emerged from the shower wearing a towel was throwing a hissy fit over that
 
“Dad gave me one years worth of unlimited iUber access, with their new driverless cars. Anywhere, at any time!”
 
Linn crackles out a response “Wow, he must love you really much to give you a glorified bus card”
 
Alice knows where and who to pick a fight with. Besides, it was an overwhelming risk that Linn was just being a sarcastic ass. Again. Alice frown and returns to her locker
 
Linn and Christina took their time, they had both had a long and exhausting session at the track, and were a little too tired to do anything quickly
 
Linn especially had done leg exercises for last part, so much so she could barely take the stairs down to the changing rooms on her own. And now that she was just out of the shower, she had wrapped herself in a towel, with another hour for her hair. She had the posture of a sack of potatoes as she sat leaned against her locker enjoying a strawberry flavored protein milkshake
 
Linn actually liked locker rooms. They had an atmosphere about them. Giving it her all on the track and having a place to cool down, talk. Nothing here could be taken too seriously
 
It was friday, and the clock ticked towards 5pm, and there was absolutely nothing left that had to be done this week. Homework until next wednesday was completed. Because fridays were sacred. Linn intended to defy her burning legs, walk the two stairs up to her dorm room and watch some TV series while drinking beer, underage drinking laws be damned
 
She crumpled the little paper box that once contained protein shake into a ball and tossed it across the room, aiming for the waste paper basket. However, the throw wasn’t as good as it could be, it deviated from its intended course, and it would fall almost half a feet to the left
 
A hand reaches out and smashes the crumpled up box with an incredible speed into the litter box.
 
“Haha, thanks Naomi!”
”No problem”
 
Tennis girls truly were a gift from the gods.
 
With the nutrients taken care off, Linn got into the bare minimum of clothes needed to actually walk around in the room. Because now came the bane of having mid-back length hair: Taking care of it. It had to be dried with towel and then hair drier, and then brushed. And that was after filling it with an ungodly amount of 35$-per-bottle hair balm.
 
But as much of a hassle that was, the results were absolutely glorious. Mid-back length, pitch black and absolutely glimmering. Vanity had a price, and for at least her hair, Linn decided it was worth it. Almost a full hour after getting into the showers, Linn emerges with Christina in tow
 
“Thanks for giving me a lift”
 
Linn smiles a little while hopping between all driverless cars, mindlessly sticking to the 55 mph speed limit
 
“No problem, Tiffy. Happy to give you a ride, since you actually appreciate my old beater”
“So, it’s a beater now?”
“Ehem, i am happy someone appreciates my high performance sedan”
“I thought this was a classic now?”
 
Linn shrugs a little
 
“Yeah, i guess it is”
“Oh, come on Linn, you know i like it. It’s the sole reason i wasn’t eaten by insects during training camp. Seriously, never seen people being so jealous of you”
“You had no idea about mosquitos, you slept in here for completely other reasons”
“Tssk”
 
The big old sedan eventually comes to a halt outside a block of rooms. Dormitories, but not the ones further away from the school grounds Linn lived in. Christina smiled, grabbed her gym bag and shut the door gently, not the slamming Linn absolutely detested. The white sedan left soon after, playing early 00s rock music all way home.
 
Linn struggled up the stairs, legs burning from the workout. If it was this bad now, all of tomorrow would be spent in bed.
 
Dutifully, she hanged her gym clothes to dry in the bathroom, stumbled out to her eternal 4-legged love, her bed, and fell down with a thud.
 
Oh so silky, oh so soft, so embracing. If people only could be as good as beds. Linn spent five blissful minutes in this soft, white world before approaching the little “kitchen”.
 
It was at max a sink, a water tap and one stove plate. But one plate was enough to boil pasta. With this, a big blob of the leftover sauce her mother taught her to make.
 
She made a serving that would make many boys her age blush. Linn had always been on the taller side of average, and genetics combined with her training made absolute wonders for for figure.
 
But she didn't think about that at all now. Only thing on her mind was the bowl of delicious pasta in front of her, and a cold beer. It was not allowed for several reasons, chief among her being 17 and being on school grounds.
 
But to hell with that now. She desired the amber liquid, lusted for it.
 
But her eye twitched. The sound of speaker coming from down the corridor. The common room. There was a party there tonight. One that would until the next morning.
 
She took her finger away from the can and thought it through. She couldn't watch TV with all noise. Or sleep. And joining then was certainly not an option with as tired as she was.
 
Not having a night of proper sleep after an exercise was a fate worse than… going down the stairs again. Linn began eating, almost reluctantly. She was irritated she had to give in to the noise terrorists. While eating she was furiously tapping away on her phone. The plan was to bribe Christina with beer for a place to sleep. Her couch would do just fine, just as long as it was silent.
 
Christina gave the OK through a test, meaning Linn could eat her pasta with some level of comfort, despite the racket made by the trumpeting marauders upstairs.
 
Linn finished her food, packed up the beer, some clothes, and…
 
She caught a glimpse at her bathroom, and in particular some articles by the bottom of the mirror. She would be given a place to sleep and share a bottle with a friend, the least she could do was to make herself look a little prettier.
 
Not too much effort, but 15 minutes in front of the mirror and then back into the car.
 
The drive back to Christina was over quickly, she could have walked, but she didn't want to let her beloved E34 out of sight and earshot.
 
She left it, staying away from the free “electric car only” parking spots and finding one for her petrol car, but not paying the parking lot jew $1.50 per hour to park her car there.
 
She swears and heads up to the dormitories. These ones were newer, more fresh and with bigger rooms and stricter rules. In practice, the rule was “anything goes as long as you're quiet”. So just sharing a beer or three wouldn't be a problem.
 
Christina greeted her by the door with a warm smile.
 
Turns out it wasn't just beer there, but a bottle of white wine as well. They ate, they drank, they watched a few episodes of a TV-series, laughed, drank, talked shit about everyone else on the sports team, ate ice cream, drank, watched more TV-series, drank and then went to bed.
 
~ ~ ~
 
Christina awoke well into the double digits the next day. What happened last night?
 
She wasn't wearing anything. She had probably slept with Linn earlier. Which was confusing, because Linn wasn't there.
 
Christina did however find she was hugging something, even had her legs wrapped around it.
 
What was it? It was something big, way longer than Christina. 7 feet long, made out of metal and wood. Painted black. Where the thin part of the thing met the thicker part was a red silk ribbon with a note attached. It stated in four different languages that if the thing was found, one should call one of three phone numbers written on the note
 
Christina grumbled over what stupid joke Linn was playing with her. She did pick her phone up, but called Linn. Her phone sang and vibrated from somewhere in the room. Maybe in the pile of clothes discarded the previous evening.
 
Which was strange. Linn had not touched her bag or her clothes. And the bathroom was empty.
 
Christina get a little worried. She gets something to drink, puts on a hoodie and calls one of the numbers on the note
 
“A and A gunsmithing, how can I help you?”
 
The voice was that of a woman, and the tone was cheerful.
 
“Oh, uhh, sorry. I might have gotten the wrong number”
“Is that so? Who are you looking for?”
“Uhh…” Christina loses momentum “I found, like a long metal thing and it had a note on it”
 
The line goes quiet for a second
 
“This is a very serious situation. Are you in a public place?”
“N-no, I'm in my dormitory”
“Good” The voice on the phone replies “Please make sure your door is locked”
“Y-yeah I always do”
“Good. What's your name?”
“Christina”
“Okay. Christina, it's very important you don't speak to anyone about this. Please remain in your room. On what address are the dormitories?”
“Willow road 12C in-”
“I know the place. I'll be there shortly. You can not tell anyone about this”
 
And the phone goes silent. Christina is a little confused about the whole thing. She thought it was a very elaborate joke at first. But it wasn't actually funny. And the woman on the phone sounded much to worried, like actually worried for it to be fun for anyone.
 
What was it in her bed anyway? It was made out of metal and was heavy, even for Christina who was no weakling.
 
Was this drugs? No, the metal felt about the same as the metal on the bed did. Of course whatever was in the bed was warmer because she had slept with arms and legs wrapped around it.
 
She took a shower. Her legs felt weird. She figured it was from all running yesterday. But it was different. Maybe the alcohol?
 
A long, warm and slow Saturday late morning shower. Even if it was probably closer to noon.
 
By lunch the thing still lay in her bed. It had cooled to the chilly temperature metal usually has. It had also ruined her sheets by leaking oil or something from the thicker part of it. Christina didn't really know what to do with it apart from putting a towel under it
 
An hour later a big racket is heard outside. An engine, but unlike what Christina had heard in a long time. One of those almost 70 year old muscle cars parks outside, completely ignoring the parking spaces.  A beautiful thing, finished in black and chrome. It probably didn't have a transponder they could put a fee on anyway.
 
Christina opens her window and looks out. Out of it steps a woman. The most notable thing was her hair. Blonde, a very light blonde and done up in a thick braid reaching below her waist, topped with a red ribbon tied to a bow.
 
She reaches for her phone and puts it to her ear. Surprisingly, Christina feels her phone buzz to life a moment afterwards
 
“H-hey, I'm in the window”
 
Christina waves to the woman next to the old car
 
“Good. Now let me in”
“Uhm, the rules say I'm not allowed to let-”
 
Christina doesn't have time to finish her sentence. The woman by the car had stepped away from the car, taken two fast steps, taken height from a trash can by the front door and lunged herself up high enough to grab the second story window. She moved with the grace of an athlete, heaving herself in through the window and in Christina's room.
 
The woman smiles and extends her hand to the scared teenager.
 
“I'm sorry for the intrusion, but this is important. I mean no harm”
 
Not until Christina stands up, she realizes something about this strange blonde. She was really big. Easily over 6 feet tall, with strong legs and a bust which would put envy into lesser women. She was probably around 40, but had taken very well care of herself. Time had been kind to her.
 
She went immediately for the bed, picking up the long metal object.
 
 “Christina, it's very important that you are honest with me now. Who else knows about this?”
“No one. I swear”
“Good”
 
The blonde looks around the rooms, scanning it and then sits down on the bed. She wraps the metal thing in the blanket and just sorta holds it there
 
“Come, sit down”
 
Christina takes a chair from the table and sits down opposite to the woman.
 
“I take it you're a friend of Anna-Linnea?”
“Who?” Christina asks confused. “Wait, do you mean Linn?”
“Yes”
 
The woman's voice had become softer. But still stern
 
“Yeah, I do, we're good friends. Never knew her name was Anna-Linnea though”
“I should introduce myself then. My name is Annie, I'm her mother”
“Oh, I'm pleased to meet you”
“Mm… It seems my daughter is a little uncooperative at the moment, but it gives us an opportunity to talk”
“Wait, where is she?”
“In here”

Annie held up the thing

“I can tell from your reddening cheeks and the pile of her clothes under the couch you found it in your bed?”
“Y-yeah. I'm so sorry if i-”
“There is no need to be sorry. Unless she or you is hurt”

Christina was looking at the floor

“Christina dear, I'm not going to blame anyone for their preferences. I've suspected this was the case with Anna-Linnea for some time. It’s nothing at all uncommon for her kind”
“What do you mean with her kind?”

Annie sighs and holds up the thing in front of her

“Do you know what this is?”
“Not really”
“This looks much like a PTRS-41, even if this one curiously is chambered for 50 BMG”
“S-sorry Annie, i don’t know what that means”
“It’s a gun”
“I thought guns were… smaller?”
“Most are. But Anna-Linnea isn’t exactly short is she?”
“You mean she’s trapped in the gun?”
“Trapped… ehh”

Annie rocks a little back and forth

“Trapped is the wrong term.Google “waffengeist” on your phone”
“No one uses google anymore…”
“Christina dear-”
“S-sorry, i’m searching”

And so she did, as Annie tried to get her daughter out of the gun. Christina reads the wikipedia entry and is left shocked

“S-so, Linn is-”
“A waffengeist? No. I am”
“But it said… they can’t-”
“Yes, and i am one of very few exceptions to that rule. Very few. And Anna-Linnea is something very, very rare, meaning little is known about her kind. I’m sure you can understand why”
“Did i do that to her…”
“Did you know about this?”
“No, i had no idea, i mean-”
“Shh, then it’s her fault. She’s very fortunate you handled this as calmly as you did. If not, she could be in weapons locker and on the way to a crusher tomorrow”
“Shit…”

Annie looks up from the rifle and straight into Christina with a penetrating gaze

“I hope you understand what you learned in here is something you will take to your grave. No one is going to hurt her”
“Absolutely not. I won’t say anything”
“Good. Because you’re really the only one who does know this. So if it was to leak, i know from where it came
“Annie, i swear to god. She’s my friend, and-”
“Friend?”

Annie’s voice lightened significantly. She didn’t like to have to threaten teenagers and wanted to steer the conversation in another way

“I’m not sure she is gonna like being “friend” after that”

Annie’s words make Christina’s cheeks approach a crimson red
“b-by the way, the article said most of...uhh”
“Us?”
“Y-yeah, you can change from like, person to gun on your own”
“Yes. I can without issues, and i can also influence the state of others like me. But because Anna-Linnea has a father just like yours she can’t do it on her own. Which is why it’s important i can help her if this happens”
“I understand”
“Speaking of, i think she’s ready to come out. If you would be so kind to look away? I don’t want to make it more embarrassing than it already is”
“Of course”

Christina turns around, and soon she hears heavy breathing behind her. Annie sat by the bedside, hugging her one and only daughter. Tightly

“Shhh… It’s okay…”

Christina could hear Linn’s breathing. Fast, heavy and uneven. Linn tried to speak, but the words didn’t come out as they intended. At this point, Annie started to speak a language completely foreign to Christina. She heard her name being mentioned once through the sludge on unrecognizable syllables. Probably assure her she was in a safe place

“Christina, be a dear and get Anna-Linnea some clothes from her bag”
“Mooom…”
“Do you believe yourself to be in a position to argue, young lady?”
“No…”
“Then you’re going to lie down and accept being spoiled. Christina, would you mind going down to my car and grab the bag from the boot?”

Christina nods, takes they key given to her by Annie and leaves her room. Annie takes the opportunity to help her get dressed. Annie was as caring as a mother could be, and did everything she could to make sure her daughter was okay. Which she was. This had happened before, and it had not been too big of a problem the last few times. Not soon afterwards, Christina returns with her the bag. Annie steps away a little, letting her tend to her friend

Linn was handed a cup of chocolate, and various easy-to-eat foods

“Thanks”
“No, problem Linn. Or should i call you Anna-Linnea”
“Augh… No, you don’t have to do that. And uhh… we’re still friends, right?”
“Yeah, of course”
“Thanks Tiffy”

Annie peeks back in their direction

“Pet names already. I must ask, Anna-Linnea is this an away-game friend or the type of friend you’re going to introduce to Dad as well?”
“Moooom!”