I didn’t even make it to the cafeteria before I got derailed again… but I hadn’t seen much of these folks, either. Couldn’t hurt to stop and chat for a bit, especially given recent events.
Gugalanna
¡¡Hola!!
Michi
¿Tú hablas español?
Timaeus
Oh… sorry, I know just enough to read a catalog record. But I didn’t know you spoke Spanish too!
Michi murmured something unintelligible to Gugalanna before answering me. She snorted loudly.
Michi
I can say “hello,” “how are you,” and “where’s the money in at least twelve different languages. Pehea ‘oe i keia la?
Kapono
Maika’i wau… Mahalo!
Michi looked up at me from his upside-down vantage point and spoke in perfect English.
Michi
Where’s the money?
Timaeus
You’re real funny. Though now that you mention it, I don’t think there was any money in my wallet…
Timaeus
But! What I meant to ask, was…
Michi
Secrets, right? Haven’t looked yet.
Timaeus
Huh? Why not?
Michi
‘Cause I’m a lazy piece of shit! Kyahaha! I’m not gonna drag my ass back to my room when there’s a couch riiight here…
Timaeus
I mean… I guess you don’t have to read it if you don’t want to, huh? What about you two?
I glanced over to the less talkative members of the group, as Michi sprawled out over the couch again and appeared to fall asleep almost immediately.
Gugalanna
Uhhh…. I haven’t read it ‘cause…
Gugalanna
‘Cause I’m not just gonna let El Demonio tell me what to do!! You think I’m weak, El Timeo?! I do what I want!!!
Timaeus
Th-that wasn’t what I meant!!
She took a step towards me, and I took several steps back. She stopped when Kapono spoke up, though, and nodded sadly as he said what she was really thinking.
Kapono
…Haven’t… read mine. Kinda scared.
Timaeus
Well, for what it’s worth, the ones I got weren’t too bad… Maybe yours won’t be, either.
Kapono
…Maybe not mine… But someone’s… must be. If… if MONO really thinks… we’ll kill.
Gugalanna
Yeah, I don’t like it. I get where the tap dancer chica is coming from, but…
Michi
Like… Who’s to say our kidnapper didn’t choose some of us specifically because we have huge secrets?
Timaeus
…I hadn’t thought about it like that…
Michi
Like that cold ravioli thing! Jesus christ, Tim, you’re a monster.
Gugalanna
Wahahahahahahahaha!!!
Timaeus
Wh– are you all still hung up on that?!
Kapono
…hehehe…
I am never going to live this down, apparently.
Kapono turned back to his book– was that a journal on molecular chemistry?– and Gugalanna and Michi continued their conversation in Spanish. I started to leave for the cafeteria, but…
Gugalanna
Oh yeah, hey Tim have you seen– what’s his name, the güero with the cinnamon rolls.
Timaeus
Uh… Nik? Not since MONO-9000 showed up…
Gugalanna
Nik, right.
Would ya tell him I can do supper tonight if he's not up to it? He seemed pretty freaked out to me...
Timaeus
Oh… sure, I bet he’ll appreciate that.
Well, that was nice of her. Though if she was worried about Nik too, then maybe I should go check on him while I’m out and about. I headed back down the hallway…
…I thought I heard him move around in there, but there’s no answer. If he was making supper tonight, he’d probably have started by now. Hope he’ll be okay…
With a sigh, I made my way back to the cafeteria– for real, this time.
