What We Learned at Rokudai (Chapter 5 Draft)

What We Learned at Rokudai
Chapter 5 - Make It Work

–

- Tuesday, September 2nd -

["YOU HAVE...TWO NEW MESSAGES. FIRST NEW MESSAGE."]
[-Beeeep!-]

["Killerbee? Where the hell are you? And what the fuck is up with Kat? I thought you said she was fine. I just ran into her at the pub and she was not fine. She's acting fucking paranoid. What did you say to her? I told you not to talk with her about anything. That's none of her business. That's our business, and Eagle Eyes business. And she's not an Eagle - not yet."] There was a pause after a long, frustrated sigh. ["Look. I'm gonna take her out and hopefully she'll calm down. I can't deal with this shit on top of everything else. If you know what her problem is, gimme a call, help me figure this out."]
["END OF MESSAGE."]
["MESSAGE DELETED. NEXT MESSAGE."]
[-Beeeep!-]

["Hey, Jane...It's Katrina. I...I'm sorry, I know you're probably busy right now. But, um...I dunno, I just...I'm not doing so great right now."] Her voice was kind of shaky. ["And I just have this bad feeling about...everything. Fff. Real specific, right? Heh. I don't-...I thought you might be able to help me sort things out. Call me? Or-...Or maybe I'll just see you tonight? Anyway, I'm sorry. Just..."] A raspy breath. ["Not having such a good day, I guess. I'll talk to you later."]
["END OF MESSAGE."]
["MESSAGE SAVED. YOU HAVE NO MORE MESSAGES."]

"Damnit," Jane grumbled as she closed her phone, glancing around B&S's. She ran her lanky hand through her hair – half stringy and unkempt, half short and fuzzy. She cast her tired, dreary eyes to the laptop screen before her before she started picking at the remains of her curly fries.

Thinkin' this is gonna blow up in my face. Don't even get why CrackerJack got mixed up with Kat in the first place. They're so fuckin' different. Now I'm stuck in the goddamn middle of 'em. This sucks.

She scratched her neck as she popped a fry into her mouth. She rested her head on her wrist, her other hand poking at her laptop's touchpad as she scrolled through a seemingly endless ocean of pointless social media where showed her attention and support via 'Likes' rather than direct contact. She stumbled upon a set of photos Katrina had posted at the commencing of classes – she looked so happy with all of her friends, goofing around and smiling and stuff. And was that a...stick figure made of...french-fries and tooth-picks? What dorks.

It's like you live in a completely different world than I do, Kat. You really want me in on that? If you knew what I been up to...I don't think you would.

Jane accessed her personal messages and was reminded of one that remained unread from a few days prior. In her bitter state of mind, she figured she might as well get it over with.

[From: Mary Elmira]
[don’t pin that on me. have you talked with your grandpa yet? that’s who you should be going to about this. not me. i’ve got problems of my own. yo’re an adult now. it’s time to start acting like one.]

Jane’s dexterous fingers weren’t so good with grammar but she hammered out a reply.

[thanks mom your really there for me. glad u care so much]
[grandpa is in a retirement home halfway cross the country case you forgot.]
[last time i visited him he didn’t even know who i fucking was ok]
[but i get it. dads gone so now you got no reason to talk to me anymore huh?]
[gonna leave me to figure this shit out on my own rite?]
[like everything else]

[fine.]
[fuck you too mom.]

Each press of the ‘enter’ key was therapeutic, increasing in swiftness and rigidity with each sentence entered. Jane figured there wasn’t much left to lose at that point. Her mother hadn’t been in her life for a few solid years now. The last time they’d seen each other had been in the days leading up to her father’s passing a year back. She hadn’t even come to his funeral. Mom had just totally given up on them. Fuck that. Fuck her.

Jane didn’t fancy herself a terribly great person, but she hated quitters. Yea, Mom had found a new family and everything. Good for her. But she’d totally ditched Dad when he'd needed her the most. She’d ditched her own kid when they’d needed her the most.

Jane had been stuck between Mom and Dad for years, and she never quit – not until everything was done and over, and there was nothing left to hold on to. Now she was stuck in the crossfire between Katrina and CrackerJack, and she still wasn’t going to quit. She just hoped that after the dust cleared, there would be something left to hold on to.

“Jesus,” came a sultry woman’s voice from one booth ahead of Jane. “That paper pissing you off that much, kid?” It was the middle-aged woman with the ever-present scowl that managed B&S. She was wiping down tables in the aftermath of the lunch hour. Her name tag read {ELLEN}. She added facetiously, “I know citing your resources is a bitch and all, but...no need to look so angry about it.”

Jane was taken aback by the woman’s remark. Flustered by the pseudo-invasion of her privacy, Jane glowered at her computer screen, wiped her fingertips across her eyesbrows, and scratched at her left ear – the one that wasn’t veiled in hair. She took a deep breath and sighed as ‘Ellen’ made her way to the table behind Jane.

“Ah,” Ellen said, squirting cleaner onto the table she was at. “That wasn’t a ‘homework’ sigh. That was a ‘drama’ sigh, right there.”

Further confused by the woman’s commentary, Jane shrugged.

“Somethin’ like,” Jane mumbled in semi-confirmation.

“Yep,” Ellen grunted, stretching across the table to snag some fry crumbs and sweep them off into her palm. “Sounds like college. Well, keep your chin up, dude. Have a milkshake. Add on that freshman fifteen. Fuck the world.” Ellen paced over to the closest trash bin and emptied her handful of crumbs.

“Not a dude,” Jane sighed out spitefully. At least it had been a few days since she’d needed to point that out to someone. In a low-key grumble, she added, “Not a freshman, either…”

“My bad,” Ellen callously spat. “Transfer kid?”

“No…”

“Weird.” Ellen squirted cleaner on the vinyl seating. “Figured I’d have seen you around.”

“You have,” Jane dully informed. She tiredly wiggled her hand toward the shaved side of her head. “Got a haircut over the summer.”

“Huh,” Ellen puffed in reaction, surveying the hairdo briefly. “Well, that’s one way to stand out…” She went back to wiping down the booth's seating.

“Didn't do it to stand out,” said Jane.

“Sure.”

“I didn't,” Jane crankily insisted.

“Don't gotta prove nothin' to me, kid.”

“Why you stickin' your face in my business, anyway?” Jane lashed out in an grumble lacking any sort of patience.

Ellen paused her table cleaning, gave Jane a once over, then smirked, going back to her work.

“Enh-eh,” she shrugged. “I'm cleanin' the place up, didn't want your grump staining the place.”

Ha. Ha. This lady was a real comedian.

“But really,” Ellen added. “Whatever's eatin' ya? I say ya nip it in the bud. Get it done and over with. Trust me when I tell ya: dancin' 'round bushes leaves ya lost in the woods before ya know it. So screw that, haul yer skinny ass over to the counter, order a peanut butter milkshake, worry about this drama of yours tomorrow. I bet a shake'd wipe that mood o' yours away – for a while. Besides...-” She grinned, heading off for the next section of tables. “I've got sales figures to meet.”

Jane pulled her glance away from the kooky, nosy lady and back to her computer. But the digital flow had frozen over. She couldn't bring herself to continue scrolling through the never-ending trail of metaphorical quotes and party photos and other crap. Her brain was fixated on the flavor of peanut butter now, so she decided to take this 'Ellen' up on her advice.

---

["Sons of Scotland! I am William Wallace!"]

["William Wallace is seven feet tall!"]

["Yes, I've heard."]
"Yes, I've heard," Siku mimicked, complete with proper Scottish accent. He continued to quote, imitating Mel Gibson's every gesture on the TV screen as it happened.

["Kills men by the thousands. And if he were here, he'd consume the English with fireballs from his eyes, and lightning bolts from his arse!"]

A flurry of laughter - big, manly laughter, of course. Except from the audience, anyway.

["I am William Wallace! And I see a whole army of my countrymen, here in defiance of tyranny."]

Ruka shook her head in amusement at Siku's wild eyes. Her face contorted into an involuntary smile that was at once endeared by his energy and embarrassed by it. Her dyed brown hair was fluffy and thick, with a small half-back ponytail poking out.

When did you get into Braveheart? And trying to act all manly? That's not the Zeke I remember. But I can't say I mind very much. You seem like you've changed a lot. I suppose we both have.

To her left, Juniper's body was leaning away a bit into Aaron, her head nestled on his right shoulder, facing down a bit. Her left arm was wedged between their bodies, fingers locked around Aaron's, while her other arm was flopped across his lap. They seemed very close, very comfortable. Very...not like Ruka's last relationship the year prior at her previous school. She was brought back to Zeke's exuberant performance.

["Would you be willin' to trade all the days, from this day to that, for one chance - just one chance - to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take...our freedom!"]

Cheers erupted - jubilant, determined cries. And, unexpectedly, the boys watching joined in, as did Juniper with some delay.

["Alba gu bràth!"]

"Alba gu bràth!" Aaron roared, pumping his fist into the air and shaking Juniper around, her eyes wide.

The boys repeated the line with much gusto, and Ruka even managed to find it in herself to join in as best she could.

"Yeh need ta werk ohn yehr Scaw'-ish, Lass," Zeke criticized her, stroking the short hairs on his chin with a dubious expression as he sat back down beside her.

"Jest a weh bit," Juniper agreed, her face lit up in jest.

"Hey, you're not paying attention," Aaron scolded rapidly, prodding her armpit. She squirmed a bit, her foot almost kicking Ruka's shin.

"OK, OK," she growled playfully, settling down. Ruka couldn't help but find it funny that Aaron was concerned with a blind girl paying attention to a movie which couldn't be seen. Aaron would periodically murmur something in Jun's ear – presumably what was happening on-screen. She watched through the corner of her eye as Aaron stroked Juniper's neck slowly with his index and middle fingers as their focus returned to the film.

Ruka remembered feeling that same kind of peace with the excitable boy to her right, three years prior. A 'freshman fling' of sorts, Ruka and Siku spent a good portion of their freshman year dating. They immediately didn't get along terribly well, though, largely due to Siku's chauvinist attitude. Ruka was quick to knock that right out of him, at least while she was around. She could remember them watching TV in this same lounge - 2nd Aero - on this same couch...

–

- October – (Three Years Ago)

"So, wait," Ruka interjected, pausing their DVD. "I don't get it. I thought The Others were bad."

"Well, yea, that's what they wanted you to think," Siku pointed out, jabbing a finger slyly in her direction.

"Aaaand I thought they were like, tribal people who lived in the woods. Why are they in nice little houses and stuff? Where did the houses come from?"

"That's the Dharma Initiative. They were that bunch of scientists that were here a long time ago - remember?"

"That Asian dude with the rabbit, right? In the creepy video tapes?"

"Right! Exactly."

Ruka could feel the gears in her mind grinding together. How did he understand what the hell was going on?

"I'm completely lost. That must be where this show got its name from."

"Well, it's kind of your own fault for skipping the first season and a half, Ruka."

"Later, when it's my turn to pick the show, and we watch Friends, it won't matter what season we start on. You'll still find it funny."

"All right, all right," he grumbled, dismissing her negativity. "Maybe I should pick something else." He began fumbling through his pile of DVD cases, but Ruka leaned over and grabbed his hand. He froze, his face flushing, as his eyes shot up to her.

"I have a better idea," she announced, running her fingers from his hand up his arm and eventually around his neck. She pulled Siku away from his collection and into a quick kiss.

"Uhhhh, yea," was his goofy response. "That is a better idea."

"I thought you were supposed to be the smart one?"

"Yea, that's why I'm listening to your idea right now," Siku replied, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

A retreat to Siku's bedroom yielded some privacy, but they managed to keep themselves relatively under control. One had to learn to do so in the dorms, as you never knew when someone might come waltzing in - especially in Aero. Despite his clumsiness, Siku offered a lighthearted sense of protection. Somehow, despite his chunky frame and childish demeanor, Ruka found something admirable in his spirit. He was determined, a guardian. Over time, Ruka came to realize this was likely a result of his close bond with his younger sister, and some of the same skills involved translated nicely into the realm of romance.

–

But this Siku that stood before her now, quoting Braveheart with gusto, he was a new man. Of sorts. He had filled out a bit - in a good way, Ruka thought. His arms were thicker, his shape less scrawny. A bit like a barrel, which she was inclined to appreciate.

He seemed...less happy, though. Ruka couldn't pin point it. He seemed smarter, more confident, more aware of who he was - she could already tell these things just after a couple of hours. But there was a melancholy there, hiding beneath the surface. As if all of his exaggerated humor was an effort to hide it. At first she wondered if it was the death of his mother, but it didn't add up. As memory served, he had wrapped his mind around that before they had even met. Whatever this was, it was something else - something that had broken a part of him. And this mattered to her - that he had been broken - which was not something she had been expecting to care about when the decision was made to come back to Rokudai.

---

- Tuesday, September 2nd – (Present)

[From: Jane]
[hey sorry didnt catch ya i will talk to you tonight. will see you at the concert k? on my way. jus keep it chill]
[Sent: 8:17pm]

[Reply]
[To: Jane]
[Yea, that sounds good. I'll try.]
[Sent: 8:18pm]

"Who's that?" asked CrackerJack casually.

"Oh, it's uh...-" Katrina clasped her phone shut. "It's Bee; she's gonna meet us here."

"Awesome. Was wondering where she was." Jack reached his arm out and slipped it around Kat's hip, joining their sides together.

The music from the recently started concert outside filtered out from the Treetop pub into the street. It was a surprisingly tame rock band - sounded like a reggae/rock combination, if Katrina had to decide. They actually didn't sound too bad. At least the Eagle Eyes supported half decent bands -- she'd give them that.

"So you're feelin' better?" CrackerJack checked, running his hand up and down her hip.

She nodded forcefully in reply.

"Yea, I'm fine," she lied calmly.

"Good, I was worried there. Is school stressin' you out or something?"

"Totally," she answered with a sigh, digging her hands into her hoodie. This was a half truth. School was always stressful, but...-

I'm lying to my own boyfriend. Because that's what he wants to hear.

'That's a good sign,' echoed Juniper's words from earlier.

A few minutes and a brief kiss later, Killerbee arrived.

"Hey, guys. You didn't have to wait outside for me," Killerbee advised as she approached. She was sporting camo cargo pants and a short-sleeved black hoodie, the hood drawn over her head. Each of her eyes had a black stripe and a yellow stripe of face paint marked below them, and bee-themed sweatshirt sleeves came out from beneath the hoodie. A set of black military boots riding up her shins completed this whole 'Killerbee' look. Katrina had yet to decide if she liked the way it suited Jane or not.

Katrina and Killerbee shared a moment of telling glances. Respectively, one said 'Something is up' while the other said 'Chill the fuck out.'

Katrina wanted to just grab Killerbee by the ear and yank her aside, demanding answers, but she managed to keep her cool. She had to convince herself that answers would come later.

"It's fine, I needed some air," Katrina explained with a shrug.

"What are we waitin' for?" CrackerJack cried, charging headlong into the pub. The sound levels were admittedly too high for Katrina's liking - she honestly wasn't a big fan of concerts like this. There was just too much noise. It was uncomfortable. Thankfully this one wasn't as bad as others she had been to.

"So who's this band?" Katrina shouted through the noise, hardly able to see the group in the back of the joint through the thick crowd - many of whom being people she recognized from that group she'd stumbled into earlier.

"They're the Flamey-Oh's. Small band workin' their way up!" explained CrackerJack loudly, his eyes focused ahead. "Pretty good, right?"

Katrina couldn't really make out their lyrics too well but the melody was strong. It was lighthearted and upbeat, and at some point her foot had started tapping along. They seemed to be filling in the cheerier niche of the indie/garage-band sort of scene. Katrina simply tried to enjoy the music for a few minutes, CrackerJack's arm encompassing her. For some reason her mind wandered to her brother, then to her friends. When CrackerJack was around her, it...wasn't the same feeling. Being with CrackerJack didn't feel...secure. It felt risky, dangerous, exciting, intoxicating...but not safe. That was the entire appeal, of course, but now that Katrina was becoming self-aware of it, things were souring.

The next span of time passed by without much incident - there was too much noise for there to be much incident, anyway. Katrina danced, she sang along to choruses when they repeated, she held CrackerJack, she kissed, she hugged, but it was already tainted. Her mindset going into the evening had blackened it like burnt toast and eating it wasn't doing her any favors. Those same words kept pounding at her skull from the inside, trying to force their way out.

Something's wrong here.

---

[Boomerang Blog: Back At Ya!]

[We Shall See]
[Posted on September 3rd at 1:32am]
[by Noble Sir Kesuk Esquire]

[Tonight went better than expected. Thank God my friends were there or I probably would have wiffed it. I tried to just be cool and be myself, but it was hard. It's hard to believe my ex is back after a few years...We didn't really stay in touch at all after she left. Not gonna lie, though, I'm glad she's back. I'm still not sure how I feel about everything but everyone seems supportive, so...guess we'll see. She seemed awkward at first but once we hung out I really think she got along well with my friends and I was able to just relax and be me. Me = awesome BTW. So that's good, am I right? ]

[Classes and junk are fine. Second week now, though, so things are gonna pick up in a hurry. Our camping trip this weekend went great until it rained at the end. Oh, and guess what? It's been more than a week and guess who I haven't so much as seen? Yea, that prick who's dating my sister. Guess how I found out what his real name was? THE NEWSPAPER. Why? Because he VANDALIZED our President's office. Freaking awesome, right? You can bet I'm just TOTALLY COOL with my sister dating this guy.[/sarcasm] Seriously, I feel like a broken record and I can't believe she's just going with it. It's not like her. She's SMARTER than that! This guy's bad news and she knows it. So what gives? I'm trying really hard to give her space on this but once I read that newspaper article I felt like going right downtown, pulling out the Big Brother Card and kicking this guy's ass.

[Of course, he's like in a gang I think, so that would be dumb, and my ass would be the one getting kicked.]

[Anyway, if my sister doesn't break up with him soon I'm gonna have to intervene because this is just bullcrap and I'm not gonna wait until something bad happens to her.]

[Oh, BTW the cafeteria FINALLY added coffee-flavored ice cream this year. THANK GOD. Took them long enough.]

---

- Wednesday, September 3rd -

Katrina clasped the door handle gently, twisting it ever so slowly as she eased it open. Lucky for her, their room didn't have a door that squeaked. And her roommate was blind, so the lights were still on. She tip-toed into the room and pulled off her hoodie, setting it on her chair before bending below her bed. She smiled as Juniper snored abnormally in that odd way Katrina had already grown accustomed to. Juniper had this odd habit of snoring loudly at seemingly random intervals during the night - it was endearing in its own way. Katrina found her small shoebox stash of snacks below the bed and retrieved a pair of Baby Ruth peanut bars from within before sliding the box back in place and sneaking back out. Relieved at her accomplishment of not disturbing her roommate, she glanced at her phone: [2:04am]. She walked across the hall and closed the door behind her.

Killerbee had changed into pajamas - yellow sweatpants with orange flowers on them and a black tanktop. Katrina had to hold in a laugh. It looked cute, but 'cute' wasn't what Killerbee tried to associate herself with, so the image was jarring in a comical kind of way. She wanted to ask the simple question 'Why?' but opted to save it for a later point in time. This was clearly 'Jane' she was talking to, not 'Killerbee.'

"Where's your roommate?" Katrina inquired as she offered her second candy car, perplexed by the lack of roommate. Now that she'd thought of it, she still hadn't met Killerbee's roommate.

"Hell if I know," Killerbee grunted with a shrug, accepting Katrina's food. "I hardly see her. She's always working."

"At two in the morning?"

"Probably doing homework or some shit. I don't know." Clearly, Jane didn't seem to care one way or the other. Chances were that her roommate didn't either, if Katrina had to guess.

Katrina cocked her head in a semi-shrug and sighed as exhaustion washed over her. She sat in Jane's desk chair while her companion was hunched on her own bed, her sheets printed with a pine forest pattern. Katrina unpeeled her candy bar and munched into it, seeking comfort through sugar and peanuts while Jane eyeballed her suspiciously.

"So what's the deal, Kat?"

Katrina rubbed her bleary brown eyes, which were avoiding the placid gaze of the redhead sitting feet away.

"Jane," she muttered. She refused to call her 'Killerbee' during this conversation. She didn't want to talk to 'Killerbee,' the Eagle Eye. She wanted to talk to 'Jane,' the gruff girl she had somehow befriended through association, the girl who actually had bothered to maintain contact with her during the summer. The girl who 'had her back.' "We're-...We're friends, right?" She set her sights on those heavy, olive green eyes beneath the freckles. Jane seemed hesitant, glaring at the candy bar in her hand.

"Sure," said Jane plainly after a moment, unwrapping her Baby Ruth. What harm could more peanuts do for her today?

"OK," Katrina breathed. "Then, Jane? I'm asking you this as a friend: is there something I should know about CrackerJack? About the Eagle Eyes?" Jane's expression went listless and she nodded knowingly - not in reply to Katrina's question but in a 'that's what I figured' kind of way. Katrina quickly followed up, "'Cuz I know something is going on. He's hiding something from me. I'm honestly not sure I want to...keep going with this."

"When you're with him something feels wrong," Jane mumbled tiredly.

"Yea," Katrina sighed. "I guess it's that easy to tell, huh?"

"Well, I know the feeling," Jane clarified with disgust.

"...Oh?” Kat's curiosity was tickled.

"Freshman year," Jane grunted. "Not too happy with pretty much anything I did Freshman year," she specified.

"Oh, right," Katrina blurted, suddenly sympathetic. Her gut instinct was correct, then: Jane probably was the person she needed to talk to here, having been with this guy before. "OK, so...If that...-" She cocked an eyebrow at Jane's vacant stare. "I guess I just don't understand why you're still with his group, then."

"The Eagle Eyes found me. Said they thought I had the right stuff. Thought I could get shit done." Jane scratched her nose. "They were right."

"So you're behind what they're all about, then?"

An incredulous laugh burst out from Jane.

"Are you fucking serious? Hell no. All this bullshit about art and supporting local business? Couldn't give a shit." She laid down on her bed, crossing her legs and staring at the foam tile ceiling. "Besides, they're a bunch of hypocrites."

"Hypocrites?"

Now we're talking, Katrina thought. He is hiding stuff from me.

Jane nodded, chewing on her candy bar.

"If you hate them so much,” Katrina asked, “why are you with them, Jane?"

"'Cuz...-” Jane's head shrunk backward slightly and she shrugged. “I...get to go to concerts. And I get free drinks. Fff, I dunno..."

"Why do I feel like that's not the reason?" Katrina said with a skeptical smile.

"Hey, I really like drinks," Jane chuckled. "And I really hate working custodial. Got nothin' better to do with my spare time, so...makin' some easy money's how I spend it."

"C'mon," Katrina insisted. "Really? It doesn't sound like it's 'easy money,' the way you talk about it."

"The Eagle Eyes accepted me, Kat," Jane defended, eyes still glued to the pattern above.

"I accept you," Katrina assured.

"I know," Jane confessed, almost dismissively. "But everyone's not like you, Katrina."

"My friends are like me."

"Maybe." She huffed irritably and ran her hand through her greasy orange hair. "Whatever, it doesn't matter. This isn't about me."

"Rrrright," Katrina slowly admitted with a nod. There was a shell there that she had managed to worm her fingers under but it wasn't coming off - not yet, anyway. "So what should I know about CrackerJack that he's not telling me? Why did you call the Eagle Eyes hypocrites?"

"I'm not supposed to talk about that crap," Jane groaned, covering up her eyes in frustration. "If you can't deal with that then maybe you just shouldn't be dating CrackerJack."

"So now you want me to break up with him?" Katrina asked in disbelief. "I thought you just said earlier I should give him another chance."

"If you're going to be fucking paranoid all the time then maybe I changed my mind, OK?"

There was a moment of tense silence as both girls wore their angry masks and cast their attention away from one another.

"Jane," Katrina said at last, her voice firm. Jane didn't move. "Jane," Katrina persisted with ferocity. "Look at me."

Jane's face rotated stubborrnly and languid olive drab eyes scowled back.

"I don't know what's all...going on in your head, all right?" Katrina impatiently conceded. "But I like you. I want us to be friends. And we can't be if you can't be honest with me - if I can't trust you. If being part of the Eagle Eyes means keeping secrets, then...-" Katrina shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. "I can't date CrackerJack anymore," she put it simply. "And I can't be friends with you."

Another high-strung moment of interlocked eyes passed by.

"Sounds like you've made up your mind, then," Jane's words smoldered.

"I have," Katrina agreed without hesitation. "But I'm asking you to make up your mind."

"What the fuck do you want me to say?" Jane growled, sitting up, tossing her arms to her sides. "If you don't like the way we roll, then piss off."

No, you don't, Jane. You're not pulling that crap on me. Not today. I'm not just walking away.

"Jane, I know you aren't happy with the Eagle Eyes," Katrina pointed out. "You spent all freaking summer complaining to me about how frustrating they were. Then we come back on campus and you're offering to bring new kids in and everything? What happened there? Huh?"

"You don't get it, Kat. Can't just leave the Eagle Eyes, just like that."

“Now, that sounds distinctly suspicious,” Katrina remarked bitterly. “What do you mean?"

"You're not in, Kat. You don't know what I know. If you wanted to leave, you could - no questions asked. Frankly, you should, 'cuz if you can't handle secrets then you're just going to be digging yourself into a hole you can't get out of."

Katrina was at about the point where the phrase 'sleeping with the fishes' could get thrown into the conversation and she wouldn't bat an eyelash. Actually, she'd probably laugh, because that was silly. Ahem. But this wasn't a joking sort of situation.

"OK," Kat muttered solemnly, leaning forward and resting her chin against clasped hands as she considered the situation. "Are you saying that the Eagle Eyes are doing things that are dangerous?"

"'Dangerous' is a matter of opinion," Jane vaguely responded. "Your opinion? Yea. Probably they are."

"Do you want to be a Eagle Eye anymore?"

"What I want isn't really important, so-"
"Don't give me that, Jane!" Katrina commanded vehemently, rising her seat. "I asked you a question. Answer it."

"Fuckin' christ," Jane spat irritably. "Why the fuck do you care so much, anyway?"

"When I started dating CrackerJack-" Katrina paused, her mind short-circuiting against itself. "When I started dating Jack," she corrected, "you kept an eye on me. You were always trying to make sure people didn't give me a hard time. And during the summer, you kept talking with me when no one else from that group would. Everyone else I tried to stay in touch with ignored me. That's why we're friends in the first place. Right?"

Jane shrugged, glancing elsewhere as she nibbled on her candy bar.

"You never seem happy, Jane. It's like you're always...mad all the time. You don't have to be. I don't like seeing you like that."

"Maybe I'm just a pissed off sorta person, Kat," Jane proposed, tone lathered in cynicism. "I know your type. You try to fix people. I'm not somethin' you can fix, all right? So just back off."

"If you know my type and don't like that, then why are we friends at all?" Katrina inquired, doubtful that Jane was being entirely open. She never had been up until now, so Katrina didn't have reason to believe this was any different.

"Like you said,” Jane grumbled, “We gave a shit and stayed in touch. Why? I dunno. Maybe we shouldn't, then."

"Is that what you want?"

"I don't-!" Jane smacked herself in the forehead and let out a gruff. “Rrgh.”

Katrina decided that this was going nowhere fast.

"If you can't make up your mind, then, fine." Katrina stood up and shoved Jane's chair under her messy desk and put her hand on her hip, waving her half-eaten Baby Ruth around as she rattled. "I like you, Jane - I really do. And I care about you. You don't know why you're with the Eagle Eyes? I don't know why I care about you. That's fair enough, right? But you aren't happy. I know you aren't happy." They traded yet another sharp stare, and Katrina willed herself to attempt to pierce the windows of olive.

When I look you in the eyes it's like something's dead, like something's just not there that should be.

"Thanks for pointin' that out, Captain Obvious," Jane snapped. "No, I'm not happy. Way to go. Got your fucking notepad with ya? Gonna take some damned notes so you can cure me, Doctor?"

"Jane," Katrina quelled, like a mother does to its pouting child. "Please, just cut the crap, OK? You're better than this."

Jane rolled over onto her side, facing the wall beside her bed.

"Keep me out of your drama,” Jane commanded. “If you wanna break up with your boyfriend, that's your own fucking business."

"Good. Because that's exactly what I'm going to do." Katrina marched to the door and grabbed it by the handle, her patience worn out at this point. "But that doesn't change anything I just said about you. It's your business if you want to keep being 'Killerbee' and playing mafia games or-...or whatever it is that's going on. If Jane Fitzpatrick, the girl I became friends with over the summer, decides she can be trusted, and wants to keep being friends? Well..." Katrina opened the door and stepped out. "She knows that I'm right across the hall."

Katrina almost slammed the door in her frustration but the dim lighting of the hallway at night caught her attention in time. She slipped into her own room and kicked off her shoes. She pulled the tie from her ponytail, noticed that the door to their dual-room bathroom was open on their side, and closed it before shutting the door to the bedroom itself. She flicked off their light and fumbled her way to her bed through the dark.

"Whuzzafuckzatabbutt?" whispered a voice from across the darkness.

"Did we wake you?" Katrina quietly asked, instantly apologetic.

"Nah, haffagohbaffroom," Juniper replied half coherently. "Herdjootalkin."

"Oh, it's-...Jane and I just sorta...had a spat. Don't worry about it, let's just get some sleep."

Juniper hummed out a tonal 'OK,' and that concluded their conversation.

That girl is so stubborn. I don't get her at all. She says one thing and does another. I can't believe I thought she'd be honest with me. I can't trust Jack, I can't even trust her. This whole situation was a bad idea. I'm done.

–

- Thursday September 4th -

[To: Katrina]
[hey Katrina is everything ok? you looked really down yesterday]
[Sent: 10:32am]

[From: Katrina]
[It's OK, Aaron. I'm fine. Just stressed out.]
[Sent: 10:44am]

[Reply]
[To: Katrina]
[ok well if u need anythin were here for ya ]
[Sent: 10:46am]

[From: Katrina]
[I know. Thanks.]
[Sent: 10:47am]

[From: Siku]
[Hey, it's your turn to pick where we eat on Friday. What'll it be?]
[Sent: 11:22am]

[Reply]
[To: Siku]
[oh yea sweet. i want some wdys]
[Sent: 11:31am]

[From: Siku]
[Beg your pardon?]
[Sent: 11:33am]

[Reply]
[To: Siku]
[oh sorry wendys]
[Sent: 11:45am]

[From: Siku]
[Very well, very well. I shall tolerate it. At least they have meat there.]
[Sent: 11:47am]

[Reply]
[To: Siku]
[where are u anyway? were waitin to eat lunch dude]
[Sent: 11:48am]

[From: Siku]
[I'm on my way. Katrina should be there any minute.]
[Sent: 11:52am]

---

[Twitter account Siku Kesuk]
[@ManOfScienceManOfSarcasm – Wayward, CA]
[I'm just a guy with a blog. And a boomerang. And a light saber. And an insatiable appetite. And I never shut up. Even on the Internet. Proud member of the Colbert Nation.]

[@ManOfScienceManOfSarcasm]
[Just told my sister to MAKE ME A SANDWICH, WOMAN. Did not go as I had hoped. #SadFace #WhatGives?]
[4 Sep 12:05pm]

[@ManOfScienceManOfSarcasm]
[Told my other friend the same thing. She punched me. She meant to hit me in the stomach but got the groin. #WhatDoWomenWant? #Violence #FML]
[4 Sep 12:07pm]

[@ManOfScienceManOfSarcasm]
[Told my roommate MAKE ME A SANDWICH, WOMAN and he made me one. What does THAT tell you? xD]
[4 Sep 12:10pm]

[@ManOfScienceManOfSarcasm]
[Now his girlfriend's mad that I got the special treatment reserved only for her. #Selfish much? He's MY slave, too. ;D #OhSnap #IJustGotServed #Lunch]
[4 Sep 12:12pm]

[@ManOfScienceManOfSarcasm]
[She was aiming for my groin on purpose this time. Hit my face instead. With her lunch tray. #WTF #BitchesBeCrazy]
[4 Sep 12:13pm]

[@ManOfScienceManOfSarcasm]
[I don't remember the cafeteria being this violent since that gravy fiasco last semester. #OnLikeKong]
[4 Sep 12:19pm]

[@ManOfScienceManOfSarcasm]
[I think I like this philosophy professor. He's all right. Yes, I am tweeting in class. #GradeAStudent]
[4 Sep 2:41pm]

---

As the class time was winding down, Siku and Ruka, sitting in the same row toward the back of the room, were passing a note back and forth, scribbling their discussion to each other. They had moved onto the backside of their sheet of notebook paper at this point. They could have been texting in theory, but paper was easier to sneak by – plus, there was just something more special about the tangibility of paper and pen that Siku was appreciating.

{were you just texting in class?}

{No, I was tweeting. There's a difference.}

{ok, well, what were you tweeting about?}

{About how I like this professor. He's funny.}

{ok. so it doesn't matter if you learn anything as long as it's funny?}

{More or less.}

{and here i thought you had ch==== changed.}

{Some things never change. ^u^}

"-which will be due on Tuesday."

The elderly professor, who spoke slowly and deliberately, was carrying that tried and true 'I'm-cramming-in-some-announcements-during-the-last-sixty-seconds-of-class' tone.

"Also," he lifted his index finger into the air. "I'd like to encourage you to stop by the coffee shop tonight for open mic night. We will be having it every Thursday night."

"Oh, that sounds like it could be fun," Ruka noted, the students becoming more restless as the clock hit the end of scheduled class time. “You could put on some stand-up comedy,” she teased Zeke.

"You are dismissed," the pudgy man proclaimed with a dismissive wave of the hand. "See you on Tuesday."

"Meh, we all study Thursday night," Siku advised with a shrug as he rose from his seat, stuffing his textbook into his backpack. "We try to get junk out of the way before the weekend, ya know?"

"Ah-hah," Ruka acknowledged with a grin as they trailed behind the rest of the class. "Well, aren't we just the little planner?"

"I try," Siku mocked humility, polishing his fingernails on his maroon polo shirt. "I'm the brains of this whole operation, after all."

"Ya don't say."

"I do say. I say quite loudly. In fact." They exited the room and filtered through the hall to the atrium of the Gyatso Center, a building that contained classrooms utilized for most subjects.

"How loudly?" Ruka goaded him on.

He cocked a sly eyebrow at her as they approached the open stairwell at the end of the hall

"I am the brains of this operation!" he roared through the clutter of shuffling students. Ruka slapped a hand over her mouth in embarrassment and surprise. Siku carried himself with complete nonchalance despite the confused stares, and Ruka held her snickers in until they had exited the building. They flooded out of her mouth as they exited and Siku shrugged casually.

"I can't believe you did that," Ruka scolded, shoving him on the shoulder as they walked down the sidewalk, bound for the ACC. "I'm just-...I can't believe you," she egged him on.

"I have that effect on people," was Zeke's smug explanation.

"Well, if you're the brains, who's the brawn?"

He scoffed, "It ain't my roommate, that's for sure."

"Aw, hey," Ruka snipped, "Don't be so mean to Aaron. He seems like a good kid."

"He really is," Siku knowingly agreed, his tone suddenly dropping its sarcastic edge. "Except that he eats salad instead of meat. That's why he's so skinny and wussy, you realize." So much for the sarcasm being set aside.

"Is he vegan or something?" Ruka considered.

"Kind of? I guess. He'll eat dairy, just not meat."
You guess? Ruka thought. Isn't he your roommate?

"OK. So he's vegetarian,” concluded Ruka. “But not a vegan."

"Bleck. Thank God. Not of the meat, nor of the milk?” Zeke's face wrinkled with disgust. “What kind of miserable existence would that be? I wouldn't wish that curse on my worst enemy."

"It's good to know that as long as you're laughing with a full stomach ,you'll always be happy."

"What can I say?" He spun around and spread his arms wide, keeping pace backwards. "I am Zeke: Man of Science, Man of Sarcasm. I am a simple man with simple needs. Easy to please. I'd think you'd remember that kind of thing."

"I guess I forgot," Ruka admitted, shaking her head, bemused. "But how quickly have I been reminded."

"By the way, we're going out to eat tomorrow - you wanna join us? Katrina will be there this time."

"Oh," Ruka blurted, instantly open to the idea. "Yea, that sounds great."

"Sweet. Done deal, then." Siku waved her off as they reached The Ring. "I've got another class to hit but I'll keep you posted about tomorrow. Later!"

"Yea," Ruka called back as he trampled off down the sidewalk. "Later."

---

[From: Crackerjack]
[yo you know whats up with kat? she hasnt been gettin back to me]
[Sent: 3:06pm]

[Reply]
[To: Crackerjack]
[shes been acting weird. i dunno.]
[Sent: 6:12pm]

[From: Crackerjack]
[must be that time of teh month]
[Sent: 6:20pm]

[Reply]
[To: Crackerjack]
[fuck if i know. ask her bout it.]
[Sent: 6:26pm]

[From: Crackerjack]
[later. so you comin over tonite?]
[Sent: 6:28pm]

[Reply]
[To: Crackerjack]
[dont think thats a good idea man.]
[we gotta stop that shit. I'm done.]
[you need to tell her whats up. if you dont i will.]
[sick of being stuck in middle of you two.]
[Sent: 6:30pm]

Jane set her phone down with a huff, and within a couple minutes, it began to vibrate, but when she checked, she realized it was a call she was receiving, rather than a text.

[Calling...]
[Kat]

"Hell," Jane grunted in hesitation. She and Katrina hadn't had any form of contact since their little spat the night prior, and she wasn't in any kind of mood to be pried open again. They'd been dancing the delicate art of avoidance surprisingly well for being neighbors. "What do you want?" Jane demanded in desperation to the vibrating phone. She didn't want to answer it. She didn't want the drama. So she surprised herself when she answered it, anyway, some unseen force willing her to do so - perhaps curiosity, perhaps some fragment of desire and hope to sort out this confusing triangular mess. She didn't know. But maybe Katrina did.

"What?" was Jane's blunt and off-putting greeting.

["Hey,"] was Katrina's equally gruff response. ["I was just..."] Her tone softened. ["I'm sorry about the last night. I thought a lot about it, and...you were right. I made everything about you, and...I shouldn't have."]

"OK," muttered Jane, her glance wandering across the test tubes she was currently surrounded by.

["And I guess I'm just...overreacting to everything."]

"Ya think?"

["I mean, we obviously don't really understand each other."]

"Got that straight."

["But I want to understand you, Jane. Can you let me make it up to you?"]

Jane drummed her dirty fingernails on the page of her textbook in a moment of snap decision.

"What did you have in mind?"

["Well, I was thinking we could go out for coffee, or...or something."]

"Nah, I'm not in the mood to try that again."

["Oh...W-well, we could-"]
"I'll come see you at Aqua when I'm back," Jane decided.

["Y-yea, that's-...That's fine. OK!"] There was some relief seeping out through the phone speaker, and Jane found this...satisfying? Was that the right word for it? Comforting? She didn't quite know how to define it, but it was an oddly positive quality.

"'Kay."

["So, I'll...See you later."]

"Yep."

[-Beep-]

With a deep sigh, Jane resuming her studying, surrounded by her chem lab set as she waited for it to process its components.

---

- June, 2014 – Three Months Ago

[Sent: June 3rd, 2014]
[From: Katrina Kesuk]
[To: Jane Fitzpatrick]
[Subject: So...]
[Hey. Is this the right person? Killerbee?]
[~ Katrina]

[Sent: June 3rd, 2014]
[From: Jane Fitzpatrick]
[To: Katrina Kesuk]
[Subject: RE:So...]
[yea. this is cj's gf right? whats up?]
[- bee]

[Sent: June 3rd, 2014]
[From: Katrina Kesuk]
[To: Jane Fitzpatrick]
[Subject: RE:So...]
[Hey! Yea, that's me. How are you doing lately? I've just been trying to get a hold of some of you Eagle Eye guys. Stay in touch, make friends, you know. Try to stay sane over the summer. There is nothing out here. Seriously. It gets pretty lonely. -_- I've got my big brother to keep me company, but...come on. He's my brother. XD ]
[So tell me about yourself, Jane. Or Killerbee? Or Bee? What should I call you, anyway? How did you end up at Rokudai? What's your major? How did you end up with the Eagle Eyes?]
[~ Katrina]

[Sent: June 4th, 2014]
[From: Jane Fitzpatrick]
[To: Katrina Kesuk]
[Subject: RE:So...]
[not sure were the type you wanna make frinds with but w/e. you seem all righ to me. yea im goin crazy here too. this summer job is killing me. eagle eyes are cool but jacks got me doin all this boring shit. sooooo boring and i cant stand the people i work with lotta the time. at least you got a brother. i just have cousins back in texas and they're annoying brats. don't even talk with em anymore. wish i had a real brother. or a sister or mom or fuck anything like that really. and jus call me killerbee its my nickname. or bee works too. my uncle thought i should go here cuz its like out in the middle of nowhere and theres mountains. my dad went here too i guess. i love the woods though and he knew that so it made sense. i wanna be in the military and they use the mts here for training. i liked it when i visited so i picked here. wut about you? my major is biology but i dunno what to do w/it. i just wanna be in the army. kick some ass take some names. got into the eagle eyes cuz your bf found me freshmn year and had me join. anyway why do u wanna know all this stuff?]
[- bee]

[Sent: June 5th, 2014]
[From: Katrina Kesuk]
[To: Jane Fitzpatrick]
[Subject: RE:So...]

[Yea, I'm working an office job right now. Like a secretary. Super boring over here, too. My brother's doing custodial but he just goofs off a lot, so he actually likes his job. Go fig, right? Yea, Rokudai is really pretty with all the mountains and woods nearby. Military, huh? You do seem pretty tough. I can see that! So you're in training? That's so awesome! What is that like? It's got to be really hard. O_O' ]

[I'm a double Major: English and Education. I want to teach High School Lit. You have to keep your GPA up or they'll drop you from the program, so I always stress out, but it turns out fine. ^^' Why do I ask this stuff? I dunno, I'm just trying to get to know all you guys. You're the only one who's gotten back to me so far, though. Do you guys not stay in touch over the summer or something?]
[~ Katrina]

[Sent: June 5th, 2014]
[From: Jane Fitzpatrick]
[To: Katrina Kesuk]
[Subject: RE:So...]

[yeeeeaaa i dont think youre really gonna hear from those other guys. theyre not really big on "staying in touch" or w/e. im not really either honestly. so dont get yer hopes up kid haha. but i bet cj is still talkin with ya rite? if your his gf he will give a crap bout ya lol. he prolly calls you like everyday rite? and military training isnt as hard as you think if youre in shape for it. i like it. makes me wake up in the morning and stay strong.]
[- bee]

[Sent: June 6th, 2014]
[From: Katrina Kesuk]
[To: Jane Fitzpatrick]
[Subject: RE:So...]

[Oh, yea. Jack and I talk pretty much every day. He's very...unexpected. Like, with everything. He's not like what I thought he'd be. He caught me by surprise. But man it's like all of the girls in that group want to take my place or something! What's the deal? You remember that one night where you had to come in and get them to leave me alone? (thanks for that BTW) Did I do something wrong, or what? I'm just glad that the one girl I've got on my side here is so tough!]

[My brother is harassing me to watch TV with him. 'Bonding time' he says. I don't recall Will Ferrell movies being 'bonding time' but whatever.]

[So I'm curious - I'm not gonna get my hopes up, though. ;D But would you want to chat some time? I'm on Skype a lot. Text/voice/video, whatever you want. My handle is MagiKat. Weren't you moving into Aqua House next semester?]
[~ Katrina]

[Sent: June 7th, 2014]
[From: Jane Fitzpatrick]
[To: Katrina Kesuk]
[Subject: RE:So...]

[ugh god i hate all those dumb bitches that are always with us. some of em are ok but damnit most of those girls really piss me off. i remember what your talkin about. theyre just jealous cuz they think theyre hot shit n cj is dating a nerd so it pisses them off. no offense. just ignore em. it was no problem. i dont have a cam or mic so i dunno about chatting. dont have anythin better to do these days so sure i guess. ill get skype and add you. well see what happens w/e. and i lived in terra. its quiet. a lotta girls on my floor are too prissy though. act like they shit rainbows or something. so yea im movin to aqua. whats that dorm like?]
[- bee]

---

[Skype tm]

[Sunday, July 4th, 2014]

[MagiKat - Hey, Bee. You there?]
[1:23 am]

[killerbee-fitz - kinda. what's up?]
[1:28 am]

[MagiKat - I'm just bored. ]
[1:28 am]

[killerbee-fitz - oh thats great i see how it is. im here for when youre bored that it?]
[1:29 am]

[MagiKat – Of course. ;D]
[1:30 am]

[killerbee-fitz - thats just great. good to know.]
[1: 31am]

[killerbee-fitz - jerk.]
[1:31 am]

[MagiKat - I'm kidding, geez. You want me to throw in some LOLs or JKs or something?]
[1:32 am]

[killerbee-fitz - i know your just kiddin btw. i am too.
[1:32 am]

[MagiKat - xD]
[1:33 am]

[killerbee-fitz - lol]
[1:33 am]

[MagiKat - Anyway, what's the solider girl up to tonight?]
[1:34 am]

[killerbee-fitz - nothin much just watchin a movie.]
[1:36 am]

[MagiKat - Oh, what movie?]
[1:37 am]

[killerbee-fitz - i dunno some junk on our netflix stream. some horror flick.]
[1:38 am]

[MagiKat - You just added it and don't even know what it's called? ]
[1:38 am]

[killerbee-fitz – nah someone else prolly added it or somethin.]
[1:39 am]

[MagiKat - Oh, are you like, at a relative's house?]
[1:40 am]

[killerbee-fitz – nah im at wayward still. Renting for the summer.]
[1:42 am]

[MagiKat – Oh. You didn't go back home to see your family?]
[1:42 am]

[killerbee-fitz - i never told you bout my family?]
[1:43 am]

[MagiKat - No...Why, did something happen? =S ]
[1:43 am]

[killerbee-fitz - oh.]
[1:44 am]

[killerbee-fitz – my mom left us when i was in highschool. dad died last year.]
[1:44 am]

[MagiKat - Oh my God. =O ]
[1:44 am]

[MagiKat - No, I had no idea! We've never really talked about your family...]
[1:45 am]

[killerbee-fitz - dont really talk bout it to everyone so yea. not everyones business.]
[1:45 am]

[MagiKat - I am so sorry, Bee. ='( ]
[1:46 am]

[killerbee-fitz - not your fault.]
[1:46 am]

[killerbee-fitz - you know how it is though. with your mom i mean.]
[1:46 am]

[MagiKat - Yea...-_- ]
[1:46 am]

[killerbee-fitz - how old were you again?]
[1:47 am]

[MagiKat - Oh. I was, like...]
[1:47 am]

[MagiKat - I was 12.]
[1:47 am]

[killerbee-fitz – sucks. you still got your dad. your bro. at least.]
[1:48 am]

[MagiKat - That's true. We've all had to be there for each other.]
[1:48am]

[killerbee-fitz – pretty much i got nobody now. mom doesnt give a shit n my cousins are d bags.]
[1:48 am]

[MagiKat - If you don't mind me asking...What happened? Where are your parents?]
[1:49 am]

[killerbee-fitz - no its fine youre cool. everybodys got bags of shit to carry round.]
[1:49 am]

[killerbee-fitz – dad had cancer. an i had that surgery stuff i told you about.]
[1:50 am]

[killerbee-fitz – mom couldnt deal so she left. dads cancer caught up w/him and now hes gone too.]
[1:50 am]

[MagiKat - Wow. O_O I didn't know. And your Mom left? How could she?]
[1:51 am]

[MagiKat - I don't know what to say. I'm so sorry to hear that.]
[1:51 am]

[killerbee-fitz - nothing to say really. sometimes people dont care. all it is.]
[1:52 am]

[killerbee-fitz - then i moved in with my uncle when dad died. hes divorced too.]
[1:52 am]

[killerbee-fitz - thats how its been since.]
[1:53 am]

[killerbee-fitz – but i cant stand my cousins. or that town. not after what went down.]
[1:53 am]

[MagiKat - I can't believe all of these things you’ve been through. But now some stuff makes sense...]
[1:54 am]

[killerbee-fitz - like i said i dont tell everyone. keep it that way for now.]
[1:54 am]

[MagiKat – Oh, of course. ]
[1:55 am]

[MagiKat - I guess I appreciate that you trust me enough to tell me.]
[1:55 am]

[killerbee-fitz - hey youre all right. i like you kat you dont judge me.]
[1:55 am]

[MagiKat - Of course not. Why would I?]
[1:56 am]

[killerbee-fitz - all the other stuff i told you before. with my surgery. and what i did in high school. most people would be freakin out.]
[1:57 am]

[MagiKat - Oh. Well, if I'm gonna be your friend I have to be able to accept that stuff, right? ]
[1:57 am]

[killerbee-fitz - thanks.]
[1:59 am]

[MagiKat - Wow, it's 2am. I really need to get some sleep! Good thing it's a Saturday night, right? xD ]
[2:02 am]

[killerbee-fitz - k. have good nite.]
[2:03 am]

[MagiKat - You, too, Bee. It was nice to talk with you.]
[2:05 am]

[MagiKat - ~HUG~]
[2:05 am]

[MagiKat has signed out.]
[2:05 am]

---

[Skype tm]

[Saturday, August 7th, 2014]

[killerbee-fitz - yo yo you there kat?]
[3:23 pm]

[MagiKat - Hey, Jane, what's up? ]
[3:25 pm]

[killerbee-fitz - check it. i got accepted into aqua.]
[3:25 pm]

[MagiKat - \m/ ^_^ \m/ ]
[3:26 pm]

[killerbee-fitz - gets better.]
[3:23 pm]

[MagiKat - Do tell. ]
[3:23 pm]

[killerbee-fitz - so theres this girl on the 2nd floor rite? ginny ackland.]
[3:23 pm]

[MagiKat - Yea? OK.]
[3:24 pm]

[killerbee-fitz - her roommate bailed out on her so they had an opening.]
[3:24 pm]

[killerbee-fitz - so i took it. ]
[3:24 pm]

[MagiKat - That's our floor! What room?]
[3:24 pm]

[killerbee-fitz - 201]
[3:25 pm]

[MagiKat - OMG. That...is right acros the hall from us! ]
[3:25 pm]

[killerbee-fitz - holy shit were gonna be neighbors.]
[3:25 pm]

[MagiKat - This is so epic. You and my roommate will get along great. ]
[3:26 pm]

[MagiKat - That makes two Terra girls I've converted to the Light Side. Haha. ]
[3:26 pm]

[killerbee-fitz – guess now i kind of reason to not completely hate going back to school.]
[3:27 pm]

[MagiKat - I know, right? We can actually become real friends now instead of just online ones.]
[3:28 pm]

[killerbee-fitz - i guess. yea. ]
[3:30 pm]

[MagiKat - Shoot. I have to be somewhere at 4.]
[3:32 pm]

[killerbee-fitz - oh yea that volunteer thing rite? ]
[3:33pm]

[MagiKat - Right, this will be the last week I do that for the summer. I have to go. Catch you later, Jane!]

[killerbee-fitz - ttyl kat.]

---

- Thursday September 4th – (Present)

A halfhearted knock - just one single knock - brought Katrina out of her study mode. She was poring through Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key for her Children's Lit class. She knew that knock: it was Jane. Or Killerbee. She didn't really know who was going to be waiting for her behind that door but she hoped it was Jane.

"Come in," she called, sticking her Harry Potter bookmark on the page and setting it on top of her closed laptop.

The door quietly crawled inward and the lanky, stick-limbed figure she had anticipated hobbled in, closing the door behind her, energy drink cupped in her hands.

"Hey," she said, setting herself on the floor cross-legged.

"Hi," Katrina replied, seeking eye contact.

"So...Sorry for bein’ bitchy last night.” She sipped loudly at her black and blue can. This was Jane. For sure. 'Sorry' wasn't part of 'Killerbee's' vocabulary.

"Me, too," Katrina conceded.

"You already apologized," Jane said with a smirk, her olive eyes finally looking up. "It's...different."

"What do you mean? What is?"

"You. Us. This." She waved her hand around the room. "Not just a...bunch of words on my computer. You're right here. Can't just...log out if I'm pissed off."

Katrina laughed lightly and nodded her head, recalling days when Jane would suddenly disappear from their conversation if things got tense.

"We're not the same, Kat."

"I know."

"Not really a social person."

"I know," Katrina insisted with a smile, hunched over in her chair, looking down at her red-headed neighbor.

"It's easy to do it on IM or e-mail," Jane confessed with a shrug, taking another swig of Monster and coughing.

Kat posed, "But isn't it better in person like this?"

Jane sighed and ran her palm over the fuzzy half of her head.

"I guess," she mumbled.

"Maybe we just need to figure each other out better," Katrina proposed. "You can only learn so much about someone on the Internet."

"OK," Jane agreed plainly.

"It's hard on my end because I feel like I hardly know about you, even though we talked a lot over the summer."

"Not exactly the touchy-feely type," Jane grunted. "So that's probably why."

"And I know I can be really...-" Katrina wiggled her hand, searching for how she wanted to put it. "I can come off strong."

"Fff. Yea. Yea, you do, Kat."

"Right."

"Kinda...-” Jane scratched at the back of her scalp, its uneven surfaces familiar beneath her fingers. “Doesn't help when I'm in a bad mood."

"Yea. I'll have to keep that in mind. But you can't totally shut me out, either."

"Nah, I get it," Jane nodded quickly, glancing back to the floor. "Can try to be better."

Katrina grinned.

"We got this," she concluded with optimism and a thumbs up. "We can make it work," she said in a quirky twist of humor, flashing her other thumb up.

"God, I hate you," Jane facetiously chuckled. "You and your...dressing. Craft. Show."

"You have your UFC and I have Project Runway. Maybe we should swap some time?"

"Dangerous," Jane slyly said, a glint in her eye. "Not sure you could handle it."

"Oh, please!" Katrina insisted, kicking Jane playfully in the knee. "It's settled. This weekend, I will show you Project Runway and you will show me this...fighting-thing you seem to love so much."

"Deal," Jane agreed. "Be back in a sec."

As Jane lifted herself to her feet and trudged to her room across the hall - doors left open now - Katrina found herself contemplating her situation. She had been avoiding CrackerJack with careful excuses of classes and friends and work, but sooner or later she'd have to confront the situation. It didn't look like they'd stay together, but Katrina had found some peace in that. At the very least, maybe she had made a friend in this gruff and lonely girl. Even if that was the solitary good thing that came from the entire situation, Katrina be OK with that.