Wasteland 2087 - Chapter 5

Myra meets fellow Combat and Survival student Amber.

Chapter 5.

As soon as the lesson ends, I'm out the door. I have no interest in deciphering Mr. Hamilton's motives, especially after a class that preached about respect from a teacher who seemed to lack it entirely. Is this my only shot at escaping the shelter, or will I end up shuffled into a different elective? Was signing up for this a mistake?

"You. Are. Awesome!" a voice chimes in, right behind me. I turn to find the pretty blonde, looping her arm through mine as she catches up to me. I still can't recall her name...Maybe it starts with a 'J'--Julia, Jasmine, Justine? I'm starting to worry; she's got me in a social death grip.

"That guy is a jerk. My brother had him last year and was flunked down. It was kind of awesome to see someone stand up to him."

"Yeah, well... I think in some sordid way, he actually enjoyed it. Are we arm-linking friends?" I ask, perplexed at my current predicament.

"Well, I figured perhaps you and I could get to know each other. I mean, it wouldn't hurt to have a friend in the one class you don't share with your boyfriends, right?" She's unusually forward. Why am I still walking arm-in-arm with her? But she's not wrong; even in my electives, I have Veii in Innovation and Technology and Que in Medicine and Healthcare.

"They're not my boyfriends! They're just my friends!" I retort.

"Who are boys!" she amends, eyes wide, as if pointing out an obvious fact I'd overlooked.

"Well, yeah, but not like how you said it," I say, scrunching my nose.

"Myra, relax; I'm just teasing. Besides, maybe if we get acquainted, you can put in a good word with Veii for me!" She flashes a cheeky grin.

I let out a scoff. "You're not his type." Then, I remember Veii's secret, dangerously close to slipping out, and bite my tongue. This girl--Judy, Jane, or Jacinta--could be anyone's type; she's sweet, innocent, and attractive.

"And what is his type?" she questions, chasing a truth I'm not willing to reveal. I need to change the subject, but she continues "...Are you his type?" she asks innocently.

"Hah! Ah-- Nooo!" I protest, perhaps too forcefully.

"Why not? You're quite beautiful, and you have gorgeous hair," she reaches towards my hair, and I swat her hand away. She lets out a laugh, "Come on, you know you're hot--even with your 'haven't-slept-and-are-about-to-throw-up' vibe, you got going on." There it is. Even when people compliment me, they can't help but mention my sickness.

"Thanks, I guess," I say flatly.

"...So?" she asks.

"'So'... what?"

"So, who's his type? Because I can be anybody's type!" she persists.

"Ha," I give a quick, stunted laugh. She's relentless and adorable. If Veii fancied women, Jody, Juniper, or Joeline would definitely be his type. I take her in as we walk. She moves with a confidence that seems out of place in the dimly lit shelter. It's hard to not notice her eyes; large and bold, with an incredible depth of green, but they hold a curiosity, an allure, or--more precisely--a danger. Something in them suggests she's seen more than her youthful appearance implies. A subtle strength emanates from her, not in bulging muscles or a towering stature, but in the assurance with which she holds herself. She's tall--probably around Quentin's height of five-ten. All things considered, the girl could be anyone's type, but how can I tell her she's just not Veii's? I sigh and throw out my arms in a shrug.

"Honestly... I don't know. But I'll put in a good word for you, if it gets me out of this conversation."

"You're the best! I can tell we're going to be the best of friends."

"Yeah, well, don't hold your breath!" Crumpets! Why does my mouth keep getting me into these predicaments? I hope she overlooks that. Hesitantly, I steal a glance at her. She wears a quizzical frown--crumpets again! Maybe she won't ask?

"What's that supposed to mean?" she pouts. I kind of feel bad now, seeing the glint of hurt on her face... But I can't spill the truth. I have no idea if I can trust her--no idea if I even want to--and it's not even my truth to spill. Come on Myra, think fast!

"Well... Because of Que!"

"Quentin?"

"Yeah, you know guys with their 'bro code' and all. Veii wouldn't be able to make a move with how Que feels about you." Ah, well played Myra; you managed to sidestep that one.

"Quentin likes me?" she says, shocked.

Mega-crumpets! So, I may have inadvertently just told Jade, Jessica, or Jacqueline about Que's crush to save Veii's secret. Oh boy. My mouth opens, ready to retract my statement, but no words come out--I just stand there, staring at her awkwardly. Her mouth also hangs slightly open, but with more of an ambivalent look. Her features twist slightly.

"How is that fair?" she quite rightly laments. This conversation is now frying my brain. I can't believe how tangled I've made it. If there is a god, please help me out of this situation.

Her expression suddenly changes again and she beams a large smile--not towards me, but over my shoulder. I half-turn and my shoulder bumps into the imposing figure of Veii. Thank you, God!

"Hey, Amber," he waves to the blonde--wait, wasn't her name something starting with 'J'? I shake it off as he continues, "I didn't realize you two were friends."

"Neither did I," I muse, absentmindedly. She gives a slight girlish giggle, very un-Amber-like--or at least, un-Amber-like from what I've gathered in the last 5 minutes.

"Myra, you're such a cha-rac-ter," she remarks, emphasizing the last syllable. Her eyes widen at me as she discreetly nods towards Veii--as subtle as she's trying to be, I know Veii will pick up on it. Now it's up to me, I guess; do I accept Amber's proposition and put in the so-called 'good word,' or do I end this right here and now? She seems innocent enough, and I could always explain to Veii later. I guess it can't hurt.

"We just had Combat and Survival, and... I don't think I would have survived it without Amber," I give her a smile, and she absolutely beams back at me. I feel a pang of guilt, knowing I might be setting her up for heartbreak. "She's awesome," I finish, and she bites her bottom lip, dropping her head as her face flushes slightly. It almost feels like a practised response; unlike me, I'm sure she's accustomed to compliments and knows exactly how to react.

"Well, thanks for looking after Mye. I'm sure without someone keeping her grounded, she'll end up devouring whoever your teacher is. Got a little problem with authority, this one," Veii teases, glancing at Amber. She puts on a shy smile, appearing almost too timid to respond, though I suspect that's another well-rehearsed act.

"You're not wrong; she definitely put Mr. Hamilton in his place," Amber nods respectfully. I knew it was a little put-on, but it was still nice to hear someone other than Que or Veii say something nice about me.

"Mr. Hamilton! I've heard he's a real hard-ass," Veii remarks.

"Ha! Not anymore. Myra turned that hard-ass into a limp-dick," Amber blurts out, and all three of us stop in our tracks. I manage a glance at Amber, who looks horrified, with her hands covering her mouth. Both Veii and I are stunned, but I think I'm starting to like this girl. I exchange a look with Veii as our shocked expressions slowly turn into grins, and we burst into laughter; Veii quite often seems to be on the same wavelength as me. Amber's worry seems to dissipate as we pull her into our laughter, and the three of us carry on in idle chatter until we reach A-Wing. Amber peels off to head home, throwing me a wink when she thinks Veii isn't looking. I smile back, and Veii and I continue towards D-Wing.

Veii speaks up after only a few steps, without even looking at me, "So, she likes me, huh?" I raise my eyebrows and sigh.

"What's not to like?" I reply with a playful nudge to his side.