In room 2120, Kattie and Lana did a hasty meditation then Lana hit the shower while Kattie hastily fed Sven. Both girls decided they hated the time set for PT.
In room 2217, Alto, Almin and Dobin were much more organized. They had preset everything out so they did quick showers and were ready fast. Of course, they didn't have a meditation to complete.
In room 2215, Karlen, Chekof, and Blaine were not moving so quickly but still took quick showers. The boys talked as they got ready.
Chekof asked Blaine, "do you want to have breakfast with that girl again?"
"Yeah, I'm very curious about what happened to her."
"She's very cute, too. I think if she wore a choker it would make her facial features pop even more. We'd need to fight the guys off her."
Blaine chuckled, "If anyone touches her, they will die." He said it as if it were a fact rather than a threat.
Karlen said, "there is a lot of talk of her being weak because she's afraid of beast weapons. That the number on her watch just means she has a weak ability."
"I don't think it's that at all. She has survived a lot. I can feel her strength just being near her."
"You like her that much already?" Chekof asked.
Realizing what he said as he laced his boots, "I think she's been traumatized enough, don't you?"
Putting his foot back on the ground, all ready to head down, "look. You guys didn't see how she reacted when she saw those weapons in class. Even the mere mention of them caused a problem for her. Honestly, she sets my protective instincts on edge. I don't want to protect her, I need to."
Karlen and Chekof looked at each other. Each had their own thoughts on this comment. Each kept their thoughts to themselves.
Inside Blaine's head:
Kyle: You better keep that promise. She is MINE.
Blaine: You know… I kinda like her too but I think you're obsessing over her. She hasn't even met you yet.
Kyle: Who's fault is that?
Blaine: Whatever, you wanting to protect her and you doing so are two different things.
Kyle: It's MY body and you always use it.
Blaine: You are the one that freaks out all the time when bad things happen.
Kyle: Maybe in this mission of grandmother's we can find an ability to move you to another body.
Blaine: It's remarkable how many abilities are out there that seem to not be in this book.
Kyle: It's not necessarily that they are not in the book but if you encounter a higher level, it overrides the existing ability.
Blaine: Is that how it works?
Kyle: Yes. The book holds the highest level of the ability that has been downloaded into it. Think of it as computer upgrades.
Blaine: Alright, Brainiac.
Karlen looked at Blaine who seemed to have become lost in thought. "Blaine? Are you ready to go to breakfast?"
"Huh?" Blaine said, "oh, yeah. Let's go eat." The trio headed out the door just after another trio left their room.
In 2120, Lana looked at the clock and realized her brother and friends would be there soon. She double checked her bag for anything she didn't need for the day, zipped it up and she and Kattie stepped out the door just as Dobin was getting ready to knock. They smiled at each other and bumped into Blaine and his roommates just outside the dining facility.
"Lana, did you sleep okay last night?" Blaine's eyes went from Lana to Kattie and back. "You have nightmares, don't you. You had one last night."
Lana looked at Kattie then back to Blaine. She nodded slightly then pushed passed everyone to get some edible garbage.
Everyone followed her and got their food selections. Karlen once again had a steak. Kattie noticed the amount of food Dobin had and compared it to Chekof. She thought the boys were in competition. Lana had the least food on her plate finding the drab food barely palatable. For an orphan, she sure was picky.
She was the first to sit making sure to leave room on either side since Dobin and Blaine both seemed to want to sit next to her. She was not surprised when the two took those spots, Blaine being the first to sit.
Blaine leaned in close, "do those weapons affect you so much you have nightmares about them?"
Lana shook her head. "Far worse things happened."
"Care to talk about them?"
Lana paused as she was just getting ready to shove some bacon in her mouth. Her friends were almost at her table so she just shook her head. The bacon was between chewy and crunchy. At least she enjoyed the flavor…
"I wonder if I could cook bacon better?" Lana said aloud.
Blaine chuckled.
Chekof responded, "you cook?"
Lana nodded, "since I was 8. The orphanage punished us for bad behavior by withholding food. So I learned to cook." Lana chuckled softly.
"Sorry to hear that…" Chekof responded. "Which orphanage? Did they treat you well otherwise?"
Lana dropped her fork, hands shaking thinking about their treatment. Her face went pale and she put her hands in her lap while looking at her plate but not really seeing it. She focused on her breathing exercises to regain control of herself.
Dobin stepped in, "Blue Rose Orphanage. And no, they didn't treat us well." He glanced at his sister then back at Chekof. "I'd appreciated it if you never mention that place again."
Chekof never took his eyes off her but nodded at Dobin's words. He suddenly understood Blaine's desire to protect her because this reaction caused him to want to do the same. He needed to know what she went through and punish those responsible.
Karlen wasn't interested in the conversation at all and focused on his steak. The rest soon followed his lead hoping Lana would calm down enough to eat if the conversation died down.
Lana slowly picked up a piece of bacon and ate it. The taste brought her out of her funk and she quickly ate what she could tolerate on her plate. She then sat there waiting for everyone else to finish.
Lana suddenly noticed something. "Dobin?" she looked up at him and smiled, "I just noticed your watch! Congratulations!" She leaned over and hugged her brother who had a number 1 glowing off his watch.
**********************************
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