Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
THEY'D BEEN IN THE ELEVATOR for an entire night. The mall was opening now, and they were still in there. At this point, Cole didn't want to leave. He didn't want to go home and face all the disappointment he brought with him when he went to the mall without his dadʼs approval. They were all going to hate him.
"It is freezing," complained Erica, still weirdly energetic after no sleep at all. She shot a glare in Robinʼs way. "You could've warned me to bring a jacket like any other responsible adult." Then she shook her head and scoffed. "Nerds."
Cole was cold, too, but he couldn't complain because Dustin let him borrow his coat last night as a blanket when he fell asleep. All of Dustinʼs clothes were warm, and he always had the perfect fabrics. His mom often sent over his old clothes to Kali for Cole to fit into, although they were usually a little baggy. But he appreciated it, anyway.
Rather than answering back to the girl, Robinʼs mind fell onto the far wall, where something wet was being hit against it. She sighed. "Will you redirect your stream, please?" she called out to Steve.
Watching the trail of pee fall to another corner, Cole snickered. He wished he was big enough to get up there, but his feet wouldn't even reach the ladder. It wasn't like he'd ever last there, anyway, but he liked spending time with Dustin and Steve — it made him feel like more of a guy, less of a baby. However, Robin and Erica were good company, too.
Seeing the girl beside him shiver some more and knowing that the colder she got, the more mean she would become, he took off Dustinʼs coat and handed it to her with a kind smile.
Erica took it from him gladly, sending Robin another look. "Thanks, Cole," she said loudly, though her eyes weren't on him. "At least someone here is helpful."
Cole continued to smile.
"I wish the entire world was mute," declared Erica, putting her arms through the sleeves. "It would be such a peaceful place."
Sometimes, Cole wasn't sure if the things she said were compliments or insults. He knew Kali would take them as insults, but she took almost everything negatively. Steve told Cole that the more negative you are, the sadder you are. Cole didn't want to be sad. Not anymore. So he smiled further at the girlʼs words, thankful to have a friend.
After a couple moments of nothing, Coleʼs eyes travelled in confusion when Erica got up to grab one of the glass tubes of green goo, hitting it against a barrel. He stood up to stand beside her, not sure what or why she was doing this.
Hearing the loud noise, Robin turned around, her eyes widening in alarm. "Hey, hey!" she called, running over to the kids. "Be careful, careful, careful!" She snatched the tube from Erica. "We don't even know what that is."
"Exactly," the girl said. "It could be useful."
"Useful how?" asked Robin.
"We could survive down here a long time without food, but if the human body doesn't get water, it will die."
