To Borrow or Not to Borrow (g/t)

Chapter Five: The Arrival

It happened about two weeks after the move.

The Anabades were just beginning to get back into their natural routine, becoming increasingly more comfortable with their surroundings. Things were going well. Really well. Unusually well.

Borrowing was almost too easy. Since there were only three humans in the house that followed very modest and predictable schedules (which mostly consisted of them being either gone or asleep), collecting supplies was a breeze. Both the mother and father worked, and their daughter was at school and her grandmother's the entirety of the day. They usually all arrived home at 6 and retired to their rooms around 9. It was a borrower's dream.

It was around noon on a Tuesday.

Jamie yawned, attempting to release the remaining sleepiness from his body. Ever since they moved back into the House, life had been relatively easy. There was no need to wake up early to keep up with the chores around their village. Everything the Anabades needed was right at their fingertips.

Running a lazy hand through his semi greased hair, Jamie walked out of his family's room and made his way to the communal bathrooms. He wasn't sure how, but the generation before him had somehow managed to tap into the main water system.

In the room, there were a handful of toilet stalls made out of scrap metal and old fabric. It was a bit of a downgrade from the outhouses in the village, however, the wooden toilets outside weren't always sanded smooth and would occasionally leave a splinter or two.

On the other side of the room were the showers. Unfortunately, they weren't lucky enough to find nice shower heads like the humans had, so the water dispensed in a more concentrated manner, almost like a hose. But Jamie didn't mind much considering the fact that the hot water was much preferred over the bone chilling cold water from the pond.

He stripped down and turned the knob, pulling the curtain fashioned from an old tarp closed. He reached for shampoo, but could only find soap.

"Shit," he breathed out, knowing he'd have to go on another borrowing excursion. He usually didn't mind, but today he really just wanted to sit around and maybe even explore the House a little bit.

Sighing, he made use of the soap and finished up in the shower. He grabbed a towel that was originally apart of a much large washcloth, and dried himself.

Once he had redressed himself, he set off to find Addie. If he was going to borrow, he sure as hell wasn't going to do it alone.

* * *

Adeline groaned as she pulled herself to the top of the tub. It was a difficult task since her makeshift grappling hook wouldn't latch onto the porcelain. So instead, the two had to shimmy their way up the shower curtain.

She took a seat, momentarily attempting to catch her breath. Addie wasn't in the worst shape, but doing physically strenuous things really took a toll on her; unlike Jamie who was practically vibrating with energy.

She loved that about him. Ever since they were young Jamie was always on his toes, ready for anything at any moment. Whenever they'd play games around the forest, he'd almost always beat her. Especially in tag. He could go for hours and hours and somehow manage not to swear a drop.

As she thought about the old days, Addie realized how much she missed them. Sure, getting older was alright but it was nothing she thought it would be. She was constantly consumed with endless lectures from her father and learning how to become the next chief. 

She dreaded the day of her twenty-fifth birthday. It was when she would take partial control over the tribe and in three years time would take complete charge. It wasn't that she couldn't deal with the stress; Addie could handle the stress. What she couldn't handle was the responsibility of being selfless, of knowing every Anabade member and going out of her way to make sure they were okay.