The Prize of Dysprosium

Chapter III: Rebel Bones

The next morning, I wake up to chatter outside the room. I rise my head to see that I wasn't awaken by someone trying to push the door open. The bed is still where I put it last night, and the closet still looks just as messy. No visitors then. I'm not sure that's a bad thing. It could just be to lull me into a sense of security. I take a deep breath and get out of bed.

A bath doesn't seem like the way to go this morning, so instead I simply put on a pair of pants before I grab my rubbing alcohol, push my bed out of the way and go to brush my teeth.

"There you are Noah," she greets me just as she did yesterday. But this morning her tone is serious. Anybody else would be annoyed at my dramatic flair, but Garmen sounds only concerned as she's standing and leaning against the mirror. Her mouth is a thin line, her brow a worried one. If she had been angry I could have handled it, but compassion is always worse. "Care to explain about the girl?"

I take a big mouthful of tap water before I answer.

"I just knew her once," I say shortly as I dry away the water from my chin.

"Knew, as in past tense?" Garmen asks.

"Why do you care?" I shoot back. "It's not like you own me, you don't have to know every single part of my life." Which she does.

"Own you?" Garmen gasps, and then her whole face turns bright red. "We lost a whole evening because of that tournament, and I thought that I could earn it back yesterday, but then you disappear with that, that luminary, and I have to satisfy that bald man who only paid half because Barooba promised him. Have you ever considered ranking one means nothing if I can't make this week's fee?"

I snatch for air. Behind us one of the toilet stalls flush and then Frei walks out. She sends me a look which in no way conceals her thoughts before she hurriedly washes her hands and flees the bathroom. And she is right to judge me. I have never asked Garmen to do anything for me but she does it so effortlessly anyway I sometimes forget I owe her my whole sanity. I've never needed a hoard of friends in the Cave. I just need one Garmen.

Even though she looks away I can see that her blue eyes are glassy and her bottom lip is quivering. And I know it is my fault.

"I'm sorry," I say which seems to catch her attention.

She sends me a look. "Go on."

"I never thanked you for covering for me with the bald man," I continue and step closer to her. "I should have."

"Wrutten right you should have," she mutters. "I'm a really good friend, you know that? You don't deserve me."

"I know," I smile and she lets me wrap my arms around her. Within a second she is hugging me back. "I'll tell Barooba to consider the reward as part of your fee," I say. "That should buy you out for the week."

"Well, that's the least you can do," she grumbles against my shirt, but her anger is fading quickly. "Honestly it wasn't all that bad. He mostly wanted to talk and then I gave him a blowjob. As long as I get your pay, I'll tell Barooba you can have his as your fee."

I am just beginning to laugh when the bathroom door opens and Hannah walks in to see the two of us enveloped in each other. She makes a movement with her right-hand finger and a left-hand hole, and I make a mental note to snap her neck at the next opportunity.

When we come downstairs most has already eaten their breakfast. Garmen lunges for the coffee pot but it's too light to have anything left. She sighs dramatically and lets her head fall onto her arm before shooting back up.

"It's fine, I'm fine, we've got cocaine."

In one of my more empathetic moments I nudge her shoulder and we both get our breakfast which Ki Aimi is serving – some sort of minced meat pie with an abundance of carrots and broccoli. It's good and strong and I soon realize just how much my stomach has been waiting for it as I take the first bite.