☂ 𝑰𝑵𝑺𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻 || 𝙵𝙸𝚅𝙴 𝙷𝙰𝚁𝙶𝚁𝙴𝙴𝚅𝙴𝚂 𝚡 𝙾𝙲 || 𝑩𝑲. 𝟐 ☂

17. FOR THE FAMILY

1982

Five and Elaina walked towards the Lonely Lodgers Inn, narrowly missing getting hit with a car door. Confirming with the outside sign that they were in the right please, the two nodded at each other as they walked in.

"I kinda wish you scattered us across the 80s," commented Elaina as she looked around the lobby. "Better music, better clothes..." she took in the surrounding polka outfits the guest wore. "...well, maybe not the clothes thing here specifically," murmured Elaina as she cleared her throat.

"Not a polka fan?" mused Five.

"God, no,"

"Good, so you can focus on looking out for the Midwest Soybean Society," said Five, reading an additional part off the paper The Handler scribbled on.

"Hmm," hummed Elaina before spotting a woman adding letters to a board. "She looks like she works here, let's ask her," pointed the girl.

"Good call," said Five as he led the way to the curly-haired woman. "Excuse me?" asked Five, making the woman jump.

"Uff da! You snuck up on me there," laughed the woman with a slight Dutch accent as she looked between the two teens. "If you're looking for the cookies, we don't put 'em out till 3." informed the woman nonchalantly.

Elaina eyebrows perked up. "Ooh, cookies," she mused.

Five's eyes drifted to her before giving the woman a polite smile. "We can hardly wait," he cleared his throat. "Uh, do you happen to know where the Midwest Soybean Society is meeting?"

"Sure do. Muskellunge Banquet Room," she pointed behind her. "You two looking for your moms? Are they in for the convention?"

"Sure are," Elaina feigned a smile as Five looked across the way and spotted a vending machine. "We're about to meet with them now. It's going to be a killer meeting," snorted Elaina, making Five shoot her an unimpressed look. "Sorry, my humour gets dark when I'm anxious," she whispered.

The boy shook his head before directing his gaze to the attendant. "Hey, could I get some change?" asked Five, handing the woman a dollar bill.

"Oh, sure, I'll just look in my purse," she said, taking the dollar and unzipping her fanny pack. "Only a nickel and a couple of dimes..." she muttered as her hand shifted through the items in her pack. "Oh! You... are... in... luck, mister," she said, handing Five back the complete change in coins.

Five looked down as he shook the coins in his hand, he let out a soft chuckle. "You know, some say the best luck is to die at the right time," randomly stated Five, earning a puzzled look from the female attendant.

Elaina looked between the two before letting out a forced laugh and smile. "Isn't he a stinker?" she threw her arm over the boy's shoulder. "Thank you so much for the change, we'll be finding our moms now. Tootles!" Elaina quickly led the boy away. "And to think you gave me a funny look for my pun... that was just morbid!"

"Sorry," apologized Five as they neared the vending machine. "I guess I'm on edge too."

"You're anxious?"

"No, running low on energy," informed Five as he shook the coins. "It may interfere with my blinks. I need sugar." he stated as they stood in front of the machine.

Elaina shrugged as she pointed to the chocolate bar in front of her. "Well, you can't go wrong with a Fudge Nutter. That thing's sugar in a chocolate coating."

Five looked at it before inserting the coins into the machine and punching in the code. The metallic spirals that held the chocolate bar in place started to unwind itself before stopping. The boy narrowed his eyes at it as he began to hit the coin release button, but it didn't work either. Five tried putting in the code again, nothing.