Page 22 of Uprooted
Elowen
“You made it!” I don’t blame Bri for sounding surprised.
I still feel guilty about standing her up last week even though she seems to have let it go. I’m flipping through an old copy of National Geographic in the rec room while she settles onto the couch across from me.
“Check out this magazine. This artifact is worth more credits than I’ll see in my entire life.” I’m gingerly turning the pages to avoid getting fingerprints on the glossy pictures. “This issue covers the first human expedition out of the Milky Way. How did they even get this?”
“Let me take a look at that.” Bri reaches out for the magazine. I carefully close it and hand it over to her. She promptly drops it on the coffee table between us without any consideration for its fragility. “What a nice piece of non-biodegradable history. Did you ask Andi about getting out into the field?”
I scowl at her for being so rough with the magazine. “We are swamped in the lab. She’s not going to request a field trip for me just because we’re bored.”
"Elowen, we have to be assertive. We’ve got to make them tell us no. If there is any chance we can get out of here for a single minute, we have to try."
Bri is relentless. I feel bad for Dr. Lee. Bri claims she earned her position on this trip by sheer force of will. When her program director announced they would be picking someone to assist him, she assumed the spot was hers. She approached him and started preparing for departure without ever being formally invited to come. After seeing howbrilliant she was—according to her—Dr. Lee decided she should go. I wonder what it's like to go through life with that sense of unwavering self-confidence.
“If it comes up organically, I’ll say something.”
Bri and her team of geneticists are also working around the clock to identify ways hypermobile plants could survive on Earth. Something about tossing it all into the CRISPR. I have no idea how that works. I wasn’t kidding when I said genetics is boring.
We’re all under a ton of pressure, and we deal with it in our own ways. I have a hard time turning it off at the end of the day. I’ll be able to relax once we’ve figured this all out. Bri needs something to focus on other than work in order to keep herself motivated.
“Bri, it’s going—”
Bri interrupts with, “Oh hi, boys!”
Aro and another Tilak appear out of nowhere. I’m caught off guard, but Bri is suspiciously unsurprised. Aro plops down on the couch next to me, and the other sits down next to Bri. Her bright smile fades when she recognizes the metal bionic arm from the day we landed.
“You,” she says with disdain. She stops herself. Sitting next to her is our less-than-friendly chauffeur, and apparently Bri’s mortal enemy. I don’t think she will ever forgive him for making her carry her puke the whole way here.
“It’s good to see you again,” he says when it’s clear she isn’t going to finish that sentence. “I’m Tai.”
“You’ve got a lot of nerve,” she says with daggers in her eyes. He looks over at Aro confused, looking for support.
“I think she’s talking about the vomit,” Aro says, accurately guessing why Bri is holding a grudge.
“I thought you were keeping that for some weird human custom. I didn’t know you were trying to throw it away,” he says defensively.
“Why would I want to keep a bag of puke? You were just trying to torture me.”
“You seemed really attached to it,” Tai says, stifling a laugh.
Bri throws her hands up in the air, frustrated by his lack of apology. She gives up with Tai and turns her attention to Aro.
“Not the best pick for wingman,” she says.
“Wingman?” Tai asks.
“A wingman is like a backup, a buddy to help you get the girl. Guys on Earth sometimes need some help feeling confident enough to approach a… a...” I offer a rambling explanation but stop myself from saying “love interest.” I don’t want to presume that is what’s happening here.
It dawns on me that Bri has orchestrated this situation.
Tai laughs. “Glad I can help you out, ‘buddy.’ It’s good to see you acknowledging your lack of confidence.”
Aro glowers at him.
“So, what’s the plan for tonight?” Aro says as he stretches his arm out on the back of the couch behind me.
I level Bri with an accusatory stare, she brushes it off. She is up to something.
