She took notes of the process then cooked dinner and prepared a sandwich for Logan. Her friends showed up just as she was getting ready to plate dinner. After, the boys went to the VR center, the girls practiced the kicks taught in class. They then walked back to the dorms together with Minx walking up to the second floor.
She knocked at 215B again. When Vorden answered, "Hey, I need to run this sandwich upstairs really quick, and I wanted to give you like a 3-minute warning or so in case you needed a minute to get ready."
Vorden noticed her bright smile and the cadence in her voice was fast and upbeat. She was back to herself.
"I'm ready now," Vorden smiled in spite of himself. "Are you giving away my sandwiches?"
Minx laughed throwing her head back, eyes twinkling, "actually, I'm giving you, his sandwiches."
"Can I ask you something?" his voice turning serious for a moment.
"Anything," she replied curiously with her eyes still sparkling.
"Mono. His friends claimed he was beaten up by a tree and then warned to not touch me by 'The Warden'. Would you know anything about that?"
Minx chuckled, "I've never even laid my eyes on him. How could I beat up someone under such conditions?" Under her breath she continued, snarling, "and if he hurts you again, he'll beg for the sweet release of death… and be denied."
Vorden just made out the words and smiled. He closed the door behind himself and joined her as they headed down the hall, inviting himself to accompany her upstairs.
"He's in my class but he's a bit different. I'm working on some experiments that will be conducted in the near future, and he's agreed to help me. I'm giving him sandwiches for 2 reasons. The first is it's my way of saying thanks for his help. The other is, it's one of my experiments. I want to see if the food I make is better than what the school makes in taste and nutritional profile."
"So, he's not your boyfriend?"
She laughed really hard, the sound echoing in the stairwell as they approached the third floor. She had to stop walking because she was laughing so hard.
"He's from a top-tier family! Who would ever want to date me, much less from such a prominent family!"
She was having trouble breathing she was laughing so hard, so the words came out haltingly.
Vorden had a frown on his face and his eye started twitching. She finally got herself under control, "come on. Let's get this done."
When they got to his room, Minx asked Vorden to wait in the hall. She let herself in and placed the sandwich on the table. She noticed he was busy at work and silently let herself out.
Vorden had an indistinguishable look on his face when she returned. Minx didn't pay much attention to it. Her only male experience was her brother, bullies and now the few she had in the short time they've been in school. She was still learning.
"You are not dating him, yet you have access to let yourself into his room? Did you know him before coming here?"
She shrugged and shook her head, "it's just one of his skills. He needs to be able to work undisturbed, yet he needs to eat. This enables me to drop it off without forcing him to stop his work and let me in. Now let's go before us talking disturbs him. He's busy."
Vorden responded heading down the hall, "So, you're telling me, we are on our third week of class and someone you just met three weeks ago just gave you access to his room for the purpose of dropping off sandwiches? I'm supposed to believe that?"
She started chuckling. The sound once again reverberating in the stairwell. Vorden's unbelieving face was simply comical to her. "I can understand being a bit shocked but he's a man of science. We had been here a week, and he had only been given his second sandwich when he decided it would be more convenient for him to just give me access." She chuckled again, seemingly proud of herself, "I guess he likes my sandwiches."
She grinned up at Vorden. He was nearly a foot taller than her, but the size difference didn't bother her. She felt comforted at his side. She wanted to skip and sing down the stairs but wasn't sure how he'd take that. Instead, she chose to walk his pace trying not to grumble about all the slow people in her life.
As they were talking, a text message came in.
[What was all the noise when you dropped my sandwich off?]
She replied really quick:
[I repacked my cooking equipment in a rush. I prepare meals for everyone outside.]
Logan's response,
[Bring your equipment to me when you bring my next sandwich.]
She sent him a thumbs-up emoji.
"You know, if my cooking isn't offensive to you, I cook every day for my friends and I under my tree in the Agricultural area. I know you're probably used to gourmet food, but you can join us anytime. We always grow and cook extra. Late-night study sessions cause hunger, so I cover those bases."
"Is that why you seem to always have food in your room?" Vorden asked, doing his best to ignore the line she said about finding her food offensive.
She nodded. "Feeding people is my love language, I guess."
"Can I ask? Why is that? Why not eat the food in the canteen like everyone else?" Vorden was quite curious about this girl.
She giggled and shrugged, "be like everyone else? That's not possible. After being denied food for so long at the orphanage, I taught myself how to cook when I was 8. Cooking became an expression of taking care of those I care about because my brother was all I had. I needed to make sure his nutrient needs were met. I know it sounds strange to your ears. It's something so many people take for granted. Like… warmth."
She paused as the happy reduced in her voice but still remained because things were better here, "I bought three new blankets for myself last week. I needed more salt, so I went on the market system in the library, and I saw one over in the recommended section. Next thing I knew, I bought 2 more. And a few pillows," her voice grew dreamy and she hugged herself
She smiled, breaking herself out. "I just realized I never asked Midas if he wanted any more. I need to do that."
They were now in the park, walking on the path in the same direction she headed the day before.
"Can't he buy them for himself? We all get the same 10 credits a day."
She chuckled, "technically no. He's a low-level, so when we got here, he set up his account to automatically transfer all his credits to me each night. If someone stops him to demand payment, even if they beat him up, they can't rob him. There have been a few instances, but now they no longer bother, knowing he has none to give. Aqua is in the same position. I hold both of their credits."
"It's kind of you to take care of them, but who has your back?"
She scoffed, "I don't know what that would even look like. Midas would love to, I'm sure, and he is getting stronger with his ability, but we have spent our whole lives with me taking care of him. Other than him, no one cares."
"Why do you keep saying that?"
"Saying what?"
"That no one cares, that you are not lovable?" They were nearing the area where the attack began the day before.
"Because it's true?"
"Is it true? Or have you chosen to believe lies that you have heard all your life? Just because they told you something, doesn't make it true."
She stayed silent, thinking, the desire to skip a fleeting memory. "This is where it happened."
They paused and stayed in the area for a few minutes.
Suddenly a shrill, feminine scream pierced the stillness just as full darkness fell.