The Causeway, Monday Morning

[not_of_the_nora]

They were leaving a day late, because the school authorities hadn't wanted to leave while anyone might have remained in the middle of a tragic reunion. Go figure.

They'd put that message out there. Aloy had been annoyed by it: it was just another reminder that her mother, whoever she was, hadn't just magically appeared on island and divulged all her truths.

She dragged her one bag of supplies to the causeway that morning, in an irritated mood, and sat down by the causeway. Now for everyone else to arrive.

[[ gather up for the trip, folks! ]]

Comments

[bookbeltof_love]

"Um, like, are you okay???????"

Nina figured it was best to, like, check because worried wasn't how most people ready for holidays looked.

[mylandmyrules]

"I'm s'posed to work on Mondays," Nell explained. "But they said it's okay 'cause it's a school trip, but I'm not so sure."

Nell had never actually been on a holiday before.

[bookbeltof_love]

"Oh my gosh, don't worry about it," Nina said, smiling. "It's like, totally, a great mark that you're concerned about your job!!!! But they understand holidays, here, it's no problem if you're a student!!!!!! If you'd like, look at it this way: being a student is your job!!!!!!!! So it's really important that you go on this trip with the school!!!!!"

[mylandmyrules]

"I've actually never been anywhere before," Nell said. "Not unless you consider being pulled here, and I didn't do that on purpose."

She bit her lip for a moment. "I'm excited, but kinda scared too. I don't have any money or anything."

[bookbeltof_love]

And how was Nina supposed to resist that?

"It's okay," she said, beaming at the other girl. "Like, I don't have tons of money either, but with what the school's got covered, I can totally share with you if we need to buy anything. I'm sharing clothes with Vette already, so I definitely don't mind helping out!!!!!!! I'm Nina, by the way!!!!!!"

And, sure, the other girl looked a bit older than Nina was, since she was only fourteen, but long skirts were pretty forgiving of sizing.

"Is it just money you don't have???? Will you be okay with clothing????"

[mylandmyrules]

"Oh, I'm good at washin' stuff out at night," Nell assured her. "But it's awful kind of you to offer to share money and stuff."

And it was nice to see someone else wearing long skirts.

"I'm Nell. It's nice to meet you, Nina."

[bookbeltof_love]

"You too!!!!!!!!!!"

Honestly, she was delighted to make a new friend.

"And, like, seriously, it's no problem. Vette--my roomie--she landed here without anything but the clothes on her back, so we've been sharing everything for ages. I don't mind sharing with you too, if you need anything." She grinned at the other girl. "Though you should totally talk to Kaidan, one of my bosses, because I think he's got this list of bad words he's adding to every time he finds out one more way that the school hasn't provided for the students. He was furious that no one at the school was teaching Vette how to read our language and that no one showed me how to use electricity!!!!!!!!!!!"

Kaidan was good people, even though he was a pushover.

[mylandmyrules]

"That's pretty much what happened to me. Yang helped me out with a few things, which was super kind of her, but I don't mind sharing what little I have either." She couldn't help but smile at Nina's enthusiasm.

[bookbeltof_love]

"And together, it'll be like we've got everything we need!!!!!!!" Nina shrugged, still looking pleased with herself. "I'll let Vette know about you too, so she doesn't think you're just taking my stuff if you need anything!!!!!! Sharing isn't as easy as having everything, but like, I'm used to boarding schools--this happens all the time!!!!!"

[mylandmyrules]

"Where I grew up most everything was hand-me-downs or we made ourselves," Nell said. "So it ain't nothing new for me."

"Except for how kind you are," she added quickly.

[bookbeltof_love]

"Kindness shouldn't be new for anyone!!!!!" Nina said earnestly. "And you're very kind too--where do you work????? I'm at both the magic shop and the C.I.C."

She still had no idea what the C.I.C. stood for, mind.

[mylandmyrules]

Kindness wasn't as common in Nell' s life all the time.

"I work at the flower shop," Nell said. "It's really wonderful there. And I'm good with plants. I must admit I haven't been to either of the places that you work. Are they nice?"