Chapter 8 Friend To Count On

• The irritating sound of the alarm clock makes them groan in complaint. And it is way more irritating since it won’t stop, not unless everyone is out of their beds. She sleepily opened her eyes only to see that she’s just the only one left in the room.
• “Eve! Hurry up!” Eula shouted at the door.
• “Does it always has to be like this?” she lazily asked.
• It’s just 3:00 AM for Pete's sake! She gazed at the camera and rolled her eyes.
• “Eve! Come on! Can you please move a little faster?!”
• “Coming!”
• She almost kissed the floor when Eula shook off her sleepiness.
• “What was that for?!” she hissed.
• “We are always late because of you!”
• “Didn’t I always tell you not to wait for me?!” she talked back.
• “You know I can’t do that! We’ll be punished and…”
• Eve was startled when Eula started to sniff. She calmed down herself, she’s always messing around with her.
• “I am sorry. Won’t do it again.”
• “Make sure!”
• The hall was filled with their footsteps. No one of them dared to talk after that.
• “Eve, Eve. Wake up. We’ll be late.”
• She opened her eyes and as always, it is Eula who she sees first again.
• “What time is it?”
• “Quarter to three. Were you dreaming?"
• She watched her put on her suit. She covered eyes. Still no new. Their schedule of waking up never been synchronized.
• “Why you didn't wake me up earlier?!” she asked instead of giving her answers.
• “I did. It is just that you are really such a sleepy head.”
• That’s her time. Every day, she has to wake her up before three to make sure that by three, she is already so wide awake.
• “Why do you always wear that?”
• “What do you mean?” Eula asked and looked at her clothing.
• “Not your suit. That hairpin. You are way more of a man than a woman. Why do you wear that girly clip?”
• She chuckled and throw a pillow on her, then turned around to look at her reflection.
• “Isn’t it pretty?”
• “It is. It is actually cute. I just can’t understand why you prefer briefs over panties when you can fix your hair with a clip instead of wax?”
• “Why? Haven’t you experienced to receive something you don’t like from someone valuable to you?”
• She literally dove in her bag to get something and almost had a mini-heart attack when she thought she lost it.
• “There you are!”
• “Oh. Is that…”
• “This isn’t mine. Nope, it is mine. No it isn’t, it is indeed mine.”
• Eula laughed and tickled her waists. “I never knew that you smoke too, hmm?”
• “I really don’t!”
• “Then what about that?” she asked, raising her brows interchangeably and tried to get it from her.
• “Someone gave this to me. Though I have no plans to try it out,” she replied defensively.
• “I see. You can never tell. That’s exactly my words too when I was given this hair clip.”
• The person who gave it must be really important because among her things, that is the only stuff that belongs to a girl.
• “What made you wear that?”
• She took minutes to respond. “Distance. An immeasurable distance.”
• She nodded, though she doesn’t really understand what she was trying to say.
• “Who gave it to you?”
• “Will you tell me who gave you those cigarettes if I tell you who gave me this?”
• She thought for three times there before nodding.
• “I will tell you when we come back.”
• She frowned. She knew that’s what will happen.
• “Then I won’t tell you who gave me this.”
• The other one just laughed it off then give her a serious stare.
• “Someday, you’ll understand.”
• She was thinking about what Eula said the whole of her day that she ruined hers.
• “Eve, a day down from two months is not just a mere day. We have to make sure this ship won’t let us down in our operation. We can’t afford to make even a single mistake, neither waste a second of every minute. Can you please stop spacing out? I can’t do this alone.”
• She can trace not only the sound of irritation but also complain in Eula’s tone.
• “Let me do it from here. Have some rest for a while.”
• She looked at her in doubts. “Don’t mess up, Eve.”
• “I won’t.”
• She scanned the paper she left. Why ship parts have to be complicated? She thought. Not that she is complaining. But it really needs so much of many times of inspection. After hearing her footsteps gone, she leaned on the wall and closed her eyes to gather some calmness.
• “Having troubles here?”
• She almost jumped out in panic. How this person can move in mysterious ways? She never heard him coming. If he had not spoked, she won’t know he is there. Not unless she opens her eyes.
• “Nope.”
• “Don’t you have enough sleep?”
• “I do.”
• “Where’s your mate?”
• “She went to vent out her stress.”
• “Let me help you,” Euno suggested, and took some of the list to be checked.
• “Are you done with your work?”
• “I am always ahead of time.”
• She felt a bit ashamed. If not because of her, it is a hundred percent sure that hers and Eula’s part should be almost done by now.
• “Were you always like that?”
• “Ahead of time? Yes. I am not into procrastinating.”
• “How about being not so socialize?”
• “Hmm, not that I am not into socializing. Let us just say that I am not good at keeping conversations going.”
• “But you are.”
• “Am I?”
• “Uh-hmm.”
• “I don’t think so.”
• “Silly. You are. Believe me, you really are.”
• Eman smiled awkwardly. Scratch his nape, shook and nodded his head.
• “If you say so.”
• “What?! You don’t believe me?” she asked while laughing.
• “No, no. I believe you. But I am actually a little…”
• “You only talk to those you’re comfortable talking to,” she continued.
• “You can put it that way.”
• “Why?”
• “Is it supposed to have a reason?”
• “It should have. A specific one.”
• “I have already told you. I am not good at keeping conversations going.”
• “There you go again. We’re talking for minutes now. Isn’t this keeping a conversation going?”
• “That’s because you’re good at it.”
• “Nope. You are good at it. You just don’t talk to everyone.”
• Her attention was caught by the controls she has checked. It is not that hard to maneuver yesterday.
• “Is there something wrong with the controls?” Euno questioned.
• She is sure it is not that hard to be hauled. She pulled and pushed it once more, but it is really requiring her to put more effort to do so.
• “Can I?” he asked for permission.
• She hesitantly said yes and looked around. He is not even supposed to be there. Much more, not allowed to meddle to their works.
• “You better tell this to Eula. Is this the first time that this happened with the controls?”
• “That’s what I know.”
• “You should tell it to Eula then and to our team heads as well.”
• She held her breathing. They'll be warned for sure. She just hoped they aren’t in bad mood. She has no idea how the man left without her noticing.
• “Spacing out again, Eve?”
• “I am not,” she excused to Eula.
• “Do you know that two of our controls are not in good shape?” she asked.
• The woman’s forehead creases and checked it out.
• “I am sure it is okay before I left, Eve. You saw me checking on it earlier. How are we going to tell this to Eulysis?!”
• Eve peeked outside, then looked back and met Eula’s concerned looks.
• “It is just the two of us who works in here, Eve. It is just the two of us who will take the blame.”
• She was muted. She knows how hardworking Eula is. She can take the blame if the reason is negligence but not Eula. She is not at fault. But what confuses her is how it happened so sudden?
• “Please, tell me, Eve. You did not mess up here, did you?”
• “I did not. Right after you went out, I proceed with the daily checking and maintenance.” She furtively gulped.
• “This is not usually happens. We better try fixing this first. If it has to be changed, that’s when we will them about it. Understand?”
• “But are we not going to ask for new ones instead? That’s what we were told to do in case things like this happens, right?”
• “Eve, did you not see how restless Eulysis was during our last meeting?” Eula talked and bring out her tools.
• “I have never seen him as improper as he was that day. I think the uppers are putting us in too much pressure, but he is bearing it all to lessen our burden. If we give him another stuffs and such to pressed him more problems, even the single and tiniest one might take away his focus. He is trying to keep his sanity, Eve. Let us do this on our own. We can do tasks like this. We will not be designated here if we can’t. We aren’t part of this mission if we are just an extra decoration in a plate. Move your ass!”
• What is wrong with her? She has never been that worse before. It was like something is messing with her mind.
• “I want to go home, Eve. I have to come back. If you want to die alone in the vast space, then I suggest you to have your flight alone. We aren’t going out there as just two astronauts. We have the team’s lives in our hands.”
• “Am I just causing us troubles?” she uttered in disgust.
• Eula froze for the unexpected question she asked. She is not trying to be rude towards her. Not being harsh, either.
• “You are not, Euvy. I am just reminding you. Want to know why everyone calls you Eve?” she stopped what she is doing, sat down and face her.
• “You gave me a nickname. And I feel unfair about it because I am the only one who has a nickname.”
• Eula stared at her and crossed her arms. Not sure whether to feel pity or should she laugh.
• “You were given that nickname ‘Eve’ because you are always like night. You seemed to be awake, but you are actually peaceful inside your slumber-like mind. You space out, you always do. Though you do more often now.”
• “I am sorry. I really don’t know.”
• Eula sighed. That is normal for the likes of them. She is not blamable, though. It is the institution’s fault.
• “That is okay. I do that too sometimes.”
• “But not as often as I do.”
• “Well, I am next to you.”
• “I can’t stay like this.”
• “Hey, you will be fine, Eve.”
• “Don’t call me Eve. Maybe it is the reason why my spacing out is always activated.”
• Laughter echoed inside the ship. She soon then laughed too.
• “You have to come back safely, Euvy. Your family is waiting for you.”
• “We, Eula. We. We have to come back safely.”
• “Tell me, Euvy. What would you do first when you’re finally reunited with them?”
• Her eyes glistened in excitement. “I would ask mom to cook our normal food.”
• “What do you mean by normal?”
• “The usual. A hot salted water for supper.”
• “Is that your reason why joined us?”
• “Uh-hmm. I want my siblings to grow up not needing to experience the same fate I had experienced.”
• “You are such a nice kiddo, Euvy. How I wish I was as reasonable as you.”
• “What do you mean?”
• “I got pregnant when I was thirteen. So young, right? Back then, I thought it is just fine to be immorally liberated. I slept with a man, I have money in my pocket. That was easy. It was. Not until I found out that I am about to be a mother…” she stopped midway and chuckled sadly.
• “You know what, I nurse myself during my pregnancy. No one was there to look after me. No one dared to help me. Who would? I am everyone’s woman. I brought disgrace to my family’s name. I was cast away.”
• They remained quiet. She doesn’t know how to comfort her. She doesn’t know the right words to say.
• “That is why I am here. I begged my parents to take my daughter in exchange for I will have a decent job and provide for her needs. I never knew this isn’t even as decent as I have imagined it is.”
• “But this is a decent one.”
• Eula wiped her tears and can't continue working.
• “You know so little about them, Euvy. Never ever trust everyone so easily. We are just a pawn under their whim.”
• “How can you say that?!” Eve raised her voice in disagreement.
• “You don’t have to ask. And I don’t have to tell you, too. You’ll know soon. Stay here. I’ll go to the office and inform Eulejius about this. Wait for me.”
• She stared at her back. What is that thing she doesn’t know?