Radioactive - Book 1: Birth 🪼

Forty-Four

A/N: sorry about all the italicizing; fair warning
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"Who's Rupert?" Nalak asks, looking at me.
"I'm Rupert."
"Wait what? Your name is Ramey." Sakina says, just as confused as Nalak.
"This really isn't the tine for name issues. My brother's in trouble." I say, standing and starting to go back to the room.
I head to my room to get the car keys and pack a few things in a bag or something. Even though it took me and Nalak for-friggin-ever to get to this point, it shouldn't have taken us more than four days. I see Nalak out of the corner of my eye in the doorway.
"I only heard a little but what's going on? Matt sounded frantic... and why did he call you Rupert?"
"Because that's my name. Like my legal birth certificate name. Rupert Poseidon Fountain. Why do you think my nickname is R?" I growl.
"You said it's because you don't like Ramey..."
"No, I said that I didn't like my name. My dad changed my name for me document-wise but like the deep RDC government stuff is still under my birth name. Only my family knows it and only use it in super serious situations. Matt never calls me that unless... I have to go."
"Let me come with you."
"No. Stay here. I have to do this myself." Nalak looks at me with a hurt expression and I look at hI'm. "Nalak, I'm not just dumping you off or something. I'll come back... and not that I don't love you like a brother, but my flesh and blood brother is scared and in trouble. I have to go to hI'm."
"I know... it's just... you'll be gone again..."
"This tI'me you know exactly where I am and you have Sakina here with you."
"I don't friggin knowSakina. Hell, you barely even know her."
"Well I'm not going to turn you in to the RDC or something." She says, walking into the room. "There's some things I'd like to talk with you about anyway. Ramey, please be careful when you go back."
"I'm going the fast way this time."
"You mean the Underground Speedway? Won't that be dangerous regarding cameras and ID and stuff?"
I shake my head. "There are certain places to enter that don't require ID and since my family actually lives on the outskirts of Section N, I can pop out at the border and take the top roads. It'll knock off at least a day and I can go as fast as I need."
"Why didn't we do that before?" Nalak asks.
"Well, one is because I had no idea where Sakina's house was and if you've ever driven the Underground Speedway then you have to know your exits before you even get on the highway. Everyone is going so fast down there that if you're not paying attention, you could run right past the exit without even knowing it and it's a bitch to turn around and get back on. The other reason is because, like she said, there are lots of checkpoints that require ID's and stuff. Even with the amount of intelligence my extended siblings have, I don't think even they could keep up with the checkpoint scanners."
"So what are you going to do?"
"Get my brother... and with your permission, bring him here?"
Sakina laughs a little nervously. "Well um... sure."
"I'm so sorry, Sakina. I'm not trying to intrude like a soldier required for quartering..."
"Um, you can call me Kiki and I don't mind, really."
I see Nalak sniff behind her and lift his eyebrow at her and then look at me. I motion for him to scram and he nods, waddling away.
I put my hands on her shoulders to look into her eyes.
"Sakina, you can tell me the truth. I'd prefer if you did. I barged in here expecting your cooperation when I had no right at all. We may not know each other that well, but I don't want to put any burdens on you."
Sakina looks at me and plays with her bottom lip for a second.
"Okay... um... first, it's weird you call me by my full name and makes me uncomfortable."
"Oh." I take my hands off her shoulders. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to offend..."
"I'm uncomfortable because you make me sound important... Everyone just calls me Kiki but for some reason I don't mind when you say my real name..."
"Oh. Um... well that's good..."
She gets closer to me and lays her hands on my chest as she looks up at me.
"As for being here, admittedly, it's inconvenient, but I honestly don't mind. Go get your brother and you're welcome to bring him back here."
"You're positive?"
"Yes."
I nod and she pulls away from me, smiling.
"Be careful."
I nod and start to leave when Nalak grabs my arm when I am about to go out the door.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"Watch yourself. I have a really bad feeling in the pit of my stomach about this, but he's your brother and scared. I'd want my brother to come if it were me. But... please..."
I ruffle his hair. "Got it."