Boo! | Simon 'Ghost' Riley

8) Secret

"Now, let me take a look at you," Rebecca said.

***

So, instead of Alejandro, we left with Kyle. We left about two hours before the designated time where Laswell told us to gather. It seemed Chris would be there as well after what he said he would meet me again tonight.

I basically just brought them to a decent chain bubble tea shop. I personally thought it was more hilarious than awkward. The barista was looking at me and the three men back to back, kind of confused and intimidated at the same time.

We had a light chat at first. Eventually, it got pretty casual. I sat across Simon, next to Kyle. John took the remaining corner.

"I can't believe Caelith doesn't have a proper alias, she's got quite the stories," John said at some point.

"They call her the princess, though," Kyle participated.

"That's a mockery," I said.

"Counts," Simon said.

"Los Vaqueros do call you El Zombie now," John said.

"Graves called me a ticking bio organic bomb," I responded.

"If they really do start calling you Zombie, we have two undeads in the team," John said.

"Doctor named you a vacuum cleaner," Simon reminded.

"Fucking cheerful that one," I commented.

"I mean with a name like Caelith and not much nickname is insane," Kyle commented.

"Shall we pitch in, then?" I suggested.

"Key," Simon started.

"Cat," John named.

"Kale," Kyle said.

"Sunny," Simon named.

I turned to the masked man. He looked at me and I liked to imagine that he was giving me that slight curve on the end of his lips kind of subtle smile behind that mask.

"I can't be the only one who thinks you're fucking depressing," Simon reasoned.

"After a sleepover in a BSAA base, I conclude that's just how everyone is," Kyle said. "No offence."

"None taken, just the truth," I said.

"What'd you call your knife?" John asked.

I thought for a moment, looking at everyone on the table.

"Knife," I answered flatly.

There was a pause.

"I'm not sure if she's funny or not," Simon stated.

"She's not," I casually said.

About half an hour before our designated meeting, we left for the bar. Kyle was driving, John called gunshot. So, I was on the backseat with Simon. I sat behind John.

The drive was mostly quiet. If it was just the two of us with an Uber driver, I would have hold his hand. I really liked it the first time, I would like to do it again.

I really liked him, to be honest. In the getting noodles together at four in the morning kind of like. In the... would do that again in other places kind of like. In the I would give him my dog tag for keepsake kind of like.

When we arrived at the bar, there were three familiar faces. Laswell, Price, and Chris.

"Three sergeants and a lieutenant walk into a bar," I muttered.

I felt Simon looking at me.

"Go on," Simon encouraged.

"That's the whole joke," I said.