"How's she doing?" a voice asked.
Ethan shrugged and looked down at Kenna, asleep on the cot in Doc's research tent.
"Alright, I think," he responded.
Chartreuse pulled up a chair and sat beside him. "I disagree. For someone like her, she's been through a lot. Taken from the place were she was on top of the world, and plopped onto an alien planet. Then she had her beautiful face burned, and just as she was coming to terms with it, she was burned again." Char eyed the bandages covering Kenna's torso and forearm.
Ethan nodded. "I suppose."
It was quiet for a while. Ethan looked around the tent, and his eyes landed on the sketch of the Spaceferretus Ethanicus.
"Mine was a scale-covered spider who just so happened to be a drama queen," Chartreuse said. She pointed to a picture. "Chartreusius arachnidicus, I think."
Char wrinkled her nose.
"What?"
"Nothing," she said. "I just...I hated working here with Doc. Especially the —"
"Dissecting part," Ethan cut in. "Me too."
Chartreuse smiled. "I threw up."
"I didn't even stay for it, I just walked out."
The girl laughed. "Of course you did."
"Oi, what's that supposed to mean?"
She giggled, shook her head.
"Tell me."
She shook her head again. "It's nothing."
Ethan frowned, sighed.
"Okay, okay, fine. It's just, you're so cute."
"Cute?"
Char nodded. "You act all tough, but you can't watch a dissection."
"That's called having morals."
"And when Kenna landed in the fire you got all protective."
"Morals."
"And you were totally going to leave the camp before when Banner threatened to expel you."
"But since I have morals and like pushing my views on people, I stayed."
Chartreuse leaned back in her seat, looking victorious. "Precisely. Good guys have morals."
"Yeah. But I'm not cute."
"You're cute because you try to be all tough on the outside, and you're really just so soft on the inside."
Ethan growled and crossed his arms. He was not cute. He was a force to be reckoned with. He could smash someone's skull easy if he wanted to.
Char only laughed.
"Why are you always happy?" he groaned.
Chartreuse shrugged. "Nothing wrong with happy."
"There is something definitely wrong with happy for someone in our situation."
"Nah."
"Yeah."
"So tell me, do British people really invite each other over for a spot of tea?" she asked.
"I never did."
"But do you drink tea?"
"Yes, I drink tea."
"Cool."
"Yeah."
The conversation died down for a while. Ethan watched Chartreuse play with her light brown hair. She had a pointed chin, large round eyes, and a small stature that made her look incredibly fragile. When Char caught him looking, her cheeks reddened and she smiled.
"So." Ethan cleared his throat.
"So."
"Would you like to.... There's this waterfall about half a mile down from here. I went there with some of the others a few days ago."
Char prompted him to continue.
"Do you swim?"
"Very well."
"Would you like to.... Um." Ethan groaned and ran his hands across his face. "I hate talking to girls!"
Char laughed. "Sure, I'd love to." She glanced at Kenna, who stirred slightly. "Will she be okay...?"
Ethan frowned, reached over, and flicked some hair out of Kenna's face, revealing the burn. His frown deepened as he stared at it.
"She's asleep isn't she? And Doc's right outside. He's plenty responsible...ish."
"If you say so," Chartreuse replied.
Ethan stood up and awkwardly held out his hand.
Char grabbed it and let him help her up. "I've never been taken to a waterfall for a date before."
"Not a date," Ethan insisted. "I don't date. Dating's for cute people only. Like you."
"I'm cute? Aw."
"Char."
She rolled her eyes. "Come on, let's go on this very boring friendly expedition."
"Friendly and boring, here we come."
