Chapter Twenty Eight: Bathroom Yurt Discussions
~~~
"Pre-pasted toothbrushes?" Sammy squealed as Eva entered the tent. "What are we, royalty?" She gasped, "Four kinds of hand cream? Eeh! Little soap peacocks."
Eva chuckled, leaning against the wall of the shower.
Kenji sat on the toilet seat, finishing his breakfast. "Please, this is all so basic," he retorted. "If you guys had seen my penthouse—"
"Shh!" Brooklynn looked around, then dropped her voice to barely above a whisper. "I can't prove it yet, but I think..." she trailed off. She peeked outside the yurt door, then ushered everyone into the toilet stall. "... There's something going on with Hap." Brooklynn took her spot on the throne, while the others stood around her. "He dodged all my questions, and was really weird about the key card I found in Wu's lab."
Yasmina took the plate from Kenji's hands and moved it to the side. Eva swiped a piece of bacon off the top, to which Kenji sent her a narrow-eyed look.
"Mitch and Tiff are clueless—"
Eva barked in laughter.
"— She's too 'golly goodness' to notice anything, and all he thinks about is dinosaurs."
"What's wrong with that?" Darius asked innocently.
"No, I... I'm just saying Hap's suspicious. He's gruff, and unsmiling, and—"
"What's wrong with that?" Yasmina asked, her voice surly.
"I don't mean... Look, could Hap be involved with Mantah Corp? Am I crazy?"
"I mean..." Sammy started. "The Mantah Corp folks who sent me were like, corporate spies. Not action man, secret identity, pew-pew spies."
"Look," Darius spoke next, "I know you've got conspiracy on the brain, Brooklynn, but forget Hap. In two days, we're going home. Let's focus on that."
"Unless we're not," Eva pointed out.
Everyone groaned.
"Okay, Brooklynn, I know you think Hap is all mysterious- suspicious, but I seriously think Mitch and Tiff are the problem here. They just keep lying!"
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"They lied about when they got to the island, they lied about the boat, and I'm guessing they're lying about what they're really doing here, too!"
Brooklynn put her finger to her lips. Eva immediately apologized.
Darius put his hand on her shoulder. "Eva, I think you just—"
"I'll stop being a cunt to Kenji if I'm wrong."
"Oh shit!"
Sammy placed her hand over her heart and gasped.
"Are you for real?"
"You're that convinced Mitch and Tiff are up to something?" Kenji asked in disbelief. "Oh my god, I really hope you're wrong, but I'm starting to get the feeling you might be right."
Darius shot Kenji a look.
"What? She wouldn't bet her hate for me if she wasn't serious!"
"Thank you!"
"Maybe we should keep our eyes open?" Sammy suggested.
"I want a 'you were right' from every single one of you motherfuckers when our situation goes to hell," she said, venom seeping into her voice.
~~~
Eva kicked her feet up on the corner of the table, and leaned back, closing her eyes. Darius was with Mitch at the other end of the table, Kenji was beside Eva devouring his fourth plate of food, and Brooklynn was sitting very grumpily across from her. Her arms were crossed and tension rested in the creases of her forehead. Yasmina was a dozen feet away, with her somewhat- injured foot propped up on an extra chair. Sammy, ironically, had her eyes closed, as Tiff gave her a back and shoulder massage.
"Amazing, right?" Tiff asked as Sammy moaned with pleasure. "I have a Reiki healer back home who showed me a few tricks. Miracle. Worker."
Eva turned her ears to Darius and Mitch, who were unfortunately talking about nothing important. They would make a few dinosaur jokes, then Mitch would show Darius pictures, and then they'd go back to the dinosaur jokes.
When Tiff finished with Sammy, Sammy turned around in her chair, collapsing in it the correct way, and began speaking with Yaz. Brooklynn and Kenji had snuck off a few minutes prior, and had yet to return. When Mitch beckoned Tiff and Darius into the jungle, Eva hastily stood up and followed after them.
She watched every step she took, stopping short of the trio a few feet away, hidden behind a tree. Crouching, she peered through the bushes, watching as Mitch motioned to a family of compies. Darius and Tiff squated behind them. Mitch raised his camera—
Okay, it's a family of compies. So what? They're the rats of the dinosaur world.
"Oh, so cute!" Tiff exclaimed as she pushed past him. "Come here, little guy!"
Yes, get her ass!
"No, stop!" Darius shouted.
Ugh, boo.
Tiff stood up rather quickly, but the family of five jumped on her, biting at any open skin. One compy pulled at the pink scarf around her neck. Another bit at her ankles. She let loose a scream, struggling and failing to rid herself of the mini dinosaurs.
Darius produced a wrapper-covered snack and shouted, "Hey, over here!" He chucked the wrapped snack over a fresh log. The compies squeaked and squealed, eagerly running after it.
Tiff screamed a final time as the compies disappeared into the undergrowth.
Mitch went to Tiff's side and quickly pulled her into a hug.
"That was too close. They look cute, but they actually have trace amounts—"
"Of venom in their bites," Mitch finished, looking down at Darius in awe. "Quick thinking, D."
D? Since when is it 'D'?
"How did you know that would work?"
"I've.. been keeping a log of their scavenging, and other dinosaur behaviors." Darius handed over his Field Guide. "I mean, it's not much."
Mitch and Tiff shared a look, to which Eva narrowed her eyes. Suspicious.
"This is incredible, Darius!"
Darius' face lit up with excitement. "And Yaz drew all the pictures. Pretty great, right?"
Ah, hell.
"We haven't seen even a tenth of the dinosaurs you have," Tiff amazed. Funny she'd say that, after the trio claimed they'd been on the island for two long weeks. "Maybe we've been looking in the wrong places."
"We've only got two days to see these magnificent animals," Mitch pouted. "And when the legal battles end and this park closes for good, what will all of this have been for?"
Eva has never wanted to punch an adult more than she does now.
"Will it still mean anything to anyone?"
"Hey, two days is still plenty of time to explore! In fact, I know a place not too far from here—"
"Aha!" Eva screamed as she jumped out of her hiding place.
Mitch, Tiff and Darius all screamed in response.
"Evaaa," Darius complained, clutching his heart. "What.. what are you doing here?"
"They're lying!"
"Ugh, not this again."
Eva walked over to the trio, and swiftly pulled Darius away from the couple.
"Walking red flags, on god! They want to see the watering hole, not for their pictures though!"
"Eva—"
"They're probably— ugh! They're probably, like, animal traffickers or poachers or something!"
Mitch gasped—
"That was a fake gasp!"
"Eva, holy shit! Calm the hell down!" Darius snapped.
"Darius, I'm right, damn it."
"No, you're not! What is your problem here? What is your problem with them? They've been nothing but kind to us, kind to you and you won't stop attacking them! What's wrong with you?"
"Well, there's a lot wrong with me, but I know I'm not wrong about this."
"Eva, you're crazy! You—"
An alarm cut him off, and the four turned back in the direction of the adults' camp.
"What's going on?" Mitch demanded as the four entered the clearing.
"Isn't it obvious?" Hap replied with a snarl. "The chatty one and the hair were trying to sneak into the yurt. These kids can't go snooping into private spaces!"
Darius spared a glance at Eva, who slowly raised her middle finger in response.
The yurt alarm stopped, leaving the group in strained silence.
Tiff stepped to Hap's side, and laid a hand on his shoulder softly. "Now, now, Hap. I'm sure it was all a misunderstanding."
Eva felt eyes on her again, but instead of Darius, it was Mitch sparing a glance at her. Eva raised both her hands, flipping him the bird twice.
"'Misunderstanding'?" He pointed a finger in Brooklynn's face, "Do yourself a favor, and stay out of my yurt."
Tiff pulled him away, "Let's talk about this calmly, okay?"
"Sorry about that," Mitch said as soon as Tiff and Hap stopped at the edge of the clearing. "It's our first time working with Hap, and he's very protective of his yurt."
"Unless he's hiding something!" Eva announced.
Mitch chose to ignore her. "Set it up himself, moved all the equipment in. Hasn't even allowed us in."
Brooklynn's arms crossed over her chest. "Ha! See? See?!"
"Uh, maybe we should postpone our trek," Mitch said lowly to Darius. "You've all been through a lot." He covered his hand, but Eva heard him loud and clear. "Especially pinkie, and blondie... it seems."
"No, it's— it's fine. Brooklynn won't touch the yurt, and Eva will stop snooping on people's private convos! And— and then we'll all go to the place I wanted to show you."
"Uh, Darius," Brooklynn cut in, "I think we should freshen up before we decide that."
"We already freshened up," Darius said through gritted teeth and a smile.
"Can never be too fresh."
~~~
"Really? There isn't anywhere else we can talk?"
Brooklynn was back on her throne. "Hap is hiding something! Why put an alarm on a yurt?"
"Uh, so a dinosaur, or a you can't sneak in and wreck his stuff," Yasmina said.
"I was there, too," Kenji spoke up. "And that alarm was definitely crepuscing me out."
Darius scoffed, "Typical."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Eva demanded.
"You two can't just let this conspiracy stuff go, huh? And for what, Brooklynn? A new video to boost to your followers?"
"Who said anything about followers?" She whisper-shouted back. "You think I'm doing this to get attention?"
"Yes! That's your whole deal! You're mad Mitch and Tiff haven't heard of you, and now you're doing this!"
"And what's your whole deal, Darius? Dinosaurs? You care more about them than actual people!"
"That's hilarious, you calling me selfish."
Something so unnerving about watching Mom and Dad fight.
"You're obsessed. Just because Mitch is acting all 'cool dad' with you doesn't... Oh..."
Eva froze. Her fingers tingled with anxiety.
"No, D-Darius. I— I didn't—"
Darius pushed the toilet curtain to the side and walked out of the yurt.
"Not cool, Super star," Yaz said as she followed him out.
The others slowly trickled out, leaving only Brooklynn in the bathroom yurt.
Eva didn't really want to talk to her after her comment. Even though it wasn't applied to her, she took it personally, too. It was like her obsession with Esther Stone after her dad passed. If someone from school had commented on it, Eva probably would have thrown hands.
Darius, Yaz, Sammy and Eva approaached Mitch and Tiff.
"Uh, what about your other friend?" Tiff asked.
"Don't worry about her," Darius responded curtly. "She's doing her own thing."
Tiff nodded, turning to Eva. "Will your boyfriend be coming along, too?"
"Boyfriend?" Eva furrowed her eyebrows. "Who would be my...?"
Yaz?
Sammy giggled, "Uh, Eva, I think she's talking about Kenji."
Eva's face contorted into one of disgust. "Eugh! No! Mm-mm. Oh god, what is wrong with you, woman?"
Yaz chuckled at her reaction.
Eva shivered, the thought of Kenji as her boyfriend sending her off. As if. Kenji had a better chance at snagging Cristina Sosa than he would ever have with her. As if.