Chapter 9.
After another couple of hours we reach Los Angelus. We thank the guys and wave them off after much “Oh it was no problem‘s” and even a few “Maybe we will see you all ‘round’s”.
We part with them at a cheap hostel. When we get our whole room Devin used her feelings to persuade the man at the check out to let us have room for free, for charity. I hate getting charity, I love giving it out and making people’s days in that way, but whenever I get it I always felt like a cheat or like someone who was to lazy to work for them selves. It always sucks.
Now I know how it feels to be on the other side of that. To have someone look at you with pity, granted it was false pity shown on this man’s face, pity created by a gift or curse of nature, I haven’t yet settled my feeling on whether or not this mutation of the human race that is us is good or bad.
I wish I could settle them though, it seems a pitiful thing to have to wrestle with your self over. We pick up the small bag of sustenance we have left over. Two bananas is all it is. We find our room and enter in. Exactly ten beds, one for each of us. The bunk beds are small and the metal frames increase the subtle chill that emanates from the air conditioning unit.
“I wish Nina was here, her fire hands are like warmers. Why is it so dammed cold in here? It’s at least 100 outside on the sidewalk.” complains June.
“Well she’s not here and she won’t ever be.” says Vaughn gruffly, dumping him self onto a bunk near the large window. “Now, we have to think about ourselves.” He bites his thumb in thought and locks his jaw.
“Yeah, I was thinking about that.” says Brian, from the door way. I look away from him and sit on an open bottom bunk. Figgie climbs the cold ladder to the top of my bed and Devin picks one opposite the room from ours.
“I think you should be in charge” says Brian, locking the door behind him, “You are the oldest, I mean, not by much, but the rest of us are about a year younger than you, right?” he looks around to the rest of us in the room, raising is eyebrows to affirm that what he said was correct. We all nod.
Vaughn looks uncertain for a moment before straightening his back out and clearing his throat. “I don’t know about that. You seem pretty sure of what to do Mr. Have - A - Vision - And - Freak - Out.”
“Okay,” says Brian, “It wasn’t a vision, that’s just ridiculous. I read their minds, and I know what I heard. If any of you still don’t believe me you’re crazy.” He makes it a point to not look my way, keeping his line of vision pointed towards the right side of the room and straight back towards the window in the narrow, long room. “And I freaked out because it’s so wrong of them to be doing it. It’s morally, ethically, and logically wrong.”
He stops talking and we don’t look at him any longer. “Fine then,” says Vaughn, “If you really think I should take charge then I will take charge. Unless anyone else is willing to step up to the plate here and take this off of my shoulders where it was so graciously put,” He looks sarcastically at Brian and pointedly at the rest of us. We remain quite, none of us wanting to be the one who volunteered. “Don’t blame me if everything falls to shit.” he finishes with a grimace.
Gil makes a tck sound and a heavy sigh. “What?” asks Vaughn, looking at him with an annoyed expression.
“Nothing, it’s just not a very positive attitude.” he says, like he’s trying to make a joke. At a time like this I can understand why Vaughn looks hacked off.
“What is your name even? Who do you think you are? You didn’t volunteer.” says Vaughn, leaning forward and making himself appear bigger than he is to intimidate him. I must say, even I am intimidated a little and it’s not even directed to me.
“I’m Gil, or Gilbert.” he says.
“Gil what?” He asks, still keeping his glowering expression on him.
Gil cocks his head and sucks his cheek before answering. “Gilbert Gabriel Manuel Garcia Garza.” he says, adding a Mexican accent to it for effect. He folds his dark skinned palms together, intertwining his fingers, cracking the ever so subtly and resting his chin on the complex.
“Well aren’t you so proud of yourself.” says Vaughn. Gil raises his big black caterpillar eyebrows at this and interrupts Vaughn. “You just think-”
“Yup. You’re so proud of yourself too.” he says with a straight face. “We are proud creatures. Greedy too.”
Vaughn is at a loss for words. He looks at the rest of us uncertainly. “So do you want to be the boss? You want to be the big shot around here? Call the shots for us?”
“No” answers Gil hurriedly. “of course not. Why would I want to be in charge? I’m terrible with power. You shouldn’t even purpose it to me.” he laughs a little, amused with himself. “But in all seriousness, I do think you should be the leader of our little band here.” he losses his clean white smile and sets it to a serious face.
"Like my aunt Maddie would tell me. ‘Life is better dealt with by those who have had the most experience dealing with it. Not those who are mindless and young.’ Even though I’m quite sure I’m only a few months younger then you.” He rubs his cheek witch is covered in a light layering of dark curly facial hair. His brown eyes challenge Vaughn to say something back to him about his age.
“How old are you?” Vaughn asks.
“24. And three months, about.” he says of the top of his head without thinking.” undoing his finger and slapping his knees.
“One month difference, about” Vaughn replies looking hacked off.
“Great.” replies Gil. “But you’re still in charge.”
Vaughn grumbles a bit, looking uncomfortable. It’s odd to see him looking uncertain or anything but gruff and tough, as he looks usually.
There is a silence until it is quietly broken by Asher. “I’m going out. I’m a bit claustrophobic.” I haven’t been really noticing him, but now that I do he is shaking a bit and looking a tad sick. Vaughn shrugs.
“Go ahead if you want, I’m not going to stop you, but just make sure…” he trials off. “Make sure that you don’t draw attention to yourself too much. I think we should avoid that like it’s the god dammed plague.” He shakes his head and lays down on his cot.
Now that I am looking around the room I realize how much it looks like the cot rooms back at the facility. It’s smaller, but it’s almost like we didn’t even leave. “I am going to go with you,” I say, jumping off my bed in a spur of the moment decision. “I need some air.”
No one really looks at us as we leave. They all look tired and are resting their heads in different ways. Some on ladders, some already on pillows and some on bed posts. It’s late in the day, the sun is just half way down on it’s path way to the other side of the earth’s sky. But it’s been a long day, definitely one for the record books, to bad it will never be there, for this whole endeavor is unknown to the world.
I follow him out the door, his hand is shaking and he looks pale. “God, that was no fun.” says Asher, rubbing his temples and then cracking his knuckles.
“We walk down the hall in quiet respect and reach the elevator that brings us down. “Won’t this bother you?” I ask, wondering why he is the first to walk into it. On the way up there were so many of us we just took the stair well.
“Well, it’s fine I guess for the two seconds we’re in here.” he swallows gulps down his fear. I shrug and tell him alright, whatever he is okay with I’m okay with. He nods and presses the button for the floor below us, the lobby.
When we reach it and step out he lets out a pleased breath he had held for the total of ten seconds ride. He walks to the front doors and when the warm outside air reaches his face he lets out another sigh of relief.
“How are you going to last living here?” I ask him, looking into his thankful and comforted face.
“Well, we can’t live here forever.” he answers.
“Can we go anywhere else? I don’t think Devin could get us a house. Besides it would be completely unethical to do that. Not to mention I think it would be a lot harder for her.” I start to walk down the side walk with him. Staying close to him, feeling a bit unsafe on the unfamiliar streets.
“I bet Gil could help.”
“How?” I ask, not knowing what he can do.
“He makes illusions. Tricks of the eyes. He could make them see money. And it would stay there for a while. I mean, it’s not real, and no one else can see it, but for small purposes it could be useful.”
“Yeah, small purposes. Not a house.” I shake my head and stare at the ground. “But if he can create an illusion, then is what we see really him?” I ask interested, “I mean, is he just putting out an illusion?”
Asher twisted his face in thought. “Huh… I never even thought about that. Interesting point.” he shrugs and sniffs the air. “God, it smells like Italian. Look it’s Boca up there.” He points up the street at the restaurant in the distance. “God, I love that place. But… no money,” he says this with desire, biting at his lip.
I don’t say anything, but my stomach grumbles at the thought of the saturating food. I’m craving food now more than ever, probably more than I ever have in the duration of my entire life. As we pass the porch of the restaurant, covered in dainty Christmas - like lights, I can hear people’s diluted conversations.
“Well, Robert was saying a while ago-”
“No, I’ve never seen the point of doing any of-”
“Perhaps the green with the mahogany would look a bit-”
“I’m just glad that I always invested in my education, not like your brother-”
Their conversations flow over one another like the waves from the sea. The sun has disappeared behind buildings, creating a city landscape photographers dream. The edges of the buildings to the west are outlined in orange light, darkening the many windows facing us.
The streets are full of people, all kinds. Old couples and young couples sit on benches or walk together. Some young people look like they’re up to no good, and others are in big groups, laughing and having a good time in a city good for having fun in the night. And especially good for getting up to no good at all.
We walk for a while, not saying anything, or talking to anyone, just enjoying the night. I find myself yawning after a while and say, “Could we go back? I’m getting a bit sleepy.”
“Yeah, sure” he says, “Thanks for coming out and around with me. I appreciate it.”
“No problem, I needed some air anyway. I’m trying to avoid my thoughts about what we did.”
“So you’re not too sure running was the best option either?”
“Yeah, I just don’t know what to do. There was no real quantifiable evidence anything dastardly was happening.”
He nods in understanding.