My first night sleeping in a tent is not so great, mostly because I’m sharing a tent with Piper, who alternates between giggling and grinding her teeth in her sleep all night. No wonder she had a tent to herself before I arrived. Keith and Miles share the tent across from ours. Wild and Harper share the big yellow tent next to us. Mr. C sleeps alone in the other big tent.
Not only am I still a bit sleepy when I emerge from the tent, but I’m also starving. Luckily Keith got up first thing and prepared a breakfast scramble. I’m too hungry to determine if he’s a decent cook or not. Wild, Harper, Piper, and I gather next to the picnic table, which serves as our kitchen, to eat.
Mr. C walks over and grabs a plate and gives out the day’s assignments.
Craig: Miles, Keith, and Wild will be working in other areas of Sulani. Piper, Peri, and Harper…you three will be working with me today. I want to investigate the cave over near the research center. Then we’ll spend some time cleaning the beach over there. But before we go, Peri, please go and check on the grubs and beetles, while I work on upgrading the dew collector.
I finish up my meal and put my plate down, as Wild changes and leaves for work. I’m very interested in knowing more about how she gets to spend her day. Surely it doesn’t start with grubs and beetles.
I walk over to the insect farms and try to choose the lesser of two evils to start with. They’re all disgusting, but I open up the drawer containing the grubs first. Just watching them squirm and slither all over each other makes my skin crawl. I don’t know what Mr. C expects me to do with them, but there’s no way in hell I’m about to touch them. Not today…
I step away from the grubs to see that Mr. C., Piper, and Harper have left without me. Luckily they’re not so far away that I can’t see where they’re heading. To make up some time, I hop on my bike and ride after them. They are already at the cave by the time I catch up.
Craig: Glad you could join us.
Mr. C has a knack for bringing out the burnt orange/fire brick red side of my emotions. Why would he tell me to check on his nasty little bugs, just to leave me behind and get an attitude because I’m a little late?
Mr. C tells us to stay put while he steps over to the entrance of the cave and peeks in. Once he’s inside, Harper and Piper turn to me.
Piper: So, what school do you plan on attending in the Fall?
Prosperity: I don’t know yet.
Piper: Have you even applied to college?
Prosperity: I have, but I don’t know where I’ve been accepted yet.
Harper: Hopefully you’ll get into Foxbury Institute. That’s where most of us attend.
Piper: Nah…she’s definitely a Britechester girl. It’s written all over her.
Prosperity: *confused* What makes you say that?
Piper: *plays it off* Oh…no reason.
Prosperity: There’s a reason or you wouldn’t have said it.
Piper: Don’t worry about it. *steps closer* Hey, there’s a little something there on your shirt.
I look down, afraid that there might be a bug. Next thing I know…Piper hits me on the chin making my head snap back a little.
Prosperity: What the f-?
Prosperity: Did you just slap me?!
Piper: It wasn’t a slap…it was a tap. Can’t you take a joke?
Harper: You have to be careful around Piper. She loves to prank people.
Prosperity: Piper better be careful around me. Those type of prank might get her ass-
Mr. C comes walking out of the cave before I can finish my statement. He heard just enough to realize there’s a problem.
Craig: I hope we’re getting along, ladies. While you all were out here socializing, I discovered some glow worms that I want us to study at the research center.
Peri wouldn’t call it socializing, but she keeps that to herself.
Craig: *continues* But first, we need to get some of this trash up. This area attracts the most tourists because of the aquarium and cave. Where the tourists go is where we find the most junk left behind. Let’s get started.
I’m still fuming trails of red over Piper’s little prank, so I make sure to stay away from her while I do my part cleaning the beach.
We spend about an hour digging in the sand, collecting discarded bottles and paper. The work is surprisingly relaxing, but bending over so much makes my back sore. I’m relieved when Mr. C says that’s it’s time to head to the research building. Just as we are about to go inside, Mr. C turns to me and tells me that he’d like for me to stay outside and continue collecting trash.
The rest of the crew enter the converted ship and get to work researching the new specimen that Mr. C has discovered…
…while I’m stuck outside in the sun collecting trash. This whole morning has been shitty, but in a literal sense when a seagull flying overhead decides to make me its toilet. My color vocabulary isn’t even big enough to describe the colors I see. I stomp into the building prepared to give Mr. C a piece of my mind but stop when I see Gran-Alice checking out one of the exhibits.
(Generation 2 Chapter Summaries)
