Unbecoming Humans

Chapter 8

Aria listened at the wall she shared with Nima for any hint of what Nima might be doing. It was no use. The rooms were well soundproofed beyond the abilities of even her excellent hearing. Several times she went to her own door with the intent of going next door to check on Nima, but her tangled thoughts stopped her somewhere between looking at the door handle and grasping it in her hand every time. She felt like an ass for upsetting Nima. She wanted to do better. It was an odd sensation for Aria to care about someone else - anyone else - besides herself. It felt like another lifetime when she had last felt anything more than cold, calculated survival. Feeling was dangerous. She had learned that the hard way, and she had no intent of repeating that mistake. That was the thought that stayed her hand every time she reached for the door.

Aria looked at the clock, 20 minutes until breakfast. She let her head fall back against the chair where she was sitting. It caught her, cradled her, its plush cushioning a familiar comfort. She picked up the book that was sitting on the table next to her, opened to the page she'd marked, read the first few words, stopped to look at the cover. What book was she reading, again? She turned back to her bookmark, read the first words on the page again, realized they contained no meaning in that moment, sighed, put the book down, and started pacing around her room. 17 minutes until breakfast.

She could go to the dining room early, but then someone might expect her to talk to them. She didn't want any part of that so early in the morning. Not to mention it might raise suspicions if she were anything but fashionably late to a meal. She worked hard to maintain an air of indifference to everything that happened at Eden. It would be a shame to let others see beyond her carefully crafted armor.

15 minutes until breakfast.

"Fuck!" Aria hissed after she stubbed her toe on her bed. She couldn't take it anymore. She marched out of her room like she had somewhere to go. She didn't. She let her feet pick their way through the familiar pathways, paying them no mind until she ran headlong into Justine.

"What the hell, Aria?!"

Aria rolled her eyes and groaned. She started to walk away before Justine had a chance to engage, but it was too late.

"Excuse you! You're just going to barrel into me and walk away without a word?"

"Yep." Aria kept walking and raised her hand in a wave of farewell, but Justine's pompous footsteps hurried to catch up with her.

"Not today, Aria. The world doesn't revolve around you, and you don't get to get away with pretending like it does."

"Look who's talking," Aria retorted. She stopped walking when it was clear Justine was going to keep following her anyway.

"It is too early for you two. Please move away from my door." Arkin popped his head out of his

already open doorway. Justine glared at him, but followed Aria again when she started walking away without a word.

"Aria, you're an asshole. You'll get what's coming to you soon."

"Whatever, Justine."

"Oh, sorry." A soft voice appeared next to them. It was Nima. Aria hadn't realized they were in front of her room again.

"I'll just -"

"No, wait!" Justine grabbed Nima's wrist before she could retreat into her room. "You must be new here. I'm Justine. It's almost time for breakfast. Would you like us to show you the way?"

"Um... sure." Nima didn't sound sure, but she stepped out of her room and closed the door quietly behind her. Justine looped her arm through Nima's and started floating down the hall like she wasn't spitting venom at Aria moments before.