Peter had woken up in a room a lot bigger than he was used to, all by himself, which he liked fine-- except he couldn't tell where Ender or Valentine were.
And he was bored.
And getting steadily more annoyed because of it. So of course he went walkabout, sticking his head into the common room. "And who are you?"
Topher stared. A lot. Big kids were scary and this kid was bigger than him and and he sounded annoyed and Topher didn't know what he'd done wrong except wear goggles but that was for safety and it was good to be safe, right?
"Hi," he tried, his voice coming out very, very small. "I'm Topher. Um. Did you wanna watch the TV?"
"It's about fireworks?" Topher managed, his nervousness making it sound like a question. "I can change it. There's cartoons on the other channels. You can have the remote?"
He gripped his magnifying glass protectively, not wanting to give that up. Not that it really mattered. Bullies always took his stuff.
Oh, poor Topher. If he hadn't clutched his magnifying glass like that, Peter might not even have paid attention to it. But now it was something he could use to get some power over this kid.
"Nah," he said, "I'd like something else much better. What you got there, kid?"
"Magnifying glass," Topher whispered, holding it close to his chest. "My mommy got it for me. Was a present."
Oh no oh no oh no this guy was gonna take it and then he wouldn't have it and it would be gone and he couldn't be a scientist without it and nothing would ever be good ever again...
His mom had gotten his name engraved on the handle. It was supposed to be his. But this boy was scary and he had to do what he said so he wouldn't get hit.
Trembling, Topher held out his magnifying glass in a shaking hand toward the other boy, and drew in even further on himself.
"That's a pretty stupid name, isn't it, Chris-to-pher?" Peter said, twisting the magnifying glass in his hand. "You ever do anything cool with this glass? I hear you can use them to kill ants."
Topher couldn't help but see the way he was turning it over and he bit his lip. What if it broke? Then there would be glass on the floor and he wasn't allowed to go near broken glass, and his magnifying glass would be broken and Mom probably wouldn't buy him a new one ever again...
"Um," he whispered, shaking hard. "Um. I. Um."
Yeah, other words weren't really happening right now.
Easier said than done, but Topher gave it his best shot.
"I, um, I never killed ants," he managed finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "But if you hold it close you can, um. See ants. And how they're shaped an' stuff."
And he was bored.
And getting steadily more annoyed because of it. So of course he went walkabout, sticking his head into the common room. "And who are you?"
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"Hi," he tried, his voice coming out very, very small. "I'm Topher. Um. Did you wanna watch the TV?"
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"It's about fireworks?" Topher managed, his nervousness making it sound like a question. "I can change it. There's cartoons on the other channels. You can have the remote?"
He gripped his magnifying glass protectively, not wanting to give that up. Not that it really mattered. Bullies always took his stuff.
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"Nah," he said, "I'd like something else much better. What you got there, kid?"
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Oh no oh no oh no this guy was gonna take it and then he wouldn't have it and it would be gone and he couldn't be a scientist without it and nothing would ever be good ever again...
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"Let me have a look at it," he ordered. Didn't ask. Ordered. "Four-eyes."
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Trembling, Topher held out his magnifying glass in a shaking hand toward the other boy, and drew in even further on himself.
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"Yeah," he whispered, staring down into his lap.
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"Um," he whispered, shaking hard. "Um. I. Um."
Yeah, other words weren't really happening right now.
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"I, um, I never killed ants," he managed finally, his voice barely above a whisper. "But if you hold it close you can, um. See ants. And how they're shaped an' stuff."
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"I don't know," he whispered. "I like it."
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