Chapter
"Dos K'tey! D'mit kvorn troske ma'a!" she was getting louder. Her coworkers were starting to peek over the cubicle walls.
"THERE IS NOTHING ALL RIGHT ABOUT MY BOY MISSING!" Her voice cracked. She was near hysterical. This couldn't be happening. Not again. Not to her family again!
"Just.. just find him. Okay? Find him and bring him home." She hung up the phone, sat down. She was shaking. She reached over and unplugged the phone. Her boss wouldn't like it, but, who cared?
"Laura?"
She nearly jumped out of her skin. Marinda was standing behind her.
~bite your lip, baby girl. don't let them see you cry. ~ don't ever let them see you cry. ~
"It was the dean. About Marcus, again." No use pretending it wasn't happening. After that little outburst the whole division was probably whispering.
Marinda put on her best "poor baby" look. "I'm so sorry, hun. They've put you all through so much. You'd think they'd leave you alone for once, go on and bother someone else."
Laura sighed deeply. "I don't think it's their fault this time. I think maybe this time he's gone and got himself in dead trouble all by his lonesome."
Marinda gasped. Laura's family and all they did went against every last one of her frail and cultured sensibilities. It was bad enough that they had been marked thrice that year along. But, you don't go looking for trouble, you just don't! The Supervisors were plenty competent at finding it for you.
Laura stood up. "Never mind. Don't worry about it. It'll all be handled and everything back to right by tomorrow." She pushed by Marinda. "Let Ux know I won't be 'round for lunch today. I'll tell the DivHead myself." And she left Marinda to stare after her.
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Marcus had really done it this time. He'd have the Supervisors on him personally for this one.
"Marcus, man! Don't be leavin' us hangin' here!" Brin cajoled, "You gotta be lettin' us in on this! I and I is gonna burst if'n you not be tellin' us!"
Marcus gave his buddy a look. "First of all, pick a font. Second, I don't have to tell you anything. Anyway, it's far more fun to watch you bust a gut tryin' to get it outta me!" He cracked a grin.
"Aiight. Fine. I drop the lip, you tell me what's up."
"Brin, man, I told you. I ain't tellin' you one word. It's just not gonna happen."
Brin was starting to feel a but put out. "Fine. Don't tell me. But it you don't tell me, I can't back you."
Marcus turned on him, there was fire in his eyes. "No Brin. If I don't tell you, then you can't go down with me."
Brin backed away a step. "You're wrong." He whispered. "You're wrong, and I'm dead anyway. At least if you take me with you, I get to go down screwin' them over."
Marcus didn't like it. He knew it was true. He knew that even if Brin really didn't know anything, the Supervisors would feed it to him and string him up anyway.
He nodded once, turned on his heel, sighed, and walked out.
Brin followed, thinking :This is going to be one helluva lifetime today:.
"THERE IS NOTHING ALL RIGHT ABOUT MY BOY MISSING!" Her voice cracked. She was near hysterical. This couldn't be happening. Not again. Not to her family again!
"Just.. just find him. Okay? Find him and bring him home." She hung up the phone, sat down. She was shaking. She reached over and unplugged the phone. Her boss wouldn't like it, but, who cared?
"Laura?"
She nearly jumped out of her skin. Marinda was standing behind her.
~bite your lip, baby girl. don't let them see you cry. ~ don't ever let them see you cry. ~
"It was the dean. About Marcus, again." No use pretending it wasn't happening. After that little outburst the whole division was probably whispering.
Marinda put on her best "poor baby" look. "I'm so sorry, hun. They've put you all through so much. You'd think they'd leave you alone for once, go on and bother someone else."
Laura sighed deeply. "I don't think it's their fault this time. I think maybe this time he's gone and got himself in dead trouble all by his lonesome."
Marinda gasped. Laura's family and all they did went against every last one of her frail and cultured sensibilities. It was bad enough that they had been marked thrice that year along. But, you don't go looking for trouble, you just don't! The Supervisors were plenty competent at finding it for you.
Laura stood up. "Never mind. Don't worry about it. It'll all be handled and everything back to right by tomorrow." She pushed by Marinda. "Let Ux know I won't be 'round for lunch today. I'll tell the DivHead myself." And she left Marinda to stare after her.
----------
Marcus had really done it this time. He'd have the Supervisors on him personally for this one.
"Marcus, man! Don't be leavin' us hangin' here!" Brin cajoled, "You gotta be lettin' us in on this! I and I is gonna burst if'n you not be tellin' us!"
Marcus gave his buddy a look. "First of all, pick a font. Second, I don't have to tell you anything. Anyway, it's far more fun to watch you bust a gut tryin' to get it outta me!" He cracked a grin.
"Aiight. Fine. I drop the lip, you tell me what's up."
"Brin, man, I told you. I ain't tellin' you one word. It's just not gonna happen."
Brin was starting to feel a but put out. "Fine. Don't tell me. But it you don't tell me, I can't back you."
Marcus turned on him, there was fire in his eyes. "No Brin. If I don't tell you, then you can't go down with me."
Brin backed away a step. "You're wrong." He whispered. "You're wrong, and I'm dead anyway. At least if you take me with you, I get to go down screwin' them over."
Marcus didn't like it. He knew it was true. He knew that even if Brin really didn't know anything, the Supervisors would feed it to him and string him up anyway.
He nodded once, turned on his heel, sighed, and walked out.
Brin followed, thinking :This is going to be one helluva lifetime today:.