Ford's Rise - L. Ann Marie Page 0,76
sat down.”
I hang up fast. Holy moly! He was talking about panties in front of Brantley. The unit men did that too. They always talked about sales or good times to buy. Men are very odd.
I check my backpack and add my spare and extra clips. He probably has that too but I’m not calling him back and the Commanders said we pack our own gear so we know what we have and how it’s maintained.
With that all done, I take the walk to breakfast. I’m a little early so I keep walking. The houses are amazing. They didn’t just paint the front. The backs are painted too, continuing with what shows on the front. The back of Michael’s house is the back of a hobbit house with a window and the hill for the hallway. It has grass and what looks like a mud puddle at the right side. How do they make pictures look 3D? I need to add it to the list in my brain. I don’t want to paint it, I just want to know how that works.
“They’re fuckin’ crazy in a cool way.” Sheila slows down by me and bends in half. She must run regularly, she’s not really winded. I went early today. Web woke me up at four so he could meet Alder for breakfast then Brantley, Jason and Billy at the IT building.
“Shhh. If the Alpha-Bits hear the cool word they do the chant. We hear it at least ten times a day.” I whisper so anyone close doesn’t hear it.
She looks at me like I’m crazy. She’ll learn. Stella says cool all the time. “Do you know how the printer paints in 3D like that? The back is a continuation of the picture. I picked postcards like Télia made with Web’s favorite bus tours. She made a regular painting. Amal said the printer will have it finished front and back.”
She shakes her head. “I’m an Enforcer without freaky. I don’t know anything about printers and painting. They did this from a regular picture? That’s fuckin’ weird.”
I’m glad she didn’t say cool. Some kids are getting closer. I smile at them so they know it’s okay to come near us. “It’s a regular picture the printer gets uploaded with. There’s a little mud hole on the back of the hall. I wondered how it got put in the picture. It fits with the hobbit thing but isn’t on the picture.”
She smiles. “You see and question everything. Stella loves you. She’s always been like that too. I’m glad you’re here, Alexia. She always thinks she’s different than the other Protectors. I’m glad she sees different is pretty fuckin’ normal in our world.”
I keep my eyes on hers and smile. “Thanks. It feels good knowing my different is okay here. The Alpha-Bits and Brothers are good teachers.”
“I’ll see you at breakfast. I need a quick shower. I’ll call Amanda and ask about the pictures. She’s an artist that sells prints on the internet.”
“Thanks, Sheila.” I like her. She’s a cool mom.
“Food, Boss?” A new boy asks. He’s smaller than Anton.
“French?” I ask. When he smiles, I tell him, “I was a little early so I’m checking out the pictures on the houses. Our house will be painted while we’re gone. I love the pictures.”
He nods. Web said they don’t talk even in their language. I talk to them all anyway. They won’t know if we don’t show them. The boy that’s hurt walks out the group house door. “Good morning. Do you need medicine?” I ask in Russian.
He smiles shaking his head. “Meal.” He said it in English!
“Good job! That was perfect. We’re going to the kitchen now. I was looking at the houses because I was early.” I say it all again in Russian for him.
He follows us down the road. “Boss!” Jacques rolls out the door fast.
I laugh and bend for him talking in French. “You’re coming to Colorado tonight. I’m excited, Jacques. I’ve never been on a vacation.”
Gregor rolls to us slower than Jacques did. “You from Lab, Boss Alexia?”
I laugh turning his way and speak in English like he did. “No. I was FBI and lived in the dorm then my apartment. I didn’t have anyone to go on vacation with and was afraid of everyone and anything new. Now I have family and new isn’t so scary.”
He nods smiling. “We family,” Jacques says in English. His voice is wobbly or something.
“We are. I’m proud you’re my family now, Jacques.