The Babysitter II: Happy Halloween

Tasks

Peach's PoV:

Tasks. My father's favourite thing to do.

Even though he wanted to do all this crazy stuff, like extreme sports, travelling the world, climbing Mount Everest - just... experiencing everything there is to do in the world.

But nah. It was always tasks.

Maybe it was fear which held him back from doing what he wanted to? Until he saw the advertisement for the job in space. I still and will always remember that day when he picked me up from school, the thrilled look on his face as he told me that I was leaving to do space school instead. Yup, that was the first thing he finally managed to do.

Sure, I was excited too, but nothing could match how ecstatic he was on that day, and I was really happy for him too.

And then when we got there, and they told us we weren't even going into space straight away... just Mira HQ... I felt so underwhelmed, but my dad told me it was just the beginning, it was the start of the biggest adventure we've ever taken...

That's when we did tasks. I also distinctly remember how shocked I was when I found out why we were here. The first thing my dad did... was fix the wires.

What. The. Actual. Heck.

This was soooo boring! We signed up to be astronauts, not bloody electricians!

Mhmm. That's exactly what was going through my eight year old mind at that point. That's why I was never interested enough to listen about tasks... didn't want to learn. But now I'm here, with my own tasks, now there's an imposter loose again - for all we know,
multiple - I really want to do tasks, nothing else.

I finally get it now. It's just... a way of distracting myself from the pain, the paranoia, the problem I'm facing............ heh.

Sorry I let you down on the last mission, dad... and sorry I was angry with you before... I was wrong. But here I am... again. Even though I don't really know how, or why.

Guess I just wanna let you know I love you, and... I feel like I'm connected again... which is great. I hope Teal is right, and you're a ghost here with us. Heh, there's two Orange ghosts now...

"You okay?" Emerald asked. "You do know the upload is done, right?"

"Uh, yeah..." I absently murmured, stepping back from the upload panel.

"... it's been done for like ten minutes."

"Aaaaaand you've been waiting there watching me stood by the finished upload for like ten minutes?" I muttered back, still not really paying much attention.

"...you sure you're okay?" He asked again, and I nodded.

"No fear" I exclaimed, leaping up into the air. "Oka, where next? What about O2?"

Emerald still didn't seem to convinced, and skeptically replied with "Yeah, Okay"

Lemon's PoV:

Since Orange's death, Teal had stayed with Mango. Like... she's being social now? Huh.
Still, no smiles. That's never gonna happen...

"Come on, Indie, let's go." I sighed. "More tasks to do"

"But Snow isn't finished doing the wires yet!" My little sis protested, and I groaned in frustration.

"You mean, you're not finished doing his wires yet?"

"I'm only helping a little" Indigo replied, whilst doing all the work. "he's really good!"

I scoffed, muttering "Yeah, right" under my breath. She finished up with the wires, giving Snow a thumbs up. "Soo..." I continued at normal volume, "how come Snow has completely stopped talking now?"

"Shy?" Indie shrugged.

"Stop making excuses for him" I ordered, "it's not like any of the new crew are around right now anyway."

She looked around quickly, before whispering to me "I... I think one of the new kids has been mean to him... and that's why he isn't speaking"

"As if. He doesn't understand what anyone says unless you speak directly to him, really slowly and breaking it down into simple baby language." I pointed out, "besides, if someone criticised you because you don't talk, then you'd speak as much as possible just to prove them wrong!"

Indigo frowned at me. "Now you're being mean"

"Indie! I didn't mean to-"

"I don't care" she snapped, "you keep being mean to everyone and it's not good. I try and try to make you be kind, but you never take my advice. I hear what you say to people when you think I'm not listening! Sure, you're nice to me, but you gotta be nice to everyone!"

"But..." I protested, but was lost for words. And trust me, that NEVER happens.
And why was I lost for words? Because Indigo practically yelled at me. And trust me, that never happens either.

"I don't understand... Indigo, you never even raise your voice at anyone! You're so sweet and kind... now you're arguing with me?"

"Because you're being nasty and I don't like it! I always help people, but most of the people I'm helping are only unhappy in the first place because of you!" She whined, and Snow gave her a confused look. "I've given you too many chances now, but I have to draw the line somewhere... so please. Only talk to me again when you're willing to be nice to everyone here."

"Where do you think you're going?" I called

Indigo didn't turn around, shooting back with "away from here"

"Get back here!" I yelled at her, "THERE'S A FREAKING IMPOSTER AMONG US, YOU CAN'T JUST LEAVE ME!"

"Well I am" she muttered.

"Wait!" I called, but she had already taken off down the hallway with Snow. "Well, I... I... I don't care!" I hollered, though the tears were already filling my eyes. "I don't need you! Or your stupid mute boyfriend!"

I really wanted to scream, or smash something up... holy crewmates, I could even stab someone right now, and that's not a good thing to be thinking at the moment...

Snow's PoV:

Indie was sad. And that's not good.

Indigo left her sister... because Lemon was mean to me? So if she was upset because her sister wasn't being nice... did that mean Indigo was trying to protect me?

Did she know that new Indigo was the reason I stopped talking?

She walked away from the big room with the boxes, and led me to the room with all the wires everywhere. Tablet says it's called...
e-elec..... electric? Electrical?

Yay, more wires in here!

Indigo went over to the wires but didn't open them, just sat down, taking off her helmet. Her face was wet... had she been crying?

I sat down next to her, I was sad too. Also feel like crying.

Well... when I needed cheering up, Indie gives me cookies and hugs... I don't have cookies, but I can hug her...

I reached over and wrapped my arms around her. "Th-thank you Snow" she mumbled, hugging me back. "You're not stupid... you're really clever, a-and..." she wiped her eyes on her sleeve again. "I don't know why Lemon can't just be nice for once. Just... remember, you're really special, okay?"

Nodding, I pointed back at her.

You're special too, Indigo.