Wasteland // Kim Seungmin

36 - Old Frenemies

"Gorgeous!" The guy exclaimed. He was exactly where I hoped he'd be, leaning against his makeshift sales counter. Filthy, but well fed and perfectly cheerful. His bright smile stood out against the miserable landscape and people surrounding him.

"You remember me?" I asked, relieved. If he didn't, and just brushed me off, I'd really be back to square one.

"How could I forget, we don't get nearly enough pretty girls like you around here. Where's grumpy?"

I laughed nervously, "He's uh...busy." I explained lamely.

I had run all night with Felix's knife clutched at my side, spinning while I went to keep a 360 view of any potential attackers. My legs burned from the running, and in the grey of the morning, I wanted nothing more than to lay down at Han's feet and take a power nap. Even though I barely know this guy, and what little interaction I had with him he openly offered to kill my partner, he still radiated a sense of harmlessness. And after all, there was almost nothing he could do to me that would make him worse than Seungmin.

Han laughed, shaking his head. "No way that guy let you go off by yourself. And judging by the time of day and your overall...," He hesitated, gesturing vaguely at me, "...demeanor. I am guess you slipped away last night."

I laughed, "You are perceptive."

"Call it a survival trick. So, where are you headed?"

"I was looking for you, actually," I admitted. I decided to bat my eyes and try to look a little flirtatious, I figured that could only help me get what I want. The effect was somewhat lost when my eyes struggled to stay open after more than a few flutters.

His face fell a bit, and he cocked an eyebrow, "Okay, and why would you be looking for me?"

"I need to find a leader."

He cocked an eyebrow, "Uh, I could take you back to my guy?"

My eyes blew open, and I started waving my hands frantically. That was the last person I needed to see, although I was starting to think we'd only get the information we needed through him, "No, please, I just thought you could help me find where a specific leader would be. Like, maybe your guy...or another leader you have an arrangement with... knows of a way to see where someone works?"

Han frowned, puzzled, "Why do you want to see a specific leader?"

I exhaled a little more loudly than I intended to, "It's a long story that I can't really get into, but he's my old partner, my original, but he got hurt on our first day and I thought he was dead, but I just found out he's alive and I just need to see him."

Han's expression grew more sympathetic as I spoke, and when I was done he said, "Pippa. It's Pippa right?"

I stared at him for a moment, when I realized he was trying to remember my name. "Paila."

"...the fuck kind of name is Paila? How do you even pronounce that?"

"What do you mean, we are saying it out loud right now?"

"I mean for the readers?"

"Who??"

"Never mind. Anyway Paleo, that's just not a great idea. He's a leader now, he's not the boy you knew."

I groaned in frustration sick of hearing the same line from everyone. "I don't care, I just want to see him. Will you help me or not?"

He thought for a moment, then said to himself, "She could probably look it up...." He looked back at me, "Maybe, but no promises. But what's in it for me?"