The Sixth | Ekko

Chapter Sixteen

Six watched boredly as Ekko took apart the walkie talkie and put it back together, explaining everything he was doing as he did it.

She nearly fell asleep when he gave her the run down of all the components of the circuit board. She got lost somewhere between capacitators and diodes and wasn't prepared when he started asking her questions like a pop quiz.

"So, do you remember what an oscillator does?" he tested, eyeing her as her expression fell with realization. She hadn't been paying attention and he knew it.

"Uh—well—it allows the walkie talkie to work," she stammered, slumping down in her chair, making herself smaller under his gaze.

He sighed, starting to feel impatient. "There's no point in teaching you this stuff if you're not going to pay attention."

She frowned. She knew he was right, but she was finding it hard to grasp the things he was telling her.

"I'm sorry. It's just hard to understand this stuff. It's like you're speaking a different language."

He snorted and placed the circuit bored down, glancing over at her. "You know all that medical junk and you think this is hard to understand?"

"That's different. Medicine is actually interesting," she retorted, causing him to glare at her.

"If you think this stuff is boring then why do you want me to teach you about it?" He wondered about this earlier but hadn't bothered to ask her about it until now.

"It's useful information to know. Especially as a leader. You should get that."

He thought about it and then nodded lightly. "You don't have any members in your community that can teach you?"

There was a pause as Six struggled to get her answer out.

"Not anymore."

Ekko could tell that the subject was a touchy one and decided not to pry. Instead, he went back to giving her a rundown of the circuit board.

In the middle of his drawled-out lecture, Six let out a dramatic groan. "I can't do this. At least not like this. I need—" She stopped to think. "—I need a notebook. I need to take notes and draw diagrams so that I can take it back with me to study."

"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Ekko reached inside his coat and pulled out a small notebook and a pencil. "This good enough for now?"

Six gaped at him. "You had that the entire time and didn't think to give it to me?"

He shrugged dismissively. "I forgot about it, honestly."

She shook her head. "And here I thought you were a genius."

"You keep calling me that, but I never said I was one."

"You didn't have to."

He stared at her as if trying to sense any deception in her words, but he found none. That piqued his interest. "What do you think of me?" he found himself asking before getting the chance to contemplate it first. He didn't dwell on it though, believing whatever answer she gave would amuse him regardless.

Her eyebrows scrunched together at his odd question. "What if I said I don't?" When a confused expression formed on his face, she elaborated. "What if I don't think of you at all?"

"Then I wouldn't believe you. But that's not what I meant, and you know it."

"Hah, do I? You have me all figured out then?" she quipped, feeling a new sense of exposure.

Ekko tsked. "Just answer the damn question."

"I'm sorry, but I'm failing to see how this relates to the lesson."