One corner of the Iron Lion's lab. It's hot. The fans barely spin. Hugo and Luke are leaning against the table, whispering way too loud. Vicky's polishing a modified blaster.
Bea, meanwhile, is sitting nearby with her old clunky computer Vince gave her, typing with one hand and sipping lukewarm tea with the other.
Her ringlet curls are tied half-up, the ends bouncing slightly as she nods along to her calculations, looking like she's ready to hack into NASA, if NASA ran on duct tape and rebellion.
"Okay okay okay BUT listen. Gally gave Thomas the talk." Luke whisper-yells.
"What talk?" Vicky asked, without looking up.
"THE talk. Like. If-you-hurt-her-I-hurt-you kind of talk. About Nancy." Hugo said, grinning like a gremlin.
"And get this. Hugo and I were THERE." Luke is already bouncing.
"You were eavesdropping." Vicky deadpan.
"Semantics." Hugo said.
"We didn't mean to. We just happened to be crouching behind a crate exactly where it happened." Luke added.
"Exactly. Fate." Hugo agreed.
Bea doesn't say anything. She types. Quiet. Beautiful. Calculating. The only sign she's listening is the way she pauses when Hugo says "THE talk."
"Bro it was so intense. Gally looked like he was about to cry and punch Thomas at the same time." Luke said.
"Why are you both like this." Vicky raised an eyebrow.
"It's important. It's—" Hugo gasps dramatically.
"—Historical! For the record! For the future kids!" Luke interrupts with the same tone.
"You mean the ones Thomas and Nancy will have or the ones you both clearly shouldn't?" Bea said quietly, without looking up.
Hugo and Luke: 😧😧😧
"You asked for that." Vicky laughs into her palm.
"YOU WERE LISTENING?!" Luke's eyes were bulging out of its sockets.
"I'm always listening. Especially when people are loud next to my very old, very grumpy computer." Bea replied, still not looking up.
"Girl you just roasted us while looking like a Victorian ghost bride that hacked the Pentagon." Hugo said, impressed.
"Thank you." Bea pauses, glances at him with one raised brow.
"She takes compliments weird." Vicky said.
"I'm still reeling from the ghost bride comment. Like... where's the lie." Luke stared.
YOU ARE READING
𝐖𝐄 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐘, 𝖺 𝗀𝗅𝖺𝖽𝖾𝗋𝗌 𝖺𝗅𝖻𝗎𝗆
General Fiction𝗧𝗛𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗦; 𝗚𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 got me falling apart 𝗕𝗘𝗔, 𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗛𝗢, 𝗙𝗥𝗬𝗣𝗔𝗡, 𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗦 stealing my heart 𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗧, 𝗡𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗬 you make me howl at the moon 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗔, 𝗩𝗜𝗖𝗞𝗬 you're the finest fish in this lag...
