Maroon Socks

08: HOODIES AND BATHROOMS

08: hoodies and wax figures (and cookies)

DAY 3.25

DAKOTA ADLER SPENDS the next hour and a half washing her muddy and soaked clothes, to the point where she approves that they seem like they've been washed with Vanish (Vanish Gold, of course). The hour and a half is also spent with her glaring at Arthur, who has offered to help her, throwing soap on him whenever she can.

The rest of the team have decided to take up an adventure around time, hopefully finding a bathroom to brush their teeth and do other necessary procedures.

"I'm sorry," Arthur says, for the fifth time in the space of twenty minutes. Of course Arthur has equally divided up the time in sections to when he says Arthur. He's Arthur. Dakota drops the underwear she's washing in the sink, turning to face Arthur. Her eyes show no expression - especially, the expression of violence she had a few minutes ago. Arthur blushes, looking down to focus on the bra he is given to wash (Dakota figures that would be the start level of a punishment for him).

The bra mocks Arthur. He's never truly touched a bra with his bare hands. He doesn't know if it's a good thing or not that the first bra he's touching is Dakota's. It does show how shy and inexperienced he is but that shouldn't matter.

"Am I mad at you?" Dakota randomly starts, opening the door. "Yes." She walks outside. She uses the ladder attached to the back of the van to climb up. Dakota places her second last panty next to Arthur's pair of briefs, which are put to dry. She clips it to the railing, using a plastic washing pin she'd found amongst another hundred or so. Walking back in, she takes Arthur's pair of jeans and begins to wash them. "You will not believe how mad I am at you."

"Sorry," Arthur says again. He takes the bra up to the roof, to dry. Once he's back in, he takes the last piece of clothing: Dakota's last panty. He sighs. He sighs again when he realises it matches the bra he had been washing.

"We're back, bitches!" Elijah yells, throwing his hands full of plastic grocery bags up in the air.

"We bought donuts, tooth brushes, napkins, bread, butter, water bottles, disposable glasses, cake, coffee packets, Elijah bought himself a GPS, fruits, vegetables, new underwear for men and women, a stack of T-shirts for all of us, oil, and a three boxes of pizza," Brooke lists the things off on her finger, sitting at the table and looking up thoughtfully. She looks down, giving the Washing Dakota's Clothes pair a tight smile. "What did you do?"

"I almost died!"

"He washed my underwear and enjoyed it."

The statements given by obvious people were said at the same time, confusing Elijah, Brooke, Calvin and Fiona.

"I'm hungry, I want pizza," Dakota mutters.

"I'll drive," Arthur says. He gets into the driver'a seat. Pulling out, he begins their way down to Madame Tussaud's.

Dakota crawls underneath the covers, the cold of the water still biting at her. She's taken Arthur's school hoodie and found a pair of cotton shorts in her backpack. Her feet were cold, so Arthur willingly gave her a pair of his socks. She rolled them so they fit at both her ankles. She feels a bit better. Dakota shivers, pulling the covers tighter against her. Brooke shakes her head. She unzips her bag, taking out a pair of grey sweatpants. "Here you go," Brooke smiles, holding them out. Dakota takes them, thanking her. Slipping them on, she hides under the blanket, trying to do everything to keep the cold air of the air conditioner from making her freeze.

Arthur looks at her from the rearview mirror. He feels bad - he hadn't meant to. Sure, what he said was wrong but what she said about him was rude, too. He is tired of people calling him out for being a bore and a stiff, uptight person. He doesn't want to be like that. That's what he's become. He can't do anything about it. Arthur's childhood wasn't that great. Constantly working, being hit - it isn't that easy. He hears Brooke sigh. She then sits beside him, down on the floor.