Six (Countdown book 1)

Chapter 18

Four weeks later

I stared at the small piece of metal in front of me, a likely replica of the piece that me and Ben worked on. But it wasn't quite right. I glared at it. Completely wrong. I sat back in my chair with a heavy sigh. I put on the coffee machine, intent on making another cup full.

"You'll get it, you know!" the coffee cup told me.

"Yeah." the coffee pot agreed. "Wanna 'nother cup'pa coffee?"

"I already have a cup of coffee." I told it. I squinted at the laptop screen. I'd long since gotten over the fact that everything in my room talked to me. I was just delusional.

"Hug me." the laptop put in.

"No, I'm busy." I replied, typing a few words into the keyboard.

"Read us!" the books called out in unison.

"I'm busy." I sighed, frustrated.

"Who were you talking to?" Scarlett asked, appearing in the doorway. I quickly tapped one of the touch-screen surfaces on my desk that turned off the music that I had blaring out. I'd sound proofed both of my rooms so that the music wouldn't escape. 

"What?" I asked, looking up, rubbing my eyes. "I wasn't talking anyone."

"I heard you."

"Did you? I must have just been muttering to myself. I do it all the time." I gulped down the last of my coffee.

"Make another cup!" the coffee machine shouted. I ignored it.

"Eli, I'm worried about you." Scarlett said softly. "We all are."

"I'm fine." I said, pouring another cup of coffee, and trying to disguise the shake in my hands. "Never better."

"Are you sure? You don't look fine. You need to sleep, Eli. You need to eat some real food. And you need to stop drinking coffee." she snatched the coffee cup away from me.

"Hey, he was about to drink from me!" the cup protested.

"Shut up!" I snapped at it.

"What?" Scarlett asked, looking hurt.

"I- I wasn't talking to you." I stuttered, sparing a moment to glare at the cup.

"Who were you talking to, then?" she asked. I looked at the floor. "Eli." she said sternly.

"The cup." I admitted.

"The cup?" she looked down at the coffee cup, her eyebrows raised.

"S'not my fault he's crazy." the cup told her.

"You were talking to a cup?" she asked.

"It started it." I said defensively.

"No I didn't!" the cup protested.

"Can I have a hug now?" the laptop piped up.

"No." I muttered, barely glancing at it.

"Oh." it said sadly.

"What are you talking to now?"

"The laptop." I said, glaring at it.

"You were talking to the laptop?" Scarlett seemed to think I was playing a crude joke of some sort. "And what is the laptop saying?"

"It's asking for a hug."

"Will you hug me?" the laptop asked, turning to Scarlett.

"No." Scarlett snapped, and for a moment I hoped she might have heard the laptop too. "No, Eli, don't do this to me. Because, if you're crazy, then when Wyatt gets here, I'm going to be in a lot of trouble."