A Friendly Experiment

The Lonely Scientist

DAVID:

I paced around the kitchen, looking for the salt.  Somewhere in between yesterday's supper and today's breakfast it'd gone missing. I usually don't misplace things, but everyone has some flaws.  I searched under the sink, and under the stove, and in all of the cabinets.  Nothing.  I guess there chicken will just have to go unseasoned.  I began up the stairs with my two trays in my arms, balancing them as best as I could.  My waitressing skills had gotten to be pretty fantastic over the past week.

I knocked on Bellen and Teneson's door and there was no immediate answer, as always.  I tapped my foot, waiting and waiting, but no one answered.  I knocked louder this time, and Bellen swung the door open.

"Sorry, David.  I was asking Teneson if he wanted me to get the door or if her wanted to get the door, but he wasn't saying anything back.  So I first thought that he couldn't hear me.  So I asked it louder, but still no answer.  So I--" Bellen babbled.

"Here, Bellen." I hander her the trays and she stumbled backwards.  She gave me a confused look, and though I did feel a bit bad for pushing her back, I had to be professional. "No talking to anyone, but Teneson.  or yourself." I shut the door. 

I sighed and walked back down the stars. grabbed two more trays and walked back up the stairs.  I knocked on Petra and Tanner's door.  I heard laughter as footsteps came closer to the door.

"Hey, Dave." Tanner greeted me.  I was pleased to see him and almost responded back, but kept quiet.  Before I could hand him the trays and ignore his pleasantries, he took the tray from me. "Guess who has lunch, Petra?" Tanner basically sang, shutting the door with his foot.

The door slammed in my face and I repeated the same old routine over again, until I was at Avery and Carthridge's door.  Before I knocked, I looked down at the food; for some reason I had an urge to spit on both of their meals, but I didn't.  I balanced to two tray on my one arm and held up my fist to knock, but before I could, I heard screaming from the other side.

"I'm going to fucking kill you!" I heard Avery yell.

"You want your bra?  Come and get it!" Carthridge challenged. 

There was a bit of silence and then a loud thud.  I could hear things being knocked over and the sound of a struggle.  I quickly set the trays down on the floor and barged in.  Both Avery and Carthridge froze in place, like children being caught by their parents.  Avery was on Carthridge's back, and almost practically on his head, trying to get at a bra that Carthridge was holding high in the air.  I looked behind them at the room, which was a mess.  I just sighed and walked back down stairs.  I heard their door shut, which is good, because that means they took their food.

I walked back to my room and sat down at my desk.  I'd already written my weekly report, since it'd already been a week since I began my experiment, but it wasn't quite time to write my daily report.  I didn't have much to do today.  Not much at all.  So I decided today would be a good day to watch some Star Trek.  Before that, I decided to check in on every.

Like usual, Petra and Tanner were talking.  They were the only pair that seemed to form a functional relationship with each other.  They did the usual introduction and then they began to share stories and secrets.  I'd guess by the way they look at each other that they're most likely going to get together soon.  And then there is the polar opposite, which is Avery and Carthridge.  From day one they're fought and harassed each other, which can sometimes be entertaining, but is mostly annoying.  I don't watch them a lot.  However, Bellen and Teneson are interesting.  Bellen tries so hard to talk to Teneson, but Teneson doesn't hardly ever respond back. 

Teneson was never one to talk.  the only reason we started talking was, because of an English project.  Both of us didn't have a partner, so we paired up.  He came over to my house to work on it and he saw all of my Star Trek posters and memorabilia.  I'm not going to lie; at first I thought he was going to beat me up and make fun of me, but he just plainly said, 'Cool'.  I honestly didn't expect that.  He continued on and told me that he was a big fan of Star Trek too.  I guess you could say we bonded, but I wouldn't call it that.  We're friends now, and he basically only talks to me.  I never thought, in a million years, that I'd be the most popular one in a friendship.