My Least Favourite Character (Han Solo Fanfic) #Wattys2016

Chapter 12 - The boss' palace

"Get up. Now."

Gray grunted. For a moment, she thought she was at home. Dad, no, I don't want to go to school...tell Mr.Bennet that I'm ill. Instinctively, she pulled the covers tight over her head and held on. A strong arm grabbed them and tugged hard. She gave another grunt and a deep voice said:

"No time for kiddish behaviours."

Annoyed, she opened her eyes no more than a slit and saw the tall familiar figure of the smuggler. In a fraction of second, everything came back to her, and her leg gave her a friendly reminder of what stinging pain felt like.

"I don't get it. You call me kid all the time and then you expect me to stop being kiddish? Make up your mind." she said grumpily.

"No time to play the clever one either. We've arrived. Hurry up."

"Hey, hey, don't you dare - arrived? In Egypt?"

"Yeah, I think that's what I said, kid."

Gray rearranged the clothes in which she'd slept as she walked to Han and looked at him in the eye. She frowned.

"What's the matter with you? You're grumpier than usual - if that's possible."

But Han didn't respond with a sarcastic comment, an ironical reproach and didn't even roll his eyes. Instead, he sighed and left in an almost hurried pace into the corridor. Gray shook her head in puzzlement. Whatever, she thought. It's Han. He's always grumpy, isn't he? That's how he acts in the movies anyway. Arrogant scoundrel.

She threw the covers onto the bunk and ran along the corridor as well. Two days had passed since the strange night she'd spent under that trapdoor. Nobody spoke about it, and Youssef looked as cheerful as he'd always been. Nervertheless, never again was Gray able to force the trapdoor open. There was definitely something there that wasn't meant to be seen.

Gray looked for Youssef. She called out loud, and the little Egyptian appeared around the corner of the kitchen, smiling broadly as usual. His clothes, she noticed, hadn't changed for since she and Han had arrived on board. He was wearing a very simple shirt which must've been white at some point. The same worn out sandals, the same black trousers.

"Yes?"

"Where are we staying, me and Ha - I mean Walter?"

"Errr.." Youssef scratched the back of his head and sighed. "I can't exactly tell. But I will talk with my boss. I think he might see somewhere for you and your friend."

Gray frowned.

"He's not my friend." she said coldly.

"Oh. Family?"

Gray realised at that precise moment that there was no way she could explain the real story. Let's just stick to family, then. she thought.

"Yeah...he's a...cousin. Yes. That's it. My cousin Walter."

"Oh. Okay. Then I will try my best to help you and your cousin. Come out now. We are next to the coast. We will have to walk, but not very much. We will be at the boss' house soon."

He pointed to the end of the corridor, where there was an exit. Gray came out of the boat by a little ramp, and immediately she covered her eyes with her arm. The strong rays of the sun had come suddenly, causing her to shake in a violent sneeze. It was blistering hot in the outside. Stumbling down the ramp, she tried to cover herself with as much of her own shadows as she could.

Her foot dug into a lumpy surface. For a moment she froze, taken by surprise. But then she remembered the vast sandy surface she had always seen in geography books and touristic pictures. This is it. Egypt.