Totally Bubbly- Cheesecake's New Stories: The Second Series

Cheesecake's New Stories #8: What I'm Like Without You

My alarm clock rings loudly through the dorm room, my ears tingling softly when it’s done. The other girls in the room start moaning or saying things like, “Five more minutes!” But I am the first out of bed; after all, I had to get up five times earlier when I worked at the Sweet’s mansion. 

Trying not to draw attention from myself, I silently get down from the top bunk by climbing down the cool, wooden ladder. I had a nightmare last night; I can tell because the room is unusually cold for a spring morning. I feel bad that I have put my roommates through this every night, but at least I’m not screaming. 

“Cheesecake,” Lolli mumbles from the bottom of my bunk, “how do you wake up so easily every morning?”

I laugh inexpressively as I reach into my metallic chest, pulling out a plain, dark blue uniform dress that I was given when I first got here. Funny, it feels like months since I was taken into this camp, but it’s only been about a week. My fingers grip onto the clothing I now have in my hand, sliding up and down the collar. The dress is similar to the one I used to wear when I was a servant. I shutter. 

“Lots of practice,” I reply. Yeah, I think, my whole life worth of practice.

Cocoa sits up in her bed. Like all the other girls, she yawns, stretches, and then rubs her eyes. 

“Cheesecake,” she chirps, “could you hand me my-”

“Already got it,” I say, giving her her glasses case.

“Thanks!” She laughs.

“Oh, and Quartz...” I reach into my chest again and find a file of research papers labeled Plant Growth and Development Doc. right on the top. “Here are your papers. Someone hit the force field again, so I was up late last night helping Trixi in the medical department. She asked me to give you these in the morning since it was past curfew.”

“Oh good!” She says, hopping out of her bed and taking the folder. “Finally, some results. We’ve been getting nothing from Sector C about the plant mutations, so we weren’t sure how to determine the side effects of the diseases of the animals.”

“Yeah, I’d keep an eye on the licorice vines if I were you. It’s unnatural for them to change from red to black.”

“Wait,” Lolli jumps out of bed, clearly awake now that conversation has started, “Trixi promised my division results, too!”

“Yeah, but Fruit Tart pulled a few strings. He needs the results for the animals in Sector B.”

“I am in Sector B, Quartz!” Lolli crosses her arms, and everyone laughs. 

I smile lightly, closing my chest while listening to their chatter. It’s easy to mix up different sectors and divisions in this camp. Often times I have to use a map. 

“Gee, what a good friend!” Lolli exclaims sarcastically.

“Look who’s talking!” Quartz smirks, her snow-white hair falling in front of her sharp nose, and a couple girls on the other side of the room giggle. “Do you even know my division?”

“Umm...” Lolli makes a face, scrunching her eyebrows together in one swift, exaggerated motion. The room cracks up again, and I stand their in the corner, watching their playful dispute. “Sector B, Division 3.”

Quartz blinks, her pink-tinted, white eyes in astonishment, and sighs, resting a hand on her neck. “Fine, you got me.”

The whole dorm stirs now, laughing, talking, and preparing for another day of work. I love this time in the morning. Lolli always enjoys picking fights with people, making all the girls chuckle, but I think she does it primarily to keep herself awake. Although it’s only been a week, these people have become my friends, and I’ve learned quickly about what they do and what they’re like.