Fight With Fire

39

"You will be sleeping in this room but don't worry, that's just for this week. That way you can just move from here to the surveillance room which is right across the hall." Carly's chirpy voice bounces off the walls of the small room. There's a double bed in one corner and a dresser in another. Apart from the large window taking up the whole wall, there are no decorations. The room is boring and grey. My bags are sitting beside the dresser expectantly.

"I would've thought that staying at headquarters would mean I get more luxuries, not less." I scan the room quickly and glare at it as if the room was responsible.

There is something about Carly's presence that makes me especially grumpy and on edge. Almost as if her insecurities pass onto me. As much I want to say that I hate Carly, I really don't. She is similar to Gwen in that I understand their struggle too much. All their actions, although questionable, are justified. I think Adrian once said that to me way back.

I don't know when, why, or how, I became more empathetic but now I'm finding it hard not to sympathize with someone. I used to just shut everyone out and hate them for no reason but I guess I kinda hated myself then too.

"You will barely be in here. Just sleeping. The rest of your time will be spent in the surveillance room." Carly states with a small smile.

"And what will I be doing with all that precious time spent in that tiny room?" I ask with sarcasm dripping from my tongue.

"Working. Similar to how you invaded my privacy to learn about how I acquired my current position." Carly looks at me pointedly but I don't flinch and keep a bored expression on my face.

"I'm actually glad that you don't care about boundaries because you'll be crossing many." Carly continues with a sigh. "We will give you a task of some kind and you will go digging looking for what we want. When you the clip or photo, you will send it to me."

I nod and stand still waiting for her to do or say something. She studies me for a few moments before walking out the door and down the hall with me trailing behind her.

"Here's the bathroom." She says pointing to the door next to mine. Aren't I happy they're not attached. "The other rooms on this floor you don't have access to so don't even try. You'll just waste your time."

I follow Carly down the stair to the first floor as she points out the few rooms I have access to. She walks by the meeting room again and I get a glance of papers and photos spread out over the large table with Warren and Quinn leaning over them.

Carly quickly blocks my view with view by closing the door. "Do not try to spy on us because we are responsible for your future. I'm assuming you want one."

The next room, also on the ground floor, is like a large kitchen with food everywhere.

"We don't eat together so there's always food. You can just order it and the bots will make it if you want a real meal. We have a dining room but it's never used."

I walk towards the tables and grab some snacks stuffing both my face and my pockets.

"You'll get lots of time to eat." Carly says in amusement. "It doesn't disappear."

"You guys have that in common." I mumble under my breath.

"What?" Carly asks.

"Nothing." I reply before continuing to stuff my face and walk around the room.

"C'mon Ella, lets continue the tour." Carly stamps her foot then reps his fingers on her thigh. She flips her hair over her shoulder than brings it back again.

I realize now that Carly doesn't stop moving because it distracts her. She stops fidgeting as long as she's moving. As long as her attention is elsewhere. That box she was trapped in for testing must've been hell. She had no where to go and she froze. Probably for the first time in her life, she didn't fidget. That's how scared she was.

Instead of walking towards Carly I move to another table with plates and bags and plastic sheets of some kind. I start grabbing backs and emptying the croissants, chocolates, fruit, vegetables, and the rest of the food I snagged into bags. I hear Carly's heals slapping on the ground behind me and I can tell just from that sound that she's frustrated. Good. She won't be paying attention.

I grab a random plastic sheet and hold it slightly over my shoulder so she can see it.

"What's this for?" I ask through a mouth full of bread.

"Can you stop messing around?!" Carly angrily grabs the sheet and thrusts it on the table before grabbing my wrist and attempting to drag me out of the room.

I drag me heels and twist quickly out of her grasp hearing a satisfying crack from her risk.

"I couldn't leave without my food!" I exclaim cheekily grabbing the backs of food and the plastic sheet that Carly grabbed.

When Carly turns with a frustrated sigh leading me out of the room, I carefully fold the plastic sheet and put it in my pocket. Hopefully it will be enough.