Space

six

Huh...it feels great to wander the halls instead of being locked in the room. I'm still trapped, but I'm a hamster in a bigger cage now. As I wander, I sight another individual admiring the same endless space I am.

I attempt to avoid contact with the human being, not wanting any human interaction for the day. But alas, as I walk past him, he turns and bumps into me. I stumble a couple steps back before looking up to see the same gorgeous face I punched from a couple nights ago.

"It's you..." I begin to lose myself in his face.

"Yes...and it's...you, too." How awkward.

"Listen, sorry about punching you the other night. Got a little drunk." I scratch the back of my head in embarrassment.

"Don't sweat it. Sorry for dragging you to your room while you were blacked out. I'm still recovering from an injury. " He points to his bandaged arm.

So that's how I got back. "You dragged me...back to my room." I gasp dramatically. "Did you touch me?" His face morphs. Hilarious.

"I'm joking." We fall into an awkward, yet comfortable silence.

"Want to grab dinner?" Strange question. "Sure."

One bite of the cafeteria food and I'm immediately repulsed. I can't believe the food catered for me tastes better.

"You eat this every single day?"

"Not really. There's a different lunch for me."

"Then let's bust this joint. I have a better dinner for both of us." I leave the flimsy aluminium table and sneak into the kitchen, grabbing an assortment of vegetables and chicken, not forgetting some seasoning. Always remember to season.

I sneak back out to a dumbfounded friend.

"I have my talents." I say, quite proudly. It helped to make easy money back at the dorms.

Our walk back to the room is silent. I decide to break it with a simple question.

"What's your name?"

"Jasper."

"Cool. I'm Florence, and you're going to watch me make mad chicken soup."

"You do know you're not allowed to start fires in here, right?" Jasper pipes as he shuts the door.

"Camera's covered. And even if I was found out, I'm sure Miriam wouldn't mind."

"You know you can't control her, right?" He laughs, gently sitting on the bed.

"That's the dream," I clap Jasper's back. "That's the dream."

I start the fire and begin to boil a pot of water, chopping up the vegetables first, followed by the meat, adding the meat first. I knew filling my backpack with cooking supplies was a smart move. Who needs a photobook when you can carry on memories with cooking?

After around...half an hour, I uncap the pot and extinguish the flame.

"Your chicken soup looks nothing like any that I've had." He stares into the tiny pot with curiosity.

"It's my mum's recipe. She's Chinese...which makes me Chinese...b-but yea, she learnt from my grandfather. She even has...well, had, a restaurant." I take a sip from the piping pot. Just like how mother used to make it.

"Your mum's a chef. My mum's an engineer...and I followed in her footsteps, helping build this vessel."

"You built this thing?" Maybe he can unlock that tiny room perched atop the oblong vessel. The one I've been eyeing to get into since the day I spotted it.

"Well, only a quarter—"

"So, you know every inch of this ship."

"Like the back of my hand."

"Then take me there!" I point at the tiny room.

"That place is strictly off limits."

"Don't worry. I'll cover your ass if you get into trouble. Another talent of mine, trust me."

"You act as if you are a mighty god."

"I might as well be. The doctors all do my bidding...for the most part." I've yet to beat Miriam to a pulp.

He lets out an adorable chuckle. "Alright, alright. I'll take your partly word for it. Let's go."