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The house was cleaner than what Gabriel would expect a seventeen year old boy to upkeep. The windows had no curtains, ones from floorboard to ceilings, overlooking the sea. The suns both omitting pinks and oranges across the blue skies. It reminded Gabriel of one of his sister's paintings. Surrealism was her specialty.
"I put mushrooms in the sauce, is that cool?" He heard Orion speak.
Looking up, he nodded, "Yeah, portabellas?"
"Only the best," he chimed.
Chopping up peppers and unions, Gabriel only wanted to be mindful of his surroundings, staring at his hands. Valeria told him to keep an eye on his hands. "So, uh," he caught Orion's attention. "How'd you end up here?"
The chopping of the mushrooms slowed, just as Orion's back and shoulders tensed up rather quickly. "Every kid rebels at least once in awhile, ya know?"
Gabriel hummed, "In other words, you're stuck."
"In other words, I'm stuck," he echoed. "What's it like out there?"
"RL?"
Orion nodded.
Gabriel shrugged, "The same, for the most part. I mean, you're not missing much. Nine months ... it's nothing compared to down here."
"It's weird 'cause I feel like I'm in my mid-twenties."
Gabriel glared at him from across the kitchen island, "That's gotta be difficult."
"You'd think but, once you get used to it it just becomes more of a burden on those on the Outside."
"Tessa — your mom?"
"Yeah," he said. "I remember when she told me about Star. She was so happy, had so much hope. And then she got a meeting about a 'requested retirement' — forced retirement. She's only thirty-six. She's far in her career already, and the go and disband her for the tiniest glitch ever known in the gaming community."
Gabriel put the vegetables in a mixed bowl. "You're not mad?"
"I've accepted it." Orion shook his head, sauteeing the peppers and onions, "This is my reality. She didn't do it intentionally. Yeah, when I get out I won't be able to graduate with my friends or anything but my life is just on pause. That's all it is. Sweven gave me the literal pause button. You can't do that Outside. Time is a futile device. I know not everyone has the same outlook as I do . Not everyone can see can see someone on the Outside, like I can. But I try to make the best of it."
"I mean, it's good you're able to make light of a negative situation."
"Exactly, I was seriously pissed off for a really long time but what was that gonna do?"
"Right," Gabriel drew out, his mind drifting to his last moment with Star. He sat down at the island, waiting for Tessa to return.
"Ah shit, man," Orion spoke. "I'm a dick. I just said — Star's gonna — "
