Plutonians

Chapter 6

"Hi!"

"Hey you almost frightened me." He says jumping off from his seat.

"Why, were you into some illegal stuff?" I say raising my left brow.

"No, no.... I was just trying to learn the basics of efel program from online videos and tutor bots, but everything just went above my head." "Come seat, you are my last hope, Eva."

"Well, I'll try my best." Zed is that unfortunate student who ends up learning coding from an inexperienced teacher like me. As far as I know Lara too doesn't have acquaintance with such computer languages, so she should have also come now.

Or maybe she must have acquired knowledge with time or would have preferred to remain untutored rather than being coached by a naive!

We start with the basics and Zed proves out to be a brilliant student. He grasps the rudiments of the language smoothly and soon he is able to code much advance. I am absorbed in teaching and Zed, as an obedient student follows my words and codes like a pro. We identify flaws in programs, code together and laugh at each other's mistakes and our occasional puns.

"Okay, let's take an interlude from this." Zed moves his fingers on his left wrist, drawing a watch, using the seventh sense caps fitted on his nails and soon an illusory watch appears on his hand. The nail caps are another feature of this legendary seventh sense, which one can even use to make the palm into a touch screen pad.

He sneaks a look to the time and says incredulously, "Two hours have already passed, I can't believe it......But Lara still hasn't come."

I cannot expect Lara to be delaying, there must be some issues. "Let me make a call" Zed says desperately. I turn my face towards the alley and find a lanky figure approaching towards us scurrying, hastily combed and wearing a sweatshirt and track pants – it's Lara.

"Hey guys, I'm extremely sorry to be so late." Lara says gasping. She looks insipid and exhausted.

"You look so pale. Were you running....for almost an hour? Yeah, I know for some weight loss right?" Zed says mockingly. Lara frowns, "I'm not a rotund like you. Anyways have you both eaten anything?"

"Oh, so you had been organizing a farewell....kind of feast for us, isn't it?" Lara gapes at him disgusted.

"Eva don't you think, you taught him more than what his mind could handle. Now see, he has become totally insane!"

I laugh freakishly. "Eva you really think I'm out of my senses? I think she has become blind, unable to notice the time on her watch...and my lithe figure accusing me to be a rotund!"

"Ignore him, Lara, we have taken our breakfast....but if you are offering then we won't hesitate" I say raising my shoulders.

"Fine. Come lets go to our apartment cafe and we can have some....sandwiches?"

"I'm already feeling very hungry.....But wait, we are heading to your apartment." Zed says stressing on the words, 'we' and 'your'.

"I'll take care of that, don't worry." Lara says assuring.

We walk side by side to Lara's apartment. Zed's voice would get a way through the cracks of even nanoseconds of peace.

"Why were you so late Lara?" he asks like a normal human again.

"Before I reply, Eva has to answer me first." Lara ceases walking and I turn towards her startled.

"You didn't say me but I got news that you were not well, lately. Are you all right....is it anxiety again?"

"Really...you didn't utter anything to me either". Zed looks at me stupefied.

I realize I can no more maintain it as a secret. "Ah...I didn't wish to trouble you at all....I'm completely fine now."