The Mandalorian Chronicles

Elodie: FINALLY! I Get to Take a Shower!

You would not believe the audacity of some of the other street people. They will try to steal our food while we're still in the alley with it. I wish they'd use their brains more often. If you're going to steal someone else's food, at least wait until they're away from it. Not that I want smart people trying to steal our hard-won food. Gwen was asleep, laying on a bed made of crates and covered by an old blanket. I stole away into the night, way lit by hazy street lamps. I wasn't running away from Gwen. I was sneaking off to go see Corey. 

"Hey. Elodie," Corey whispered, waving and grinning goofily. He was wearing an oversized cloak, the hem dragging at least three inches behind him. I stifled a laugh and walked over to him. 

"Nice to see you, Corey. I don't think the whole cloak thing is necessary," I said, smiling. He laughed. 

"I know. I wanted to wear it."

"No harm in that, right?"

"So what're you doing living down here?" 

"It's a long story. As in, I don't want to tell it."

"That's okay. I get it." 

"Really?"

"You just made me really curious. Who are you really, Elodie?"

I held Corey's brown gaze. For some odd reason, he kind of reminds me of Aayla Secura. Hmmm. Maybe another secret child? I can trust him, then. Maybe. 

"I'm a girl who was unhappy with her old life," I replied a few minutes later, deciding to tell the truth. 

"You like the news?"

"Yes. I do."

"Why? Is there something you're looking for? Someone?"

Corey sure asks a lot of questions. I shook my head and rolled my eyes. 

"Why must I have a motive for looking at the news? It's not like you have a motive for watching holoTV all the time."

Corey grinned. "How'd you guess it?"

"I have my ways," I said coyly, smiling. It's fun to talk with an intellectual my age for once. 

"Mysterious Elodie's ways are as much of a secret as she is," Corey joked. I know he's only playing around, but what he said about me is the exact truth. I'm a very secretive person. I looked at my feet, blinking back tears when I realized I had one person that I really trusted. That person was my mother, and she didn't even know I existed. Well, she knows I exist, she just doesn't know who I am. I wish she did. I wish that we could've been together since my birth. We could've been mother and daughter if it weren't for Death Watch. 

"Are you okay?" Corey asked, touching my shoulder. I pulled away.

"I'm fine," I assured him, lying. Another thing about me is that I'm a very good liar. My sass helps with that. Apparently it runs in the family, the whole sass thing. 

"What's wrong? Tell me in the form of metaphors."

"My relationship with my mother... it's... it's between the lines. You'd have to read between the lines of the story to see our relationship. Or, at least, my hopes of a relationship with her. Writing letters to her was as close as we could get," I confessed.

"Letters, huh. Did she ever reply to them?"

"No. I... they... they were on a data pad. I lost it before I ran away," I said, lying at the end. I didn't lose it, I dropped it on purpose. 

"Can we find it?" 

"No. It's in the right hands now."

"Why did you run? You could've stayed and gotten back to your mom," Corey said, looking at me funny. As if I don't know how stupid my decision sounded. 

"Because I have a sister. A big sister that looks out for me. She's the realest thing I've ever had to a parent and I'm not going to leave her for a woman I've never seen since I was a newborn," I said stubbornly, realizing how much I loved Gwen. She's my sister, and nothing can change that. I'd trade meeting Mom for Gwen and Lucy any day. My eyes stung, but I didn't let my tears fall. Yes, everything sucked, but now I have a little light in the darkness. 

"Well, I have to go. See you next week?" Corey asked.

"Yes," I replied. We went our separate ways. I climbed onto my bed of boxes and just sat there, letting the tears fall. Mandalorians are strong, but even they have their bad days. 

"Elodie?" 

"Yeah, Gwen?" I said, sniffling. 

"You okay?" 

"I'm okay now that I have you. I wouldn't trade this for a million days with my mom even if I had the option," I declared. Gwen didn't ask, only hugged me. 

"Normally, I'm not a touchy-feely person, but you keep making me feel feelings," Gwen sighed, patting my head awkwardly. 

"Sorry about that. I have this thing for making people feel," I replied with a shaky laugh. I hiccuped, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand. Gwen let go of me, holding me at arm's length and studying me. I titled my head to the side. 

"What is it? Am I getting sick?" I asked, examining my arms and legs. 

"No. Worse. You're absolutely filthy," Gwen said, wrinkling her nose. 

"So are you," I pointed out. If we're going to play this game, I'm not going to lose without a good fight. Gwen sighed. 

"I never thought I'd have to think about showers before," she grumbled, standing up. 

"Where're you going?" I asked, watching her make her way to the mouth of the alley.

"C'mon. We're going to take showers," Gwen said. I shrugged and stood up. A shower sounds like the best thing in the galaxy right about now. Along with going home with Gwen and Lucy. The elevators were empty at this time. Everyone was out drinking their credits and lives away. Gwen pushes a button and we ascended. When the doors dinged open, Gwen lead me down the street and into an apartment building. Floor 4, Room 44. Gwen knocked on the door. A Togruta girl in a nightgown answered it.

"Gwennith," the woman said, unimpressed.

"Hey, Aileen. I have a favor to ask..."

"Get inside. You and your sister are gross and are in dire need of a shower."