SONDER (IV): tmr thomas

023: I should protect

Michelle 23

We have to wait outside the restaurant for the sedative to wear off Leo, since apparently sedatives and the drug that keeps the Flare at bay look the same. Brenda splashes her face with water from a bottle next to the building, while Jorge goes and grabs her a pair of sunglasses. I wait for my turn to talk to her, but Thomas hovers over her and I worry that too many people are crowding around Leo.

Whatever, it's a stupid worry.

"Can we trust your Gally?" Jay whispers over my shoulder. He has to bend, like, more than a foot down so that no one else can hear what he is saying.

I roll my eyes. "You think that you can trust me to answer without bias?"

"Yes," he cuts in.

I snort, turning around to look at him. Jay raises an eyebrow at me, a smirk on his face. Shuck, sometimes I just want to slap it off. In another life, we would definitely be shacking. One where I hadn't already learned from my mistakes.

"If Gally wanted to hurt us, he had every opportunity already," I tell him.

Minho comes up between us. He tries to size up Jay, tries to stand taller than him, all to no avail. Eventually, he clears his throat. "Why don't you and I go grab a table, Jay? How does that sound?"

He doesn't give Jay the opportunity to answer, already dragging him off into the restaurant. Thomas watches them but doesn't leave Leo's side. Damn it. Sheil follows in after them, so I am stuck alone.

When Jorge comes back with sunglasses, Brenda pulls Thomas off to the side. I take this as my opportunity to sweep in and talk to Leo. Thankfully, Jorge gives us the space that I want, heading into the café after the others.

"Do you feel bad about sedating people now?" I joke, trying to keep Leo from swaying.

She smiles down at me but shakes her head back and forth. "Whatever, Sheila. Or Michelle. Sorry, I'm confused."

"Call me Daisy," I joke, before biting my lip. "Don't repeat that. To anyone."

Leo lifts her fingers up to her lips and attempts to mime zipping them shut. Really, she just looks like a child messily putting on their mother's lipstick. I try to stop myself from smiling, and I am successful. What can I say except that I am a woman of many talents?

"I doubt I'll even remember Daisy when I am actually awake."

There is a hand on my shoulder, and I turn around. There is a man in a red shirt behind me, holding a device like the one they used to first test us.

"Excuse me," the man shoves me to the side, into the arms of his partner.

I know better than to fight back, and so does Leo. She lets him put the device up to her face while she holds her sunglasses. Whatever crazy tech thing is supposed to happen happens, and the men release us. Jorge comes over to us as they leave, while Brenda drags Thomas into the café after them.

"If they are here, we need to go," Jorge tells us. He glances Leo up and down, tapping his foot on the ground.

Sounds erupt behind him in the café: breaking glass, shrieks, and foots stamping.

"I have her," I tell him.

Waves of people come running out of the shop, bumping into us. The people push between us, and I am only barely able to grab Leo through the heaving mass. We lose Jorge. I pull Leo against the wall with me.