“Hey, Tani! Fancy seeing you here!”
When her friends turned to face me, I noticed they all wore gold rings like Anna. I couldn’t help but wonder if each ofthem had actually earned those one million coins, or if they came from wealthy families.
“Why don’t you come and take a seat with us?” Anna called. “If you haven’t eaten yet, your dinner is on me!”
I hesitated, not feeling in the mood to be around people. But I supposed I may as well acquiesce. Perhaps I would hear something helpful in the conversation. I crossed the street and Anna pulled up an extra chair next to her.
I frowned slightly as my eyes fell on cupcakes in the basket at the center of the table. Their pink and purple icing formed the shape of unicorns that matched the tattoo on Anna’s neck. Noticing where my eyes had fallen, she chortled.
“In case you’re wondering, unicorns are one of my favorite creatures,” she said. “And it’s my birthday today, hence the cakes!”
“Oh. Happy birthday,” I said politely.
“Thanks, hon,” she replied with a grin, then called to a waitress who handed over a menu. “Order what you want,” Anna said, pressing the menu into my hands.
I gazed slowly down at the list of items, and I noticed the expensive prices before the actual items. 60 coins, just for a spinach and capsicum pizza. 30 coins for a salad. What a way to blow a day’s worth of work.
But since Anna was paying…
“I-I’ll take this pizza, and this salad, thanks,” I said. I couldn’t help my mouth watering at the prospect of tasting fresh vegetables again.So they did grow them somewhere...“And just water for a drink.”
I handed the menu back to the waitress, and she retreated into the eatery.
“So,” Anna said, rolling up the sleeves of her red, knee-length dress. She looked to each of her three friends. “This is Tani, incase you didn’t gather, and Tani, this is Sally,”—she pointed to the brunette—“Jane,”—she pointed to the blonde—“and Alice,” she said, ending with the woman with long, dark braids on my right.
“Nice to meet you,” I said, eyeing them tentatively.
“And you,” they replied through smiles.
“So, you’re a new recruit?” Jane asked, taking a sip from her cup.
“Yes,” I replied, resting my hands on the smooth wooden table, and suddenly aware of how scruffy I must’ve looked amongst all the other people sitting in this restaurant. I hadn’t even looked at myself in the mirror since the shark escapade. But I also struggled to find a reason to care at the moment.
“Her group settled into their new homes last week,” Anna explained, picking up a cupcake and taking a slow bite.
“How have you been finding it?” Sally asked.
I hesitated, knowing that it wouldn’t be polite to come off as critical, given that Anna had just ordered me a meal, but also unable to lie through my teeth. “It’s… definitely different to anything I’ve been used to.”
“Is that a polite way of saying you don’t like it here?” Alice asked with a grin.
I turned to her, surprised that she would voice that conclusion. “No. I mean, it’s a beautiful place. But you’ve got to understand—we’ve come from the jungle. Everything about this place, it’s just…”
“Totally different,” Alice finished for me. “That’s fine. We get it. We have a lot of settlers from very different backgrounds here, and it usually takes a while to acclimate. How have you been finding the jobs so far?”
I lowered my eyes to the table, and wondered whether I should inform them of the disaster that was this morning. “I’m not going to lie, the days can be pretty grueling,” I replied.
“Hard work, right?” Anna asked with an odd smile.
“Very hard work.”
“Ah, but it will all be worth it in the end,” Jane replied, leaning over the table and giving my hand a quick squeeze.
“You’re part of something big here,” Sally added, a twinkle in her blue eyes as she reclined in her chair. “We all are.” She exchanged a knowing glance with Jane and Alice, who both grinned back at her.
“What do you mean?” I asked, furrowing my brow. The sudden smugness emanating from all three of Anna’s friends was almost overpowering, and it made my stomach turn uneasily.
Anna rested a firm hand on my shoulder. “Don’t worry, they’re just teasing you,” she said, throwing a playful scowl at her friends. “Honestly, what we’re working for is to help as many people like you as possible. As I explained before, it’s a virtuous cycle. The more you help us, the more we can help others. And we want to bring out the best in each one of Fairwell’s residents. Which means we try to stretch people. Nobody can fulfill their potential unless they are challenged, and in this day and age, peoplemustbe the strongest they can be, if we have any hope of raising a generation that is strong and brave enough to not only weather, but thrive in, the future. As you know, things are getting tougher out there.”
