Before we can get up, Jesha drops into the seat beside me. All hollow chest and fishbowl eyes, he smiles at me with toothless gums. “Didn’t know you two had been invited.”
“Funny,” I say, “I didn’t know we needed to be invited to hang out with each other.”
He rolls his eyes at us and I almost ask him to do it again, because his pupils might literally be swimming.
“Don’t act like this was your idea,” he says. “We both know the two of you just drag on Agan’s heels.”
I look at Kita and her eyes narrow at him. “And how would we be dragging if we’ve been here for an hour, enjoying the time without him or you clotting up the air with your egos?”
Jesha finally looks like he might believe us and then he shakes his head. “No.”
There’s no point in arguing with him, especially when more of Agan’s friends start to show up.
The waitress looks annoyed that her cleared table has just filled up with people who didn’t check in at the hostess.
“Where’s Agan?” One of the newer friends whose name I can’t pronounce asks.
He looks at Kita, but Jesha says, “He’s on his way, don’t worry.
She mutters, “He’s probably off trying to get our uncle to give him some new benefit.”
I don’t know what she means by that, only that her Agan constantly talks about their uncle, who happens to be the station administrator.
I lean close, cutting the others out of the conversation. “What do you think he’s trying to get this time?”
So far, none of the requests she’s relayed were unreasonable, or even that outlandish. But she’s hinted at other things…
Kita grimaces, but before I can prod, Agan’s voice echoes through the corridor.
“Did you miss me?” he asks the group in general as he and another Opodean man— Markoban—join us.
There’s a general greeting from everyone and I can’t help looking at Agan and wondering, again… what if?
My mind wanders for a moment and then the other man with him softly says, “please don’t,” and I look to where one of Agan’s tentacles is pressed against Markoban’s back.
Whatever he’s asked Agan not to do though…
“You are not going to believe where I found this idiot.” He shoves Markoban forward and the other Opodean man sits, shaking his head, but Agan presses on. “He was at Phantoms, waiting for one of the cocksuckers to get off work so he could waste more money on her.”
Every atom in my body freezes and I don’t look up at them. It wasn’t Markoban. It can’t have been Markoban.
And then my brain replays Agan’s words. The derision he saidcocksuckerswith…
“It’s not like that,” Markoban says, speaking only to Agan. “I’ve known him forever he’s a friend and?—”
“If he was a friend, you wouldn’t let him work there.” Agan makes a jeering noise.
Jesha’s fishbowl eyes bubble. “Yougo to Phantoms.”
“Yeah, but I go to use the facilities, not to try to bring home a pet.”
Every word spoken in the last few minutes has cinched around my skin, tighter and tighter and I want to burst.
“Ew.” Kita stands up and takes my hand in her tentacles, dragging me to my feet as well. “You’re factually disgusting, Agan. I am ashamed to be your sister.”
She hauls me away and I let her drag me, not wanting to be there anymore.
“Sometimes,” Kita says with a huff. “I don’t know how we came from the same egg sack.”
