“I am kind of an airhead sometimes,” Dace admitted. Fidgeting, Dace mumbled softly, “Don’t- Don’t hate her for me.”
“I’m not,” I grumbled flatly. “She thinks she knows best. It’s infuriating. She talked to me like I was an idiot.”
Dace’s face pinched into a grimace. “I could probably take her.” Putting up her hands, she took on a boxer’s stance. “Her friend Red will probably kill me but want me to boop her cute little button nose at least once before I’m squished like a pancake by her experienced, big boned bestie?”
That did the trick. Shaking my head, I laughed at her antics. She was full of shit but it was sweet the fact she tried.
Pausing at the door, I thought I spied movement out of the corner of my eye, a shadow in the distance, but I walked in and closed the door on it.
Kehlor didn’t show up at Dace’s door again. A full week passed with zero contact from the male.
By the end of the second week— I was totally counting— I felt like there was something bubbling inside of me and if I didn’t do something about it I would explode.
Carrie joined in teaching me things along with Dace. Carrie was just as sweet as Dace. They were two mousy women from the same pod. Adding to that my alien origins, that’s how they came up with the joke, pod sisters. They were my pod sisters.
Orrellie was the sweetest little baby, a chub monster with a megawatt little grin. I held her every chance I got. Carrie’s mates Doogie and Elle were hilarious when they got going ragging on each other. I had a small but growing group of friends that got me, accepted me for me, and we all helped each other any way we could.
Doogie made a spare key for us for Dace’s door.
Dace squealed with excitement, to the detriment of poor Doogie’s ears, when he presented her with a spare pink key, at Carrie’s suggestion.
Taking over the original hut key was just fine with me.
Carrie was packing up the bread I’d made and hadn’t burned as a light rat-a-tat-tap issued at her door.
“Elle get!” Elle called out.
“Not if Doogie get to door first!” Doogie called out from somewhere else in the house.
The sound of thundering feet had Carrie calling out, “No running in the house!”
“We not running! We walk very fast!” Doogie called out.
Elle just laughed. Then there was a heavy thunk and a masculine yelp. “Where that comes from?” Doogie grumbled.
Peeking from the kitchen into the living room, I muffled a laugh as I watched Doogie pick up a chair set out in the middle of the hall he’d tripped on.
A loud grunt that was the equivalent of a huh rent the air. “You,” Elle muttered. She sounded less than happy to see their visitor. “What Cottonsnail want my Carrie? Cottonsnail no like my Carrie.”
“I never said that,” a painfully familiar voice chirped.
“Lie,” Elle rumbled. She went to shut the door but a small hand shot out.
“Please!” Daisy pleaded. “I’m desperate! Have mercy!”
Elle let out a loud huff but waited.
Daisy spoke softly, quietly, quickly. It sounded like she was tripping over herself trying to spit it all out.
Slipping back into the kitchen, I tried not to listen in. I couldn’t explain it but I felt like I was becoming a curmudgeonly grump. The days felt longer as they dragged on. Struggling to go through the motions, this weird ache that started up in my chest and refused to ease up, worsening at the worst possible times, keeping me awake at night, it was like the blues were a physical being trapped in my chest, clawing its way outward. Depressed didn’t even begin to describe it.
Along with all of that, my tolerance for anyone or anything outside of my circle was dwindling. Daisy was so far deep outside of that circle, I felt a growl in my chest just hearing her chirpy voice.
“I’ll just be going,” I said quickly to Carrie as I thought I heard my name chirped. “Thanks for all your help.”
“Anytime. Keep practicing, you’ll be a bread master in no time,” Carrie enthused.
Slipping out the back, I peered around the corner, sighed in relief, thought I’d made it free and clear until a beastman popped into view and growled something that had another beastman rushing up to him. Eyeing me, the males looked like they might intend to try and block me.
