Skye Life - Early Bird vs the Night Owl Part 2
“Hm. I feel there is a gap where other things might happen and are being left out but it's too early and I'm too tired to pull it out of you. And it's Saturday …” He yawned. “... Olins in town and he’s throwing a bash at his penthouse. Plus it's initiation week at the college.” He said falling back over.
“Olin’s in town?” Serena asked, her voice raising slightly higher. It was impossible not to have a crush on Olin. Even Cyd had a crush on Olin. Inadvertently, the teen smoothed one of her pig tails and gently curled it around a finger.
“Yes Olin’s in town and incapable of planning ahead. So be back before tonight or the house will be empty.” Mathias said curling back under his blanket feeling like the matter was now settled.
“The house was empty last night and it wasn’t a problem,” Serena reminded him. “And I can help you.”
“The implication being we're going to be out earlier than normal and if you wanted to go you have to be here before we go out.” Mathias clarified. “And it depends …”
“On what?” Serena asked, making a face.
“On if you're there.” Mathias said with a grin. “Why are you looking to take up one of the family trades? I didn't peg you as a budding dirty drug dealer.”
“I’ll be a budding dirty drug dealer for Olin,” Serena swooned. He had an incredible accent, and he always smelled like a magazine ad.
“You know when you say it sounds like a law is about to be broken.” Mathias scowled.
Serena scrunched up her shoulders and giggled again. “Okay! I can talk to Chi Chi tonight then. I’ll make myself scarce an’ go over to the park.”
“Please … burn off that morning energy. How you ended up being a morning person I will never know. Pretty sure you're part roster.” Mathias accused.
“I’m a morning bunny!” Serena reminded him, hopping towards the front door. “I’ll try an’ bring home some coffee for you an’ Cyd.”
Mathias lazily pointed to his coat. “And donuts. Since you're a bunny posing as an early bird you might talk ‘em into a bogo for yesterday's doughnuts.”
Serena didn’t have to rifle, knowing where Mathias kept the credit stick, “I’m taking 15,” she told him.
Mathias gave a thumbs up, yawning and settling back in to catch the rare extra sleep.
Serena took the long way, through the park, avoiding all the areas where people liked to try an’ steal your credits. More than once, Mathias and Isaac, bat in hand, had to retrieve something after Serena was mugged. It happened less frequently when she wore the cuff but it still happened.
Besides, everyone was still sleeping, and being quiet wasn’t one of her best skills. And seeing as Mathias said she just had to be back before dark, Serena hopped onto the Metro to Elysium. “One please,” she said to the automatic kiosk with a giggle as she pressed the touch screen.
Elysium wasn’t that far of a walk, but it was worse than the park when it came to muggings and stabbings. There was a sizable homeless population, desperate times and all that. Before long, she could see it looming at the edge of the Sprawl. Elysium was a hotbed of everything wrong with the sprawl. It was gritty and raw, an eyesore actually, with over a dozen floors it spiraled up above all the squat little shacks that housed nearby residents. Serena really only cared about a few of those floors. She liked betting on the running dogs - though she secretly rooted for the mechanical rabbit, she liked the long table where you could roll dice, the spinny wheel with the metal ball, and the slot machines, she loved the rave in the basement, and the pit fights in the sub-basement, the latter because it let her visit with ChiChi.