Total pages in book: 37
Estimated words: 32810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 32810 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 164(@200wpm)___ 131(@250wpm)___ 109(@300wpm)
Ashed Lee? Cacks and yawn deeds? What the hell?
I have no certainty if you read my language. I am to be sending this message through a translation. It is good, yes? I am exceedingly clever. I have enjoyment of our small dark fruit last night.
Small dark fruit…?
Wait…date?
I start giggling and I can't stop as I read the rest of the missive.
Please to be full of knowledge that I value friends. You are much considered upon this list. I hope to see you again below average height. Are you well? If you do not wish to have vision, please let me. No. I shall respect all partitions. Should we endeavor for small dark fruit once more I do not want animal muscle.
Cacks
I wheeze with laughter. This…this might be the funniest thing I've read in a long, long time. Wiping tears from my eyes, I keep chuckling as I eat one of the dried bread slices I made with my supplies. I'm trying to decipher what he means when he says he “hopes to see me below average height” when there's a loud, banging knock at the door that makes me jump. I move over to the window in the door, and to my surprise, Khex is on my doorstep, looking as fresh as a daisy and squinting up at the bright sunlight.
I open the door and bite back another giggle. "What are you doing here?"
He scratches his head. "Did you…uh, not get my message? I sent it on the data pad in case you couldn't hear the comm."
That's surprisingly sweet and thoughtful. I snort-giggle again. "I'm trying to decipher it right now, actually. You want to come in?"
Khex follows me inside and his smile broadens when I wipe tears away from my eyes. "That bad, huh?"
"I'm just trying to figure out what it means when you say you wish to see me ‘below average height.' Like…here?" I put a hand to my stomach.
"Huh?" He looks just as baffled as me.
"What exactly did you say in your message?"
Khex thinks for a moment. "Just that I had a good time on our date and I was glad we were friends. And that I'd be coming by shortly—"
"Shortly," I chortle, cracking up all over again. "Below average height!"
He laughs, and when I read aloud the entire message, by the time I get to the end, we're both wheezing with laughter. "Respect all partitions," he chokes, holding his sides. "I don't even know what that keffing means!"
"Me either!" I wipe more tears from my eyes, unable to stop giggling. "It's so fucking funny though!"
Khex sobers, grinning down at me. "I'm serious, though. If you want me to stop bothering you, I will. I'm not trying to be pushy. I'm trying to be a friend."
I hug the data pad to my chest, trying not to give away just how warm that makes me feel. "I appreciate it. And no, you're not being too pushy. Don't you have other things you should be doing back in town, though? I don't want to monopolize your time." I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, feeling a little self-conscious. "I'd hate for you to get in trouble because of me."
Khex just gives me another one of those cocky looks and pulls out his data pad, waving it at me. "Wanna know what's on this?"
"More bad translations?"
"A manual for how to repair that meat-stock cloning machine of yours, and how to operate it. I figure I'm just doing my duty helping a colonist if I help you fix it. And by 'help you fix it,' I mean fix it for you."
"Oh," I say softly, stunned by the generosity. "You don't have to do that."
"I don't, but I'm your friend, and I'd like to." He gestures at the barn. "So we'll get you up and running and figure out how the thing works together. It probably can't hurt for me to learn it, either, since there's more colonists showing up every day."
I purse my lips, nodding. It feels like I should say more. "Thank you."
The laughing expression on Khex's face sobers for a moment as he gazes down at me. "I just want you to know that you can trust me, Ashley. I know we got off to a bad start, but I really do want to be your friend. I want you to know that I've got your back and you can count on me. If you need help with something, I'm right here. And maybe someday you'll realize no one means you any harm and you really are safe, and you'll see about getting your ears fixed." He holds up a hand when I protest. "Not because I think it's a problem, but because I don't want you to feel like you're being held back. That's all."
That might be the nicest thing anyone's said or done for me in a long, long time. But all I say is, "We'll see."