Chapter Two-HUH?

"You on him?"

"Yeah."

"Does he have brown hair?"

"Yeah."

"Is he muscular?"

"Yeah."

"Is he slightly tan?"

"Yes."

"Does he-"

"Rina, it's him, o.k? Remember, I was stalking him, too."

"Now, Kagu, that's just freaky."

Coal breathed in Earth's sweet air. 'You don't get this in space.'

"Hey!" A voice called after him. "Hey, Coal! Wait up!"

He froze, and then turned to face the young woman bounding toward him. "Do I know you?" He asked as she took his arm.

"Play along, you're being followed." She whispered with a flick of her black hair. "Really, Coal," she said louder, "does anybody else have tattoos like these?" She held up her arms, displaying two different tattoos on her forearms. Both red bands, one tattoo circled up her left arm, while the other only went around once before traveling up to the back of her hand. "Seriously, you don't expect me to forget my old boyfriend, do you?"

Coal's eyebrows shot up to his hair line. "Oh, sorry, I didn't recognize you." He cleared his throat. "How are you?"

"Oh, just dandy. The other day, my friend Rina and I-"

While she rattled on, Coal took a good look at her, trying to figure out if she was somebody he used to know. Black hair sort of narrowed it down, but the tattoos made it any body's game, especially if they were recent.

'You definitely don't get this in space.'

"Oh. My. Gosh! This is my favorite restaurant!" The girl shrieked, pulling him into a nearby Old Mexican resteraunt, plopping him down on a nearby table.

"They have the hottest food here, it is so refreshing!"

"You know," Coal interrupted, "I have been spending the last five minutes trying to think of your name."

"Oh, Coal! You're such a tease! It's Kagu!"

"Oh, right! I remember now!" 'That settles it. I do not know this chick at all.'

"What can I get for you?"

"Hey, waiter. We would like two sprites and a jalapeno pepper.'

The waiter looked askance at Coal, who just shrugged.

As the waiter walked away, Kagu pulled something onto her lap. "So, Coal, what have you been doing for the past five years?"

"Raiding. Working. Writing reports. Fixing fighters. Trying to talk to Torina."

"Who's Torina?" Kagu interrupted.

Coal shrugged again. "Some chick that I know that you don't."

"Oh. You're just trying to make me jealous."

Coal rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

The waiter approached with two glasses of clear, bubbly liquid and a pepper on a plate.
"Thank you!" Kagu seized the drinks and the pepper. "This is the best way to have a Sprite." While the waiter hurried away, she picked up the jalapeno and squeezed it over the two Sprites.

"What are you doing?"

"I told you! This is the best way to have a Sprite!" Kagu handed him a cup of now pink liquid. "Bottoms up!"

Half-heartedly, Coal clinked his glass against hers and began to drink.