Author's note: Check out the characters on my profile page.
Chapter 2: Meeting the neighbors.
"-little green men...- Huh?" The door opened. "Hello?"
018 stepped into his bedroom, much like 003 said it was just a small room with two cots and a roommate, she was laying on the left side bed. There were also some magazines and CDs strewn all over the floor, the most notable thing though were the hats lots of hats.
"Hey, who are you?" 017 sat up, popped an earphone off and stopped her CD player to check out this new experiment.
"Zero-one-eight."
"Oh my roommate, that explains why you're here. Most of us just stay in our rooms... Hey wait a minute you're a male, how could you be my roommate?" 017 was a little shocked, what was Jumba thinking.
"..."
018 continued standing in the doorway, when 017 snapped out of her thoughts she noticed him again, just standing there as if he couldn't decide to come in or not.
"Hey, you don't have to stand there it's your room too." She flicked the CD player on again and laid back down on her bed.
"..."
"Tell me why-" 017 noticed it had been three and a half minutes and 018 hadn't moved at all, she stopped the CD again.
"Are you there?" She asked waving, 018 nodded.
"Well go sit down or something." He pointed over at the right side bed, she looked over and back at him.
"What?" He was still just pointing so she looked harder. "Oh the hats? Just toss 'em on the floor."
017 watched him finally move over to his bed, he picked up one hat near the middle, set it aside, and then he sat down, as if trying not to disturb the hats.
"You know those are just woven fabric right?"
He nodded.
"Then why so careful?"
"They're yours."
"What are you, in love?" She joked, he shook his head but not in the 'trying to deny it' way.
"Well what's wrong?" she wondered.
"..."
"You can have one of them." She gestured to the hats around the room. Surprisingly he moved, and took a green ball cap, she giggled. "A little big... but it looks good! Hey it's about 'dinner' time, you eat yet?"
He shook his head.
"Then you must be hungry, right?" He nodded "Then let's go."
017, who had left the CD player behind and changed hats, was leading 018 through another long winding hallway.
"So how long have you been uh... alive?" 017 asked.
"Since morning."
"And you haven't eaten at all..." He shook his head but she couldn't see that from in front.
"Did Jumba just test you then leave you at our room?" He shook his head again but she still didn't see so she looked back, he was still following her. "Well then, now you'll get to see the others, some anyway..."
In the Cafeteria (which actually was a cafeteria)
It was an odd sight, a cafeteria that only had about eleven people (or creatures) in it but that is almost everyone who lives here.
At first only a few of the experiments looked over at them but when someone said, "Hey look, a new guy!" and all eyes were one 018, 017 spoke up for him "Hey everybody, this is 018."
"Hi." "Hey guy." "Hey there." "Hello." "Welcome." "Yeah, hey nice hats." These experiments; 001, 005, 007 & 008, 009, 015 and 016 all ran up to see 018, 012 didn't rush over but he kept looking, 002 was on the table eating something.
"Hello." 018 nodded to all of them.
"So what do we get today?" 017 asked with mock curiosity about their food.
"Pizza..." 008 answered "but who cares, this is wild, you're bunked with a male experiment, why are you so lucky?"
"I don't know but Jumba must have some reason." 017 noted to ask him later.
"No sense standing in the door, come on." 016 ushered 018 and thus everyone else over to the table that 002 and 012 hadn't left.
"Don't be a jerk zero-one-two, say hi." 015 said as the whole group sat down, 017 joined the other girls at the end of the table to talk, 015 and 016 sat on either side of 018, right across from 012.
"Hrmm... hi." 012 said.
"Oh and don't mind zero-zero-two, he just gets distracted when there's food in the room." 015 assured 018.
"Hello." 018 nodded to both of them.
"Pizza?" 009, who was next to 012, offered, 018 took the piece, nibbled it to taste then ate it slowly.
"Thank you."
Everyone was eating again but a few thought it was odd then some noticed, 018 hadn't taken another slice he just sat there in silence.
"Uhh... if you want another piece just take one, there's plenty left." 016 slid a box closer to 018 which was away from 005, who protested "Hey, that one's my favorite flavor."
"They're all the same flavor." 016 motioned to the four other pizza boxes.
"No that one's pepperoni, all the other one's are pepperoni and zero-zero-two slobber." 005 retorted.
"Look there's still two pieces left in this box and you had four already, so let 018 have one." 016 contested.
"Yeah I guess you're right... have them both I've had enough." 005 gave in.
"You've had too many but it doesn't look like anyone else is coming."
"I shouldn't have been a pig, sorry." 005 left the cafeteria but as he left he heard 018 say. "Sorry."
018 finally took another piece for himself and like the last one he nibbled first then ate it although he did not eat the last slice.
"What are you sorry to him for?" 015 asked.
"He wanted that."
"But that was way more than he should have had, for equal shares." 015 reasoned.
"..."
A little after the meal most experiments began to leave. "Yep, pizza day is about as exciting as it gets around here. See ya'll later." giggled 017 as she came back to 018 while the other girls left.
"So, bonding?" 017 asked.
"Yeah, he's a good guy, but I got to go find my roommate before something like this morning happens again, bye." 009 waved as he left.
018, still sitting and facing away, said "Goodnight." to him.
"Yeah, we're gonna turn in though, right?" 015 looked to 016, "Yeah, uh... I still like the hats." "Goodnight." they both left.
018 replied "Goodnight." without even turning to either.
"Hmm, yeah... nice to meet you... bye." 012 left, just hearing 018's "Goodnight."
017 turned to 018 "Well unless you want to sit here and watch zero-zero-two lick the cheese off the cardboard for another couple of hours, then we should get back too."
018 sat there for a moment then said "Goodnight." one last time and got up, 017 didn't understand until 001 and 002 looked up and said "Goodnight." back.
On their way back "That went well, sorry I didn't really help you in there but zero-one-five and zero-one-six are about the friendliest experiments there are."
"..."
Back at the room "Alright so this is it... going to bed with a guy in the room... don't try anything funny." 018 just went over to his cot and moved some of the hats. "Goodnight." He said as he settled into bed.
"Right, no funny business... Goodnight." 017 got in her bed, magazines and hats falling to the floor though she did take care to move the CD player by hand.
Author's note: a little short... I don't own the song lyrics.