The moped

Sel parks his moped in the shed behind the house. Well maybe not shed, it's basically big enough to be called a garage. Inside, Sel and his dad has been able to fit both Sels moped and Agostos boat, as well as a bunch of moving boxes containing everything and nothing. There is also some fishing equipment stuffed in the back, and a working table where Sel sometimes build stuff that are a bit too risky to do in his bedroom. What makes it a shed is that it is homemade with some spare pieces of sheet metal, and a plywood sheet as a door. Sel pats the saddle of the moped, thankful that it held together one more day, and head inside.

Agosto is setting the table as Sel walks into the kitchen. It smells amazing from the stove, a fish stew is boiling. Sel gives his dad a one armed hug and takes the plates he's holding to help.

"You know, if you found somewhere to work, you could probably buy yourself a much nicer moped, or even a small car." Agosto returns to the stove.

"Dad… it's fine. I like it." Sel has tried to convince his father of this before.

"Yes I know that you like it. But it makes such terrible sounds sometimes. Especially when you pull the brake."

"It's part of the experience."

"Well I don't know that the neighbours want to take part of that experience."

Sel just shakes his head and helps Agosto move the food over to the table. They sit down and help themselves to the stew.

"I'll make some time for it tomorrow." Sel says "To look over the brakes."

Agosto smiles at him, and thanks him.

Sel eats his food, but is a little lost in thought. He agrees that the moped isn't the best thing for his image, but it's his mothers. Or at least that what Agosto said when Sel first found it out in the shed. He's not sure that his father remember having said that, but now Sel feels like he can't get rid of the moped.

After dinner, Sel goes up to his room. It isn't different from many other teenage bedrooms. A bed, a desk, a bookcase, a small bedside table, and a rack of clothes. The clothes are mostly t-shirts and hoodies, many of them in light or bright colours like pink and green. What stands out is the desk, which is covered in different components for experiments. In the corner of the desk stands an old desktop computer, that he sometimes uses to watch video tutorials or to order more weird components. He sits down by the computer, and pulls up google maps. He scrolls around for a bit, until he finds the stable. It is located a bit separate from any nearby houses, to fit all the pastures and a smaller parking lot. Sel find five other houses nearby that would count as to be in the same area, as Katkin had described. He looks up the addresses and search for them in a separate tab. He recognise two of the families as they have students at the school, but the other three are complete strangers. He googles Katkins name instead. He gets a link to her facebook, but nothing else. He logs onto facebook and messages Bree.

What r u doing tmw? Wanna meet up?

Investigation

Dabria wakes up at the first vibration of her phone. She always sets an alarm, but it never actually makes a sound as she is quick to turn it off so that it doesn't wake up her dad. It's quiet in the house. Dabrias room is not the most decorated one. She prefers function over comfort. It's a small room, with a tilted ceiling going down from the middle and in over her bed. In on corner is a built in wardrobe. She has a desk to do her homework on, and a small shelf with some trinkets. Most of them are gifts from her friends. Like the necklace with a small football hanging on the chain, that she got from Katkin when she became team captain. And an empty water balloon, that she got form Sel. He told her how to fill it with the perfect amount of water and ice, to use on her dad. She thought it was funny but would not dare to try it. She also got a pencil, that she used when she got her first ever A on a test, and a coin that she happened to have found the day she learned that Thea was her sister.

After having eaten breakfast, she puts on her sneakers and go out on a jog. She does her usual trek, but decides to take a small sidetour to run past Sel. When she reaches Sel's house, she sees that the door to the shed is open. She crosses the lawn and knocks on the open door as she pokes her head in.

"Hello? Sel?"

Sel is sitting on the floor by his moped. He waves with a wrench in his hand.

"Down here! Good morning."

"What are you doing? Something broken?" Dabria squeezes her way towards Sel.

"Nah, or… well a little. It's working, but it's making a sound."

Dabria nods and looks at the part of the moped that Sel is working on, trying to look like she understands.

"So what are you doing today?" She changes subject so she doesn't have to speak about mopeds anymore.

"I'm meeting up with Bree actually."

"Really? What are you two doing?"

"If I finish with this, we're gonna take a ride around town. She lives a bit outside of town, and I thought it would be nice for her."

Dabria looks surprised.

"I didn't realise you two connected that good."

Sel just continues with the moped.

"Sel?"

"Yes, really good."

"Hello?" Another voice calls from outside the shed.

"In here Bree!" Sel answers.

Brees head show up in the doorway, and she also struggles her way inside.

"Hello Dabria! I didn't know you were coming?"

"Oh I'm actually on my morning run, I just stopped by to say hi."

"So you don't want to come with us on our investigation?"

Sel starts clearing his throat. Dabria looks down on him.

"What investigation Sel?"

"Well... "

"Sel."

"Okay, so I google Katkin last night but she doesn't have an address. So we're gonna go for a ride and see if we can find where she lives." Gives up on the lie and the moped and stands up.

Dabria doesn't look too happy about their idea.

"Well, I'll let you two do your thing then." She starts to move out of the shed.

"I'm sorry did I make you upset?" Bree asks concerned.

"No it's fine. Just- just try to be careful. You don't know when or how you might accidentally hurt someone."

She gets out of the shed and stand still to think for a moment. She decides it's best to let it be and starts jogging home again.