Nixie hadn't paid much attention at dinner. The only thing she had really
noticed was the food was the worst she had ever tasted. And, compared to
her grade in Home Ec, that was definitely saying something.
Now she was sitting on her cot, which was right beside Effie's. The girls were alone; the guys of D-Tent had all headed back to the Wreck Room. Nixie stared up at the ceiling and sighed.
"What do you think about the guys?" she asked Effie, still looked straight up.
"They're alright I suppose. They're kind of strange. But I suppose after digging holes all day out here, you get a little weird."
Nixie laughed. "This is definitely going to be a fun two years. Out in the middle of a desert, with guys that have gone kooky from the heat. But I thought that one of them." she suddenly broke off, and returned to staring at the top of the tent.
Effie grinned. "You think one of them's cute don't you? Is it Caveman, I think he's a dream!"
Nixie sat up. "Him? No, you can have him. But. no never mind." Her face tinged pink, and suddenly the cot became very interesting.
"Who is it? Tell me! Please? Is it... Squid?" Nixie made a gaggingsound.
"NO! I'm gonna have nightmares now. That's just creepy. And I'm not going to tell you."
"Aww come one. You know I was just kidding. Please tell me?" Effie did her best to make a puppy dog face, but she was never much good at those. Nixie shook her head.
"Nope. You can guess, though. It won't be that hard."
"Is it Zigzag?"
Nixie's face flushed a bit, and she didn't answer.
"I knew it. So that's why you got all quiet after you met him!" Effie said triumphantly.
Nixie opened her mouth to speak, but stopped suddenly. Someone could be heard approaching the tent, and Nixie put a finger up to her mouth to silence Effie. After a moment, Zigzag entered the tent.
"Hey," he said, glancing over at the two girls.
"Hi," Nixie said, a little breathlessly. She only looked at him for a moment, and then turned her attention once again to her cot. Zigzag immediately headed for his crate, rummaged around for a bit, and pulled out what seemed to be a small magazine or TV guide. With a slight wave to the girls, he stepped back out of the tent. Nixie stared at the door for a moment, and softly sighed. She laid down, with the intentions of going to sleep, but didn't accomplish this until after all of the boy shad returned, and most had started snoring.
* * * * * * * * * *
In what seemed to be the middle of the night, Effie heard Mr. Pendanski come in and say something about a "a new day in the story of your life." She opened her eyes, and after rubbing the sleep from them, noticed everyone but herself and Nixie putting on their boots. Seeing that that's what they were obviously supposed to be doing, she did. It took her forever just to get the laces tied, and then she got to groggily stumble along to breakfast. She was too tired to notice what exactly it was that she was putting into her mouth... which was probably for the better.
After breakfast they were lead to the library. The building was looked too small to actually hold any books, but even so, she was mildly surprised to see shovels in it when it was opened. She turned behind her to Nixie and muttered, "These people have a sick sense of humor." Nixie nodded in agreement.
Presently her turn came to take a shovel, which she did. She wondered if it was going to be hard to dig with something that was only five inches shorter than you are.
When everyone had gotten a shovel they followed Mr. Sir about a mile into the desert to a spot not yet covered by holes. He told them each where to dig and that the water truck would be back at about 9 o'clock. Effie could tell this had been added for her and Nixie's own benefit because it was followed by a few shouts of, "Ya, ya we know." She sighed, whispered a quick good luck to her friend, and plunged her shovel into the dry dirt.
Or rather tried to plunge it into the dirt. The shovel just sent vibrations up her arm, causing her to drop it. After shaking her hands and looking around helplessly as if expecting someone to come up and just dig her hole for her, she picked up her shovel again. Before she attempted to pierce the crusty layer of earth a second time, she heard a shout from a couple feet away.
"It's easier if you wedge the blade between one of the cracks in the earth."
She looked up and saw Caveman looking at her and then start digging again once he was sure she had gotten the message. She smiled and did as he had instructed. A few scoops of earth later, she discovered that the dirt wasn't as hard underneath as it was on top.
Now she was sitting on her cot, which was right beside Effie's. The girls were alone; the guys of D-Tent had all headed back to the Wreck Room. Nixie stared up at the ceiling and sighed.
"What do you think about the guys?" she asked Effie, still looked straight up.
"They're alright I suppose. They're kind of strange. But I suppose after digging holes all day out here, you get a little weird."
Nixie laughed. "This is definitely going to be a fun two years. Out in the middle of a desert, with guys that have gone kooky from the heat. But I thought that one of them." she suddenly broke off, and returned to staring at the top of the tent.
Effie grinned. "You think one of them's cute don't you? Is it Caveman, I think he's a dream!"
Nixie sat up. "Him? No, you can have him. But. no never mind." Her face tinged pink, and suddenly the cot became very interesting.
"Who is it? Tell me! Please? Is it... Squid?" Nixie made a gaggingsound.
"NO! I'm gonna have nightmares now. That's just creepy. And I'm not going to tell you."
"Aww come one. You know I was just kidding. Please tell me?" Effie did her best to make a puppy dog face, but she was never much good at those. Nixie shook her head.
"Nope. You can guess, though. It won't be that hard."
"Is it Zigzag?"
Nixie's face flushed a bit, and she didn't answer.
"I knew it. So that's why you got all quiet after you met him!" Effie said triumphantly.
Nixie opened her mouth to speak, but stopped suddenly. Someone could be heard approaching the tent, and Nixie put a finger up to her mouth to silence Effie. After a moment, Zigzag entered the tent.
"Hey," he said, glancing over at the two girls.
"Hi," Nixie said, a little breathlessly. She only looked at him for a moment, and then turned her attention once again to her cot. Zigzag immediately headed for his crate, rummaged around for a bit, and pulled out what seemed to be a small magazine or TV guide. With a slight wave to the girls, he stepped back out of the tent. Nixie stared at the door for a moment, and softly sighed. She laid down, with the intentions of going to sleep, but didn't accomplish this until after all of the boy shad returned, and most had started snoring.
* * * * * * * * * *
In what seemed to be the middle of the night, Effie heard Mr. Pendanski come in and say something about a "a new day in the story of your life." She opened her eyes, and after rubbing the sleep from them, noticed everyone but herself and Nixie putting on their boots. Seeing that that's what they were obviously supposed to be doing, she did. It took her forever just to get the laces tied, and then she got to groggily stumble along to breakfast. She was too tired to notice what exactly it was that she was putting into her mouth... which was probably for the better.
After breakfast they were lead to the library. The building was looked too small to actually hold any books, but even so, she was mildly surprised to see shovels in it when it was opened. She turned behind her to Nixie and muttered, "These people have a sick sense of humor." Nixie nodded in agreement.
Presently her turn came to take a shovel, which she did. She wondered if it was going to be hard to dig with something that was only five inches shorter than you are.
When everyone had gotten a shovel they followed Mr. Sir about a mile into the desert to a spot not yet covered by holes. He told them each where to dig and that the water truck would be back at about 9 o'clock. Effie could tell this had been added for her and Nixie's own benefit because it was followed by a few shouts of, "Ya, ya we know." She sighed, whispered a quick good luck to her friend, and plunged her shovel into the dry dirt.
Or rather tried to plunge it into the dirt. The shovel just sent vibrations up her arm, causing her to drop it. After shaking her hands and looking around helplessly as if expecting someone to come up and just dig her hole for her, she picked up her shovel again. Before she attempted to pierce the crusty layer of earth a second time, she heard a shout from a couple feet away.
"It's easier if you wedge the blade between one of the cracks in the earth."
She looked up and saw Caveman looking at her and then start digging again once he was sure she had gotten the message. She smiled and did as he had instructed. A few scoops of earth later, she discovered that the dirt wasn't as hard underneath as it was on top.
