" . . . and so when I got to the catwalk, those two gorram nitwits were
hanging from it!" Mal had his feet propped on the mass hall table and was
leaning back in his chair. "Won't those two ever quit their competin'?"
"Not likely, Sir." Zoe sat across from him with a paring knife slicing an apple.
"I used to think it was just game-like. Y'know, they're about the same age, and they were killin' time together. But now . . . .these games are never ending. Every day they're trying to outdo each other in somethin'."
"Does this surprise you, Sir?" Zoe raised an eyebrow.
"I still can't tell if they're bein' malicious or just competitive."
"They're competing, Sir." Zoe popped a bit of the apple into her mouth.
"Over what?" Mal lowered his legs and sat upright in his chair.
Zoe looked at him with a look implying that Mal knew exactly what Kaylee and River were competing for.
"What?!!" Mal said, "I really have no idea. Do enlighten me, great mind reader."
Zoe went back to slowly carving on her apple. "I don't think they even know what they're competing for. Might be subconscious, and even if they did know they'd never say it out loud."
"What?!!!" Mall looked as if he were about to burst.
"They're competing for a certain someone's undivided attention."
"Oh there's an idea I could have died without having in my brain." Mal rubbed his temples.
"Different types of attention, Sir."
"Yes, I know that, Zoe." Mal sneered, "Thank you."
Zoe shrugged, "Not enough of the poor guy to go around."
"So, how does seeing who can dangle from the catwalk longest decide who gets his attention?" Mal looked a bit amused.
"Like I said, Sir, I don't think they even know what they're competing for."
Mal looked at the table while Zoe sliced and ate her apple. There was a long comfortable silence between the two of them.
Mal slowly looked over at Zoe, "Bet I could hang longer'n you."
"Not in a million years, Sir."
Zoe slammed down her knife and apple as she and Mal sprinted towards the catwalk.
"Not likely, Sir." Zoe sat across from him with a paring knife slicing an apple.
"I used to think it was just game-like. Y'know, they're about the same age, and they were killin' time together. But now . . . .these games are never ending. Every day they're trying to outdo each other in somethin'."
"Does this surprise you, Sir?" Zoe raised an eyebrow.
"I still can't tell if they're bein' malicious or just competitive."
"They're competing, Sir." Zoe popped a bit of the apple into her mouth.
"Over what?" Mal lowered his legs and sat upright in his chair.
Zoe looked at him with a look implying that Mal knew exactly what Kaylee and River were competing for.
"What?!!" Mal said, "I really have no idea. Do enlighten me, great mind reader."
Zoe went back to slowly carving on her apple. "I don't think they even know what they're competing for. Might be subconscious, and even if they did know they'd never say it out loud."
"What?!!!" Mall looked as if he were about to burst.
"They're competing for a certain someone's undivided attention."
"Oh there's an idea I could have died without having in my brain." Mal rubbed his temples.
"Different types of attention, Sir."
"Yes, I know that, Zoe." Mal sneered, "Thank you."
Zoe shrugged, "Not enough of the poor guy to go around."
"So, how does seeing who can dangle from the catwalk longest decide who gets his attention?" Mal looked a bit amused.
"Like I said, Sir, I don't think they even know what they're competing for."
Mal looked at the table while Zoe sliced and ate her apple. There was a long comfortable silence between the two of them.
Mal slowly looked over at Zoe, "Bet I could hang longer'n you."
"Not in a million years, Sir."
Zoe slammed down her knife and apple as she and Mal sprinted towards the catwalk.
