Cora's stomach growled at her and Cora said nothing back. She knew
that someone was outside. She had crept, using every inch of her skill,
past Tweek when he spoke on the radio and darted away to the bathroom. Then
she had very slowly made her way back inside, waiting until Tweek was
immersed in a game of solitare.
And since then, she had laid immobile on her bed, refusing to move. The numbness was fading, and as it faded a pain replaced it. Cora sighed. Not only that, but she was becoming hungry.
She didn't want the others pity though. She could picture it now. Lots of "I'm so sorry"s, maybe a couple "If you ever need to talk, I'm here"s. What would Cora need to talk about? How she was a murderess?
The door swung open and Cora sat up. Had someone from Team Biohazard come in to check on her? Was Turn or Best coming along to screw her up a little bit more?
It was Salven, holding a bouquet of red roses and grinning like a moron. He unclipped his tag before Cora could get a chance to glimpse it and smiled.
"Afternoon." he said airly.
"Salven?" Cora blinked. She hadn't seen him since he and Hulio had had a bit of a tiff.
"God, Cora, you look like Hell."
"Way to woo someone, you big idiot." Cora was slightly snappish. Salven looked taken aback.
"What happened to the wise cracking wonder that we all know and love?"
"She died with Hulio." Cora said flatly, and dove under the covers. Salven stared at the lump under the covers, feeling nonplussed. She wasn't going to start crying, was she?
"Cora, get up."
"No!" the voice was fairly muffled due to being covered with a thick comforter.
"Everyone's talking about you." Salven finally said. "They've been waiting for Team Biohazard to fall, you know. And they look at you and go "one mission, and she's done!"
One eye peeped out from underneath the blanket.
"Really?"
"Really really." Salven had found a cracked yellow vase - Amelia had made it in school, and dumped the flowers in, trying to arrange them prettily. He didn't know the proper way to make a bunch of roses look romantic, so he just stepped away.
Cora sat up, suddenly, frowning.
"Salven..." she said in a warning tone.
"What is it?"
"You know very well what I'm talking about!" some colour came into Cora's cheeks, and some of the pain was replaced by a snappish look. Salven gave a slight smile.
"No. I don't. I haven't done anything."
Yet. thought Salven, and giggled.
"You're trying to hit on me!" Cora sat up defiantly, her face a flame with fury. Salven stepped back.
"No I'm not."
"Yes, you are!"
"Listen, if this is about Hulio suddenly not being in the picture..."
"It is! And you can forget it!"
"But there's no loyalty issues..." wheeled Salven.
"GET OUT, SALVEN!" Cora roared, her hand seizing around the closest thing to her. It seized on her lamp , and Cora tugged it out of it's socket and threw it at Salven .He ducked, eyes wide, then tried to resume his suave standing.
"Oh, a feisty one eh?"
"You're DEAD!" Cora was standing, exhaling like an angry bull. Her cheeks and ears were red, her eyes were filled with fury, and despite wearing only a pair of black silk shorts and a matching tank top, she managed to be intimidating.
Noticing how Salven stared, Cora's entire face flushed red and she threw a coffeee cup at him.
"OUT!" she demanded, pointing at the door.
He got out. Tweek glanced up at him.
"You made her mad, didn't you?"
"You shut up." Salven ordered, rubbing his arm. Tweek grinned.
"Maybe next time, try waiting until her boyfriend has been dead for a while?"
"I said, shut up!" Salven said.
"So, you manage to get her out of bed? I heard shouting."
"That's nothing." Salven was turning red. "Nothing happened."
"Ok, I'll ask Cora about it."
"And, no doubt, she'll tell you about the great night that we just had." Salven winked, then headed down the hall.
Cora sighed. What was Salven thinking?
"He's a slimy little weasel boy!" she snarled furiously, then paced. Plus he was married, plus he had relations going with every girl who didn't know that he was married who didn't mind drowning in a few litres of grease.
As Cora's anger faded, the pain didn't seem quite so severe as it had been. Cora flung on a black sweatshirt and a pair of blcak jeans with a hole large enough to fit a human head through. She pulled on her black sandals from that night where she had met Team Biohazard, then stepped outside.
"Finally come out?" Tweek said.
Cora nodded.
"Hey. Look, it sucks. I think all of us have lost family. Just don't dwell on it, OK?" Tweek stood, giving Cora a one armed hug.
Cora gave another desolate nod.
"Thanks." she muttered.
"No problem." Tweek shrugged. "Team Biohazard's a family. You learn to get along with your siblings, even if they do drive you crazy."
And since then, she had laid immobile on her bed, refusing to move. The numbness was fading, and as it faded a pain replaced it. Cora sighed. Not only that, but she was becoming hungry.
She didn't want the others pity though. She could picture it now. Lots of "I'm so sorry"s, maybe a couple "If you ever need to talk, I'm here"s. What would Cora need to talk about? How she was a murderess?
The door swung open and Cora sat up. Had someone from Team Biohazard come in to check on her? Was Turn or Best coming along to screw her up a little bit more?
It was Salven, holding a bouquet of red roses and grinning like a moron. He unclipped his tag before Cora could get a chance to glimpse it and smiled.
"Afternoon." he said airly.
"Salven?" Cora blinked. She hadn't seen him since he and Hulio had had a bit of a tiff.
"God, Cora, you look like Hell."
"Way to woo someone, you big idiot." Cora was slightly snappish. Salven looked taken aback.
"What happened to the wise cracking wonder that we all know and love?"
"She died with Hulio." Cora said flatly, and dove under the covers. Salven stared at the lump under the covers, feeling nonplussed. She wasn't going to start crying, was she?
"Cora, get up."
"No!" the voice was fairly muffled due to being covered with a thick comforter.
"Everyone's talking about you." Salven finally said. "They've been waiting for Team Biohazard to fall, you know. And they look at you and go "one mission, and she's done!"
One eye peeped out from underneath the blanket.
"Really?"
"Really really." Salven had found a cracked yellow vase - Amelia had made it in school, and dumped the flowers in, trying to arrange them prettily. He didn't know the proper way to make a bunch of roses look romantic, so he just stepped away.
Cora sat up, suddenly, frowning.
"Salven..." she said in a warning tone.
"What is it?"
"You know very well what I'm talking about!" some colour came into Cora's cheeks, and some of the pain was replaced by a snappish look. Salven gave a slight smile.
"No. I don't. I haven't done anything."
Yet. thought Salven, and giggled.
"You're trying to hit on me!" Cora sat up defiantly, her face a flame with fury. Salven stepped back.
"No I'm not."
"Yes, you are!"
"Listen, if this is about Hulio suddenly not being in the picture..."
"It is! And you can forget it!"
"But there's no loyalty issues..." wheeled Salven.
"GET OUT, SALVEN!" Cora roared, her hand seizing around the closest thing to her. It seized on her lamp , and Cora tugged it out of it's socket and threw it at Salven .He ducked, eyes wide, then tried to resume his suave standing.
"Oh, a feisty one eh?"
"You're DEAD!" Cora was standing, exhaling like an angry bull. Her cheeks and ears were red, her eyes were filled with fury, and despite wearing only a pair of black silk shorts and a matching tank top, she managed to be intimidating.
Noticing how Salven stared, Cora's entire face flushed red and she threw a coffeee cup at him.
"OUT!" she demanded, pointing at the door.
He got out. Tweek glanced up at him.
"You made her mad, didn't you?"
"You shut up." Salven ordered, rubbing his arm. Tweek grinned.
"Maybe next time, try waiting until her boyfriend has been dead for a while?"
"I said, shut up!" Salven said.
"So, you manage to get her out of bed? I heard shouting."
"That's nothing." Salven was turning red. "Nothing happened."
"Ok, I'll ask Cora about it."
"And, no doubt, she'll tell you about the great night that we just had." Salven winked, then headed down the hall.
Cora sighed. What was Salven thinking?
"He's a slimy little weasel boy!" she snarled furiously, then paced. Plus he was married, plus he had relations going with every girl who didn't know that he was married who didn't mind drowning in a few litres of grease.
As Cora's anger faded, the pain didn't seem quite so severe as it had been. Cora flung on a black sweatshirt and a pair of blcak jeans with a hole large enough to fit a human head through. She pulled on her black sandals from that night where she had met Team Biohazard, then stepped outside.
"Finally come out?" Tweek said.
Cora nodded.
"Hey. Look, it sucks. I think all of us have lost family. Just don't dwell on it, OK?" Tweek stood, giving Cora a one armed hug.
Cora gave another desolate nod.
"Thanks." she muttered.
"No problem." Tweek shrugged. "Team Biohazard's a family. You learn to get along with your siblings, even if they do drive you crazy."
