Fanny unrolled the rainbow monkey wrapping paper and proceeded to cut it into a square to fit the box. She worked diligently, carefully folding it over and taping the sides after making sure there were no air holes. It was much harder to place the ribbons. Tying them under the package and then getting them tight enough to hug the box and make it perfect. She then placed a huge pink bow on top and wrote on the card before hurrying out of her room and down the stairs, excited to get to the moon base early enough to see him personally before the big event. She wanted one last time to be alone together before what happens and she would have to give him his fatal blow.
The moon base was only a short rocket ride away and she was standing, pacing in front of his temporary living courters, trying to get up enough courage to knock. Her fist held in the air, ready to knock, but not quite. She looked down at the present in her hand. Had she made the wrong choice in going with the rainbow monkey wrapping paper and pink bow? She hadn't thought so when she was at the store with her mum picking it out. He had said once that he secretly liked them and wasn't this a secret gift for a secret meeting? Yes and so she leaned in to knock.
Before she could, however, the door slung open and he stood toe to toe with her. He smiled a glistening white almost thirteen-year-old smile. One that she would surely miss for at least four months before it was completely erased from her memory as well. She thought about what he would like and how he would act when he got older. Standing there, looking at him, she thought that maybe he would be the same and that gave rise to the hope that she would be the same after and that they would remember each other or have a familiar feeling when they see each other again. One that drew them together once again.
"Hey, Numbuh 86!" He said, still smiling that smile. He pointed to the box. "Is that for me?"
She blushed, cursing her natural ability to do so when something flustered her. She wanted to act tough. Tough like the girl he had like-liked in the first place and not the giggle girl she has grown to become. Shoving the box in his hands, she pushed past him and into the room. "Of course, it's for ya."
A silence between them as she sat on the cot like bed and he sat on a chair, opening the gift carefully as if he was trying not to damage all the work she went through. She rolled her eyes, lying on her back, and her head close to where his knee was. She looked up at the spongy moon base roof and thought about how dreadful this room actually was and he had to live in it the past week. "You know that I'm not supposed to get gifts." He whispered.
She stole a glance at him. He held the watch up in front of him. The gold shone and glistened in the light right above. It was one of those fancy watches that her dad wore sometimes. She had convinced her mother to buy one for her friend saying "He's moving out of the country and needs it to remember me by," and then she cried just to pull one over on her. Well, she also cried because this would the first and last present she ever gave him. At least it was nice. "I know." She whispered back, not wanting to break the peaceful silence with her rough voice. She sat up, her feet dangled from the cot. They locked eyes, her green with his dark brown ones. "Mhm,"
"I'll hide it under my sleeve. Thank you." He said, still looking at her while he struggled to clasp it on. She sighed and did it for him. "Make sure they don't want to take it off me."
She dropped her gaze to her hands. "You know I'm the head of decommissioning." When she looked back up at him, he was still watching her with that smile. She coughed and stood up. "I just wanted to give you that and say bye in private. So, bye."
He followed her to the door and opened it for her. She looked around before turning back to him. His hand went to her face and he traced the freckles one by one before whispering, "bye, Fanny Fulbright."
"Bye, Patton Drilovsky." She said again, backing away from him and fully out the door. He gave her one more of those smiles before closing the door.
She went back to her space shift, grabbed her official decommissioning wardrobe, and hurried back to the lobby of the moon base. Numbuh 362 sat in front of a whole bunch of computers, typing away. She was a hard-worker, the best Supreme Leader the KND has ever had and probably will ever have, but her time will come too and sooner than Fanny. She would have to decommission another one of her best friends, she's already has several times. The entirety of sector V. Virginia. They were all gone with new operatives rising up and taking their places. A part of her was ready to go.
"Numbuh 86, report to the decommissioning chamber immediately. We have three thirteenth birthdays today and no time to waste." Numbuh 362 ordered calmly, but a frown was on her face. She knew what Patton meant to Fanny and sympathized for her. She had lost Numbuh 1 ever before his thirteenth birthday.
"Yes, sir." She muttered.
She saw Patton and two other operatives, the 44 twins tied to the chairs already. She walked in, taking her place at the lever. She looked to Patton and he nodded, confirming that his watch was still on. She smiled and without a second thought because she knew she wouldn't be able to do her job if she thought about, she pulled the lever and the plunger covered up the smile that she would never see again.