I wince and settle down on the bed.

It's a cot, actually, and even saying that is frankly pretty generous of me.

Should I be generous to these...people? Is that the word I'm going with?

Honestly, I'd think that I'd have decided what to call them after all this time, but despite it having been...

Oh, right.

I don't know how long it's been.

It feels like an eternity, though.

Despite all that, I still don't know what I'm calling them.

Probably it doesn't matter, because no matter what I call them, I still don't understand what they say to me in response.

"Ugh." I fall back into the cot-bed with a sigh. "You'd think if they have a whole set up they'd learn that humans can't learn the language and stop shocking us for not having the right vocal chords!"

Mia laughed, shaking her head. "Well. I'm not advocating for the shocking part, but I am starting to get a bit of the hang of understanding it, even if I can't repeated it back."

I lift my head. "Really?! I can't get a thing."

Eric snorts. "Differently gifted people."

I squint at him. "Don't act like you understand the language."

"I don't." He huffs. "But I've started to pick up a few phrases. You know. They don't have a consistent alphabet, but...there are some repetitive syllables that I've started to recognize, so it's a little easier to try to grasp."

I hum. I mean. That's still more than me.

"Just sounds like indistinct screams and grunts to me still...."

Mia taps her lips. "Well, I am the oldest, followed by Eric, right? Might have something to do with that?"

I stare at her. "You're saying my grade affects my language learning?"

"Well, I was going to say IQ..." Eric teases. In his own weird Eric-y way of teasing.

I fling a pillow at his face for his trouble.

He catches it and throws it right back with a smirk.

I should probably be able to tell by now, but I genuinely can't tell if he's in a good mood or just amused at my expense.

Maybe he has a point about our whole.

Intelligence levels thing.

I'll never admit it.

Never.

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"Mia might have a point though." Eric settles down to lay on his stomach, crossing his arms and resting his chin on them.

I cross my arms, mimicking him. "About what? Being the eldest? That doesn't make a difference! It's like when people claim that just because a woman can't run a mile under ten minutes that women are weak and can't do things as well as men can. It's the same thing! Just because I can't speak the language doesn't make me dumber than Mia!"

Eric and Mia stare at me for a moment.

And then - Eric shoves a pillow on my face. Not throws. Shoves.

I can't breathe.

Damn it, Eric, it's not funny.

Mia is giggling though, so I'm outnumbered.

"Don't say weird things about sexism." Eric says with an exasperated sigh when I'm finally allowed to breathe again. "Kids..."

"I'M ONE YEAR YOUNGER THAN YOU."

He flicks my forehead, laughing at me. "Sure, sure."

"Anyway, it was just a guess." Mia shakes her head and smiles in amusement. "Honestly, it's probably just normal variation. If it were an age thing I don't think one year would make a difference, and even if I'll take Eric's rare compliments any day, I'm not like. Super high IQ or anything."

"Speak for yourself."

Mia flings the pillow this time.

It's a better throw than I did, he goes down and stays down.

I mean, it was a joke.

But still.

Hah.

I sit up and lift my fists into the air. "VICTORY! FOR THE GIRLS!"

The girl, the quiet one who seems to like me, sits up in her bed and gives a little fist pump too.

Which is really cute, but it does make me realize suddenly that we've been having this inane conversation in a dormatory full of other people.

"...Oh."

Eric flicks me.

"Ow."

I shove him in retribution.

This devolves into a quick slap fight. Quick, because the girl joins my team and together we crush Eric.

"Alright alright." He lifts his hands. "Bringing in backup is underhanded."

I sniff and reach out to ruffle the girl's tangled hair. "She is her own person and can do what she wants."

Mia speaks again, then. "Actually, come here, sweetie."

The girl turns her head, eyes wide and curious.

Mia smiles. "I made a little makeshift comb. Let's get your hair nice."

...That...

Was unexpected.

But now that I think about it, that is such a Mia thing to do.

Even in this...prison? Cult camp? Creepy education camp with flair?

Whatever.

It's still in line with everything I've learned of Mia. She's so proactive, of course she'd find a way to get a comb, and she'd think of helping the girl with it.

Said girl looks to me like a lost puppy looking for permission.

Which does not help my earlier comment about her being her own person but-

I shrug a little and smile. "Hey, it's your hair."

She smiles brightly, hops to her feet and scurries over to Mia's side, laying her head down in Mia's lap.

I watch as Mia slowly, gently, begins to work knots from her hair, starting at the bottom.

It looks...

I mean, it's kind of sad, since I'm sure none of us are getting proper nutrition for this kind of stuff and...

Well.

No.

It's kind of beautiful.

In a painful sort of way, like an empty, but heart-wrenching song.

...Man.

I don't even know what I'm saying anymore.

Eric raps my head lightly with his knuckle, and for a moment I consider retaliating...

But then I'd end up luring that girl away from Mia again, and that wouldn't be fair to her.

So I just throw him a withering look.

He is unaffected.

Instead, he hands me a small cup.

I look down to see a purple fruit slice.

"What is this...?"

"Good." He says. "They hand it out if you do your task especially well."

I tilt my head. "Why are you giving it to me?"

He shrugs. "Stole a bunch of them, might as well share them before they go bad."

My mouth opens.

Closes.

He just openly admitted to theft?!

His lips quirk up into a smile. "You don't want it?"

I pull it close to me. "Too late, this is mine now!"

He scoffs and shakes his head. "That's what I thought."

...He is not forgiven.

For.

His whole self.

But I do settled down in my cot-bed and nibble at the fruit as I watch Mia gently comb the girl's hair.

...It tastes good.