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Chapter 16: Clean Up, Clean Up, Everybody (Octavia), Clean Up

Chapter 16: Clean Up, Clean Up, Everybody (Octavia), Clean Up

Marque directs Octavia to sit on her bunk and not move a muscle - an order Octavia follows to the T. However, she can't stop trembling. She waits on her bunk like a crumbling statue. Thousands of thoughts like water rush through her head that has a gun pointed straight at it. She already knows how miraculous it is that she was not shot or killed some other way while fighting Shard, or while Shard choked her, or while running in the Courtyard, or as soon as Shard saw her at the party. Octavia does not want to push her luck any further.

More thoughts plague her.

What was I thinking? What came over me? Why did I act without thinking? I’ve never acted like that before. So why act like that now? Will I do something else impulsive that will kill me next time?

These thoughts begin to drive her crazy and cause her to shake all the more. How much shaking would cause Marque to pull the trigger? She changes her thoughts to calm her down like she had been taught.

She thinks how she could have gained some sense of honor back. Her mother would be proud that she inflicted damage on Shard - something she has not been able to do - but then realizes if her mother had the same advantage, Shard would be dead so, her mother would be disappointed in her after all. However, her father would be beaming with pride if it wasn't for the fact her ocular implant was damaged and is an added expense to burden them, but her father would get it repaired for her. But, Mindy would be bursting and gushing with pride. Her thoughts again turn to Mindy.

Though still worried about her condition, Octavia is relieved she's alive and kept her mouth shut about anything detrimental or unsearchable even though Mindy would not have much to blab about in the first place. Mindy had never taken to political interests like her mother but liked attention as much, if not more, than her mother. This is why Mindy became a NetCeleb and a successful one. Mindy knows how to act in front of a camera and charm a crowd. Octavia was never as charming as Mindy, but this didn't stop Mindy from including her in her vlogs. At first, Octavia's parents were against Octavia being included in Mindy's vlogs because of concerns over her image but later agreed to it when Mindy convinced them it was an opportunity to increase public relations for the Rhineharts and to better Octavia's camera presence. Octavia was a reluctant participant in the videos but now daydreams about the videos Mindy and she could make about their experience with the Chromies.

The daydreams break when Shard returns.

"Maid! Oh, maid!" he calls in a sing-song voice from outside the cell. His head is bandaged where Octavia had scratched him. "I have some supplies for you." A dustpan with a hand broom conjoined at the handles twirl around in Shard's hand. Tam is also no longer with him. Instead, another woman, shorter than Shard, accompanies him. "You can come out, Marque. Hatchette is here to back you up."

At 'Hatchette', Octavia notices a huge hatchet holstered like a knife on each of her sides. She also sees Hatchette's arms are far more muscular than any of the other women's she's seen and bigger than most men's. Her black hair has a series of tight, tiny braids on both sides of her head that feed into a frohawk. There is glitter-like shine to the frohawk, but Octavia doubts it's typical glitter due to the razor-sharp objects on her sides, and she does not give off a girly vibe. Hatchette's jaw naturally juts out, too, adding to her intimidating appearance. Octavia swallows hard. Shard was not lying when he said the women here are scarier than mother bears.

"I see you've noticed your new buddy guard," Shard says.

Octavia didn't realize she was gawking at her until he says this. She closes her mouth, but her eyes remain wide.

"Don't call me her 'buddy' guard," Hatchette tells Shard. She has a deep, husky voice.

"Okay," Shard says almost sheepishly. He clears his throat before addressing Octavia. "You had to go peeve Tam, so she has to cool off, and I like to have at least two guards on you. So, now you get to make frien-"

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Hatchette shoots a daggerish eye at Shard.

"Now you have a new guard," he says quickly.

Marque's squinted eyes show his apprehension of his new counterpart. He hasn't left the cell yet.

"How long Tam out?" Marque asks.

"Dunno. Depends on her. Y'know how she can get," Shard says. "Now get on out of there unless you want to bunk with Sweet-hart and help her clean."

Marque hesitates, as if he considers it, but comes out. Hatchette picks up on his unease and smirks. Once he's out and passing her, Hatchette lunges at him with a shout, which startles him and makes him jump backwards. She and Shard laugh. Marque's face reddens as he resumes his regular post.

Shard tosses the broom and dustpan into the cell along with a bin he kicks inside, which he had put on the floor when they arrived. The broom and dustpan separate when they hit the floor. He closes and locks the door.

"Time to get cleanin'," Shard tells Octavia.

She looks puzzled at the cleaning supplies on the floor.

"What do I do with those?" Octavia asks.

Hatchette pinches the bridge of her nose and shakes her head. "Ya told me she was a handful. Ya didn't tell me she was stupid, too."

"It was implied," Shard says with a shrug.

Octavia easily swallows the urge to say something about the word stupid. Hatchette scares Octavia differently than Tam did. She does not know which terror is worse.

"Y'see the long stick-y part on the broom that doesn't have bristles," Shard tells Octavia. "Pick that up."

Octavia picks up the handle to one of the things in front of her. Shard smacks his own face.

"Sweet-hart... That's the dustpan," he says. "Do you see bristles on that? No. Or are you blind in both eyes?"

A jolt rocks her body and freezes her. She looks at Shard with rounded eyes.

"Oh? Ya didn't know I knew about the blindness in your...left eye is it? Or about that mighty expensive yet fragile ocular implant?" Shard says. "Ya initially got it when you were ten, right? The Red Dog Rebels didn't like the idea of your daddy running as prime minister and decided to set off some premature fireworks that nearly killed you and your sis and gave you your implants and her her wheelchair." Shard chuckles at the bewilderment stretching Octavia's face. "I told you I'm a fan, so I've done lots of reading up on you and your family. Lots and lots of reading. And your sis helped fill in some gaps I had on you guys." A smile rises Shard's eyes.

Before Octavia can react, a voice calls for Shard. The voice belongs to a young teen. The teen and Octavia meet gazes and share expressions of surprise and captivation. Octavia had never seen a Chromy so young nor knew children lived here. Shard and Tam had referenced children, but Octavia assumed they were elsewhere.

"Shard, sir," the teen says. His breathiness shows he was running.

"What can I do for ya?" Shard says.

The teen hands him a notepad. Shard reads a note scribbled on the page. His brows rise.

"Well that was fast. Those politicians must want their babies back," Shard says. He gives the kid the notepad back. "I'll be right there. Go on ahead."

The boy nods and takes off but not before sparing another glance at Octavia.

"The Political Committee received the pics and is ready for more negotiation. I best get going," Shard says to all three. "Teach the princess how to sweep for me?" Shard sweetly tells Hatchette.

"I ain't touchin' that broom or dustpan," Hatchette says.

"Don't expect or want you to," Shard says and hands her a key. "I'll fill you in when I can. Thanks, again, Hatchette. Toodles!"

Shard gives a simple wave to Hatchette but blows kisses to Octavia as he walks off. Hatchette rolls her eyes that she uses to dig into Octavia when Shard is gone.

"I ain't teachin' you shit," she tells Octavia. "Ya got a head on those shoulders I know ya ain't accustomed to usin'. But you're gonna learn to use it and figure how to put that glass and food in that trash can. Whether it's using the broom and dustpan or your bare hands, I don't care. Get it up."

Octavia glances at the supplies in front of her but doesn't move from the bunk.

"You deaf, too?" Hatchette bangs on the bars. The cell door jiggles and rattles. "Move!"

Octavia scrambles to the floor and gathers the supplies in her hands. She's going to have to figure this out fast.