Ronnie immediately became cautious. “Teletha Mantissa, you said? You’re not from some child welfare service, are you? I like living the way I do. I’ve finished all my grade school studies, I can talk to my friends online, and when I’m not doing that, I read by myself,” he told her defensively. “If there’s any games or necessities I want, I can shop online and get a monthly delivery from FedEx. I’d really like to stay here until I figure out what I want to do. So, if you’ve got a problem with that, you can get the hell out right now.”
Tessa quickly waved her hands at him. “Oh, it wasn’t that. I was just surprised. I’m not trying to interfere.”
“Oh, really? Okay, then,” said Ronnie, as he casually filled a pot with the water he’d heated on the gas stove. “Some adults like to get in my face about it, and I’ve gotten pretty sick of lectures. Sorry.”
“Not at all. I’m sorry for prying.” She’d gotten more than her share of lectures from adults herself. If the department of child welfare had heard about her, they’d have insisted she stop waging war at once!
“It’s a little weird, though,” he mused. “What’s a girl like you doing coming to the island on a boat all by yourself?”
“Well,” said Tessa, “I had a guide, but we ran into a bit of trouble...”
“Yeah, asking for help around here always comes back to bite you. The economy’s been bad lately, and there’s lots of con men around.”
“I-It does appear that way...”
“You gotta learn how the world works,” Ronnie told her. “Not everyone’s got your best interests at heart, okay?”
“I already regret it...” Tessa bristled. Pathetic. I didn’t come halfway around the world to get lectured by a child!
Ronnie held out the metal mug into which he’d poured the tea.
Tessa took it. “Thank you.” It didn’t have an especially nice aroma, but she was glad to have something to wet her whistle.
Ronnie sat down in one of the old chairs. “So? You wanted to ask me something, right?”
“Yes,” she said. “This is Lantanfushi Island, isn’t it? I hear there’s a settlement on the south side. Can it be reached by land?”
“Yeah, but it’s a rough road,” he told her. “You’d be better off taking your boat.” As he answered her, suspicion appeared in Ronnie’s eyes. He’d probably realized Tessa wouldn’t be able to get that boat back in the water by herself, and by extension, he’d begun to question how she’d gotten it up onto the shore in the first place. “Teletha-san, are you really alone here? You aren’t hiding someone else out there, are you?”
Ah, but of course he caught on. He’s a sharp kid. She’d been hoping to leave Al out of this, though—he was far too technologically advanced for the average person to see. If Ronnie were to get a clear look at him, it could make things complicated. “Yes. Well... I am the only person on board,” she hedged.
“Yeah?” Ronnie responded listlessly. He didn’t look particularly satisfied with that answer.
“But... anyway, the truth is that the boat is almost out of fuel. And there seems to be a hole in it, so it’s also taking on water. I need to patch that up first.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Do you have any fuel in your house?” Tessa asked. “I can pay for it, of course.”
“Only the gas for the generator. Will that work in your boat?”
“I doubt it.”
“Then you’ll have to get some at the settlement,” said Ronnie.
“How long will it take to get there?”
“About two hours if you walk. And it’s a pretty rough path, lots of ups and downs.”
“Hmm...”
It was a tricky issue. There was no way she could carry a heavy can of fuel all the way along a two-hour walk by herself. She’d also have to interact with the people in town. Should she bring Al with her, and have him hide just outside the settlement? But his battery situation was already dicey...
Ronnie watched her think, then suddenly stood up from his chair. “Okay, let’s go.”
“What?”
“You’ve gotta get there one way or another, right? We’d better head out before it gets too hot.”
Tessa decided to leave Al with the boat. While Ronnie went around to the back of the house, she used her small portable transceiver to tell him to wait while she went to the settlement.
Al gave her a short “Roger,” in response.
Ronnie brought out his motorcycle, an old off-roader with a 50cc engine that produced a lightly keening engine noise. “Hold on tight!” he told her. “Don’t blame me if you fall off!”
“R-Right,” said Tessa, getting on behind Ronnie and wrapping her arms tightly around his chest. He was shorter than her, so if she gripped him too hard, she’d probably take them both down.
For some reason, though, he didn’t take off. She was just beginning to wonder why when Ronnie turned back and lifted his goggles. His face was red for some reason. “Your chest.”
“What?”
“Your chest,” he said pointedly. “Don’t press it against me so hard.”
“Ah... I-I’m sorry.” She hadn’t even considered that she’d be pressing her chest against his shoulders. She quickly shifted back, then assumed an awkwardly hunched-over posture to hold his waist instead.
“Here we go.” Ronnie finally began to accelerate, driving the two-person motorcycle down the narrow, unpaved road. They were soon enveloped by the thick jungle, surrounded by darkness despite the sunny day.
They drove a while down the road as it twisted and turned through the slopes, until they seemed to come out into a valley. The trees thinned out there, and Tessa could see a small river flowing to their right. The road was still bumpy, but it had straightened out at some point.
“Miss Mantissa, are you all right?!” Ronnie called back to her.
“Yes, I think so! Ah... and just call me Tessa! That’s what all my friends call me!”
“You can call me Ronnie, then! Nice to meet you, Tessa.” Even though he was driving, he turned back to grin at her. He had a pretty charming smile for such a snotty little brat.
“A pleasure, Ronnie.”
“Could I ask a question?” he continued. “What brings you to this island? It’s not exactly a resort.”
“It’s the hometown of a friend of mine who passed away,” Tessa told him. “I’ve wanted to come here for quite some time.”
“I see... What’s his name?”
“Bani Morauta. Have you heard of him?”
“Nope, never. But, I mean, I’ve only lived here for two years, so I don’t know much. It’s about to get bumpy!” The motorcycle jerked up and down as it drove over a dip. Thanks to Ronnie’s warning, Tessa just managed not to take a tumble.