Lessons in Laundry (Day 3 Early Afternoon)

Elle came full circle, ending up back in the laundry room where she found Serena after a quick search. The young girl had her back to the hatch, seemingly unaware of Elle’s presence. Had that been how Vas had found her? Had he stood just like Elle for a moment, knowing he had the element of surprise and there was nothing she could do to stop him?

“Folded what was in the dryer,” she said instead of breaking a bottle across Serena’s head. “Vas said to see you to tell me off what to do. So what do you want me to do?”

“You ever worked as a deckhand before?” Serena asked, turning around to face the redhead. She lined up the corners of the towel she was folding cocking her head slightly to the side.

“Worked on ships my whole life. Born on one. Cargo is cargo,” she added. “But that’s not what you mean,” Elle folded her arms but didn’t step into the laundry room proper. “So I’m asking you again what you need me to do like Vas said.”

“Passengers ain’t the same as regular cargo,” Serena corrected. “That’s why I’m askin’. And I’ll show you what needs done like I tried to show you what needs done ‘couple of days ago when you decided I wasn’t worth listenin’ to on account of I’m *young an pretty an obligin’,* and no matter what Lyen says or how pretty her eyes are, I don’t think I owe you an apology for you sayin’ it, soon as I get these towels folded. And you did fine foldin’ what was in the dryer, on account of we’ll need them too.”

*Crew Chief’s girlfriend. Hold your tongue.* Elle’s left hand tightened on her forearm but she didn’t open her mouth. Serena was definitely putting it out there, flaunting it really, but Elle wasn’t about to risk another visit to the med bay. At least she knew her comment was still bugging pigtails and that was something.

“Whatever you say, Serena. Vas put you in charge,” she agreed. “What do you want me to do right now?”

“I know what I *want*you to do,” Serena replied, curling her top lip as she grabbed another passenger towel to fold. “I just don’t understand your whole attitude about it. Why come to work on a ship if you don’t want to do no work?”

“You see me sit down for more’n a meal before Vas got all het up in the cargo bay, Serena?” If it was possible to make a name a sneer then Elle managed it. “No, and you’re a harelipped liar if you say so. Ain’t no one had to tell me to do nothing before then. When I didn’t have work I went and found it. Found a big mess on account of it and just went to the engine room to get a steam line so’s I could clean it up. Would have too only the mechanic said ‘we gonna do it like this’ and I kept working while she went and got some gear for it. Her,” Elle’s arms came uncrossed and one hand slapped into her own chest. “Not me. I just kept working and working minding my self and not boozing it up on liberty. What’d I get for it? Huh? What did I get for working like a good hand?”

“Bié gēn wǒ húchě!” <Don’t give me your shit>, Serena swore. “Nǐ zhēnshi yīgè fèiwù!!” <Lazy, good-for-nothing bum> “You found mold on the ship and didn’t think that it were none of Crew Chief’s business, meanin’ you was gonna get *him* in trouble when the Lieutenant asked, on account of she don’t take ‘I don’t know’ as an answer. Is that what got you actin’ all like a stubborn egg? You didn’t get t’come with us on Beaumonde, where the drinking age is sixteen?”

Oh yeah, she was definitely Vas’ girlfriend. Zero doubt about it any more the way she went off and put everything in terms of how Vas’d look. Can’t have your man in trouble. Heck, maybe it was Serena what hit her. “Yup. Being stubborn and not seeing as to what’s going to happen is a real problem. Going around too,” she said. “Best hope you don’t catch it on account of you being so smart and bright eyed. Now, what do you want me to turn my hand to because right now I’m doing as much as your words are, Serena; nothing.”

“Only one I see havin’ trouble is you, on account of you don’t wanna listen, bàn píngzi cù. <Half empty bottle of vinegar.> “Serena groused. “And I am smart - BOTH Mistah Doctah Adluh and Lyen who has eyes pretty like mine say so. We got a whole dryer full of towels need folding on account of passengers are gonna start hittin’ the showers soon. You’d know what to do already if you didn’t decide to stay in the cargo bay like a rice bucket with no handle. Crew chief was tryin’ to find out who did it on account of you still bein’ crew if you don’t act like it and now he went and got himself in trouble on account of it. So?” She threw a towel at the redhead. “Fold.”

Serena got a point; the towel hit Elle in the face before she could catch it. It wasn’t so bad, nice and warm and smelled real good but it was more than her hair that played at being red when she took it off her face. There was a lot she could say, wanted to, but Elle knew that as much as Serena was blind to the truth now she’d be equally happy to twist anything Elle did or said once she had her hair spread out across Vas’s thighs. Elle folded, making sure it was exactly how Serena did it, and added the towel to the pile then continued working at arm’s length to the teen.

“Good,” Serena replied, after the last towel had been completed in silence. “These in this pile with the stripes go in the shower room. These what with no stripes go in the passenger rooms Each person gets one of these, I don’t know so much why on account of there ain’t no running water, but it’s like turnin’ beds down at night. Sometimes they just want weird stuff. You know which passengers are where or do you need me to show you? And more important, are you actually gonna do it?”

It was good she didn’t have a towel in her hands because the way they flexed at Serena’s question would have called for a refolding of it. Elle knew where the passengers were, it wasn’t like the ship was that big and she’d been all over it already looking for things to clean or put to rights. However -

“Show me,” she said without looking at Serena. It meant more time in the teen’s presence but more importantly it took time away from Serena doing what she was supposed to be turning her own hand to. Pigtails wasn’t as smart as she thought she was and clearly hadn’t listened at all to Elle’s philosophy of how to deal with Vas. At. All.

“Sure.” Serena replied, taking the pile of striped towels. “And for what it’s worth I’m glad Mistah Doctah Adluh said you are okay and not just on account of then I don’t have to do everything myself, even if you do say ugly words that I’m still not apologizing for. Over this way is mostly people that are on the ship a long time. That’s where Crew Chief stayed with Daisy when she had her pups only now her pups got sold and crew chef is back to his room, on account of being CTQ'd and over here, this is where Lyen stays, she’s a nun, she gets two towels on account of I like her, she's showin' me my letters and over there are where the monks stay, you don't see or hear too much from them, but they got four in that room, and over here...”