Apocalypsis 01 - Kahayatle

finish before continuing again.
    “So how long have you and Kowi been dating?”
    “Six months.”
    “Oh.”   That meant the love affair had begun after the apocalypse.   Interesting.   I asked what I thought was a stupid question next, just to keep the conversation flowing.   “So, you’re Miccosukee?”
    “No.”
    I stopped walking for a second, trying to decide if she was messing with me.   “Well, if you’re not Miccosukee, what are you?”
    “Creek.”
    “Like Celia,” I said before I thought too hard about it.
    Coli stopped walking and spun around, coming back to stand way too close to me.   “What do you know about a Creek indian named Celia?” she demanded.
    I took a step back to restore my personal space.   “I met her earlier today.   At the shell shop.”
    “So you’re saying she’s still alive.”   She said it like she didn’t believe me - a statement not a question.
    “Yyyeeah … ”   I was trying to figure this girl out.   Is she happy or mad about Celia still being alive?
    Coli turned back around to walk again.
    “So, what’s the deal, then?   Are you guys, like, friends or something?”
    “No.”
    “Sisters?”
    “Hell no.”
    “Enemies?”
    Coli sighed loudly.   “We’re cousins.”
    “Cousins who don’t get along.”   I was fishing for info.
    “Cousins who don’t agree on what they should be doing with their lives.”
    I waited a few more seconds to see if she had anything to add, but she was done.   “You know, Coli, I’m just wondering something…”
    “What?”
    “If you could be any more mysterious.”
    I was trying to get a laugh out of her, but I shouldn’t have bothered.
    “I don’t share my business with outsiders.”
    I was going to say something sharp back at her, but then I decided that it wouldn’t be fair.  
    When I stayed silent, she looked back over her shoulder.   “What?   You’ve got nothing to say to that?”
    “No, not really.   I don’t blame you for it.   I’d feel the same way.”
    She stopped, waiting for me to draw up next to her.  
    “I worry about my family,” she said, staring straight ahead, her face set in a stern mask.
    “Me too.   I’ll do whatever it takes to keep them safe.”  
    I looked at her and she turned to meet my gaze.
    “So will I.”
    I smiled.   “Good.   Then we have an understanding.   You keep your hands off my boys, and I’ll keep my hands off yours.”
    She smiled back briefly.   “Deal.”   Her mask of unhappiness slid back in place, making me wonder if I’d even seen the smile at all or if I had just imagined it.
    ***
    I got back to the chickee hut and Coli disappeared.   I turned to thank her for her help and she wasn’t there.  
    “Damn, she’s good,” I said, walking into the hut.
    I started talking to the Peter and Bodo without paying any attention to what they were doing.   “That shower is amazing, guys.   Now that I’m all clean, I can smell your reekage, so you’d better get over there soon.   No stink masters in the hut allowed.”   I threw my dirty things in a corner.   “We need to figure out how they wash clothes around here.   If I can’t scrub the holy hell out of these things I’m going to have to burn them.”   I was digging through my pack, unable to find what I was looking for.   Buster came over to investigate, sniffing in the open pockets.   “Have you guys seen my underwear anywhere?   I’m totally commando now.   I hate going commando.”  
    No one was answering, so I looked up.   Peter and Bodo were just staring at me.
    “What?”
    They said nothing, making me nervous, so I abandoned my search for panties and stood up.   “What?!”
    Peter blinked a few times before finally answering.   “You look … much better.”
    “Thanks.”   I narrowed my eyes at Bodo.   “What’s your problem?”
    “I hat no idea dare was dis woman under all dat dirt.”
    I picked up my smelly t-shirt and threw it at him.   “Shut up, you idiot.”
    Bodo dodged out of the way, looking back at the t-shirt in horror.   “You just throwed a grenade at me?”   He tried to look horrified but couldn’t pull it off, his facial expression way too exaggerated to be real.  
    Peter laughed hysterically.
    I stormed over and retrieved my shirt, holding it up and shaking it at him.   “Yeah, buddy.   A stink grenade.   Better watch your back.   You have to sleep eventually, you know.”
    Bodo lifted up his fingers and pinched