Pitbabe S2, Chapter 6 pg8

 pg8

   “Huh?” I frowned, glancing between Chris and Charlie, who was now furrowing his brows, shooting shifty-eyed glares at Chris, his dark pupils practically detaching from the whites of his eyes.

   “Naggy, loud,” Chris chuckled. “Exactly like Charlie said.”

   “You can read research papers by the volume, but you can’t read people’s faces, huh?” Charlie grumbled, his expression one of resigned defeat at being so coldly exposed. Fine, I already suspected this guy was badmouthing me behind my back, but I didn’t think he’d slander me this much. “Don’t let it be my turn next.”

   “Hey, why so serious?” Chris cackled, clearly delighted. Messing with people must be the ultimate joy of his life. “Naggy or loud, it doesn’t matter. As long as you’re cute, that’s enough.”

   “Seriously, I really can’t punch him?” I asked Charlie again, hoping he might change his mind. But Charlie just shook his head like before. The only difference this time was the look on his face, which seemed like he also wanted to punch that foul-mouthed doctor, but was still holding back.

   “Let’s go talk inside,” Charlie cut the conversation short, pulling my arm to follow him into the lab. I glanced at Chris briefly. He smiled at me even though I hadn’t smiled first. So, I started forming a rough mental picture of this guy: if he’s not crazy, he’s probably just a regular person with a bad personality.

   As soon as we opened the door to the first-floor lounge, the first person I saw was Liu. You could say it’s because she’s the only woman here, but what really caught my eye was more than her petite frame and long hair—it was her bright pink dress, pink heart-shaped hair clip, and matching pink Crocs, complete with all sorts of accessories dangling from both sides. Her hands held a coffee mug with Winnie the Pooh and Mickey Mouse patterns. All in all, if I didn’t know she was a researcher, I’d think she was someone’s kid playing here, waiting to go home.

   “Hey, Babe,” Liu greeted me with her usual weird smile. Her lips stretched out, corners turned up like she was smiling, but her eyes were completely blank. Seeing that, I couldn’t help but wonder where Charlie found these researchers. Not one of them seems normal.

   “Hey,” I replied.

   “Charlie said you drank acid water. How are you still fine?”

   “Because I didn’t drink it.”

   “Hmm… shame.”

   “Thanks,” I said sarcastically. “What’s with you? Did you eat a Barbie for breakfast or something? Why so much pink?”

   “Lucky color,” Liu answered. That reminded me she’s obsessed with fortune-telling. Charlie once told me about the time she mixed chemicals that turned out to be her unlucky color for the day, and she smashed the beaker on the floor. Hard to believe for a scientist. “And you? Did you eat Charlie’s eyeball or something? Why’s only one left today?”

   “Huh?”

   “I told you, you’ve got the fate of devouring husbands.”

   Liu nodded emphatically before heading up the stairs without bothering to wrap up the conversation like normal people do. But that wasn’t too surprising. What normal person would bluntly ask, “Why aren’t you dead yet?” like that?

   “What the hell?”

   As if dealing with the annoying pink-clad girl wasn’t enough, I had to turn and face another irritating person standing beside me.

   “Fate of devouring husbands,” Chris laughed, clearly delighted that I got roasted by the fortune-teller. “Liu’s spot-on.”

   “Yeah, I’m the husband-devourer. Soon, Charlie will only have his right eyeball left.”

   “Whoa! Babe!” Charlie yelped, his face looking genuinely terrified, as if he thought I’d actually eat him. I quickly clarified that I don’t eat people, you idiot, relax. Only then did Charlie let out a relieved sigh.

   After that, we finally got the chance to sit down and talk like we should’ve from the start. Charlie sat on the same sofa as me, while Chris took the single sofa next to us. Charlie kept his hand on my thigh the whole time, as if he was afraid I’d lunge at his researcher or something.

   “You really don’t know Way?” I asked again. Even though I’d already asked twice before, the more I looked at Chris’s face, the more I couldn’t understand how someone who’s not a twin could look this similar. “Seriously, were you twins separated at birth or what?”

   “You sure watch a lot of dramas, huh?” Chris grimaces.

   “I’m just saying you are really similar,” I insist, still unable to stop staring at his face. “Do you have any siblings?”

   “Nope, only child.”

   “Good. If you had siblings and they looked like this, it’d be way too creepy.”

   “Thanks, that makes me feel great,” he says sarcastically.

   “So, you just got back from overseas?”

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