Chapter 4: Aspirations

Sigh. 

Another morning, another series of routing failures. 

And strange arguments. 

Lincoln tries to be the bigger person and apologise. 

"I'm sorry you're such a bitch!" 

Apparently it wasn't sincere enough. 

Lincoln's not scared this time, but angry. 

"Don't call me that!" Tammi says, hot tears in her eyes, "Never call me that!" 

Lincoln doesn't have a chance to respond before she huffs out of the room. 

"Bad memories," Dove tries to explain, "At least, it seems that way..." 

"Yeah, there's more than enough of that to go around," Lincoln mutters to himself. 

Some people work through them by trying to control others, or try to make sure the memories can never repeat themselves, and some of them try to sleep it away. 

It doesn't always work. Bad memories can easily become nightmares. 

It's these nightmares that jolt Guy awake. His phone is shrilly ringing and he fumbles to answer it. 

"H-hello?" 

Guy breathes a shaky sigh of relief when it turns out to just be a coworker. 

"Lab results?" then realisation dawns on him, "Oh, of the cow plant experiments! I am so sorry, I left them on the receptionist's desk! I'll pick it up first thing tomorrow and get it to you, I promise!" 

Guy's mistake is forgiven... this time. He rubs his head as he hangs up the phone. He needs a nice, long bath to help clear his head, and hopefully his armpits... 

The bathroom- as always- is occupied, so Guy opts for a change of clothes and some dinner. 

He smiles broadly as he sinks his fork into the gooey, cheesy pasta, "Macaroni's my favourite! Sometimes, my...dad... would make it. His food was so good!" 

Jinenji smiles, charmed by Guy's childlike enthusiasm, "Too bad he can't be here now. We could all use a decent, home cooked meal." 

Guy pokes at his food uncertainly. The last time he saw his "dad", his "dad" was pretty angry with him. Furious, even. Guy's enthusiasm quickly wanes and he puts his fork down. 

"Not hungry?" Ti asks. 

Guy shakes his head, but doesn't say anything. It seems that he's just lost his appetite. 

"Bad memories," Lincoln echoes Dove from that morning. 

Guy nods. 

But the next morning is a Saturday. After making sure the lab results are sent to the correct department, Guy rushes down the Monte Vista streets. He has plans for today. 

He walks out of the bookstore, most of his paycheck spent but several books in hand. He needs to read up on gardening if he wants to keep his job. 

And that he does. 

Dove glances at Guy's book. 

"Gardening?" her face shrivels with disgust, "You mean you'll be working with bugs and plants? Why?" 

Guy shrugs, "It's for work." 

Dove shudders, "Hope you enjoy getting poisoned!" 

By this point, Guy's already tuning her out. 

Dove quickly leaves the kitchen after that. She shudders again. How can Guy stand being near those things? She heard they even have cow plants in that lab in town. And people call her crazy! Who decided that a cow and a carnivorous venus fly trap needed to be combined!? 

She hopes to escape this disturbing reality for a little while through sleep. 

By the time dinner rolls around, Guy is still reading. 

"Sunny outside, you say?" Gregory mulls over Guy's account of his trip to the bookstore, "And you're not sunburned?" 

"Nope. Never have been." 

"Lucky," Gregory sighs, "Could never stand it myself. Made school absolute hell. Because of it I'm pretty much nocturnal. But you see, I still have plans!" 

"Really? This should be good," Tammi scowls. 

"I want to be a scientist. Like you!" Gregory says to Guy, before turning his attention to Jinenji, "Didn't you say earlier that you wanted to be a doctor?" 

Jinenji nods and a soft smile graces his face, "Studied hard for it in university. If it hadn't been for... you know... maybe I'd be working in a hospital somewhere." 

"You know I read a lot. Before all of...this," Tammi butts in, "They said I could've been anything! But I decided to become a singer instead. You should really hear me sing sometime. Voice of an angel, they said!" 

Jinenji smiles vacantly at Tammi before turning his attention back to Gregory, "You know...if the idea of this place is to achieve our aspirations... it could be a good idea to try studying together, with that machine Guy and Lincoln like to use by the piano." 

Gregory nods vigorously, "Yeah! Get a head start before we start working for real. I like the sound of that. Hear that Guy? Maybe I'll be your boss someday!" He elbows Guy softly who smiles at him but doesn't look away from his book. 

"And then what?" Tammi interrupts, "If you can even get those jobs you want and reach your life goal or whatever, where would you go after here?" 

Gregory pins Jinenji with an intense stare, "Doctors make lots of money, yeah? You and I, we could live together! Imagine it, all of the research we could do together!" 

"Because that would totally work," Tammi says with an eye roll, "You guys haven't seen what people can really be like out there. I have, and believe me, it's not so nice out there." 

"If you're worried you can't find another exercise partner, don't worry. There's gym memberships!" Jinenji smiles, believing he's found the source of Tammi's negativity, "You and Ti could still work out together after we all move out." 

Tammi rolls her eyes again, "I am perfectly capable of doing things by myself! More than you two. I'm not saying it to be mean- honest - I'm just trying to look out for you. If I can't do it..." 

Gregory shrugs, "Well, that doesn't change the fact that I still want to learn how that machine works. C'mon Jinenji, what do you say? Want to read that science machine manual with me and run some experiments?" 

Jinenji is easily persuaded. 

As the pair walks out, excitedly scheming and planning together, Dove corners Tammi. 

"Tammi, what the hell?" Dove seethes, "They just want to study together, what was all that about?" 

"I'm just trying to look out for them!" Tammi defends herself, "It's just studying now, but where does studying get anyone? Guy hasn't picked up a science book in his life and they still employed him!" 

"Yes! But he started from the bottom. Maybe Gregory and Jinenji won't have to this way!" 

Tammi stares at Dove for a long moment, seemingly bested. 

"But how much can we trust the writers of those books they're studying? What if-," 

"Tammi, just stop. Listen to yourself! Guy uses those manuals and he's an employed scientist. You think you know better than a scientist?" 

Tammi scoffs, "If that scientist is Guy, then yeah, maybe I do." 

"Ugh, I am so sick of you!" Dove explodes, "All you do is complain and yell at us!" 

"I'm just trying to-,!" 

"Cut the crap!" Dove angrily interjects, "You slapped Lincoln for no reason!  I thought maybe it was because of what he called you... but you're so mean all the time!" 

Dove jerks her head in Guy's direction, "You insult him, and why Tammi? Huh!? What's your problem?" 

And just for a second, it looks like Tammi is about to cry. 

Dove shakes her head in disgust and pushes past Tammi. All this arguing has made her tired. 

"What kind of things have you been telling people?" Tammi furiously demands once Guy stands up, "Have I ever insulted you ever?" 

"Well..." Guy sees the anger on Tammi's face and decides it would be better not to answer. 

"Yeah, that's what I thought. Maybe keep your lies to yourself!" 

"No..." Guy says quietly, "No, I'm not the liar. You're trying to confuse me!" 

"Come on now-," 

"Just leave me alone!" Guy demands sulkily. 

Tammi sighs as Guy stalks out of the room. Just why won't people trust her judgement? She's actually had her own job before! She's been in a relationship before! She has promise, damn it! 

People just never listen, do they? 

Most of Guy's tension fades away at the sight of his new planters. His boss gave them to him at the end of his shift so he could have his own small garden indoors, safe from the oncoming cold of fall outside. 

"I'll keep you safe," Guy tells the little seed as he plants it in the soil, "I promise." 

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AN: TAMMI. WHY. 

She fights with eeeeeeveryone! It's made me remember how annoying the diva trait is. 

Gregory also has the ambitious trait, hence why his plans are so...lofty. I wish I could actually let him and Jinenji get their dream jobs, but alas, they're stuck in the house. At least they can mess with the science machine and the piano :P

Tammi does have a point- Gregory and Jinenji living together would probably not work out so well if how they live together in this house is any indication. They are great together as friends, but leave their food out all the time and spend hours talking to themselves and freaking out.