[hr][right][sub]Monday — Morning — Cafeteria[/sub][/right]

Kat was lucky to be able to attach a face to Malie in his head. He barely knew her last name.

"I think she was with Ekaterina's group," said Chester, filling in for Kat's mediocre knowledge of house party schedules. "She went out with them, I mean. I've seen her once or twice at camps." A no, in other words. Kat took a sip of his coke. It was no substitute for sunlight, but he was missing too much, and moving too slowly. Something was [i]wrong.[/i]

[color=fdc68a][i]Is this what Teacher Mikhail warns us about?[/i][/color] thought Kat. He felt the liquid sloshing in its can, recalling the Apocrypha from which he read every Sunday. [color=fdc68a][i]Is this the glitch in the Kenoma?[/i][/color]

[color=fdc68a]"People find it hard to care,"[/color] he said, speaking not too quickly, keeping his head clear. [color=fdc68a]"They think it keeps them safe. Sorry."[/color] he appended, wondering if he was being melodramatic, then wondering if he was being stupid for wondering that. [color=fdc68a]"You're not crazy, though. It's kind of awful, to try and do something important to you... when no one seems to care."[/color] Chester munched away at a reheated Big Mac, but his eyebrows made an affirming gesture. Kat doubted he really understood.

Kat sighed and looked around. There was so much to [i]fix.[/i]

[color=fdc68a]"...If you want to try something at school, you could start by selling some better food,"[/color] he murmured. [color=fdc68a]"You know Malie's parents, right?"[/color] (Kat wasn't sure if she did.) [color=fdc68a]"If yo- we can just help tide them over while they're... Busy, I'm sure it would help a lot. You can get a huge tub of frozen burger patties down the street. I'm sure [i]some people[/i] would rather buy mashed pig than whatever the heck this is,"[/color] he said, nudging Chester and picking at some limp plant matter with his fork.