7.1.2

June 57, 4036 N.D.

“Poru, you slacker! Get back here and do your half of the work!”
Tona saw Poru ducked under the bottom steps of the large stairway that led up to the upper deck of the ship. There was only about two feet of space under the edge of the step, and Tona could tell Poru had scooted back as far as he could go. She could tell he was hoping that she hadn’t seen him duck under the stairs, but he was sadly mistaken.
“Poru!” She yelled again, stepping in front of the stairs so that she knew that he could at least see her feet. She waited a minute to give him the chance to come out and fess up, but when he didn’t her temper flared. She aimed a kick into the unseen space, and sent her bare foot flying, coming in contact with something that she couldn’t see below the overhang.
Poru let out a stifled yell, “Tona!” he howled, clutching a bloody nose and crawling out from his hiding place with tears in his eyes, “You freak! What did you do that for?!”
Tona stood in front of him, proud that she had caught her convict. Her dark hair hung to her shoulders, shining in the warm midday sun. Her yellow hand-me-down dress fell to her knees and her bare feet were tough from years of running barefoot through the decks.
“Serves you right!” her arms folded, she stuck out her tongue at him in a scowl, “Next time, don’t just take off and leave me to do all the work! Get down to base deck and clean the rest of the classroom, I’ve already done my share!”
“Well I cant now, can I?” he shot back, returning her scowl, “You kicked me in the nose, fish face!”
Tona’s face grew red, “My name is not fish face!” she growled.
“Oh yeah?” Poru countered, “because all I see looking at me is a giant catfish!”
She hated him. She hated Poru at that moment with what felt like every fiber of her being. She aimed a punch at his stomach that he barely sidestepped. Once she regained her balance from that, she let out a scream and went in to throw another punch at him.
“TONA!”
Tona froze at the sound of the powerful voice behind her. “Yes... Daru?” she didn’t turn around as a bearded man walked towards her with a deep set frown, “You fighting again, Tona? Get your ass over here now.”
Tona’s anger towards Poru drained. For a split second before she turned around, her face crumpled and her sadness showed before she could regain her composure. She knew Poru had seen the change, but she didn’t want to deal with it, so she ignored him and turned around to face Daru.
As she walked, or dragged her feet at least, towards Doru, she heard Poru say something behind her, “Tonitrui?”
What? She thought. The name - was it a name? - rang a bell deep in her being, and she turned her head, “What did you say?”
“Tonitrui,” he said again, looking as confused as she did and still holding his bleeding nose, “That’s what you just said.”
She narrowed her eyes, “Did not,” she said, but before he could respond anything else, she picked up her pace towards Doru and followed him below deck for what would be a lecture and punishment. She didn’t say that. That wouldn’t make sense.