"But you guys are working!"
"Yes, it's a part of our education program. We legally have to work, or we don't graduate or qualify for the work specific programs we need without it. Do you think Sakura, of all people, would work if she didn't have to?"
Kate said nothing knowing exactly how stupid a question she'd just asked. An appallingly stupid question.
"Aha" Gen said jumping suddenly. "Finally, I got you to be scared! Wait. Before those shoulders drop, nothing I said was a lie. You're in danger, you're in trouble. Eric, mister Nature who is essentially a poor too has a walk-in closet, just for his shoes! Because poor means something different here! Will you run away now?"
"No." that had come out incredibly firm. So firm, department heads to confirm no one logged in illegally.
"We've passed anger phase to the defensive denial stage. I was waiting for that. Good showing though. You nearly got me."
Kate still had a lot to process but her mind and body needed to retaliate because she was being acted against. She was being manhandled, without the man or the hands. It was only right that she fight back.
"You know." Gen had began.
Kate put fingers to Genevieve's lips shutting her up, hopefully, with the clear threat of exactly what would happen if she kept talking. Genevieve shrugged and went back to puffing away.
Kate took a breath.
Gen had read her damn mind.
Was she really that fat? Was it that clear? Mother wanted her to be healthy, hence the steps, hence the efforts. Of course she had bad self-esteem. Every moment she was put out there, a sudden obstacle appeared in front of her, and Kate would have to climb it. Every… single… time!
But there she was, being told she was exactly what fought to cut away.
Rage exploded in her gut. Burning away all the words Gen had used, but the cruel ones were carved in steel. They turned red hot in of her gut and soul.
As she tried to breath, she struggled to recover. She stared into Gen's eyes, waiting for a smirk, a smile, a grin, any sign that she was having fun at Kate's expense.
Kate needed to recover, to think, she'd been given the tools to crack a skull. She'd been given the tools to think, to consider without exploding. She needed to use them. A series of questions formed in her mind.
Was Genevieve trying to hurt Kate?
Kate didn't know. They'd literally met that day.
She'd also met the others just the day before. So that didn't separate Genevieve from the other girls. But she'd been down that spiral of doubt just last night. She'd not go down that path once more.
"Gen?" Kate asked.
"Yeah?"
"Don't answer immediately. Honestly think before answering. Why are you doing this?"
Gen opened her mouth then closed it. She stared at Kate and put the stylus down. Her knees spread to let her elbows rest, her hands coming together on her chin.
"Okay Kaitlyn. I, Genevieve don't want to see you lose."