A few weeks later, I'm lounging in the room, when Maria bursts in, her violet eyes shining.
"You won't believe what's happening! There's two new members of the crew joining us!"
"Yeah?" I reply.
"C'mon!" She tugs on my hand and rushes out.
I hop out and hurry after her- and am promptly pulled in the other direction... Into a closet.
"Hey!" I cry, annoyed.
"Sorry," Eric returns, sheepishly.
"What is up with you and closets?!" I demand.
"I thought we agreed on closets," Eric says.
I sigh.
"Well, why am I here this time?"
"I don't think we should trust the new recruits."
I recoil, shocked.
"You haven't even met them!" I protest.
"Well, we don't know them," Eric heatedly replies.
As we squabble, the door is yanked open, to reveal Rhonda raising her eyebrow.
"There are new recruits," she tells us, and walks away.
Eric scowls, and we start towards the cafeteria.
                                                                                                ***
"This is Natalia, and this is Cameron," Rhonda introduces the newcomers with a flourish of her hand.
"It is nice to meet you," Natalia says graciously, with a faint Russian accent.
"I am a metalizer."
"Hey, I'm a paralysist," Cameron greets us with a wave of his hand.
His shaggy brown hair covers his eyes and he hastily brushes it away.
Beside me, Eric purses his lips.
"I'm sure they're very nice people," I whisper to him.
"For our sakes, I hope they are," he mutters.
Maria's eyes are as round as saucers.
"A paralysist!? Wow, that's cool!" She exclaims.
Cameron vaguely smiles.
"Off to your rooms now, it's getting late," Rhonda ushers us out.
I sure hope Eric's thoughts aren't validated, and we don't have spies in our midst.
***
The next morning, I find my brother chatting up Natalia in the cafeteria. By the way her emerald eyes flash, I have a feeling she isn't happy to be talking to him. I'm so focused on them, that I almost run into Eric as he makes a beeline for the breakfast table.
"Whoa!" He hollers, and I skirt him just in time to avoid a collision.
"Oopsie daisy! Sorry," I apologize.
"Who says oopsie daisy nowadays?" He asks, giving me a funny look.
"Me, apparently," I snort with derision.
"Good point," he agrees, with a lopsided grin.
"Today you will all be working together!" Rhonda calls out.
"Yeesh." Eric grimaces.
"They haven't hurt us, ok?" I say impatiently.
"They can sneak up on us in the night, and then... Pounce!" Eric jumps on me.
I shriek, and he falls off laughing.
"Eric! That is unacceptable behaviour!" Rhonda frowns.
Mr. Olen and Ms. Garret mirror her expression.
Eric salutes and turns back to me.
"Are you kinda excited to defeat the Megalodon?"
"Uhhh, nooo," I say.
"How do they even know about this thing anyways?" He continues.
"They picked up its sonar pulse on a radar scanner," I explain, helping myself to a yogurt tube.
Eric swipes a cream cheese  bagel.
"Ew, you're eating that?" I wrinkle my nose.
"Yeah, it's yummy," Eric defends, but he's smiling.
As we near the table, I realize he's still smiling.
I give him a weird look.
He must know what I'm thinking, since he says,
"It's cute when you wrinkle your nose."
"Thank you?" I say.
"You're welcome."
"Chop chop children!" Rhonda snaps her fingers. " We have a big day!"