Chapter Two: A Deckhand's Guide to Avoiding Arrest

The Problem with Nim

Thanks for being here, and welcome back to “A Deckhand’s Guide to Avoiding Arrest”. If you haven’t read my first chapter yet, I suggest you visit my Chapter Index here, so you can get caught up. Otherwise, enjoy!

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Middle school wasn’t rough because of the classes or the strict teachers. It was rough because of the students. Old Town Middle School was located only a couple of blocks from Ethel’s apartment and held a rather rowdy group of students.

There were dozens of schools in Angel’s Landing, but Old Town often hosted the ‘overflow’ students. Everyone wanted their kids to go to the newest high schools so that they could learn on the newest equipment with the newest tech. Ethel didn’t share this sentiment, and who was Reid to fight her on the matter?

So, he attended school despite the fact that his peers were awful. He did it mostly for Ethel. She was the only family he had left, and for that, he wanted to make her proud.

As Reid sat in his fourth period, he waited for the students around him to quiet down. The teacher waited too, looking both too-tired-to-care and thoroughly done with the day. Outside, Reid noticed a transport pull up to the curb. A girl climbed out of the front seat, smiling as she said ‘bye’ to whoever was dropping her off.

The girl was likely his own age–fourteen or fifteen–with an array of frizzy hair. She wore a baggy sweatshirt and a backpack full of pins. Reid watched as she walked into the school. He wondered absently what kind of student started school halfway through the day. However, he didn’t think too long or hard about it.

Class resumed, and Reid nearly forgot about the new student.

That was, until he found her sitting alone outside the school that afternoon.

She sat on the curb while students piled into the buses or found their transports in the parking lot. She hardly seemed to notice the other students around her. Instead, her focus was on something in her hands. As Reid drew closer, he realized she held a ladybug. It crawled across her palm while she watched it with genuine interest.

Reid considered ignoring the new girl and walking straight home. However, something about her fascinated him. Slowly, he approached her.

“You must be new here,” he said as he sat down beside her. “I’m Reid. I saw you walk in earlier today.”

She glanced over at him with a look of surprise. “Oh, hi,” she gave a smile. “I’m Wilhelmina, but no one calls me that.”

“What do they call you?”

“Nim.”

Reid wasn’t entirely sure how someone with a name like ‘Wilhelmina’ could shorten it to ‘Nim’, but he didn’t question her. He supposed anyone could go by whatever nickname they liked.

“Did you just start school today?”

She gave a small nod and looked back at the insect in her hands.

“Where were you before this?”

“Egart High; before that it was Northstar,” she said.

“Did your family move?”

Finally, she placed the ladybug on the grass beside her and turned towards him. “No, I was expelled.”

“Oh.” Another terror, just what this school needs.

Before Reid got his chance to leave the conversation with Nim, a boy named Arlen walked by. Whether it was on purpose or by accident, he stepped directly onto the ladybug Nim had been holding only seconds ago. Nim gasped.

“You stepped on my ladybug,” she glared at Arlen.

The boy turned and scoffed. “So?”

“So?” She mimicked as she stood up. “It didn’t do anything to you. Why’d you have to do that?”

“It’s a bug,” Arlen rolled his eyes. “Get over it.”

“You did it on purpose.” Her anger intensified.

“So what if I did?”

Nim looked like she was ready to fight. Her hands clenched at her side. “Then you’d be a fucking asshole.”

“Nim!” The science teacher, Miss Eileen, rushed between her and Arlen.

Instantly, Nim looked ashamed. She crossed her arms and looked down at the now-dead bug. “Sorry,” she mumbled.

“That is not appropriate language to be using.”

Behind Miss Eileen, the students were already loading onto the bus. Arlen looked impossibly smug as he did so.

“It wasn’t her fault,” Reid interjected. “Arlen was being…rude.”

Miss Eileen spared him only the briefest look before focusing her attention back on Nim.

“I need you to know that acting up like that is not acceptable here at this school. I understand you’ve had problems in the past. You don’t want to repeat those problems here, do you?”

Nim dug her fingers deep into the pockets of her sweater. “No,” she replied.

“Good.”

When Miss Eileen finally left, Nim grabbed her bag off the ground and began to walk away from the school. She ignored Reid as she began to leave the schoolyard.

“Wait,” Reid ran after her.

Nim didn’t wait.

“I’ve never seen anyone talk back to Arlen before,” he said.

“I don’t think you should follow me,” she said at last.

“Where are you going?”

She stopped at the edge of the street and turned to look at him. “I don’t know…I didn’t see that teacher there…I…I shouldn’t have said that.”

Reid gave her a small smile. “I think Arlen got what he deserved. Just next time, watch for teachers.”

Slowly, Nim’s look of embarrassment faded. “Is he always mean like that?”

Reid laughed. “Yeah, he locked me in the janitor’s closet last year for hours.”

“That’s terrible.”

Reid shrugged. For a moment neither of them spoke. “Why were you expelled?”

“I accidentally started a fire at Northstar,” she said. “And then at Egart I ruined their security system.”

“A fire?”

“Not on purpose,” she added quickly. “Really, it was an accident. It’s always an accident. I love school.”

Reid contemplated that for a moment. No one he knew said they ‘loved school’. It was far from a cool thing to say. However, Nim didn’t appear to be the slightest bit concerned about what was cool.

“Do you have a favorite class?”

“Science,” she said quickly. “I especially love biology.”

“I like languages,” he said. “I’m taking four right now. In college I plan to study even more.”

​

Reid woke to soft golden light pouring in through the curtains of his bedroom. He rolled over, idly pulling the blanket over his head to hide from the light. In the distance, he heard the familiar sound of Ethel preparing breakfast. Something hot sizzled in a pan while the tea kettle screamed.

Ethel wasn’t a quiet woman. Pots clanked together. The kettle only grew louder. On top of it all, she was listening to orchestra music at max volume. As the song crescendoed into a loud symphony, Reid groaned and rolled onto his back.

The warm feeling from his dream lingered. Nim was his only friend from school. Despite their differing lifestyles, she was still his closest friend and confidant. She knew more about him than anyone else ever had. However, there was still so much that she never quite opened up about.

As Reid lay in bed, he thought about the day ahead of him. Two more days of classes, then he’d be free for the summer. He should have been excited to finally be ‘out in the real world,’ as Ethel put it. He just couldn’t bring himself to feel that excitement.

Reid liked school. He liked the organization. He liked the routine he had built over the last four years. Now, he was forced to face something he didn’t know if he was ready to face.

I can still get my doctorate, he told himself.

Despite this, Reid knew he had to get out into the field. If he ever wanted to be a xenoarcheologist, he had to leave Earth eventually. What good is studying alien customs if he spent his whole life on Earth?

​

With Nim off on a quest to find a new job and Ethel busy with her antique shop, Reid found himself sitting around the apartment like a ghost. He entertained himself by cleaning the kitchen, watching a rerun of a reality show called ‘Planet of Love’, and watering Ethel’s collection of plants.

The Elphan, whom Nim had begun to call Rice, served poorly as a distraction. For the most part, the creature was content to be curled up in the corner of the couch. Reid tried to take him for a walk, but all he wanted to do was sleep.

Eventually, it was time for him to leave for class. He left the apartment with the resounding sensation that this was all coming to an end. Sure, he’d get a job, but then what? Would he move out of his childhood home? Would he get roommates? The uncertainty felt like a hand wrapping around his neck.

Outside, the streets of Angel’s Landing were hot and crowded. However, Reid didn’t mind the commotion. It gave him something to think about. Something other than what he should do with his life.

Reid approached campus and walked to his first class of the day. He found his seat and the day went on. Time passed whether Reid wanted it to or not. It would not slow down for him no matter how unprepared he felt for what was coming next.

​

Between two of his classes, Reid met up with Nim at a beachside cafe. It was one of her favorite places because there was an outdoor patio. It was one of his least favorite places because of how damned windy it got. Considering what Nim had been through, he gave in and agreed to go to the cafe.

When he arrived, it was quiet. The patio was occupied by a group of older women, a couple on an awkward-looking date, and Nim. Nim sat alone at a two-person table with the umbrella up over her. Her wild curls sprang out in every direction as the wind gently tugged at them. She wore a pair of oversized sunglasses and a well-loved tie-dye shirt.

Reid took a seat across from her. Nim pushed her sunglasses up into her hair and gave him a tired smile.

“How was class?” She asked.

“Good, weird, but good.” He looked down at the menu on the table.

“Weird how?”

He shrugged. “I’ve only got a couple classes left and…then I’m done.”

Nim nodded and flashed him a smile–a real one this time. “You know, most students would be excited.”

“Yeah, well, I’m…”

“Cooler than them.”

Reid rolled his eyes.

“I’m serious,” she said. “You’re way cooler than them. By the way, I ordered for you. I got your usual.”

“Thanks.” Reid found himself gazing out at the water.

The beach was busy with the beginning of summer. Families, students, and couples littered the sand. A game of volleyball just started, and Reid couldn’t help but feel a ping of jealousy at how light-hearted the world seemed to be.

“I’ve put in a few applications,” Nim continued. She took a long sip from the soda in front of her. “But no responses yet.”

“Well, it’s still a bit early to hear from them,” he offered.

Nim shrugged and turned to look at the waves. “I think I’d make a good farmer.”

Reid raised an eyebrow. “A farmer?”

“Yeah, maybe I should go east. Way out there where there’s nothing but fields and farms, and I’ll grow…soybeans and never have to deal with tech again.”

“Not the soybean plan again,” he groaned. “I know you, you’d miss people too much.”

“How do you know? Maybe I’d be a great farmer.”

“And there’s still technology involved with farming. At least I think so.”

Nim frowned. “I met this girl once whose aunt was part of some old religion. Apparently, she lived in a convent where they had no tech at all. She spent her days cleaning and gardening and…praying. I could do that.”

“That kinda sounds like a cult.”

She groaned and dropped her head unceremoniously onto the table. The sound of her head hitting the patio table was loud enough to draw attention from the group of older women. Reid gently reached out and touched her arm.

“Nim, you’re going to figure this out, alright?”

“I’m about to owe tons of money to Ito Enterprises. Money I don’t have. And finding a job that doesn’t involve tech is…impossible.”

“What if you learned to control yourself a bit more?”

She raised her head and gave him an irritated look. “Don’t you think I’ve tried that? There’s no controlling it. There is only hiding it.”

Reid understood the sentiment more than he cared to share. He gave a nod, unwilling to argue with Nim any further. Only a second later, their food arrived.

“Enough about me,” Nim shoved a handful of fries into her mouth. “How’s your job-hunting going?”

“Not great.”

“Why?”

“I…haven’t started.”

Nim looked surprised, pausing before taking a bite of her sandwich. “Why not?”

He sighed. “I just feel…overwhelmed by it all, I guess. I don’t know what my next steps are.” It felt good to admit it out loud.

“You’ll figure it out,” she offered. “You’re the smartest person I know.”

Reid forced a smile, feeling anything but smart.

Above them, a ship soared over Angel’s Landing. It rose high up into the atmosphere. For a moment, both Nim and Reid watched it.

“I know you said there’s no controlling your…condition. But have you ever thought about contacting ESA? I mean, out of anyone-”

“Are you crazy?” Her fingers tightened on her sandwich, making a slice of tomato slip out and onto her plate.

“I just thought-”

“The one rule my mom had for me was never to get involved with ESA. They’re half the reason I’m like this.”

“That seems like the exact reason you should reach out. Maybe they could help you.”

“No one can help me.”

​

Reid sat in one of his last lectures of the year. In all honesty, he wasn’t sure why Professor Tiya insisted on having class at all. The final exam was done, reports were in, and the entire student body was restless with the desire for summer. Despite this, Tiya droned on about what they should expect if they were to continue her course.

While Reid prided himself on his academic achievements, even he was beginning to feel restless. Everything with Nim was weighing on his mind. Would it really be such a bad idea to reach out to ESA?

An entire warehouse, he thought to himself.

A simple calculation could easily give him an estimate as to how much she would owe. He was too afraid to do the math. No matter what the total was, he knew Nim couldn’t afford it.

It was hard for Reid to focus during the rest of his classes. His mind drifted to Nim and the warehouse. He thought about her expression as she sat on the fire escape. Once, she had told him, ‘I’m sure things will get easier for me’. But that was several jobs ago.

Things were not getting easier, and yet she still hadn’t addressed the root of the problem.

​

It was late afternoon when Reid returned to ‘Past Lives’. Ethel was still in her shop. A neon orange open sign flashed idly in the window. He let himself into the shop to find that it was empty.

It was almost always empty, but that didn’t seem to bother his grandmother. She puttered around the shop, dusting shelves, unboxing items she found elsewhere. If no one ever came in, it would be all the same to her.

Reid found himself gazing at the shelves lined with old tech, ornate decor, and things from another time and place. The shop was full but well organized. The afternoon sunlight pooled on the floor. In one of the spots of sunlight lay Rice. The half-feline, half-reptile creature dozed as an old orchestra song played a little too loudly through the speakers.

“Reid,” Ethel smiled. “I was hoping you’d be back soon. I’ve got to meet someone at the other end of town. Would you mind watching the shop for me while I’m gone?”

“I don’t mind. Where’s Nim?”

“Oh, she’s out on a walk. I think it’s best if we give her a little space. She seemed…upset when she got home.”

Reid nodded.

Ethel packed her bag and left the shop. A little bell on the door rang upon her departure. Reid stood in the familiar comforts of his grandmother’s shop and considered Nim.

“Whenever I get too close to technology, things happen. Bad things.” Nim had once told him.

She never truly elaborated on the matter. Whenever Reid attempted to ask questions about her so-called ‘condition’, she dodged them. Nim was skilled at dodging questions when she had to be.

​

Reid ran the little shop for about an hour without a single customer walking in through the door. He sat at the desk in the back of the shop, wondering if he ought to just close it down for the rest of the day. Before he had a chance to do so, the bell rang.

“Welcome to Past Lives,” Reid called out. “Let me know if I can help you find anything.”

The customer, a dark-haired man with dead, black eyes, approached Reid without a word. His face was grim and serious for a man who likely had not quite hit thirty.

“Can I help you?” Reid asked again.

“I am searching for a woman named Nim Penzey,” he began. “According to our information, she lived with her mother a couple of blocks from here. However, I appear to have the wrong information. I was led here by an older woman.”

“Oh, right. Well, Nim lives here with my grandma and me. She has for quite a while now.”

“I see. She never filed a change of address.”

“Her mother passed away,” Reid felt a pang of irritation. “I’m sure she’s been meaning to, but she’s been busy.”

The stranger nodded. “I understand. Is she here now?”

“No.”

“Then I will come back at a better time.” He turned and left before Reid could find the words to respond.

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