Molly smiled all the way to the food counter. She paid the bill for the biggest sushi pack, four bowls of seafood ramen, two packs of Waldorf salad and four bottles of ginger ale drink.

Then she dunked them all on the cafe table. She even delivered the steaming hot ramen one by one to Agamemnon, Ballqis and Iqball. They all had agreed to check out Zoo together, and Molly just couldn't wait.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she said and gestured for Aga to quickly open the salad boxes and Ballqis to take off the lid of the sushi pack.

Iqball quickly set the shoyu, gari and wasabi in small plastic plates for everyone.

"This, lady and gentlemen, is bribe. My parents must never find out that we are all going to have a wild night out," Molly declared.

Aga frowned.

"Molly, we don't even know any of your family members..."

"Oh but you will," she interrupted, giving Aga chills yet once again.

Is Molly interested in me that much that she is already planning to take me to see her family? His erratic brain supplied more shiver-inducing thoughts.

"I'm not sure if you all know that my parents have a restaurant branch nearby the pier, right? Well they're coming down from Adelaide soon for my birthday. You all will have to come meet them," Molly said, somehow the confident tone she usually use faded a little.

Iqball pulled a chair for Molly.

Ballqis felt a sting in her chest. Iqball's pally gesture didn't sit well, and she didn't like how it pierced her heart.

Molly cleared her throat.

"What I meant was, would you all come to my family gathering when my parents come to town? Please? You all know I don't have that many friends..." she admitted in small voice.

"I'll be there," Ballqis promised. Molly had been nothing but nice and supportive all these while. Even if Iqball liked Molly more than Ballqis, that's no excuse to not be a friend.

"And you don't have to bribe. We got your back," Iqball added and bumped a fist to Molly's shoulder.

"Of course Molly. We're a team remember?" Aga quickly add in before anyone could notice his peculiar expression.

"Really? Guys, you're all my heroes!" Molly almost cried.

"We're your friends, you nerd," Aga reminded as he tried to act natural.

It seemed to work as the whole table burst into laughter then ate merrily. Even the awkwardness between Iqball and Ballqis dissipated as they finished their meal.

***

"Why won't you include Mirna in our.. our.." Ballqis finally asked Iqball that afternoon.

Molly had eaten too much that she left early, claiming she could already hear her bed calling.

Agamemnon said he needed to finish an assignment and headed to the library.

And that was how Ballqis was left alone with the vanilla-scented Iqball. They had been tasked by Aga and Molly to finish the sushi and salad, which apparently had become too much for a group of four. Ballqis loved sushi but she just need to let the ramen settle first. Iqball volunteered to finish the salad.

"Our T7 Task Force?" Iqball queried.

Ballqis picked up her pair of chopsticks.

"I was going to say Fish Heist but that works better. I thought one of us would end up having to keep the fish in our tiny unit and one day woke up with a scaly giant trying to eat his feet," Ballqis quipped.

She began to lack the leftover sushi. It was too much to finish immediately.

Iqball grinned.

"I could be wrong about Mirna, but since the fish isn't in danger at the moment, I really feel we should take our time before including her," he reiterated.

Ballqis shook her head.

"If we include her early enough, we would be better prepared. She seemed ready to care for her Babyfish, and T7 seemed to like her a lot. You should have seen T7 during the second video call. It floated on its belly when Mirna said 'Play dead!'. They already have an established communication. We should let her have the fish once T7's term as observation specie ends," Ballqis debated.

Iqball who had just finished the remainder of the salad could not agree.

"What is she is being paid by a rival researcher to deliver Mrs Jogh's assets?" he asked simply.

Ballqis could not find a viable retort. What Iqball said was true and she shouldn't be too stubborn to acknowledge.

"Ok, you have a solid point there. I'll follow your lead then. You can just tell me what I have to do and when," she admitted defeat.

Then she quickly gather her bag and sushi pack, and left.

Iqball could only gawk at the sight of her diminishing.

You blew it, Iqball. You blew it for real this time. She will never talk to you again, he told himself.

"Hey Iqball, check out this gadget, nifty eh?"

The voice of a classmate stole his attention away. A small black box was shoved towards his hands.

"Huh? What's this?" he asked Bella, a girl who happened to be a senior in Chemistry class.

"I noticed you don't smoke. This is something you can try. For you, it's free. I'll even throw in this peach flavoured juice. Just come to me if you need new flavours or a new juice cartridge. It's only $9 per cartridge. You can try other flavours like coffee, chocolate or other fruit," Bella offered.

Iqball was about to decline, but Bella pressed the e-cigarette device and a juice cartridge pack with the picture of a ripe peach into his palms and left.

"Wait, Bella! I can't accept these!" Iqball called.

"Just try it! If you don't like it, sell it off! It's $29 a piece!" she hollared back.

Iqball wanted to chase her and return the goods, but as he looked around, everyone at the next table had one.

Maybe Bella is doing a part time gig giving away these things. I should not make it difficult for her to earn some pocket money, he mused.

He cleared the table and headed back to his unit, with his head full of plans to get back of Ballqis' good books.

I wonder if T7 would be willing to help. That was one of his last resorts before climbing back onto his bed.