Chapter Twenty Eight
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Day 136: Asteroid (cont.)
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When a Scallonian turns eighteen, he or she gets a special ability determined by their personality in the past year, a superpower of sorts. I’m actually surprised Meteor’s hasn’t activated yet.
Meteor walks into the room carrying the shoebox.
“Sorry, I didn't have time to wrap it,” I apologize. “Open it. I need sleep.” He discards the lid and lifts out a pair of brand-spankin’-new blue Nikes.
“Speed? That’s my ability?”
“Top of your class in Track and Field. Won thirteen races.
“Remember that day you tore your feet up? Ran twenty miles that day. Fast, too. You think your personality has been read wrong?
“Try them on and stop looking at them.” He slips them on and starts running in place. As he runs, his feet turn into a blur. “Go try them on the treadmill. You're wearing the carpet out,” I laugh. “Agh! Ow, it hurts.”
“We need to get you to the medical wing.”
“But-”
“No buts. You're too weak to even be awake. Michael-” He spits the word out like it tastes bad. “Michael has something that will help. It’ll heal you in a day, or so he says.”
“Do you trust him?”
“I just want you to be okay.”
“I need fresh air. Run with me.” He scoops me up with ease and walks through the empty halls of the Orion, into the teleportation station. We end up on our beach. He holds me gently and starts running, fast, so fast.
The salty air bites my cheeks and the wind whips my hair. We’re going so fast I can't see a thing. I take deep breaths of unpolluted, crisp air and I feel a million times better. None of Michael's harebrained methods can cure as well as old fashioned fresh air, a change of scenery, and Meteor’s strong arms.
“Meteor,” I whisper. He pulls up short.
“Wha-”
“Shh.” I put a finger to his lips. My cheeks are pink with adrenaline and wind. “I’m ok. I feel much better. Let’s go home.”
“Okay. Let’s go home.” I hit my bracelet and we hypostatize in the teleportation chamber. Meteor lightly sets my feet on the ground, takes my hand and we walk through the halls, passing the members of the team on the way. They each give us odd stares and follow us at what I assume they think is a discreet distance but it doesn’t have the desired effect. As we walk through the door to the leisure room, Meteor whispers to me.
“We have to tell them.”
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Day 136: Meteor
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She slowly turns to me.
“I never said- I only wanted- just because-” I softly push her onto one of the couches and lay her lengthwise on it. I sit down next to her and lean over her. She’s steaming with rage, but I kiss her anyway. I gently seal her angry comments off and the fury fades in this tender gesture. As I lean back, she sits up.
“Okay. We can go. But no more pain.”
“No more secrets.”
“No more weakness.”
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Day 137: Asteroid
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Meteor and I walk into the bridge just as the rest of the team does. I, however, completely ignore them and walk over to the comms screen. I call headquarters, knowing my mother and Comet would answer.
“Team Tektite. Is this you? Please respond,” Comet and my mother appear on the screen.
“No. This is Code Black. We are an elite team of aliens and humans with special abilities, prepared to die for one another. We are going to safeguard and maintain order and justice in the universe. If we are injured or die, so be it. Far be it from me to selfishly live in a quiet home on a planet I never really liked anyway. Goodbye, Venus, Comet.” I end the call. The entire team stands behind me and applauds.
“Nova! Take us out of here. Michael, lab. Design us some new tech. Constellation, chart a course for the other side of the universe, as far away from here as possible. Star? Lunch.”
“Yes Ma’am,” The team says in unison, saluting. As they disperse, Meteor turns to me and I run up to the observation deck, him at my heels.
“What am I supposed to do, Captain?”
“Oh, you’ll find something to keep busy.”
“Oh, I will.” As the ship rumbles and lifts off, Meteor pulls me in close and kisses me like never before. I wonder what I would do without this. I’ll think about it later. Now, we’re headed to another time, another place.
Another world.
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End of Book One107Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk7ErwRdgnP
