The Mars Experience

Chapter 16: Hugo POV

On our way back to where we missed the turn, I decide to talk to Athena. I feel sorry for her. She wants this, needs this, more than anybody else here and nobody's taking her seriously.

"Hey."

"Hey," she replies. I can't quite read her expression. Her eyes opened wide when I approached her, but she didn't smile. I definitely wouldn't say it was the look of someone happy to see me.

"I'm really sorry we missed that turn." I pick at a hangnail on my left thumb.

She takes a deep breath and turns to face me. "It's fine, just..." she shakes her head and turns away to continue walking.

"Just what?" I find myself leaning in to see her eyes that are covered with hair.

"You're smart, aren't you?"

"I guess, but-" she doesn't let me finish and stops in her tracks to face me again.

"Then why didn't you know? Why couldn't you have figured this out hours ago?" she scoffs. "I'm sorry if I'm sounding, like, snobbish or whatever, but my life depends on this, Hugo. Between the cop, and the traveling back, and the," she stomps her foot. "Talking in the middle of the trip, what if we can't make it?"

I prepare myself to tell her off, but underneath the crossed arms and harsh tone, there are tears in her eyes. You could only see the glimmer when looking straight at her. Now that I notice, her eyes are a weirdly pretty shade of hazel. But the glimmer isn't happy, or hopeful, or encouraging. It's desperate, with a powerful enough stare to make you want to cry.

I begin walking for her to follow. "You know, uh," I struggle to think of a subject. "Wait, do you hear that?"

"Hear what? Wait, yeah, I think I do."

Jedrek chimes in. "Do you guys hear a baby crying or is that just my lack of sleep?" he says for everyone to listen.

"Yeah, I hear it too," replies Brianna.

"I think we should split up. Look for the baby," Emma suggests.

"What if the cops put up a sound system so they'll trap us? You have to think these things through," Jedrek snaps at Emma.

"Do you really think they would've done that? Judging by last night, they aren't that clever," Emma snarks.

"And if they are?" Jedrek questions.

Emma freezes.

"What if it is a baby? Hugo..." she looks at me.

"Yes?"

She lowers her voice and tugs on my shirt. "What if you hadn't picked me up? Then what?"

"I... uh... I don't know what to say." I do know what to say. That she's completely right and obviously a much better person than the rest of us, and we should all look for that kid immediately. But I can't say that. I lower my chin to look her in the eye, then look away before speaking. I'm not strong enough. "I agree with Jedrek. This is a different situation. Remember that thing in the tree hall?"

Brianna interrupts. "I thought it was more of, like, an alley."

"I know, right? Me too! Like a tree-" Athena contributes.

"Both of you, hush," Donna commands.

Emma looks back to me. "What thing?"

"When the cop was so close... what if the baby had started crying?"

She takes a deep breath and pauses for a long moment. "If we're helping Athena, we should help the baby as well."

"Emma? Are you crazy? That's suicide!" Jedrek lightly smacks Emma in the back of her head and Brianna smacks Jedrek hard in return.