Stories Collide - A Stuart Gibbs Story

Chapter 6 - Annoyance

PERSPECTIVE SWITCH: DASHIELL GIBSON

"WHY?" I ASKED CHARLIE.

"BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO."

"BUT WHY?"

"BECAUSSSSEEEE..." CHARLIE BROUGHT HER FACE SO CLOSE TO MINE THAT OUR NOSES WERE PRACTICALLY TOUCHING.

"BECAUSE, I NEED TO SEE IF MY IDEA IS CORRECT."

I BEGAN TO SWEAT. CHARLIE WAS PUSHING HARD. I WANTED TO GIVE IN, BUT I WANTED TO KNOW MORE.

"I-I-I... WHAT EXACTLY DO YOU WANT TO KNOW?"

CHARLIE PUSHED HER FACE EVEN MORE CLOSELY TOWARDS MINE AND GRINNED. I BEGAN TO SWEAT EVEN MORE.

"FINE," SHE SAID. "IT'S BECAUSE I NEED TO SEE IF THE YEAR CHANGES AS WE GO DOWN TOWARDS EARTH. IF ITS 2041 UP HERE, MAYBE IT'S THE NORMAL YEAR DOWN THERE."

I WAS SURPRISED. "HOW DID YOU EVEN COME UP WITH THAT?"

CHARLIE PULLED HER FACE BACK AND SMILED. SHE PLACED HER HANDS ON MY SHOULDERS AND BOUNCED UP AND DOWN.

"BECAUSE, I TOLD YOU, I'M A GENIUS. MY IQ IS ALMOST AS HIGH AS EINSTEIN'S."

"REALLY? YOU'RE A LOT SASSIER THAN HE WAS."

CHARLIE'S SMILE JACKED UP A FEW NOTCHES. "THAT IS ONE OF MY MANY AWESOME QUALITIES."

"THAT YOU'RE SASSY? THAT A GOOD QUALITY?"

"OF COURSE."

I WAS SILENT FOR A MINUTE. CHARLIE DIDN'T SHUT UP.

"SOOOOOOO DASH, CAN YOU GET ME ON THAT ROCKET TOMORROW?" CHARLIE STUCK HER FACE IN MINE AGAIN. I HATED WHEN SHE DID THAT.

I PUSHED HER AWAY AND SAID, "I'LL DO MY BEST."

SHE GRINNED. "YAAAAAAAAAAY!"

"ARE YOU BEING ANNOYING ON PURPOSE?"

"YES!"

"WELL, CUT IT OUT."

"NO."

"WHY NOT?"

"BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO." SHE LOOKED AT ME, SMIRKING. I STARED INTO HER DEEP, GREEN EYES.

I ROLLED MY EYES. "ARE YOU REALLY A GENIUS?"

"YES."

"YOU DON'T ACT LIKE ONE."

"THAT'S BECAUSE I'M A KID AND NOT AS GRUMPY AS YOOOOOOOU!" SHE SANG, STILL HOLDING ON TO MY SHOULDERS AND BOUNCING UP AND DOWN.

"I'M A KID TOO. HOW OLD ARE YOU?"

"I AM 12."

"I AM 13."

"THAT'S WHY YOU'RE SO GRUMPY. YOU'RE A TEENAGER."

"I'M NOT GRUMPY!"

"YOU ARE SO."

"HOW DID WE EVEN GET ON THIS TOPIC? WE'RE SUPPOSED TO BE PLANNING FOR THE ROCKET."

"OH, RIGHT! I CAN SNEAK AND HIDE BEHIND YOUR SEAT, CORRECT? JUDGING FROM THE BLUEPRINTS ON THE WALL, THERE SHOULD BE ENOUGH ROOM."

ROCKET BLUEPRINTS WERE HUNG ON THE WALL. I, AND EVERYONE ELSE, ALWAYS ASSUMED THEY WERE FOR SOME SPACE-DECORATION PURPOSES.

"WHERE?" I ASKED.

"HERE," SAID CHARLIE. SHE POINTED TO WRITING SO SMALL AT THE TOP OF THE BLUEPRINTS THAT I COULD BARELY READ IT. "SEE?" SHE SAID. "MEASUREMENTS FOR THE SPACE BETWEEN THE SEATS, SPACE UP FRONT, CONTROL INSTRUCTIONS, ETC."

I WAS SHOCKED. I COULD BARELY READ THE WRITING, LET ALONE NOTICE IT FROM ACROSS THE ROOM, AND I HAD BEEN HERE FOR SEVERAL MONTHS. CHARLIE HAD JUST GOTTEN HERE.

"HOW CAN YOU READ THAT? OR NOTICE IT? I CAN'T EVEN SEE IT FROM ACROSS THE ROOM!"

"I TOLD YOU, I 'M A GENIUS WITH HYPER-AWARENESS AND GOOD EYES."

I COULDN'T SAY I WASN'T MAJORLY IMPRESSED BY CHARLIE'S EYES. ALSO, I WAS HAPPY TO HAVE SOMETHING MORE TO DO ON THE ROCKET THAN STARE AT THE WALLS. I WAS EVEN EXCITED.

"I'M GOING TO GET YOU ON THAT ROCKET TOMORROW," I SAID DREAMILY, MORE TO MYSELF THAN CHARLIE.

CHARLIE SMIRKED, AMUSED AT ME TALKING TO MYSELF IN FRONT OF HER. THEN SHE GRINNED.

"I SURE HOPE SO."