Sequence 1.
Lights! Camera! Action!
I pan my video cam from left to right.
“On the screen, you are now seeing the Manhattan Museum for Kids, specifically the outer space section. A little more panning to right and…shoot! Uhhmmm… yes. A little more to the right and you can see the star of all my videos.. Jake Kenderson.” I roll my eyes.
“Hi, friend Ginnie!” he flashes his pearly whites in front of me.
“Seriously Jake? Do you really have to ruin all my footage?” I shut my camera off and walk away.
“I am not ruining all your footage.” He does some annoying air quotes. “I’m doing you a favor.”
“Dare I ask how?” I avoid looking at his eyes while I try to get back in line.
“Ginnie, I’m video-genic. The camera loves me. Your soon-to-be audience will probably love me too.” I chuckle. Jake, the almost narcissistic jerk is never too full of himself.
“If I didn’t know any better, even you love me too.” His statement catches me off guard.
I put my hands in my pocket. “Puh-lease. As if someone would ever love you.”
“You can’t deny it forever.” He pokes my arm.
“Go away Jake! I really want to document this field trip and I don’t want you face in it.” I shoo him away.
“That’s so mean, Ginnie. I thought we were friends.” He pouts and does some sort of weird expression that I’m supposed to pity.
His eyes, gahhhh those eyes!
Too charming. Must stop. Before I. can’t. help. myself. Before. I. fall…
“Fine!” I throw my arms up in the air. “You can appear in the video but just as a bystander or something.”
“Yes! Yes!” The rest of the class looks our way.
“Jake, stop!” I tell him. “You do realize that you’re making a fool out of yourself.”
That stops him from being really… loud.
“Yeah…” He scratches the back of his neck.
“That’s why we should get out of here.” Jake pulls me away.
“But the line is going the opposite direction.” I try to break free from his grip. He’s holding my hand tightly so that’s really hard. Plus, my hand kind of doesn’t want to let go too which is harder.
“Ginnie. Ginnie. Ginnie.” Jake shakes his head. “Do you want to get some good shots or not?”
“Of course I do but—”
“Then follow my lead.” He holds out a hand. I take it and he pulls me.
Jake and I keep running and running and running… until he finally found the place that he… we were looking for.
I turn on my camera. Thankfully, it has a night mode function.
“Wow.” My mouth opens in awe. “I’ve never seen something this beautiful before.”
“I know. This is the Dome of the Stars.” He smiles. “It’s the best part of the museum.”
Jake and I sat down and just looked up to see the patterns among the twinkling lights.
“You know, people always thought of planets and galaxies when they talk about outer space. But I always thought of the billions of stars up there.” Jake says in a tone he’s never used before.
“For me, stars make up most of the outer space and they fill the emptiness in it.” he adds.
“I used to wish on stars when I was in elementary.” I suddenly blurt out.
“What did you wish for?” he asks.
“I wished that I’d have best friend that I could trust forever.”
I wished that you’d be my best friend forever.
“Hey, I’ve always been you’re best friend. I’ve never stopped!” He playfully hits my arm.
“Yes you have.”
That’s all you’ll ever be.
“What changed? Why did you stop wishing?” he asks.
“I don’t know. I guess I just grew up.”
I know. I just realized that I don’t want to be just friends anymore but the idea is too far fetched. You’ve change into a handsome popular jock while I got stuck in the memories of elementary. And then I realized that no matter how may stars I wish on, it’s just not going to happen.
“Well, I’m going to make a wish now and you have to make a wish for me.” Jake says.
“Fine.” I say and we close our eyes.
I wish we’ll stay like this— together.
Our great magical moment ended when my phone suddenly rings.
“Where are you?” my best friend Lisa is on the other end of the line.
“I’m in the Dome of the Stars. Why?” I ask.
“We’re already getting back on the bus! Hurry back here!”
“WHAT?!” I immediately get up.
“Is there a problem?” Jake asks.
“They’re already getting on the bus! We have to go.” I yank him out of his chair.
“Alright then,” he says as I pull him.
“Do you know the way back?” I ask, panicking.
“Maybe,” Jake replies as he rubs the back of his neck.
“You have got to be kidding me.” I slap my forehead. “What if you get lost?”
“If I’d ever be lost with you, this is the perfect place to be. Even for days, I’d love to be lost in space with you.” Jake stares directly into my eyes. It gave me the creeps… along with the heart fluttering feeling.
I snap out of my thoughts just in time for another message from Lisa.
“As cute as that sounded, we have to get home somehow and that bus will help us with that so come on.” I pull him.
“Wait,” He resists. “You thought it was cute?”
“I do. Now hurry up!” I try to get him to move but he doesn’t.
“And that’s all that you have to say?” he asks. Gahhh, I know where this is leading.
I stopped my camera from recording so that he won’t have any evidence to use against me.
“Fine. I’d love to be lost in space with you too.”
And cut!
YOU ARE READING
Operation Centuria: The First 25
Teen FictionThis is the first thirty stuff of the Operation Centuria series. It is a compilation of short stories by three different authors.
