Stargazer (Write Awards 2013)

Chapter 16 (Write Awards 2013)

The next day we were all crammed around a small round table, grabbing at Aunt Calley's fresh stack of homemade pancakes. Chatter filled the kitchen with a nice hum of being home, and it made me homesick, but in a good way. Stephen and Aaron had a competition to see who could hold the most pancakes in their mouth, and Stephen was winning by a long shot.

"Butch!" I exclaimed, surprised to see him looking healthy in the doorway. Some heads turned but most remained on Stephen and Aaron. Butch smiled and pulled up a chair next to me. I handed him a plate of pancakes and he started gobbling them down.

"How are you feeling?" Aunty Calley asked him, setting down a mug of hot chocolate.

"Good ma'am," he replied, taking a sip of his drink.

"Please, stop calling me ma'am," Aunt Calley laughed, holding a hand to her cheek. Butch blushed and went back to his pancakes.

"So Butch. Where would the device be?" I asked, keeping my voice low to not disturb the other boys who looked like a sticky mess.

"From what they told me, there was a large underground facility where they are holding it. I was never told where they were going to move it to once armed, but I don't think they really care where it is. The device is small enough to go undetected but large enough to wipe out the city."

"Would you know where this facility is?" I asked.

"Sort of. I know the area but not the entrance. I am supposed to meet someone there in four hours who would take me down to the main levels and start activating."

"Well then, that's our plan. We go and meet the person, go down to the main levels and deactivate this device," I said with a smile. It was going to be easy.

"Sounds like a plan then," Stephen piped up and I realized that the boys had longed finished the game and had listened in. Maple syrup still stuck to both Stephen and Aarons chin but they quickly cleaned up when Aunt Calley glared at them.

"Now June, Aaron here has told me most things," she glared at him before turning back to me, "about you and what you're doing. Please be safe. I don't want you getting into any type of trouble or danger."

"I won't," I promised her, standing up and giving her a big hug. She squeezed me before letting go and walking out of the room, humming a tune. There was a knock at the door which startled Aunt Calley out of her tune. Frowning, she walked over and went to greet whoever was at the door.

The talking started back up amongst the boys so I couldn't hear what she was saying after she greeted whoever it was. Sometime later, I heard the sound of two footsteps and Aunt Calley poked her head around the corner.

"June, there's someone here to see you." Before I could say something like 'I don't know anyone here," Carmen walked into the kitchen.

"June!" she cried, rushing towards me. My body was frozen in a state of shock. Carmen, my best friend in the whole world, who lived on a different planet, was hugging me. She started to sob, saying how she thought she'd never hug me again. My body was tense, even when I screamed for my mind to hug her.

"June, I'm so sorry," Carmen sobbed, leaning away. Her face was red and blotchy, tears dripping down the sides. My mouth opened and close so many times, I felt like a fish. All I could think of was 'Carmen's here."

"Carmen!" I broke from my shock and wrapped my arms around her body. Tears fell from my face as I hugged my best friend. We both started sobbing.

Sometime later, we detached ourselves and I introduced Carmen to the boys. She waved to them all, blushed a little but when she saw Aaron, through her eyes I know she was looking at my brother.