•g r a v i t y • ~ jim kirk

The Beginning

"Order up!" 

My head snapped to the direction of my boss, Karl, holding out a plate of crepes.

"Get your ass over here Area!" Karl snarled. I ran towards him, tripping over my feet in the process.

"Here sir." I said as he jabbed the plate into my hands. Looking down, I saw that some of the sauce got on my white blouse. I glared at him as he snickered, staring down at what he had done.

"That's it." I mumbled. I dropped the plate on the floor, in front of Karl's feet. He stared at me in awe and looked at his now soiled boat shoes. "I. Quit" I untied my apron and threw it at his face.

"What did you say?" He said angrily as he fumbled with the apron. He looked at me, shooting daggers with his stare.

I dug my finger nails into my palms, clenching my hands into a fist. "I said I quit." I stated as I stormed out of the kitchen. Before I could exit the restaurant I turned around, looking at Karl dead in the eyes. "And by the way, my name is Aria." I turned back around and busted through the doors, out of the god forsaken hell hole I put myself through for the past five years.

I took a deep breath of fresh air as I gazed upon a beautiful park filled with kids, playing, laughing, their eyes filled with joy. I passed a little girl playing with a toy spaceship with her parents. Giggling filled my ears as I watched her mother pull her into a hug. Her dad tickled her tummy and stole her spaceship, causing the little girl to break out of her mother's hug, chasing her dad. Once she caught up to him, her father pulled her up onto his back and gave her back her spaceship. He started running around with his daughter straddled on his back making spaceship noises. The little girl held out her her little toy, laughing along with her parents. I smiled slightly and averted my eyes to the ground, thinking deeply.

"Should I?" I asked my self as I continued to walk through the park. I reached towards my neck, grabbing my necklace. I examined it. It was a silver hear shaped pendant with the date of my mom's death on the front and the date of my dad's on the the back. Playing with it, I stared back at the family. My heart ached as I gaped at the amount of fun they were having. I looked back at my necklace, tears welling up in my eyes.

"Okay." I mumbled as tear streamed down my cheek. I ran towards the curb at gave a glass shattering whistle. "Taxi!" I screamed as a yellow car pulled up beside me. I urgently slipped into the vehicle, looking at the time.

7:30

"Where to?" the driver asked, looking through his rear view mirror.

"Riverside shipyard." I replied. "Step on it."

The car screeched forward, going as fast as it could. I took a look outside the window. I hope I was making the right decision. 

As we arrived, I glanced back at my phone.

8:00

"Right on time" I whispered to myself. I quickly payed the taxi driver and jumped out of the car. I waved him off before I sped my way towards the shuttlecraft that had a couple of cadets entering it, giving Captain Pike, who was standing on the side of the entrance, a salute. As I approached it, I caught Pike's eye, earning a big smile from him. 

"You came." He said while I walked up the stairs and stood next to him.

"In only one condition." I replied. He looked back at me curiously. "You make up for the time you had missed." His eyes softened and he gently held my hand. He gazed into my eyes with a small smile on his face.

"Of course." I smiled about to respond, but rudely interrupted my the engine of a motorcycle. Simultaneously, our heads turned to see what the noise was.