My Least Favourite Character (Han Solo Fanfic) #Wattys2016

Chapter 6 - Summer Plans

Without warning, the singing voice of Mrs.Osborne filled Gray's ears. She gave a little jump.

"Oh yes, Tracey, my dear, of course I think so."

"Crap."

"What is it?" asked Han.

"My Mum's awake. She's chatting to a friend on the phone. We'll have to find a very stealthy way of going back to my room." Gray sighed.

"Hey, tell you what: give me the key, and I'll quietly go hide there while you make a diversion." Han said in a bossy tone.

"Right, Captain." Gray nodded soberly.

"Look here, Madam-"

But Gray had already gone, and so Han rushed to her room sulkily.

"Hi Mum!" Gray beamed as she entered the sitting room.

Her mother gave a little gasp and stopped talking. She turned to her daughter.

"My dear, you're awake already? Wait a minute, I'll be back to you."

Gray patiently waited for her mother to end her discussion with Tracey. A little time later, she put down her phone and sighed.

"Gray, honey, we need to talk. First I'll make us some breakfast."

Gray helped her mother out and soon they had brought toast, jam and tea to the dinner table and sat.

"Sweetie," she started as she spread strawberry jam on toast, "your father and I have an urgent call to work and we must go abroad for the summer break, so we won't be going on holiday with you and Tom this time. I've arranged with Grandma and Grandpa that Tom should stay with them in their countryside house, as he's still little. But we've thought and we agreed that, at 16 years of age, it is better that you build solid friendships, have new experiences and be more independent. So we've talked to West Coast summer camp and they're willing to take you for the holidays. It should be real fun, you know, you'll go to the beach often, surfing, camping...so, Gray, my love, what do you say?"

Gray stared at her. Summer camp? All holidays? An immediate though disturbed her mind: what was she supposed to do about Han?

"Uh...it sounds good, Mum" she said without thinking.

"Oh, I'm so glad, darling." Mrs.Osborne said, taking her daughter's hands. "I'm sorry I warned you like this. It really was unexpected."

"No problem, Mum....when am I supposed to leave?"

"They'll take you on the 10th July, in four days. I'm afraid I won't be there to see you off, though. I have to leave early in the morning, and your grandparents will come and get your brother just before you leave. There's a bus going to the station; you'll send me a text when you arrive."

"Alright, Mum." Gray stood up and smiled broadly. Her mother smiled back, surprised she'd accepted so easily.

Gray ran up to her room and carefully knocked at the door. When she heard a click, she entered and locked the room again. Han crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow as a sign of expectation.

Because there were still people in the house, Gray picked up a piece of paper and a pen to write Han a message. It read: "Mother sent me to summer camp. Leaving in 4 days." Han scanned it, then peacefully took the objects from Gray's hands and wrote, in a messy handwriting: "What's the closest place to the Earth's core?"

Although surprised by Han's odd reaction, Gray turned on her laptop under his amazed eyes. She typed her research and clicked on the first result. It stated: " The point closest to the Earth's centre (3,948 miles) is the bottom of the Artic Ocean, near the Geographic North Pole." She pointed at her screen and looked at Han.
She proceeded to showing him the Earth's map and touched the screen where "North Pole" was indicated.

Han stroked his chin thoughtfully. Then he wrote: "Where are we now?"
Gray immediately showed the spot in North America where Connecticut was.
Suddenly Han approached her and whispered: "That's where we've got to go. That's where I must place the shield-"

"Wait, wait, wait. In the North Pole?!" Gray hissed in disbelief, " The North Pole, Han. Are you totally nuts?! Do you realise how far that is?! Do you realise I'm a minor?! And that you don't even have a proper ID?! And that-"

"Oh, stop it. It's your planet that's at risk now!" he interrupted angrily. "If you care so much for your own little self, that's not my problem. But I have to accomplish my mission, and I'm the one to try and prevent the Empire to make that wicked weapon and to make sure all you Earth people are safe! And that includes you in case you haven't noticed." he poked her chest with his finger. "And I know you guys don't believe in those kind of things, but there are other galaxies very far away from here and they're all endangered!"

He stopped to throw a furious look at her, then he sighed and went on, more calmly.

" I showed myself to you. I showed myself to you and I can't show myself to anyone else here. You're the only one on this planet who can give me a hand understanding it's ways. But you're too hard-headed to understand, aren't you?"

Gray stood there, gazing at Han, her mouth opening and shutting without a word as reality started sinking in. She didn't want to believe him. But what if it was true? The Earth and of all those living on it could be destroyed. She didn't know if she could stand the weight of the doubt...

"Han, I...I guess I could help you out, but-"

"Finally you get some common sense."

"Well, this is everything but common sense, but-"

"Why take the risk? You'd end up believing me, kid. But it would be too late."

Him calling her 'kid' again relieved her; he wasn't angry anymore.

"How are we going to do that?" she asked.

"Well, first you'd better get rid of that summer camp thing."

"How?! I'm registered! I just can't escape, they'll notice and call my parents right away! I'll never hear the end of it!"

Silence remained as the two of them thought, avoiding each other's eyes.

"You know," said Han at last, "there is something you could do."

***********

"Jaz, I know how weird it sounds." Gray said desperately into the phone later," But I really can't tell you what I'm up to. Yes, I know we're friends, but still I just can't, and you'd agree with me if I told you why."

Han stood next to her, listening and nodding at the conversation between the two friends.

"...and your parents are abroad!" she continued, "They don't exactly have to know...Oh please, Jaz, please, if you knew what's happening to me...I might tell you one day, but not right now. And I know it's risky, I know..."

A long time went by with only the Jaz's muffled girly voice coming from the cellphone. And then, finally, Gray's face lit up.

"Really?!" she almost screamed, "Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! I promise I'll make it up to you when I'm back. You'll see, you'll get used to it: just act natural and answer as quickly as you can when they call my name. Send me texts to let me know how it's going so I can warn my mother. Thank you so much. I can't say how grateful I am. Anyhow, I hope you enjoy it."

She hung up shortly after that and Han managed a grin.

"Good," he said. "Now you're done with summer camp, let's get on with our plans, shall we?"

"Yes" said Gray, as her insides were gradually consumed by fear.