SPACE ODDITIES

VEgA

"Hey, son."

"Dad," Bowie joined his father, who hosed the lawn.

"So, how is it going with the girl?" His father asked.

Bowie lowered his gaze, "she hasn't given any news, and neither have I."

"Why isn't she in your school?"

His dad stopped hosing, "you jumped off a bridge to save her; she'll call. I still can't believe you did that for just a girl."

"She's not just a girl."

"Avoid showing your burning flame for her to your mother. She thinks you started to do you know what again to impress her."

"I wasn't trying to impress her; doing what I did was the only way to save her. If mom is so upright, why didn't she let me tell the police the truth like for LB1325."

"Bowie, it was different; you guys did cyber hold-ups and privacy invasion. The feds burst into the house and nailed to the ground our 13-year-old son. We were ready to do anything to get you out. Thank God you were the youngest; it helped you."

"The youngest and the weakest, I shouldn't have betrayed them," Bowie said.

"You've paid in other ways, and look who would have saved your girl if you weren't here?" his father pointed out—trying to convince Bowie and himself that the decision they made was the right one. He was aware of how the guilt still weighed on his son's conscience, which made him feel bad.

"When is she coming back?"

"On Wednesday," Bowie replied.

"What are you going to do?"

"I don't know. I feel like I messed up. Ziggy doesn't trust me, and I don't know how I am going to reassure her. I don't know how I have to act when she comes back. It's driving me insane," said Bowie while messing up his hair with both his hands.

"Here, hose the lawn. It will distress you," said his father handing him the hose.

"Dad," he said, whining.

"It'll do you good; trust me," he said and tapped his son's on the back.

Wednesday came quicker than expected; Kennedy High had changed in three weeks. New clubs flourished like The helping hand and a school hotline. No silence. Mrs. Martin pestered Bowie with questions about Ziggy.

He was without any news of her as anyone else. Zila seemed to have changed her number; he knew it was mainly his fault. Lincoln ignored him, but Kayla remained almost the same.

"Hi, Bowie."

"Kayla."

She stood next to Bowie's locker, "so it's the big day she's coming back. How do you feel?"

"I just want you to leave me alone," Bowie replied.

"Why it doesn't mean because you rejected me that I'm not allowed to stalk you, I mean, it's become a habit. I can't believe I just said that," Kayla said, blushing.

Bowie slammed his locker's door, "I can't believe I heard that."

"What, you stalked Zila for six months. I mean, I was there. How dare you look down on me," Kayla said.

"It makes so much sense now. I wasn't cautious enough," Bowie said as he thought about Kayla's ability to find him at all times.

"Anyway, I have a new crush, Alejandro Ramirez. Looks like Shawn Mendes, ultra-bright teeth that look like they were polished and waxed on pimp my ride, thus he has three adorably cute dogs."