Summer Crash (Zerralon 1.1)

Part 3: Still Stuck

His father squeezed Kevin’s shoulder even as he tried not to let his disappointment show on his face. “Have fun. I should be home soon.”

Kevin and Christy waved him off in the second family hovercar. His mother soon arrived behind them, still dressed in her coveralls.

“Ready? We don’t want you to be late.” His mother grabbed her purse and frowned as Christy hugged Kevin and then headed for the stairs. “Christy, you too.”

Christy paused on the bottom step, her chin resting on the top railing. “Why?”

His mother waved her back. “Because I’m not leaving you at home alone.”

Christy frowned, still not moving. “But I’ll have Nanny-Bot.”

“Nanny-Bot is also going with us. Come on. Get into the car.”

Christy didn’t look at all pleased at the order. She came off the bottom stair, her frown still in place. “It wasn’t my fault.”

His mother sighed softly. “What wasn’t your fault?”

“Nanny-Bot not being able to find me in the garage. I was just playing hide and seek with my dolls.”

Great. That discussion again. One Kevin really didn’t want to get into, not when his own doom waited. “We’ll be late.”

“Right. Need to go.” His mother herded them into the garage where the other hovercar waited. Nanny-Bot followed behind them without saying anything.

As Christy climbed inside she whispered fiercely to Kevin, “I shouldn’t have to come.”

“I didn’t do it,” he whispered back.

“Christy, attitude check,” his mother said from the front console.

Which didn’t put Christy into the best of moods. She settled into one of the chairs as Nanny-Bot closed the door of the hovercar, her displeasure clear in every line of her little body.

“My dolls will not like missing their tea time,” Christy said as they pulled away from the house.

“You can make it up to them when we get back,” Kevin said before his mother could say anything. Nanny-Bot moved between their seats to the empty space in the rear of the hovercar.

“Not the same.”

Kevin wanted to tell her all about his life. About going for a summer sports program he really wasn’t interested in but promised his father he would give a try. He knew the argument that would bring up. Full of wondering what Kevin intended to do with all his free time that summer. Worry that gaming would consume his life.

Not at all the truth. He liked plenty of things other than games. Like programming. Okay, most of that was for module to the games he liked best, but he made a little money off them because his were so good. Wasn’t that a good thing?

Game developers could make a lot of money. If he could program ‘Program Z’ right, he could have a hit on his hands. What would his parents think about that? Since when did Sean or Greg ever earn anything with their sports?

“Do you have everything you need?” his mother asked, turning her seat around while the automated controls of the hovercar took them into the air to one of the skylanes leading into the city.

“Checklist done,” Kevin said, just like his brothers not so long ago. “How long am I staying today?”

“I think the information said several hours this first day while they did placements?” His mother tilted her head and looked up in the way she often did when thinking. “Yes, several hours. Once placements are over, then it will be for a full afternoon.”

“What about us?” Christy asked as she kicked her feet against the bottom of her seat.

“We stay until he’s done. Then we’ll see about arranging rides,” his mother said.

Oh, that only made Christy’s scowl grow worse. “I should have packed my dolls.”

Kevin completely agreed. It would have kept her happy for hours. Not that he would be around her much. Instead, he’d be trying out for things like soccer, football, basketball, hoverball, and who knew what else.

What were the odds he would do well with one of them?

A ringing tone filled the inside of the roomy hovercar. Neither he nor Christy had to ask what it was. Just like they didn’t need to when their father’s watch beeped that special way.

“More work stuff,” Christy announced even as his mother touched a button on her dainty watch to activate her earpiece.

“Elaine Taggert,” his mother answered as she relaxed in her chair. Then she sat bolt upright. “It did what?”

His mother swiveled around to the console, bringing up the destination map. Even as she talked, Kevin could tell she was programming a new route. “No, don’t let them do that. You’ll destroy all our work. I’ll be right there.”

Christy looked over at Kevin. “No sports for you today.”

With his luck?

Oh, he’d still go. He just knew it.

TO BE CONTINUED…