Counting Stars

Chapter 5

They stuffed a second gym bag full of any food they could find in the kitchen. Mal left a few shimmering coins on the table to help pay for a restock. August made a face at the bejeweled metal, "That can't be real money."

"Of course it is. Planets all over the galaxy accept Drachs, they're made from pure moissanite. Mom will know what to do with it. Believe me, this is enough to keep them feed for an entire year. Maybe longer."

August swallowed the thought of being gone for so long. He tried not to think about all the things he would miss. He adjusted the bag on his shoulder. "What's moissanite?"

"A mineral from meteorites," Mal said, holding one of the Drachs up. It shined like a diamond, not at all resembling the dirty rocks that landed on earth's surface. He had to admit the money was beautiful, shaped like a long, thin cylinder, the coin showed a line of three circles all connecting down the length. Mal handed it to him with a smile and clapped his shoulder, "Come on."

They walked down the street August had called home for fourteen years. Right now, he should be in first period, learning about algebra and composing a new song in his notebook. Instead, he was skipping school and going somewhere no one would believe. They caught the subway up to the east side and arrived at the abandoned apartment in no time. Neither boy said a word to each other as they entered the elevator and headed up to the roof.

In the daylight Mal's ship looked daunting, more like a ship, August realized. Or maybe that was because he now knew the secret of the strange structure. The outside reflected the sun as it towered above them, blinding anyone who looked too closely at it. "Welcome home," Mal said with a reassuring smile as the hatch opened.

August took a deep breath and stepped on board.

Mal had made a beeline for the control panel, throwing his body in the seat and typing away at the buttons laid out in from of him. A wide window screen popped open, showing the morning sky. Data flickered across in a cryptic language of squares and circles. "Throw your stuff in the bedroom. We'll launch in ten minutes."

It felt like a dismissal, August did his best not to feel hurt at the tone or the fact that Mal wasn't focused on him. 

Quickly, he turned his attention to getting settled before the ship started to move. There was only one door to choose from. It slid open with a metallic click the moment August stepped close enough, the inside light flickered on revealing a large queen sized bed, a dresser, and a small love seat.

He froze at the sight of the bed. One bed.

It was large enough for three people at least, but Mal couldn't possibly be thinking they would share it. "Uh... Mal..."

The other boy turned at the lingering question. "Oh don't worry. You can have the bed. I was planning on taking the cot."

August looked back out in the living space, where the cot was still propped in place. The sheets were more disheveled from recent use. "I couldn't..."

"Seriously, don't worry about it. I'm used to sleeping out here and someone should stay in case an alert pops up."

Well, that solved that issue. August would try to offer the bed later, he was the guest after all and there was no reason Mal had to always sleep on the cot. For now, he dropped his bags on the floor and dug his iPhone out of his backpack. Ten minutes was enough time for one last goodbye.

He opened a message for both his mom and his brother and typed out his last words. It was harder then he thought. A blank box stared back as August tried to find the right thing to say. Gritting his teeth he tapped out the first words that came to mind and pressed the send button before shoving the phone into the back pocket of his jeans.