Project Nebula

To Ponder

Classes were wrapping up and school buses parked out back. I sat in the teacher lounge, which got a makeover. The chipped, wooden conference desk became three red and black, circular tables from, what I assume, a medieval castle ballroom. In short, the entire room looked like a ballroom equivalent or a teacher's lounge.

My hair was knotted and tangled and my blazer was entangled around my waist. Xander entered the room, heaving a tower of paperwork in his arms. He dropped in on the table in front of me. He put a smirk on his face.

"Been getting a lot of paperwork, lately, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah, I'm exhausted," I yawned.

"I'm not president, but if I was—"

"You'll remain vice president; paperwork doesn't frustrate me.'

The streets cleared of kids and parents walking home from school and work. It was nearly sunset, around eight o'clock. The sun, however, was less visible where I stood. In the parking lot of Helix's apartment complex near Clock Park called Chiron. I leaned against the front hood of his ruby Pontiac from 1998. It wasn't the same car from when I met Indigo. Helix stepped down the stoop of his apartment building with a pair of car keys.

"Sorry if this one's kinda rusty," he apologized, "I need my car cleaned, so you have to use my uncle's car."

I kept my head down and my back facing him. I'm surprised he didn't snag my shoulder and thrust me towards him. Shakes me till I respond. A knot twisted around in my stomach and my hands turned into a sponge saturated with sweat. He unlocked the driver's seat door for me and held it cracked. I remained where I was, not making a peep.

"Excuse me, Mr. Attitude, but I'm not leaving the damn door open for cocky prince!" he scolded, and slammed the door so the whole car rocked in its place.

"You tortured me in front of the gym class," I barked back, "You didn't hear a single word I said to defend myself, and did it anyway like a mindless robot!"

"Difference is, that was the first time for me, meanwhile. . ."

He pounced at me, cuffing my wrists with only one hand behind my back. My ribs collided with aluminum of the car. His lips barely kissing my ear.

". . . You've been doing this to me for years!"

My body was a sack of flour with my insides spilling out of me, leaving me as an empty bag of air. I couldn't tell if he was talking to me on the inside, Castor, or me on the outside, Peirson. It's as if I was being screamed at and seduced at the same time I was being offered a bear hug from the same person.

"Peirson!" a voice called from the neighborhood entrance.

It was Xander riding on a black mountain bike towards us. Helix loosened his grip, but kept his stomach still centimeters from touching my back. I swore I was turning into a blob of goo and a mop of chaotic hair. Xander lifted himself onto the hood of the car.

"Am I interrupting something?" he laughed.

"Look, Peirson, another toy to play with," Helix pushed me away from him.

"Peirson, I want to discuss something with you."

"Him and I were actually already planning to do something, so we need our privacy."

He started to chuckle and jumped off the car, "Peirson and Helix? I knew you two were up to something."

He took off on his bike and rode his way out of the apartment complex. I looked up at Helix: he seemed so calm and accepting of me staying over. In the end, I just wanted to use his car. I never saw him look down at his feet or fiddle with his fingers. Nor hunch over like I usually do. He shifted his eyes towards mine, and immediately rose his head.