A Risk I'm Willing to Take

Eight

I relaxed my grip on the steering wheel as we pulled on to the highway connecting the city I was staying in and the remote town Area 51 was located in.

"So have y'all ever heard music?"

They all looked back at me with funny looks.

"What's music?" Orion asked hesitantly.

"You know like singing."

Marigold shook her head. "We didn't get to experience much. I know several of the others who can't even really talk because of how isolated we are."

"Yeah, we are good at talking because the guards are always yelling at me and the doctor pulls me for tests a lot."

"I'm only good because I can read minds. I learned to speak through listening to the guard's thoughts."

I picked my phone up from the center console and opened my music app.

"Well, I'm going to introduce y'all to music."

With one eye on the road and one on my screen I quickly selected a song.

"This is Free by Why Don't We." I didn't tell them that I knew the band members or that Why Don't We is one of my favorite bands. I didn't want to influence their opinions of the song.

We sat in silence as the soft pop song played. A couple times during the song I looked up in the rearview mirror at the kids to see their reactions.

They both were sitting there staring at my phone in awe.

When the song got to the second chorus Marigold smiled excitedly at Orion. He smiled back down at her.

The song came to a close and I quickly paused the app before the next song started.

"So what did you think?"

"We could be free..." Marigold said quietly.

I smiled and nodded.

"You can be free."

Thankfully we made it back my hotel room without attracting too much attention. I think one or two children in the lobby stared at them just because they were walking through slightly dusty and wearing all white.

I ushered the children into my hotel room and shut the door quickly behind them. I needed to figure out what I was doing. I was not at all prepared to take care of three kids.

I was committed to it though. What little I knew of their lives in that bunker in Area 51 I couldn't make them stay there. They deserved to have normal lives.

The kids settled on the unused bed in the room. Orion and Marigold started chatting about the music I had played in the car while I slipped away with my phone. I stood in the kitchenette and texted Logan.

"If you're still in the area I'm available to hang out now."

"Yeah sure, I'll be over in about half an hour."

I wasn't sure how Logan was going to react to meeting the kids but I really hope it goes well. I mean it could have been a really different situation.

I pulled the wand out of my mascara tube.

"No, Logan, I don't want you coming to the event."

"Why not? I'm in town already, I thought you'd like being surprised." He smiled.

I shoved the wand into the tube aggressively. "No, I don't want you there. Something could go wrong."

Logan rolled his eyes. "Like what?"

"Logan, you are a celebrity. People freak out in your presence. I don't want any more chaos than there's already going to be when I'm trying to write my first major story."

Logan's eyes narrowed. "You're a celebrity."

I stared at him in the phone screen. "Barely."

Logan sighed. "Besides you're really pushing me away because you're afraid I'll ruin your story?"

I opened my mouth to speak but no words came out.

After a second I collected myself. "It's not that." I swiped on peach colored lipstick. "I'll see you later, ok?"

Logan ran his hand through his hair. "Fine."

I returned to the main part of the room to talk to the kids.

"Ok so I was thinking that we really need to get y'all clothes."

Marigold's eyes lit up. "Something other than this?" She held her white dress.

"Yes, something that you like." I smiled at both of them.

"I want shoes like yours." Orion pointed at my shoes.

I looked down at my sunshine yellow Converse.

"I think I can work that out." I looked back at my full size backpack sitting on the floor beside my bed. "I just have to check something real quick."

They nodded and went back to playing with Lavender.

I pulled out my slim silver laptop and opened it. It was still connected to the hotel Wi-Fi. I opened an incognito tab.

I was still getting used to getting regular payments from my music. I got royalties from my two music videos. I also got weekly payments from purchases of my two singles.

It had been two months since I released my first single and it still hadn't sunk in that I had a serious source of income.

I was used to being an eighteen year old living in a small town working in food service.

It was definitely a relief to open my bank account and see a new deposit had been made from my song sales. It was the first weekly payment since I released my second single.

I nodded. I had the money to provide for them. I shouldn't be so worried.

"Ok, so I know there's a Target about five minutes from here. We could probably get some clothes and — I looked at Lavender — a proper car seat."

Just then there was a knock at the door. Concerned I walked towards the door. Logan wasn't due for another ten minutes.

I stood on my toes and looked through the peep hole. Sure enough a 6'4" mountain stood on the other side.

I opened the door and wrapped my arms around him.

"You're early." I teased.

"What can I say? I was excited to finally meet you in person."

I squeezed him tighter and breathed in the scent of his cologne. It was a slightly sweet musk.

After a moment I let go and stepped back into my hotel room.

"Come on in." I held my arm out towards the main area of my room.

He stepped in and I quickly closed the door and locked it.

"You're not still afraid of people seeing you with me, are you?" He said off-handedly.

I laughed awkwardly. "No, I've got other concerns now."

He laughed awkwardly.

Great only two minutes into our first time hanging out and it's already awkward. Way to go Gemma.

"So you released a new single." He rubbed his hands together.

"Yeah..."

"I really like it!" He playfully pushed me. "I just wish you would've told me about it before it went public."

I shrugged. "I mean I only told like two people so..."

We made it to the sleeping area. It took him a second to register the three children sitting on the bed.

"Gemma! Whose children are these!?" He looked at me, wide eyed.

"They're mine...?" I said nervously.