The Astro-Zodiacs 2

Chapter 2: Five Years Later

         Five years later, in the city of Charlotte, North Carolina, It's a beautiful and peaceful day in the Queen City. The Astro-Zodiacs are now grown up. Ten are young adults and three are teenagers. In the calm neighborhood of Dilworth, the residents woke up in order to go to school or to work. In the Dallinger residence, Shanda is sleeping in her bed. Some photos showed memories with her and her brother Eddie in various places. When the Alarm Clock rang, Shanda yawned as she woke up and said to herself. "Oh, Good morning, Charlotte." she greeted as she got out of the bed to take a shower. She is now sixteen years old and no longer a pre-teen. Shanda picked up her pink shirt, white undershirt, blue jeans and new sneakers and put them on. Eddie woke up as well as he brushed his hair with a comb and came out of his bedroom. He's now a young adult and is ready to go to college after graduating high school. "Good morning, Shanda!" he greeted his little sister before they went downstairs.

"Morning, Eddie!" Shanda greeted as she went to the dining room to eat breakfast. "Oh, this is the best day of my life! High school, cheerleaders, everything else!" she ate some waffles as Eddie poured milk and cereal on a bowl. Then, Mr. Dallinger appeared as he put his jacket on and his wife came out of the bathroom after combing her hair. "Good morning, mom! Morning, dad!"

"Morning, Shanda." Mr. Dallinger picked up his car keys and wondered where his phone is. "Honey, have you seen my phone?"

"What?" Mrs. Dallinger was confused as she checked her pockets before pulling out a phone from Shanda's pocket, who is identical to hers. "I got it!"

"Oh, thanks."

"I didn't know that was my phone, mom. I mistook my dad's phone with mine."

"OK,OK,OK. Shanda, eat your breakfast." Eddie told her as he ate his bowl of cereal.

Later on, the two siblings stepped out of their home before Phil, now a young adult man, went outside to greet his friends. "Hey, Eddie! Hey, Shanda!"

"Hi, Phil!" Eddie greeted as he and Phil went on their way to the bus stop. He stopped in a moment as he approached his sister. "Bye, Shanda."

"Bye, Eddie." Shanda hugged her brother happily as she let him and his friend go to the bus stop. She sighed happily as the school bus appeared. "I'll see you two later! Bye!"

Getting inside the bus, Shanda greeted her new classmates and sat next to her friend Lina. "Hi, Lina! Wait, where's Gina?"

"I'm here behind you!" Gina popped out from her seat, excitedly. "After years of elementary school, we're gonna miss them so much!"

"Yeah! Our good teachers, Our good classmates from elementary school..." Lina started to speak as she took a selfie.

"...and even the principal!"

"Ha,ha! Boy, we're gonna meet our classmates. Hey, remember the Zodiac thing that happened when we were kids?"

"We were hit!" Lina and Gina laughed as she gave a high five.

On Magnolia Ave, Linda is now a young woman and is wearing a Royals Cheerleading uniform as she stepped out of her house while talking to the phone. "What are you talking about? The Coach lost his job?" she asked as she almost bumped to a man. "Oh, sorry!" she apologized as she kept talking. "Listen, you silly. I'm a high school graduate and I'm ready to meet the Royals Cheerleaders. They want the Cheerleading Coach!" Linda explained as she arrived in a bus stop. "Oh, that's right. You don't believe me, do you? I guess you can hire a new coach for this. Goodbye." she finished the call, solemnly as she sighed before a 20-year old Talia showed up. "Hey, Talia!"

"Hey, it's the Royals cheerleader! In time, how you doing?" she greeted.

"I'm great and A-W-E-S-O-M-E. The dean told me that the coach lost his job and the university wanted to hire a new one." Linda brushed her hair as a bus showed up.

On Queens University of Charlotte, Elliot is now wearing a hipster look. Instead of being alone waiting for Eddie to show up, she is waiting with Vernon, Dale, Cecil and Ron.

"Thank goodness we're graduates." said Elliot.

"If I were you, I would bully you." said Ron.

"It's getting boring waiting for that bus." said Vernon. "Let's go home."

"We can't!" Cecil chided him as he put his hands on his pockets. "We're waiting for Eddie or..."

Then, a red sports car appeared and parked on an empty spot as the five friends noticed someone driving it. The driver got out of the vehicle as she picked up her purse and walked calmly next to Elliot. "Hi, guys." she said as she brushed her hair.

"Oh, hello, Alberta!" Vernon and the others greeted.

"Did you passed driving school?" Dale asked.

"I did. I was eighteen when I started to drive." Alberta punched playfully as the bus showed up, followed by another bus. "Hey! There they are!"

Eddie, Phil, Linda and Talia came out of the vehicle as they greeted their classmates from high school. They gave each other a hug as they went together to find a dorm room to start the day.

"Not bad, Royals cheerleader!" Ron complimented her.

On Myers Park High School, the school bus had arrived in their destination. The students came out of the vehicle as they all went inside the school building. Shanda, Lina and Gina are walking in the hall, trying to befriend anyone in their way.

"Hi! I'm Shanda Dallinger, your new classmate!" Shanda greeted two girls who ignored her. "OK. That's too bland."

"Hi, I'm Lina Dobson and this is my sister Gina. How are you?" Lina greeted a jock, who remained speechless.

"Hey, how are you?"

Lina and Gina approached two girls gossiping to each other. The twin encouraged her sister to greet them as she crossed her arms.

"Maggie, have you ever saw The Astro-Zodiacs?" said a girl named Elle.

"The Astro-Zodiacs? Zodiac heroes?" Maggie asked as Gina tried to say hello, shyly.

"Hi, I'm Gina Dobson. How are you?" she tried to greet Maggie as she realized that she didn't pay attention to her.

"The Astro-Zodiacs doesn't exist, Elle."

"I should listen to you all the time, Maggie."

After a failed attempt to befriend their classmates, Shanda, Lina and Gina were disappointed as they leaned themselves on the wall, thinking.

"That's too bland." Shanda crossed her arms.

"They don't care about us." said Lina.

"Shanda, we saved the world with Eddie when we were pre-teens." Gina explained to her. "We found every star in our journey."

"I know."

"This school has many students, cheerleaders, players, jocks and even people who are nice to us."

"Sometimes, we gotta..."

"...go to another school." Gina finished. "Let's get our stuff and-"