Little Green Stars

Chapter 56-Green Vs. Red

"Pull to the side here," I say as Maverick's headlights roll up on HillCrest house.

"Are you sure we shouldn't call the police?" Bundty asks again.

"They won't be able to help us," I say, as the car jolts to a stop.

"That's the dumbest thing I think you've ever said," Jaxson says to Bundty. "Hey officer, come to this house and help this black kid, Asian kid, and the town's crazy ginger fight off this unarmed man we might have killed with a frying pan."

"How about the Ghost Busters? Seems like a legit thing they'd be able to help with," Maverick suggests a little too seriously.

"Shut up, Maverick," Jaxson says and then pulls out his phone. "I'm going to login to Mom's find my iPhone thing to track its exact location. It's like playing hot or cold."

"Great idea. I've used it a bunch of times when I've lost my phone. It's always lead me right to it," Jin says, trying to turn moral around. "But do you know her password?" Jin asks.

Jaxson and I look at each other and laugh. "Maeve is kind of like Hundrek. She's predictable. She orders the same coffee every morning, has bought the same brand of underwear for the last fifteen years, AND she uses the same password for everything. So, yeah, we know her password." I'd never made that connection before now, but maybe Maeve and Hundrek would be good together since they're both so predictable...

"And I'm in," Jaxson says, confirming my cockiness. "Let's go."

With that, we all open the doors and slide out, following Jaxson into the darkness.

"I don't like this. I don't like this at all," Maverick says as Bundty clings to his arm.

Jin reaches for my hand as we follow behind Jaxson, but instead, he grabs the nightlight I have gripped between my arm and my side.

"What's that?" Jin asks.

"Oh, my night light."

"Okay, are you going to tell me why you have it?"

"Because I think it's important," I say, mumbling my words.

"Can you repeat that?" I can hear his smile through Jin's words.

"I think it's important," I say, barely louder.

"One more time."

"I think it's important, okay?!"

"Told you," Jin says. "But what triggered this new hypothesis?"

"Earlier when it was just Malcolm and me, he was panicking because he thought he lost his stone and so I figured it had to be important. I wasn't just going to leave it with him in case he woke up. So, I took it with me."

"You are talking about the red stone he's been using to hypnotize everyone?"

"Exactly. But the thing is that to me. It's green."

"Seriously, just like the stars from your nightlight?"

"Yeah. I showed Jaxson the stone, and he said it was as red as my ginger ass hair. I realized this whole green versus red thing can NOT be a coincidence. This stupid stone and my nightlight somehow must be connected or mean something. Right?"

Jaxson stops dead in his tracks as we all bump into one another.

"Why does no one else have their phone lights on?!" Bundty demands, annoyed as she pushes Jin off her.

All at once, everyone takes out their phones to light up Jaxson, who's looking down at his phone confused.

"What?" I say, his face instantly worrying me.