To the Stars and Back

Chapter 4

Alyssa

I walk home, reading four messages from my family, since I didn't hear the first three. I answered the last one by saying I was at April's, and I would be back soon.

Now, I see Dawn walking towards me from the top of the street.

"Why did you just run off like that??" She calls.

"I'm sorry, I had to say goodbye." I say innocently.

She doesn't say anything, but her look says Don't try to guilt-trip me into not being mad at you anymore. I smile, and she laughs and hugs me.

We walk home, then decide to take a walk with the whole family.

There's no one around. We go to the bicycle path, where there's normally a lot of traffic. It's really quiet here now.

"How do you think they choose?" I ask.

"Probably pull names out of a hat." Dawn laughs. I don't know how she can stay happy right now. I can't just keep my normal sense of humor. But I guess if I tried harder....I mean, I guess I'm choosing to be sad, to feel hopeless.

"Ha! Probably." I say. "Our name must've really called out to them." I laugh.

"Yep!"

"What do you say we take one last Earth family photo to show the AWEsome aliens. Get it?" Mom says.

"Ha ha." I say with an eye roll.

We set up a phone and put it on ten seconds.

We all pose next to each other, and we check the picture and it's good. We print it, and then turn around and start to go home.

When we get back, we pack it in mom's suitcase.

We don't have much time left, so we take our books and phones out of our cases, and we load everything into the Airvan. Mom and dad are taking turns driving, and Dawn and I sit in our crib-like SafeBeds (meant for cars). The dogs sit with us in the back, whimpering as if they feel that something is wrong.

What will it be like on the shuttle? Is it, like, luxury apartments, or sleeping bags on the floor, or like the beds in this minivan? Do we get good food, will we be bored all the time?

But most important... What will it be like on Awe?

I think about this for a long time, until mom says, "All right! Two minutes!"

I gasp and look out the window. Cars and buses are flooding the streets. We must be getting really close!

Soon I can make out a large building and behind it an enormous shape that's probably the launch building. Not long after, I see a big gate to a parking lot, and our Airvan slows to a stop. I roll down my window and stick my head out the window. There are two buses and about a dozen cars and RVs waiting in line to go into the gate.

"This might take a little while, girls! They'll open the gates soon."

My heart is racing, I'm sweating, and my book is trembling in my hand. I'm panicking, and my brain is frantically trying to calm itself down.

Dawn looks over at me.

"Oh my gosh, Alyssa! Your face is bright red!"

"Oh-uh, I'm fine." I tell her and wipe my forehead.

She gets up and walks toward me, opening the little gate to the bed and sitting down beside me.

As she takes my hand, I feel hers trembling too.

She doesn't speak, but it's better that way. We just think about each other as if I can hear her and she can hear me.

We're going to be okay, she seems to say.