Stellar

Chapter Twelve: (Whitney) Houston, We Have a Problem

 After school that following Tuesday, Lucine wound up in Astro's bedroom, both of them pouring over Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back like mindless zombies.

Well, Astro was. Lucine was pretending to pour over the movie while secretly freaking herself out. Every line was spurring inventive spins on her worries.

"A Jedi uses the Force for knowledge and defense, never for attack." If she attacked the soulsucker or the universe-threatening Stellar, would she turn bad too? Could she even bring herself to attack someone?

"Do or do not. There is no try." Was she trying too hard to do? Did she just need to stop trying all together?

"No, I am your father." What if the soulsucker came for her dad next? What if the soulsucker was her dad?

Midway Luke's dramatic screamfest after finding out Vader's identity, the movie froze. His finger hovering over the play button, Astro turned to her with a frown. "Alright, what's eating you?"

"Hmm? Probably parasites," Lucine said dismissively. "I hear those run in the bloodstream."

He sighed. "Seriously, what's wrong? Is it the group astronomy project? I know we haven't been able to discuss it--"

Great. I almost forgot about my regular person worries. "Yeah, because our group can't stand each other! You won't stop glaring at Syrus for no reason, Halley's an absolute bitch, and Melania is...well, she's Melania. How are we ever gonna get that project done?"

"I'm sure we'll figure something out..."

"And then there's my training," she continued, only to realize his blank stare and grunt. "I mean, math tutoring. Syrus is really pushing me. He thinks I have some 'great potential', but right now, he's wearing me thinner with each practice."

"Then let me teach you!" Astro piped up. He saw her expression and scowled. "What, you think I can't teach math?"

Not the kind of 'math' I'm learning...

She said nothing. With a gloomy expression, Astro pressed play and the movie started again.

Minutes from the ending, the television suddenly went black. Astro pushed from the bed with a drawn-out yawn.

Lucine gawked at his back. "Are you kidding me? I was watching that!"

"Oh, please. You've seen it a thousand times; you know how it ends." Astro grabbed his

waded-up leather jacket from his bedside. Once he had shrugged it on, he extended an open hand toward her. "Care to go on an adventure?"

"What kind of adventure?" she said, eyes narrowed. He just smirked right back. Sighing, she accepted his hand and allowed him to tug her onto her feet.

As he started toward the door, never once did his fingers unlace from hers, as though he was afraid she would lose her way. "Come on. I know something that'll get your mind off things."

"You better not be leading me to a crack den, Velez."

Lucine barely had time to pile into Astro's Jeep before the car began tearing down the street, engine revving loudly. Her hand grappled for the handlebar above her head; she clenched onto it for dear life until he slowed down.

About twenty minutes of Queen music later, Astro pulled the car off a winding private road and into the bordering grass. He killed the engine, and, without a word, climbed out. Outside her window, the night had settled in, casting its thick dark blanket over the sky. Frowning, Lucine stepped out of the Jeep and onto the ground.