Space Cadets
twenty
Colin woke up to the ringing of a comm-screen on the nightstand next to him. It took a second for him to remember where he was and why he was sleeping on silk pillows, but he saw Eliza curled up in the windowsill and remembered everything. He groggily lifted his head and was going to shut it off, until he saw the ID as “Rebecca Holman”. While he knew it was Eliza’s personal device, he picked up anyways.
Becca looked awful. She was pale and her face looked hollow. Thalia was even worse. She looked like she was dead too, staring straight ahead and hardly noticing that Colin had called. Even George was quiet, his head resting in his mother’s lap while she idly patted his back.
It was a short conversation. There wasn’t much to say, really. All Colin could do was apologize for not being able to come to the funeral. It didn’t seem like he had missed much. There was a very short service with just a few friends, and Josef’s ashes were spread in the small garden outside their home. Becca had made a small headstone herself to mark the location and they had planted some of Corran’s wild frost flowers around it. The wildflower was the only one that survived Corran’s cold and dry climate.
It was the news he received at the the end, however, that stunned him. For the first time in years, his family was catching a break.
He had hung up just moments before Eliza toppled onto the floor. He got out of bed and helped her sit up, placing a hand on her head.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
“Yeah,” she said. “Are you?”
He didn’t say anything at first, just sitting across from her. His hand moved from her head to her cheek, holding her face. She blushed, but didn’t move away from him.
“Do you want to explain the 500,000 state credits that appeared in my family’s account this morning?” he asked softly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Eliza said.
“Eliza, please,” Colin said. “You can’t get lies past me and you know that.”
She looked down at her hands, then back up at him with her lips pursed.
“It’s the only way I knew how to help,” she said. “I’d rather help your family than spend it on fancy shoes or wine tasting excursions-“
Colin cut her off when he pulled her into a tight hug. She was startled, but she hugged him back. They stayed like that for a moment, almost like they were comforting each other. For once, neither cared about whether it was weird or appropriate. When Colin finally let go, he felt a little lightheaded. While he wished he could have done more, it was a relief to know that at the very least, money wasn’t an issue for a little while.
“I’m going to get scalped for spending the night in your room,” Colin said with a humorless laugh.
“I told my parents I was feeling sick and you stayed with me overnight in case I needed medical attention,” she told him. “They’re sending breakfast up for the both of us. In fact, they’re impressed at your dedication.”
“Dedication,” Colin chuckled. “I don’t even know what this job is anymore.”
“It’s still body guarding,” she shrugged.
“Is it?” Colin asked. “I thought we were friends by now.”
Eliza paused, then smiled.
“Yeah, we’re friends.”
They had a nice, calm breakfast together before Eliza finally suggested they go out somewhere.
“One of your scary bucket list locations again?” Colin asked.
“No,” she said. “Actually, this is a spot that I thought you might like.”
“Me?”
“Yeah,” she shrugged. “We always go where I want to go. I thought you might like to do something for you.”
They dressed comfortably and casually to blend in with the city people. The place they ended up was nothing reckless or dangerous this time. She led him to what looked like a dark cave, but as they ventured further into it, it opened up to a quiet little cove. At the water crept up the shore, it would glisten with a sort of bioluminescent algae that glowed in the sunset.
“You like peaceful, quiet places,” Eliza said. “I thought you’d like it here. It’s relaxing.”
“It’s… really great,” Colin said.
They sat in the sand and watched the sunset. They were quiet, but they were enjoying their time together.
“I bought George a hover bike,” she said finally. “I know he’s a bit of a terror already, but I thought he’d like it. I hope it’s okay.”
Colin just laughed.
“Eliza, you’re a saint,” he said. “We should head back before dinner.”
He stood up, brushing sand off his pants and offering a hand to help her up. When she stood, he pulled her in and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“I mean it, Eliza. I’ll make this up to you one day. I swear it.”
She looked stunned, frozen speechless where she stood. As Colin started back towards the caves, she jogged to catch up to him. To his surprise, she reached over to hold onto his arm as they walked back into the cave.
Becca looked awful. She was pale and her face looked hollow. Thalia was even worse. She looked like she was dead too, staring straight ahead and hardly noticing that Colin had called. Even George was quiet, his head resting in his mother’s lap while she idly patted his back.
It was a short conversation. There wasn’t much to say, really. All Colin could do was apologize for not being able to come to the funeral. It didn’t seem like he had missed much. There was a very short service with just a few friends, and Josef’s ashes were spread in the small garden outside their home. Becca had made a small headstone herself to mark the location and they had planted some of Corran’s wild frost flowers around it. The wildflower was the only one that survived Corran’s cold and dry climate.
It was the news he received at the the end, however, that stunned him. For the first time in years, his family was catching a break.
He had hung up just moments before Eliza toppled onto the floor. He got out of bed and helped her sit up, placing a hand on her head.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
“Yeah,” she said. “Are you?”
He didn’t say anything at first, just sitting across from her. His hand moved from her head to her cheek, holding her face. She blushed, but didn’t move away from him.
“Do you want to explain the 500,000 state credits that appeared in my family’s account this morning?” he asked softly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Eliza said.
“Eliza, please,” Colin said. “You can’t get lies past me and you know that.”
She looked down at her hands, then back up at him with her lips pursed.
“It’s the only way I knew how to help,” she said. “I’d rather help your family than spend it on fancy shoes or wine tasting excursions-“
Colin cut her off when he pulled her into a tight hug. She was startled, but she hugged him back. They stayed like that for a moment, almost like they were comforting each other. For once, neither cared about whether it was weird or appropriate. When Colin finally let go, he felt a little lightheaded. While he wished he could have done more, it was a relief to know that at the very least, money wasn’t an issue for a little while.
“I’m going to get scalped for spending the night in your room,” Colin said with a humorless laugh.
“I told my parents I was feeling sick and you stayed with me overnight in case I needed medical attention,” she told him. “They’re sending breakfast up for the both of us. In fact, they’re impressed at your dedication.”
“Dedication,” Colin chuckled. “I don’t even know what this job is anymore.”
“It’s still body guarding,” she shrugged.
“Is it?” Colin asked. “I thought we were friends by now.”
Eliza paused, then smiled.
“Yeah, we’re friends.”
They had a nice, calm breakfast together before Eliza finally suggested they go out somewhere.
“One of your scary bucket list locations again?” Colin asked.
“No,” she said. “Actually, this is a spot that I thought you might like.”
“Me?”
“Yeah,” she shrugged. “We always go where I want to go. I thought you might like to do something for you.”
They dressed comfortably and casually to blend in with the city people. The place they ended up was nothing reckless or dangerous this time. She led him to what looked like a dark cave, but as they ventured further into it, it opened up to a quiet little cove. At the water crept up the shore, it would glisten with a sort of bioluminescent algae that glowed in the sunset.
“You like peaceful, quiet places,” Eliza said. “I thought you’d like it here. It’s relaxing.”
“It’s… really great,” Colin said.
They sat in the sand and watched the sunset. They were quiet, but they were enjoying their time together.
“I bought George a hover bike,” she said finally. “I know he’s a bit of a terror already, but I thought he’d like it. I hope it’s okay.”
Colin just laughed.
“Eliza, you’re a saint,” he said. “We should head back before dinner.”
He stood up, brushing sand off his pants and offering a hand to help her up. When she stood, he pulled her in and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
“I mean it, Eliza. I’ll make this up to you one day. I swear it.”
She looked stunned, frozen speechless where she stood. As Colin started back towards the caves, she jogged to catch up to him. To his surprise, she reached over to hold onto his arm as they walked back into the cave.