Need to see about overriding some pass codes to the shuttle. Stay on the ground.” Grand moved into the shadows.
Everyone else grunted to their knees and crawled blindly until they found the service counter. Xanthus’ holo-glasses clicked, flashing two red lights. He reentered the world of Magicgeddon.
“Careful, Haley,” Tim said. “The counter’s right here. Just ten feet in front of you.”
“I know that’s not your hand touching mine,” Haley warned.
“No,” Tim cleared his throat. “No. My hand is not touching yours.”
Nick heard those familiar motherly sounds of purse straps and flats. “Hey, Caroline.”
“Hungry?” Caroline said. Nick’s eyes adjusted enough to see Caroline’s maternal nod.
“Hungry? I’m a hormonally-induced food receptacle. When am I ever not hungry?” Nick smiled.
“Always with the smiles.” She opened her beige purse and fumbled through a jumble of pencils, notepads, and sewing kits. In the event of a plane crash, Nick was convinced Caroline’s bag would double as a flotation device.
“Peach, blueberry or chocolate?” said Caroline.
“Um, chocolate.”
“Dark chocolate, milk chocolate or white chocolate?”
Nick blinked.
“Have to make sure there are plenty of options for the boys. Daniel really likes white chocolate when he’s researching, multi-grain blueberry granola when he’s thinking. And Xanthus . . . well, he just likes to eat. I bet you’re a dark chocolate kinda boy?”
“Yeah. Love me some dark chocolate.”
Without even looking down, Caroline plunged her hands deep in the purse and retrieved a Mr. Good Crunch dark chocolate bar. He grabbed the chocolate bar from her hands and tore into it.
“Thanks.” Nick’s salivary glands were already firing up.
“Tim’s into Haley, isn’t he?”
Nick thought about blowing off the question, but Caroline wasn’t really asking.
“I hope he doesn’t get hurt,” said Caroline. “Did you hear about the Christopher McCaffrey incident, Nikolas?”
Nick shook his head, as the dark chocolate and caramel started to gum up his teeth.
“Christopher McCaffrey lived in perimeter 415. He liked Haley a lot, and I mean a lot. Wrote her a love ballad. Well, actually just played Guitar Champion for her, and changed some of the words up. Think it was Metallica’s “Wherever I May Roam.” His version was “My Love is like the Colorado Superdome.” She wasn’t very kind to him at all. Or the guitar. Or the pavement.”
“I think Tim is just trying to wait her out. You know, wear her down,” Nick said, choking down a stray peanut.
Caroline didn’t respond immediately. She gingerly peeled off the wrapper of a white chocolate bar and broke off a piece just big enough to fit between her fingers. “You don’t know her very well. Do you, Nikolas?”
“Sure I do,” Nick said. “People aren’t that hard to understand. Haley hates love. Brandy loves fashion. Tim’s a wuss. Daniel: evil scientist. Xanthus: dragon nerd. And you: good cook.”
Nick saw pain behind Caroline’s horn-rimmed glasses.
“People aren’t cut-outs you know.” She closed her purse.
Nick felt his own stomach bottom out. “I know—I—just, sometimes, we make everything too complicated, you know. Just keep it simple, keep life simple. Why do you think I want to get off this planet so bad?”
“Anyway—” Caroline chose to abandon that line of conversation. “—I just don’t want Tim to get hurt. Haley doesn’t know how to let boys like her. I suspect that’s why she’s into martial arts—to keep boys away. We’re from Seattle, you know, and our lives weren’t much better before the refugee camp, either. My father died in a boating accident when Mom was pregnant with Brandy. I was two, Nikolas. I don’t even remember him. I do remember all of Mom’s boyfriends, though. Lots and lots of boyfriends. Coffee shop workers, restaurant managers, fishermen. I didn’t mind them too much when they weren’t drinking, but Haley, well, she hated them all, and hated Mom for having them. Always got into arguments, accusing Mom of choosing her boyfriends over us. Mom said she needed the help, couldn’t get through life alone. Mom and Dad married straight out of high school. She won Miss Teen Washington that year, and it was the last job she ever had. Mom was very pretty, you know. They said I have her ears.” Caroline paused.
“Um. Nice ears.” Nick guessed at the non-verbal cue.
“Thank you very much, Nikolas. Anyway, I made a mistake. I told Haley she looked just like Mom, that she was really pretty and would have all the boyfriends she ever needed. I was twelve then. She was thirteen. Haley was angry, and I think it made Brandy a little jealous, too, which makes sense, if you know Brandy. Anyway, Haley