Page 25 of Bound By Stars
She whips around. Water from her dripping hair splatters against the wall. She takes a breath and snaps her mouth shut, marching past me.
“I can show you the way. Run interference in case you come across anyone. Or I could go get your stuff from the locker room for you.”
She twists back to me, tearing off the towel I wrapped around her and shoving it against my chest. “Stop.”
I swallow, looking at the wall, the ceiling, the floor, anywhere but the curve of her body in the skintight suit or the low scoop of its neckline. I clear my throat. “I’m just trying to help.”
“Oh, you want to help me?” Her face softens, but her stare is ice cold as she steps closer. So close I can see the tiny freckles across her collarbone, the droplet tracing a curvy line down her chest. “Why? So I’ll be so thankful and indebted to you that I’ll help you get one more perfect grade while my entire future’s on the line?”
“No. Of course not… I was just… I’m not…” I examine the light fixture overhead and gulp down the lump in my throat. “Yes, I want to work with you, but this wasn’t about that.”
“Let’s get this straight, Big Six: I don’t need your help. Not with my stuff, not with your friend, not with my bot. What I need is forallof you to leave me alone.” By her words, I’d think she was unfazed, but her eyes give her away, glistening with restrained tears.
This is hopeless. I’m going to have to thank Calypso for trying and let them know this is a lost cause. What’s one more month of being caged up in my family’s living quarters? At least there’s an uninterrupted view of space from the huge window in my bedroom. And I’m getting pretty good at appearing engaged enough to appease my mother while I daydream about hiking over mountains under real, open skies. Maybe it’ll come in handy when I’m locked into my predestined corporate life once and for all.
Gliding down the hall, she holds her head high, as confident as if she were fully clothed.
Chapter Eleven
Weslie
Thirty-one days to Mars
From the main staircase, the sounds of the dinner in progress are muffled behind the closed doors on the lower level. I tiptoe past the clock, listening for approaching porters or passengers.
The number plates displayThirty-one days, twelve hoursto Mars. The hand ticks directly over the seven and the chandelier dims a little more. It’s so gradual that I didn’t notice until recently, but the lights in the public areas mimic daylight. Soft and warm in the morning, bright in the afternoon, dim and purplish in the evening, and faint white in the night.
Finding the stairwell I climbed to first class the day I boarded, I descend the levels of the ship. At sublevel three, muddled voices and laughter bleed into the silence. I mash the door release and loud, happy noise explodes through the opening.
People move through the busy halls, dressed in patched clothing, as they talk, laugh, and gesture wildly. There are no bots to assist them or porters standing by for orders. I walk past a cafeteria, people filing in and out without formality. At the back of the room, they line up, scanning their handprints in exchange for rations. It’s a galaxy away from the first-class world, but it feels more like home.
“Excuse me, Ms. But are you supposed to be down here?” Someone taps my shoulder, speaking in a forced deep tone.
I twirl around on my heel. “I’m sorry, I…”
Reve holds his arms behind his back. The hint of a teasing smile glimmers in his stare.
My shoulders immediately relax. Even though the ship around us keeps hurtling toward Mars, I haven’t felt this close to Earth since my transport docked.
“Where’s ILSA?” He laughs, searching the hall behind me for the bot who is safely docked in my room where she can’t embarrass me.
“She’s become a total snob. Won’t venture below first class these days.”
A grin tugs at the edge of his mouth, and his eyes burrow through me. “Shame to hear she’s forgetting her roots.”
My face is hot, and I can barely speak around the lump in my throat. “I’ll pass on the disapproval.”
“See that you do.” He bites his lower lip. “So why are you down here slumming it with the Earther folk? Aren’t you supposed to be all dressed up at a fancy dinner?”
“Not really my thing.” I notice for the first time that his hat, pin, and vest are missing, replaced by a basic white T-shirt. “You’re not working?”
“Night off. Did you come down here to find me?”
“No, I…I was exploring.”
“Oh, then I’ll leave you to it.” He steps out of my way to let me pass.
I take two steps before I muster the courage to turn back. “I mean…if you’re not busy and want to hang out…”
