Page 27 of Bound By Stars
“You know what I was thinking about out of nowhere today? Remember when we were, like, seven and it snowed?”
“Pretty easily. I haven’t seen snow on the ground since.”
“It stuck for like half a day, but you and Mei decided to try to save it by piling it into that bucket in your refrigerator. Then it melted and flooded your kitchen.”
“First off—I was six. You should have known better as my elder.”
“As if those extra two months offered me enough wisdom to stop you. And you definitely wouldn’t have listened if I tried.”
“And second, I didn’t have a strong grasp on volume and physics yet.”
“Your dad was so mad. He didn’t let us in your house for months. I bet you never bothered to let him know it was all your idea.”
“Self-preservation,” I say before taking a turn off memory lane. “Strange we haven’t managed to cross paths in the past few days.”
“Ah, well, I am supposed to be invisible. Part of the ship.”
“Must be nice.”
We come to the end of the pod bay hall, and I lead us left toward the living quarters.
“Not particularly, but I’m fine with it.”
“I feel like I’m walking around with a spotlight on me up here. They all watch me like they’re afraid I’ll pick their pockets.”
“Wouldn’t put it past you, Fleet.”
I glare at him sideways, and he nudges my shoulder. “If you don’t want to stand out, you have to play their game. Wear what you’re supposed to wear, go where you’re supposed to go, and speak when you’re supposed to speak. We make them uncomfortable, so they want to forget where you came from. Play along and they’ll believe you’re one of them in no time.”
“But I’m not,” I say weakly.
Reve stops in front of me, taking my hand. “If I’ve ever known someone who could rise to the occasion, it’s you, Wes.” He draws closer, our faces inches apart. “Just promise me you won’t forget who you really are.”
Heat blooms in my face. I nod once, twisting my lips to hide my smile.
“You know, I’ve never seen the inside of the first-class quarters. Are they huge?”
I point down the hall, in the direction I’ve been leading us. “My room is…it’s…uh…” I gulp, but my throat might be swollen shut. My hand has gone rogue, unrhythmically waving my still-pointing index finger like it’s trying to do the talking.
“Hey, what are you two doing up here?” A porter with blond hair and thin lips marches toward us, staring under the inclined brim of her hat. “You aren’t allowed above your level. I’ll need identification from both of you.”
She holds out the paper-thin tablet toward Reve.
He releases my hand and raises his in surrender. “I’m the only one in the wrong place. It’s my night off and…”
“Identification.” She shoves the tablet closer to him, and he lays a palm on it. Her eyes move back and forth over the screen and her frown deepens. “Porter Moreno, you know you’re not permitted to be above second class without your uniform.”
“This is my floor. I’m in room 101. He’s with me.”
“We’ll see about that.” She thrusts the surface toward me.
I lay my hand on the glass.
The info on her screen seems to confirm my claim, and her face relaxes. “I’m so sorry about that, Ms. Fleet. I’m happy to assist you, so Porter Moreno can make his way back to the appropriate level.”
“I don’t need anything, we were just—”
“It’s fine, Wes. I should be going anyway.” With a tight smile, he winks at me and nods at the other porter as he leaves.
