Page 65 of Bound By Stars
She takes a beat to roll her shoulders back and reset. One deep breath, then another. Just like I taught her. When she continues, she doesn’t have to check her notes once. She delivers the speech like a pro, never glancing at the floor, staying present. When she moves on, asking ILSA to begin demo mode and bringing our animated plans up on the wall, she meets my eye, grinning.
At the end of the demonstration, ILSA opens, releasing Weslie and retracting the oxygen helmet. Weslie steps onto the floor as ILSA breaks down and retracts her stretcher, folding it back into her chest compartment.
Wes is clearly fighting to breathe evenly, but anyone who didn’t know her might read it as excitement. She manages to catch her breath before ending the presentation with a smile, her eyes shifting between the imaginary board members around Calypso.
They clap, rising from their seat. “Well done, Weslie!”
The rest of us join the applause.
“Keep up the practice and I have complete faith that you’ll blow the board away.” Calypso picks up their bag and pulls the strap over their shoulder. They head for the door, pausing part of the way to meet my eyes. “And you have a real knack for illustration, Jupe.”
When the door closes behind them, Wes and I lock eyes, and she runs across the room.
Both of us cry out in celebration.
“I did it!” She crashes into me, locking her arms around my neck.
I catch her around the waist, the momentum almost knocking me off my feet, and let her slide to the floor, so we’re face to face. My voice softens. “You did it.”
“Where ismyhug? I did spectacularly,” ILSA says from behind us.
Weslie steps away. “Yes. You did. And when I fix your personality algorithm, I won’t have to worry about you playing pranks on me during the real presentation.”
Asha puts an arm around ILSA. “You can’t change her now. ILSA’s perfect exactly the way she is.”
“Listen to the pink-haired one. She is nearly as brilliant as I am,” ILSA states.
“Agreed,” Tar adds.
My comm alerts me that I’m due for tutoring,and if I want a prayer of not spending all night chained to my mother’s side, I’d better not be late. “I have to go.”
It suddenly feels like this is the end. Every muscle in my body resists walking out the lab door. With the presentation and plans done, nothing is forcing us together.
Asha grabs Weslie’s arm. “So do we. We only have four hours to get ready for the Gala.”
“I’ll celebrate the halfway point by changing into sweats and having ILSA project old movies on my bedroom wall.”
“Oh, please come, Weslie. Pleeeeeease,” Asha begs. “There’s going to be great food, and you love food. And we get to dress up, really dress up, like full makeup, full gowns, full glam. And before you tell me you don’t have anything to wear—I have been through your closet, and you absolutely do.” She says each word faster than the last like she’s trying to squash every argument before Wes can make it. “Just this one night, can you please drop the ‘I’m too cool to participate’ attitude?”
Weslie turns to me with wide eyes, pressing her lips together, suppressing a laugh.
I glance down at my feet. “You should come.”
“Fine,” she groans.
“Yes!” Asha grabs her arm and yanks her to the door. “I think I’ve settled on black for you. Definitely some glitter. I’ve been waiting weeks to get you into something that sparkles!”
In the doorway, Weslie turns back and silently mouths,Help!
Chapter Twenty-Five
Weslie
Eighteen days to Mars
Asha huffs, pulling back the mascara wand again. “Will you please hold still for five more seconds?”
I blink wildly. “You’ve been at this for hours.”
