Again.”
“Time is up, Romeo. Looks like she comes too.”
Before I can say anything, the room bends around me. A fog rises from the ground around me. Mel’s grip on my arm loosens, so I pull as hard as I can. She breaks through the fog’s barrier and crashes into my chest. She shivers against me. I squeeze tighter.
“One. Two. Three,” I say out loud. The evaporates almost immediately and we’re back outside the cafeteria doors.
Kaitlyn and Ted stop talking and rush over. When they get close and notice I brought someone along, they both stop. Kaitlyn’s eyes land on Mel.
“Help me with her,” I say. Neither move, so I say, “One of you, hurry up.”
Ted looks at Kaitlyn but she doesn’t move. He jumps over to my side and puts one of Mel’s arms around his neck.
“Move her to that chair,” I say.
Together, Ted and I guide Mel into the closest seat. She’s still shaking, but her breathing steadies. Fast, but steady.
“Who is she?” Ted says.
“A nurse here at the hospital,” I say. “A friend,” I add, thinking about how big Kaitlyn’s eyes were. “She wouldn’t let me leave her behind.”
“Damn…right…” she says.
“Does she know anything?” Ted says.
“Not yet,” I say.
She takes one deep breath and holds it for a few seconds before exhaling. “Know what?”
“It’s hard to explain,” I say.
“Basically? Two alien races are trying to kill each other and we’re here to stop one of them,” Ted says. He looks at me before grinning. “I said basically.”
Mel scoffs and it makes her cough. “Right, aliens.”
I step to the side, unblocking her view so that her eyes line up with Lefty and Righty. They’re poking at each other and laughing, acting human, but there’s no denying their skin color, a pale blue that means they’re auditioning for the Blue Man Group or they’re not from Earth.
“Okay,” she says, nodding. “Aliens. If they’re holding the hospital hostage, why are you out here?”
“They’re not the bad ones,” I say. “Believe it or not, it’s to keep everyone from freezing to death.”
“Freezing from what?” she says. “I wasn’t cold until you pulled me into that cloud.”
My hand has been touching her since we left the sealed room. If I let go, she’ll get a blast of the cold air. That can’t happen. I squeeze tighter. “Remember outside my mom’s room? You said you froze. It’s like that but more intense.”
“I know what freezing is,” she says. “Why is it happening?”
“I don’t know. Except that it’s because they’re here. We were recruited to help them save both our planets. Once we help with their problem, they’ll return home. Everything here will go back to normal.”
Mel stretches her neck and rolls her shoulders. She stands up, shaking out her limbs. “If you trust them, then let’s go.”
“What are we going to do about the train?” Kaitlyn says outside the hospital.
“What do you mean?” I say.
“Tinjo gave us three tickets, not four.”
“I think we can manage it, Kait,” Ted says. “It can’t be that hard to get somebody on a train.”
When Mel’s Dodge comes into site, she runs to the side. “What did you do to Veronica?” she says, stroking the scratch.
“Things were a little shaky in Lake Shore,” I say. “I’ll fix it when we’re finished here.”
“I’ll make sure you do,” she says.
I can’t tell if she’s joking or not.
“Shotgun,” Ted says, jumping to the front of the group.
“Shouldn’t Sam ride up front?” Kaitlyn says. “His legs are a lot longer than yours.”
“Hey, I don’t make the rules,” Ted says. He climbs into the car and shuts the door.
Mel turns the car on before Kaitlyn or I shuffle into the backseat. She hasn’t opened her door yet, so I say, “You alright?”
She looks at me a little sideways. “Fine, why?”
Fine . I hate that word. I know what it really means, but she won’t admit it. “It’s just–”
“I’m
“Time is up, Romeo. Looks like she comes too.”
Before I can say anything, the room bends around me. A fog rises from the ground around me. Mel’s grip on my arm loosens, so I pull as hard as I can. She breaks through the fog’s barrier and crashes into my chest. She shivers against me. I squeeze tighter.
“One. Two. Three,” I say out loud. The evaporates almost immediately and we’re back outside the cafeteria doors.
Kaitlyn and Ted stop talking and rush over. When they get close and notice I brought someone along, they both stop. Kaitlyn’s eyes land on Mel.
“Help me with her,” I say. Neither move, so I say, “One of you, hurry up.”
Ted looks at Kaitlyn but she doesn’t move. He jumps over to my side and puts one of Mel’s arms around his neck.
“Move her to that chair,” I say.
Together, Ted and I guide Mel into the closest seat. She’s still shaking, but her breathing steadies. Fast, but steady.
“Who is she?” Ted says.
“A nurse here at the hospital,” I say. “A friend,” I add, thinking about how big Kaitlyn’s eyes were. “She wouldn’t let me leave her behind.”
“Damn…right…” she says.
“Does she know anything?” Ted says.
“Not yet,” I say.
She takes one deep breath and holds it for a few seconds before exhaling. “Know what?”
“It’s hard to explain,” I say.
“Basically? Two alien races are trying to kill each other and we’re here to stop one of them,” Ted says. He looks at me before grinning. “I said basically.”
Mel scoffs and it makes her cough. “Right, aliens.”
I step to the side, unblocking her view so that her eyes line up with Lefty and Righty. They’re poking at each other and laughing, acting human, but there’s no denying their skin color, a pale blue that means they’re auditioning for the Blue Man Group or they’re not from Earth.
“Okay,” she says, nodding. “Aliens. If they’re holding the hospital hostage, why are you out here?”
“They’re not the bad ones,” I say. “Believe it or not, it’s to keep everyone from freezing to death.”
“Freezing from what?” she says. “I wasn’t cold until you pulled me into that cloud.”
My hand has been touching her since we left the sealed room. If I let go, she’ll get a blast of the cold air. That can’t happen. I squeeze tighter. “Remember outside my mom’s room? You said you froze. It’s like that but more intense.”
“I know what freezing is,” she says. “Why is it happening?”
“I don’t know. Except that it’s because they’re here. We were recruited to help them save both our planets. Once we help with their problem, they’ll return home. Everything here will go back to normal.”
Mel stretches her neck and rolls her shoulders. She stands up, shaking out her limbs. “If you trust them, then let’s go.”
“What are we going to do about the train?” Kaitlyn says outside the hospital.
“What do you mean?” I say.
“Tinjo gave us three tickets, not four.”
“I think we can manage it, Kait,” Ted says. “It can’t be that hard to get somebody on a train.”
When Mel’s Dodge comes into site, she runs to the side. “What did you do to Veronica?” she says, stroking the scratch.
“Things were a little shaky in Lake Shore,” I say. “I’ll fix it when we’re finished here.”
“I’ll make sure you do,” she says.
I can’t tell if she’s joking or not.
“Shotgun,” Ted says, jumping to the front of the group.
“Shouldn’t Sam ride up front?” Kaitlyn says. “His legs are a lot longer than yours.”
“Hey, I don’t make the rules,” Ted says. He climbs into the car and shuts the door.
Mel turns the car on before Kaitlyn or I shuffle into the backseat. She hasn’t opened her door yet, so I say, “You alright?”
She looks at me a little sideways. “Fine, why?”
Fine . I hate that word. I know what it really means, but she won’t admit it. “It’s just–”
“I’m
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