It seemed like they had walked on and on FOREVER. The hot sun was beating down on Cora's back, making her sweat, and trawling through hills and hills of trash doesn't make anything better.
On the bright side, it did seem like it was thinning out. Cora smiled gratefully for that. She glanced at Astro, who didn't seem to be breaking a sweat at all. He even had his sweater on. All Cora had on was mini shorts and a tank top. It was too hot for anything else.
"Umm… shouldn't you take your sweater off?" Cora pressed her lips together in a thin line. She had really, really hoped that wouldn't escape. It had been four hours since Fish had 'run away' and you would think Astro would break a sweat even after that.
"Why?" Astro asked, all innocence. All ears.
Cora furrowed her brow and rubbed her aching arm. No amount of blue stuff could take away all the pain. "Because… it's like, ninety out here."
"It doesn't bother me." Astro replied lightly.
"Well, I suppose since you are a Wonder-Boy…" Cora trailed off. It was funny that he had red boots that could fly. She would have to see if she could get those. Cora smiled to herself, she wasn't in a good mood.
"Yeah." Astro answered back to her half-finished statement, though he averted her questioning gaze.
For thirty minutes nothing else was said, just when Cora was beginning to think she would shrivel up, her foot hit water. How had she not noticed there was a body of water coming up?
Cora looked up… a massive, green, lake was before her. On the other side, ever-so-dimly, was the tell-tale poles of the Sears Tower.
"Wow…" Astro murmured, coming up close to her. "Ha, you didn't notice that did you?" Cora scowled, he had noticed her shocked face.
"No, I didn't. It's amazing that I was so… out of it."
"Me, too." Astro quickly agreed, "I noticed it before you, though." he teased.
"Then why didn't you tell me?" Cora asked, irritated. Believe it or not, the trash had even thinned out! Grass was under her sneakers!
"Well…I don't really have an answer for that."
Heck, at least he was honest.
"I suppose we'll have to wander even more before we find a bridge or something." Cora mused, more to herself than to Astro. "The water is so cold though…and undoubtedly refreshing…"
She took a step forward into the murky water and breathed deeply. Then another step. And another, until she was up to her knees in the water. She could literally feel herself cooling off.
"Cora! I don't think you should go deep in that water!" Astro warned from the shore.
'Oh, just watch me.' Cora bite back the moody reply and turned her head. "Why?" she finally asked, after biting her tongue.
"It smells funny. And there's a dead fish off to your left." he said helpfully.
"OH EW!" Cora shrieked, prancing out of the water. The water droplets sprayed on her face, making her even more disgusted. "ASTRO! Why didn't you TELL me?"
"I didn't wanna disturb you!" Astro cried, putting his hands in front of his face. He cringed. Funny reaction.
"Oh you are such a spiky haired moron." Cora moaned.
"If it makes you feel any better, I could just fly across the lake." Astro said, straightening up.
That enhanced Cora's mood. She smiled at him. "You think you could?" then to herself, 'W-o-w, what a man. Every girl my age would be s-o-o-o jealous.' A girl moment.
"Of course." Astro scoffed. "I'll carry you across."
"Sounds good to me!" Cora put her hands behind her back and tried to calm her flipping stomach. That did NOT sound good, that did NOT sound good…
Astro examined his nails, "I'll have to…fly you across. Very fast." he slyly snuck a peak at Cora's face. Gauging her reaction.
Cora smiled wryly to herself. She knew exactly what he was really thinking, 'If she resists, how soon can I get her in a head-lock, and where will she be directing the kicks?'
"Just jump on my back." Astro said casually. He took a step forward, Cora took two steps back.
"Nu-huh! You'll drop me for sure!" Cora put her hands up in front of her face, feeling the sun beat down on her back.
"No I won't!" Astro replied. "I'm experienced!"
"Oh yeah? Can you rescue me when I fall into the ocean?" Cora sneered, taking another step back.
Astro took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He looked twice as irresistible. "Okay… let's just… think about this. Breath deeply, close your eyes. I'll come." he smiled leisurely at her.
Cora did as she was told. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, and thought about 'this.'
Astro took a hesitant step forward. She took a hesitant step back. He took a step forward. She took a step back. Step forward. Step back. Step forward. Step back.
Astro's eyes scrutinized her. "You're worse than a -" he seemed to choke on the insult, "robot. Dimwitted, close-minded, not open to anything that might cause bodily harm…SELFISH!"
Cora felt the blood boil under her skin. How could he say that? She marched towards him, "NOW LISTEN HERE… YOU CAN NOT JUST SAY THAT BECAUSE…because…" Cora trailed off.
'Oh crap.'
She saw Astro's victorious smile. His hands lunge out. The impossibly strong arms fling her onto his back and jet streamed across the lake. Slow enough so that Cora could breath, thank goodness.
[I would have loved to make this at typical 'movie scene.' Cora gets over her fear of flying ninety miles on the back of a boy across a deep, cold lake. She would begin laughing. Astro would laugh with her. Do some dips and twirls oh-so-romantically in the low-flying clouds…music would play…etc. But this is reality: All Cora could think was, "AHHHHHHH!" and all Astro could think was, "Duct tape." and there were no dips and twirls, it was all, "Straight to Chicago please!" with a little bit of, "I am so kicking him in the nads when we land." and , "When we touch down…I think I have a pocket knife in my pocket… uh… somewhere…"]
When they finally reached Chicago, Astro thought best to land on some soft grass. That is exactly what he did. With the exception of tripping.
Cora gasped as a heavy weight fell on her. Astro. "Get off of me!" she screamed, her hair a mess from the wind.
"So-ree!" Astro murmured. Funny he wasn't blushing.
For the first time, as Astro shifted his weight and got up, Cora noticed how cold he was. As if there was nothing to heat him. It was unusual.
"Well, hey, thanks for getting me over here." Cora murmured as she, too, got up. She looked around, no one was here on this miserable strip of grass, though Chicago still looked glorious. They must have landed on some deserted docking station. "We'll go inland, and try and get a phone." Cora breathed, pointing into the far off mass of towers.
Astro nodded, "Right."
Cora turned back to him. She smiled. He was just, so, attractive. "It's funny, some things you do."
Astro averted her gaze. "Shall we go?"
Cora sighed. "It must be tough being you." she joked.
But the words seemed to make Astro's hazel eyes widen, and he vigorously nodded. "Oh yes."
Cora laughed, striding up to Astro. She gently took her index finger and drew a pattern on one of his arms. "To be sure."
Astro backed away nervously, "I wanted to ask you something - I, I, I'm a little embarrassed this word is not in my vocabulary."
Cora frowned at being turned away. His body language said all. "What word?"
"Banging?" he raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"
"Well…" Cora babbled, "I would, I would think you would know. You acted like you did. When he asked you. You said, "I wasn't banging anyone." and… uh…"
"Yes but I wasn't." Astro cocked his head. "Did he mean it differently?"
"Why do you want to know? We should get going." the sun was becoming overbearing. All over again. And she did NOT want to answer this question.
"I just want to."
"Well it means, having, intercourse…with someone." Cora cringed. Why her? Why didn't Astro know? He was fourteen, right?
"Ah." was all he said. "So I suppose what Fish was saying…"
"Shut up it'll never happen." Cora blushed.
"Of course." Astro looked confused. He cocked his head again and it seemed as if he was biting his lip. "Of course." he repeated, staring at her strange.
Cora chose to ignore his weird gestures and began marching towards Chicago. "C'mon Astro boy, we've got ground to cover and phone calls to make."