-1Chapter 6:
"Rise and Shine!"
Jamie-Lu felt a warm hand against his forehead. A gentle groan escaped his lips as he slowly rolled onto his side. A voice lightly whispering in his ear as he tried to open his eyes. It took quite a bit of time for it to register that it wasn't Suzy-Lu's voice he was hearing. His eyes slowly opened and he saw Piper standing there looking at him. Her breath could be seen as she exhaled. Her arms were tightly clasped across her chest.
Jamie-Lu blinked a few times before they opened wide. "Piper! What are you doing in here?"
"Suzy-Lu told me to wake you up. I didn't mean to intrude." Piper took a step back rubbing the back of her neck.
"No its fine you're not intruding." He shifted and put his feet on the cold metal floor standing up.
Piper immediately averted her gaze. All he was wearing was a pair of flexible rubber like undergarments. Jamie-Lu blushed as he quickly pulled the blanket around him. She turned and looked at his bare chest noticing the scar for the first time. It was roughly the size of a baseball and shaped like a jagged X. Her eyes locked on as she took a step closer.
"I don't usually sleep like this, but even with the air conditioner on it doesn't get cold enough in here." He spoke quietly, a hint of sleep still in his voice.
"That makes perfect sense because you're use to the cold weather, and you have fur…" Her voice trailed off as she got close enough to study the scar on his chest.
"What are you looking at?" Jamie-Lu asked taking a step back.
"I was just looking at the scar. Can I touch it?" Piper asked reaching out.
"I'd rather you didn't. It hurts when people touch it." Jamie said as he bent down picking up the uniform that he wore the night before from the floor.
Piper nodded and gave a gentle smile. "Alright then, I won't touch it. Um why don't you come to breakfast and we'll say goodbye to Suzy-Lu so we can start your training."
"Suzy's leaving?" Jamie-Lu asked as he pulled the suit on, grunting a bit as he zipped it up.
"Yeah she has to get back to the Absolute Zeroes." Piper explained.
"She's not leaving me behind is she?" Jamie-Lu frowned again, bringing a frown to Piper's face.
"Don't worry, she knows that you're in good hands with us. I'm sure this decision is as hard for her as it is for you." Piper explained as she lightly rested her hand on his shoulder.
Jamie-Lu pulled away before walking out the door into the hall. Piper followed close behind. Jamie-Lu walked right past the kitchen and dinning room on his way toward the hanger. There was a cool breeze coming from the open hanger door. Suzy-Lu finished packing her stuff onto the Ice Grinder. The sound of the door behind her perking her interest. The familiar footfall behind her caused her to turn around.
"Good mornin' sleepyhead. I was startin' to worry that Piper was havin' trouble gettin' you up there." Suzy-Lu said holding her arms open expecting a hug.
"You're leaving me behind are you?" Jamie-Lu asked coldly.
"To be honest yeah, but not the way yer thinkin'. You need ta learn how ta control yer powers. If I stay, I'll only be inda way." Suzy-Lu wrapped her arms around him, sighing softly as he didn't return the hug. "If ya think this is easy fir me, yer wrong eh. Whether ya want ta believe it or not I love ya and bein away from ya will hurt me very much."
Jamie-Lu stayed quiet as he continued to frown. He knew that she was telling the truth. It was killing him inside that she was leaving him behind. There was a warm hand at his shoulders as he turned to see Piper holding out a small earpiece. She gave him a warm smiled. Suzy-Lu leaned back to look at the earpiece as well.
"What is it?" Jamie-Lu asked taking the piece and looking at it.
Suzy-Lu cocked her head as Piper handed her an identical one. "Whadaya got there Piper?"
"These are matching communicators. They are linked to one another so that you two can talk anytime you start to miss each other." Piper reached out touching Suzy-Lu's shoulder, her other hand still resting on Jamie-Lu's.
Suzy-Lu wrapped her arms around Piper giving her a big hug. "Thank ya so much Piper-girl. This is the greatest gift ever."
"Anything for you two. I know how much you two mean to each other." Piper said giving her a warm hug.
Jamie-Lu slipped the earpiece onto his collar so he always had it with him. He waited till Suzy-Lu was done hugging Piper before he stepped in wrapping his arms around her, burying his face in her neck. Her natural scent mixing with the smell of her clean clothes and fur. Suzy-Lu lightly ran her fingers through his hair before patting the back of his neck.
"There ya go boyo. Jamie I'm gonna miss you eh. You be good and learn a lot 'kay? I love you so much." Suzy-Lu lightly kissed his forehead and gave him a playful shove.
"I'm going to miss you too Suzy. You don't need to ask me if I'm going to be learning a lot. I'm like and information sponge. I love you too sis. Don't forget about me 'kay?" Jamie-Lu asked tears were welling in his eyes, but he refused to cry.
"You don't need ta be askin' me not to forget ya there. I love ya too much to forget about ya." Suzy-Lu straddle across the seat settling herself.
Jamie-Lu took a step back standing next to Piper. She slowly wrapped her arms around his, hugging it closely as she gave him a reassuring smile. Suzy-Lu revved her Ice Grinder heavily as she let out a loud howl, the grinder came to life and lurched forward out of the open hanger door. The weight of the grinder pull it into a nose dive. The morning air was cold and biting, but Suzy-Lu didn't mind, she jerked back on the handle bars and revved until the wings popping out jetting her onward. Jamie-Lu and Piper could hear her howling echoing as she disappeared through the clouds.
"I'm going to miss her." Jamie-Lu whispered sadly.
"I know you will. Come on why don't we get something to eat. It might take your mind off of it." Piper said softly tugging on his arm.
Jamie-Lu walked along with her as they passed through the door and walked into the kitchen. There was a room full of bright eyes and smiles awaiting him. Jamie-Lu's cheeks shifted to a light red color as he moved to his seat between Junko and Piper. In front of him was a large breakfast more than he was sure he could eat.
"Good morning little buddy. Didja sleep well?" Junko said as he took a bite of his chopped potatoes.
"Yeah, I slept pretty well actually. It was a little hot in my room, but I'll adjust." Jamie-Lu unfolded his napkin laying it across his lap.
Radarr jumped up on the table and let out a happy squeak before running over and jumping up on Jamie-Lu's shoulders. There was sparse laughter as Jamie-Lu stabbed a potato with his fork and held it up to Radarr who gave him a wink and took it greedily.
"That awesome that he took you the way he did." Finn stated as he shoved a whole egg into his mouth.
Finn's hair was scraggly from a heavy nights sleep, as he was still dressed in his light blue pajamas. Aerrow looked like he was wearing a pair of blue sweat pants and a gray tank top. Junko was fully dressed in his uniform. Judging from the food stain on the front of it, it was the one he wore the night before. Starling as always was prim and proper.
"It is interesting. Radarr is a perfect judge of character just ask Starling." Aerrow added as he pushed his plate away.
Before it was fully out of reach Junko snatched it up and added it to his own pile of food, before shoveling a huge chunk of it into his mouth. Piper started to eat her food, keeping quiet.
"Yes, he is quite taken by me." Starling lifted her Terra Tropica Grapefruit up and ate it.
Everyone stopped and turned as Stork walked in the room, his face blocked by and dark bound book. Without looking he sat at the end of the table next to Piper. After a long moment of silence he closed the book and set it aside. Stork was dressed in his green one piece pajamas, his yellow eyes scanning the table. One twitched a little as he noticed that everyone was watching him.
"…Good morning everyone. I hope you all slept better than I did last night." His voice was low with a gentle hiss.
"I did, thank you for turning the air conditioning on in my room. It got cold enough to get a pretty good nights sleep." Jamie-Lu blurted out between bites.
"Glad to help. I must say you and your sister are complete opposites." Stork added as he picked up a potato and sniffed it curiously.
"Yeah who would of thunk it. Jamie's a boy and Suzy is all woman." Finn blurted out as he slapped Aerrow on the shoulder.
There was a spattering of laughing, but Stork didn't look amused. "Very funny Finn."
Jamie-Lu pierced his egg watching the yellow yolk spill out onto the potatoes. "Yeah, she is actually what a Blizzarian is suppose to be like. But I'm the black sheep you might say. I strive to be different."
"Clearly, well who am I to question your genetic make-up." Followed suit by stabbing his egg yolk.
Jamie-Lu took another bite of his eggs as he looked back at Stork. "Um forgive me for asking Stork, I don't mean to seem rude. But are all Merbs like yourself."
"Green?" Stork asked with a disinterested tone as he shuffled his potatoes into the yolks with his fork watching as the sun colored yolk soaked into the potatoes.
"No, you seem a bit worried, paranoid if I may. You just seem dismal." Jamie-Lu took another bite of his food, before offering a piece of potato to Radarr.
"Maybe we shouldn't talk about this right now." Aerrow said as he got up from the table.
Starling didn't say anything as she got up from the table and made her way to the door. Aerrow was close behind, Radarr darting from Jamie-Lu's shoulders and onto Aerrow's before he could passed through the door. Finn got up and stretched before backing out of the room. Junko finished eating and moved out the door, doing his best to go unnoticed. Piper picked her plate up and carried it along with her as she walked out of the room. Before Jamie-Lu knew it everyone had left the room except for Stork and himself.
Stork continued eating his food quietly as Jamie-Lu looked him over before speaking. "I'm sorry if I offended you?"
"No, its alright. Everyone has just heard this story before that's why they left. Terra Merb is riddled with natural disasters. Ever since I was a child I feared for my life. After so many years of this I have accepted that no matter what I'm doomed." Stork rambled before he shoveled the last of the food into his mouth before standing up.
"Oh, well then I think we have something in common." Jamie-Lu said quietly as he pushed his plate away.
The Merb picked up his book and turned to look over his shoulder. "How so?" He hissed.
"Well ever since I was a child I've been afraid for my life." Jamie-Lu got up from the table pushing his chair in.
To his surprise he felt a hand rest on his shoulder, he turned and looked into Stork's twitching eyes. "Maybe someday we can share stories."
Before anything else could be said Stork walked through the door leaving Jamie-Lu alone in the room. Suzy-Lu had only been gone for a short while, but he was starting to remember what it felt like to be alone.