By N. E. Shaw
To Andros's great relief, Adelle knew teenagers. The owner of the Surf Spot was no stranger to being called on for emergency help. She had a cot and bedding packed away in the storage room for just such an occasion.
"You're sure you don't mind me staying here alone at night?" Andros asked out of courtesy.
"Honey, it's no trouble at all. I know you better than you think, you wouldn't steal a glance. Besides, if you did, your little ass would be mine." And she winked good-naturedly at him. Andros found himself glad that evening that some people still believed in charity. He was, of course, an experienced spacefarer and knew how to take care of himself--but he was here wasn't he? Together they wrestled the cot open in the corner of Adelle's office.
"I don't do this for free, mind you. I expect help in the kitchen tomorrow when you've got time."
"I've got time, I'm not going anywhere."
"Is it Christmas break for you kids in Dublin already?"
Andros nodded, hoping that was a feasible excuse.
"Well, you can stay here and work for me as long as you like. It's too bad none of the gang are left in town, I don't want to see you gettin' lonely."
Andros shrugged. "I came back to see Ashley. I didn't know she was gone too."
Adelle shook her head. "Off to New York City, that crazy child. And now here you are after she's gone...it's like something out of Romeo and Juliet, ain't it?"
"Who are they?"
"Never mind, I'll lend you the video. Now if any nasties break in, you call the police for me, don't try to be a hero, alright?"
She took the big wad of keys from her desk drawer and turned off the computer. "You sleep tight now. See you in the morning." She left him in the office, and heading for the main entrance. As she closed up the building and headed for her car, she wondered what could have possessed an upright young buck like Andros to leave school and come halfway around the world without even a place to stay. Of course, the answer was Ashley; teenagers could be pretty clueless when their hearts were involved. Adelle had seen many a puppy love in her lifetime, some ending better than others, but she hoped for Andros's sake that this one went well. In the meantime, she'd play den-mother to another lost cub.
The morning came quickly, and when Adelle arrived back at the Surf Spot, she found the cot and the bedding folded neatly out of the way. She set down the paper bag with Andros's bagel and coffee, and started to look for him.
"Andros? Son, where are you?"
"In the storage room," came the reply. She followed the sound of his voice and found him sitting on a box of hamburger buns, reading the writing on a plastic bag. He was washed, dressed and shaven, with his hair tied neatly back and an apron slung over his shoulder.
"What on Earth are you doing?"
"I'm reading the instructions for making hamburgers."
"Well I won't be putting you on the grill today, Andros. It's your first day, you'll be washing dishes."
"Oh," he said, and shoved the bag in his pocket.
"Come on, I brought you some breakfast."
Andros ate quickly while Adelle fired up the computer for the morning officework. By the time she was done, he had taken the liberty of wiping the front counter and sweeping out the recreation floor. Adelle watched him finish, anticipating the kind of work she might get out of this kid in the future. By the end of the day, she had made the decision to put him on the payroll. He had more than earned his room and board, and she knew he could use the money; she had seen the travel brochure for New York City sticking out of his pocket.
Two weeks went by with Andros pouring his heart into everything he did around the Surf Spot; he earned every penny of his minimum wage salary, plus his corner of the office and the bagels Adelle brought him every morning. He made a few new friends in some of the regular patrons, but mostly kept to himself. He worked weekends too, claiming he didn't have anything better to do. Adelle almost wished she could keep him forever, but she knew he had more than enough for his airline ticket now.
One Friday evening at closing time, she brought up the subject.
"So I suppose you'll be off to New York soon?"
He looked at her, obviously wondering how she knew, but nodded. "I've got enough for a one way ticket on a plane."
"Only one way?"
"I'll find work in New York when it's time to go back to Dublin," he replied, feeding her a small lie.
But at this remark, Adelle took his broom away and looked him straight in the eye. "Now just hold on a minute, boy. Work in New York isn't just there for the taking. It's a nice town to visit, but there ain't no Surf Spot and there ain't nobody who's going to give a job to a stranger in off the street."
Andros shook his head as though it didn't matter. "I'll manage Adelle. Don't worry about me."
"I don't think you heard me the first time!" she said. "I'm not letting you go off half-cocked thinking you can live off your own smarts."
He actually looked concerned for a moment. She had just threatened not to let him leave.
"Adelle...I have to go. It's what I've been working for all this time."
"And what if you get there and find Ashley with another boy? Are you gonna feel like pulling yourself up by your bootstraps then?"
That struck a nerve. She regretted it the moment it left her mouth, but it was the truth. He had to face it.
"I'll manage," he said again, making a stubborn face. "I'll figure something out...I'll manage."
He took his broom back and swept on. Adelle shook her head at him and went into the office to finish the accounting. He was deliberately still sweeping when she left the building for the night.
The next morning he was waiting for her at the staff entrance with his dufflebag on his arm, looking ready for a bit of traveling. He was clearly no longer angry, but looked a little nervous when she approached.
"I put the cot and the blankets away, and I swept out the kitchen and the rec floor last night. Everything's ready to open up," he said.
Adelle nodded, resting her hands on her hips. "So you're off to the airport I see."
He nodded in reply. "I'll be on the first plane I can get a seat for."
"Well Andros, it's been a good couple of weeks for me, I appreciate all the help. I still don't like the idea of you going off to New York alone though."
He flinched under her gaze, but tried to reassure her. "I can live on what I've got for a while. Whatever happens with Ashley, I'll find a way to deal with it."
Adelle nodded slowly. "I think you will. You are the most resourceful kid I've ever met. It's just my mothering instincts telling me to watch out for you."
This made him a little uncomfortable. "You won't be angry with me for leaving, will you?"
She laughed heartily. "Angry? At you? I'd like to see someone try."
He nodded in relief and let her fold him up in a big hug. "You take care of yourself now, you hear?"
"I promise. Thanks for all your help."
Before he left, he clasped her arm in a semi-sort of-handshake gesture, which she returned, giving him a questioning look. He just smiled and walked away towards the bus stop. Adelle watched him till she heard footsteps behind her.
"Hi Adelle," said a highschool girl with a book bag on her arm. "Andros said you might need some extra help around the kitchen."
The plane trip was nerve racking when Andros realized how the things actually worked. He imagined the rickety chunk of steel going down in flames at the slightest mishap--an encounter with high-flying geese for instance. But soon he began to relax, and felt sleep overtaking him. After the in-flight meal (incidentally a Yugathi dish) he began to feel his eyelids grow heavy, and the sounds of the plane tuned out. He didn't realize he'd actually gone to sleep until the flight attendant touched his arm. "Excuse me Sir, we're about to land. Would you mind putting your seatbelt on?"
He blinked in the dimness, wondering how long he had been unconscious. Then he remembered hearing the flight would take about six hours. They had left Angel Grove International at 2:00pm.
"What time is it?" he asked the woman in blue.
"It's nearly four o'clock local time now."
Timezones were a riot.
Andros got off the plane at the place known as Laguardia. He was directed to the subway station where he found out how to take an underground transport to New York University. He did take a moment to step outside though, after the long time spent in the plane, and the bitterness of the cold took his breath away.
Those people who had their breath blew it out in white clouds. A light snow was falling as afternoon turned into evening. Andros had expected this, but hadn't been prepared; certainly this was the warmest clothing he had. He should have borrowed something from Adelle before he left the west coast.
In any event, he had a subway to catch, and a young woman to find.
Ashley had once seen a Quantron staring down a vending machine, and had remarked, "Oyag." When asked what it meant, she explained that it was really "O.I.A.G." which meant "Only In Angel Grove". She had modeled the expression after "Only In New York", and only now did Andros discover its true meaning. He was on the subway, trying to fit in with the remarkable variety of people in that one car. There were people on rollerblades in shorts and t-shirts, people dressed in as much black as possible, fairly normal looking people who would nonetheless do something weird now and then; like the woman in the business suit carving a bar of soap into a small duck. Mixed into it all were a plethora of different ethnicities: Black, Latino, Asian, Indian, Native, Caucasian, Middle Eastern... If only more places on Earth were as diverse as this city, he thought.
But soon enough, such musings took the backseat to thoughts of Ashley. College was a big step in an Earther's life. She was living on her own now, maybe feeling a little lonely at times. She would be seeking comfort in the presence of new friends of both sexes. Many earth adults Andros knew had met their spouses at college. Was there something about it that was conducive to love? Was there any more reason for Ashley to find a boyfriend here than in Angel Grove? Seven months was indeed a long time, and she had said she was going to let him go. She also said she would never find another to replace him, but perhaps that was just to spare his feelings.
Thoughts such as these carried him off the subway, through the station and up to street level where the snow was falling thick. He had memorized the map, and followed the street signs with the unoccupied portion of his brain. Ashley had once talked about going to New York City together. Now they were here...in New York City...apart.
When he made it to the university campus, Mr. Hammond's neat handwriting told him what building Ashley was staying in. He found his way there and ducked inside, shivering uncontrollably. His ears and nose were numb by now. But those minor discomforts were forgotten in a flash.
A warmly dressed police officer was standing there in the lobby, questioning a tearful young woman.
"..um, at lunch today," sniffed the student. "I last saw her at lunch."
"What time was that, approximately?"
"Twelve fifteen?"
"Was anyone with her that you could see?"
"Only Rob Bradley, a friend of hers."
Andros listened to the conversation a moment longer, then he looked at the paper he held in his hand. Ashley's room was #451. He would have just gone on up to see her, but if someone was missing, the security people would be on edge. No one would let a strange man go upstairs to a girl's dormitory.
Inevitably, he was spotted by the girl behind the desk.
"Can I help you with something?" she asked, a little harshly.
"I uh...I'm here to see a friend, but she's not expecting me. Her name is Ashley Hammond."
The room fell silent.
"Who are you, son?" asked the police officer.
"My name's Andros."
"Andros what?"
But the girl being questioned suddenly spoke up. "I know you."
"You do?" said Andros.
"You're Ashley's friend from home. She has a picture of you in her room. Do you know where she went?"
"No, where did she go?"
The police officer looked annoyed. "That's the point son, we don't know. Ashley is missing."