Chapter 12: Blame it on the Sun

Rowen and Duncan finished their tea and headed off to Cyrus and Zaltana's house to get some of their stuff. Zaltana and Cyrus walked into Cyrus's house to see his mom and dad sitting on the couch watching TV. "Mom, Dad, I'm going on a road trip with Zal and some of the guys. I'll be back later." He said walking up stairs and grabbing his stuff. When he came down stairs, his parents were standing at the door with his jacket and a brown paper bag. "What's this?"

"Cyrus, Zaltana, you two is going off to do something like what we did when we were kids. Only I think it was much safer when we did it." His father told them. "We want you to be careful. Don't do anything dangerous, send us some post cards."

"And don't pick up any strange girls Cyrus. And Zaltana, don't pick up any strange guys." Cyrus' mom told them.

"Alright mom and dad. We'll be careful." Cyrus said taking his jacket.

"Where are you guys going?" His mother asked them handing Zaltana the brown paper bag.

"To New York City. We need to find some friends." Zaltana smiled.

"We're also stopping in Arizona." Cyrus added.

"Good luck you two. Don't do anything stupid." His father told them. The two teenagers looked at Cyrus' parents with the 'we always do stupid stuff' look on their faces. "Or at least things you don't normally do." His father added.

"Bye Mom and Dad. I love you." Cyrus hugged his parent's good-bye and walked out the door to the van where Rowen and Duncan were waiting. "Zal, what did they put in the bag?" Zal opened it in the car. The smell of fresh baked cookies filled the car.

"You mom's Chocolate Chip Cookies." She passed one to each of the guys. Duncan drove over to Zaltana's house. The light was on in the living room. She exhaled before leaving the car. She walked into the house to see her parents making out on the couch. "Good Yee God, do you have to do that in here!" She proclaimed before she ran up stairs to grab her stuff. She threw some cloths into a duffle bag. She saw the locket her father gave her sitting on her dresser and put it on. "Here goes nothing." She walked out of the safety of her room and down stairs to see her parents waiting for her.

"Where do you think your going missy?" her mother asked.

"New York." She answered.

"Oh no your not! You have school tomorrow."

"So?"

"Why are you going to New York?" Her mother screamed.

"To save the world."

"Like I haven't heard that one before." She glared at Luke.

"Sorry Mom I have to do this. I have to find these kids." Zaltana pleaded with her mom.

"She has to do this. Just like I had to." Luke said to her mother helping Zaltana's case.

"If you walk out that door, don't even think about coming back." Her mother fumed.

"If I walk out this door." She put her hand on it. "I can't come back."

"Right." Zaltana walked into the kitchen and left through the back door. She walked around the house and claimed into the van. She threw her bag into the trunk.

"Drive." She said lying down in the back seat.

"Your mom didn't like the idea of you saving the world did she?" Cyrus said leaning over the back of the middle seat.

"Not at all. She said if I walked out the front door I couldn't come back." Zaltana whipped a tear from her eye.

"So you walked out the back door. You can still come back. If not you can live at my house for ever." He laughed, "Not like it will make a difference. Mom thinks you live there already." Zal let out a slight laugh and found a blanket under the middle seat.

"You guys drive yet?" Duncan asked.

"Yeah we got them a few weeks ago. How bout you Rowen." Cyrus said.

"I'm on permit." He said leaning back into his seat.

"Do we have to get Kedem?" Zaltana asked.

"Yeah. That's where were going first. Then we'll figure things out from there." They drove in silence until Rowen put a Something Corporate CD in. Zaltana fell asleep in the back seat.

"Cyrus, what can you tell us about you and Zal? What do you guys do for fun?" Rowen asked making innocent conversation.

"Normal stuff I guess. We hang out, go to Planet Bang. Most the time, Zal gets us in trouble somehow. Normal stuff. How bout you guys?"

"Listen to music, we started a band at one point. You play anything?"

"I used to play the bass. You?"

"I was on Drums and Duncan was on Guitar. We had no singer."

"Zal's pretty good at singing, maybe you can talk her into being your singer."

"Want to be our bassist?"

"Sure. Got nothing better to do." Cyrus sunk back into his seat.

"Now we need a name." Duncan said.

"Why not Children of the Sun. That's who we are?" Cyrus asked. It made sense for them to be who they are.

"People might figure it out." Duncan said keeping his eyes on the road.

"But this would only work if we all made the same choice of sticking around after were 18. Are you guys going to stick around?" Zaltana asked. She had been listening to the whole conversation. The group got quite. "You guys didn't think of that did you?" She saw Duncan and Rowen shake their heads while Cyrus just looked down. "Come on lets go get Kedem so we can get our fight over with and we can get back to high school."

Duncan pulled in front of an old building to see Kedem walk out and open the door to the Van. "Never thought I'd be traveling cross country in one of these tin cans again." He laughed. "So what's with the long faces?"

"Zal just busted our bubbles. We were planning to make a band. But sunshine back there had to tell us that it would only last until we were 18 unless we choice to stay around and she knows what she wants." Rowen explained.

"You guys could still be in a band together, you just would have to replace each other when they leave." Kedem said so carefree.

"Where are we going first?" Zal asked getting in a better position in the back seat.