The Waiver 7 AKA: The Fruits of a Hassled Author's Labor After a Week of Procrastination
"One, two, one, two. Get it on! Listen to the shit because we kick it til dawn!"
It was disturbing.
"-Listen to the Abstract, got it goin' on!"
Here we were out in the middle of space on a ship bound for nowhere . . . and I still had loud neighbors.
"Marco, turn that crap down!" I yelled. We had spent the past four days on the "Rachel" and were heading for the Unknown ship'slast coordinates. Thankfully, the Rachel had been stocked with plenty of freeze-dried goods, Andalite touch-screen "books" and six dozen cinnimon buns.
Not for the first time, I wondered if Andalites had a sense of humor.
I had assigned rooms and "shifts" to live and work in. Because there was no day or night in space, we called it the Alpha shift and the Bravo shift. I was on the Alpha shift with Marco and Tobias. Cassie, Menderash, Santorelli and Jeanne were on the Bravo shift. Jeanne insisted on being separated from Marco. However, I figured that if we were here longer than a couple days, I would switch around the people on the shifts so we didn't have to deal with the same people every day. We were cranky, bored, and pretty much at each others throats.
I was in my quarterstrying to skim through a Andalite "book" left behind which translated English to Galard. Might as well learn Galard since this isn't Star Trek where everyone speaks english.
Listening to Marco's music blaring the next room over . . . I wanted to switch the shifts NOW.
Marco waited until the perfect moment to pop through my door and sing along to the music off key: "Like Ma Belle, I got the ill communication! Ma Belle! Got the ill communication-"
I leapt out of bed and chased him down the narrow hall. For someone with short legs, the little punk was fast. Finally, I cornered him on the bridge.
"You're dead now, monkey-boy." I growled.
Marco just smiled. "Bring it on kitty . . ."
I was just about to tackle him and give him a charley horse to beat all charley horse's previous, when Menderash at the helm, interrupted. "Sir, as much as I also wish Marco bodily harm, I think you should wait."
I grinned menacingly, "And just why should I?"
"Because we're there."
I called everyone out of the various activities of reading, eating, watching DVD's and sleeping. We all gathered on the bridge.
"On screen." I ordered, true Star Trek style.
Menderash complied. The view screen activated showing . . . nothing. Menderash double-checked the coordinants and found that we were at least six light years away from the nearest star system.
Disbelieving, I ordered Menderash to do a final scan of the area. When he found nothing, we turned the ship around and headed to . . . well, wherever. It occured to me that you can't randomly jump around a billion square light years and just happen to find what you're looking for.
I left the bridge, tense and, yes, a little disapointed. I walked to what we called "Conjuction Junction". The Bridge hallway branched off into four diffent hallways with a scrap of paper labeling them crudely duct-taped to the archway of each entrance.
"Hall #1 - The Mess," with a picture of a crudely drawn cinnimon bun.
"Hall #2 - Sleeping Quarters-ZZZzzzz" Where the bedrooms, laundry room (and a small room with metal walls that we didn't really use or know the purpose of) were located. We called the metal-walled room the "Foil Hat" room, because Marco said the Yeerks created it so anyone in the room could be protected from alien telepathy.
"Hall #3 - Docking Bay" Which was so large, we used it as a gym/rec room.
"Hall #4 - The Pool" This is where the original Yeerk pool for this ship was located. We emptied it out and disabled the Kandrona Energy Convertor. The Andalites had installed toilets and showers (with no stalls) and attached hoses to the pool, so it could be filled with recycled water and actually WAS a pool.
There was also an elevator which led down to the Engine room, a Science lab and a bay with four Bug fighters lined up in a row and a large force-field protected door which opened to the outside.
I headed towards "Sleeping Quarters-ZZZzzzz" (Marco wrote the labels) and went straight to the laundry room to pick up my set of night clothes. We had the Andalites stock some clothing of ours beforehand. They were able to sneak in four sets of clothing each . . . and no shoes.
"Just like the old days . . ." I muttered to myself while stripping of my shirt.
Marco was in his room, Tobias had headed straight for the cafeteria and Cassie, Santorelli and Menderash had gone to the sleeping quarters. So I took a quick look around to see if anyone was about to head out of their rooms.
When Marco cranked the music back up, I stripped off my pants and pulled a new pair out of the dryer.
"What's just like the old days?" I whipped around to find Cassie leaning against the doorframe, yawning and stretching.
I spent about three seconds being embarassed, then answered her. "No shoes, you know?"
She stopped yawning and seemed to notice that I was standing there in my boxers. Her gaze panned down. "Oh my god, Jake, I didn't . . . Sorry!" She jumped out of the doorway and walked quickly away, in the direction of her room.
I sighed. "It's okay, Cass." I called out. "You've seen me in shorts and towels before, this is no biggie. I mean it's not like-" I cut off when I noticed a slight breeze . . .
My boxer's fly was open.
Oh, crap.
A/N: Hey Raspberry! How's THAT for a cliff "hanger"? Hahahahahaha!
I was gonna make this part of the next chapter, but what the hell, I'll keep going:
I went to go find Cassie (buttoning up and putting on pants first) and found her in her room. She was sitting on her bed staring at a wall when I walked in.
"Hey, Cass." She turned her back to me, embarrassed. I sat down next to her and grabbed her hand.
"Cassie, it's okay. No biggie, right? I mean you were gonna see something like that sooner or later." I tried to laugh my way through it. Suprisingly, she was blushing more than I was.
She turned around and smiled faintly. "Oh, I was, huh?"
"Well, yeah if you're gonna marry me someday."
Her smile faded, "Jake, we talked about this-"
"And you said we could talk about it in one year. It's been three!"
"I said, if you felt the same way, we could talk about it." she said, looking up at me expectantly.
I let go of her hand and looked down at my socks. "You're right, I don't feel the same way."
Cassie's face fell. "What? But, I thought-"
I raised a hand, silencing her. "If I felt the same way, I wouldn't be in your room right now. We'd be strangers, hanging on what might have been, instead of what is. I'm a different man now, so of course I'd feel differently about you, Cassie."
Why the hell was I telling her this?
I paused for a moment, unsure about if I should go on. This was uncharted territory.
"Back then, I thought I knew what love was. In a way I did. I knew how to accept love," I shrugged. "But I didn't know how to give it, how to show it. I DO love you Cassie, but now I'm not using that love against you and against me too." I hoped she understood.
Because I sure as hell didn't.
She looked up at me with tears in her eyes, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me close.
I didn't know what the hell I was doing . . .
I pulled away and got off the bed.
She looked up at me, confused.
I swallowed hard.
"Cassie, this feels too right. I'm sorry, but I have to do this." I said in a shaky voice.
I knelt down in front of her and took both her hands in mine.
"Cassie, I'm sorry for everything I've put you through-"
"Jake, you don't have to appologize," She took one of her hands back and placed it on my cheek.
"Yes, yes I do." I continued. "Everytime you tried to help me, I pushed you away. I was . . . afraid. Of you, of us. But I'm not scared anymore." She smiled down at me.
"Cassie, I asked you to be with me once before, and I did it all wrong. I saw a glimpse of our future, a future apart, and I was desperate." Is shifted on my knees, uncomfortable.
"Now I ask you not because I can't imagine life without you, but because I'velived life without you . . . and it pretty much sucks." We both laughed then, breaking the tension.
I spoke up while she was still laughing. "Cassie. Marry me."
She stopped laughing.
End of Part Seven 7
And now, (so I don't get in trouble) A short Fic!
The Forgotten Character
He paced through the streets, restlessly.
His thoughts wandered from scene to scene, not really being able to focus on one memory.
Playing. Him. Answering to his call. Bringing him his-.
Then, nothing.
How could he have disapeared so quickly?
Where did everyone go?
For two years, he was ignored. As if he was invisible.
Now, he prowls the streets.
An old man walks by, noticing the look of dejection on his face.
"Now, what's yer problem buddy?" the old man asks, kindly.
He doesn't answer, but stops to listen to the old crazy, anyway.
"Oh, so you're just gonna stand there, gaping huh? Well, at least tell me yer name, there
fella . . ."
The old man reaches for his neck and reads aloud.
"Homer, huh? Well, collar 'er not, you sure LOOK like a stray."
The old man looks around cautiously, then walks away, whistling to the dog to follow him.
(fine)