Chapter Five
"What's with you, Milo?" asked Astrid. "You're acting as if you won the Nobel Prize." But Milo was ignoring her completely.
"I can't believe it! Sweet is here in D.C.! And I thought I would never get to see the team again!" Milo continued to ramble, lost in his own world. Astrid waved her hand in his face, bringing him back.
"Milo, what are you talking about? What team?" Milo was quiet for a moment, debating whether or not he should tell her about his companions on the Atlantis expedition.
"Well,?" she persisted.
"It's kind of a long story, Astrid. And I need to get home and feed Fluffy." he said, referring to his pet cat.
"I'll go with you then. You can tell me the story on the way. I live in the same building anyway"
"I'm not in the mood for storytelling at the moment."
"How about when we get to the apartment? Will you be in the mood then?" Milo knew Astrid was not going to give up until he agreed. He let out an annoyed sigh as he rolled his eyes.
"Alright, deal."
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Milo unlocked his door and led Astrid into the living room. He gave the light switch a good pull and sparks showered from above.
"Aw man! The light bulb burnt out." he stated the obvious. "I know I have some replacement bulbs around here somewhere. Be right back." He went to the kitchen to retrieve a new bulb from the cabinet above the fridge. Having long skinny arms had its advantages for even though he was short, it didn't take much stretching to get the package down from its place.
"Do me a favour and pull the switch again. I don't feel like getting electrocuted" he said to Astrid. She did as she was told and Milo replaced the bulb. The light flickered on after he pulled the switch again. Astrid sat down on the couch and waited for Milo to begin his story. But first, Milo took a framed picture from the bookshelf and brought it over to show her. It was a photo of the crew he met on his journey that eventually became his friends. Sad to say though, after they returned from Atlantis, the team went their separate ways. Milo explained this to Astrid as she quietly listened, though laughing at some parts. He told her about each of them, and of the adventure they had shared. Of course he had to lie about certain parts, but most of what he said was true. He knew he could never forget them.
"So do you still talk to them?"
"I still receive letters from Audrey once in a while. Vinnie too. Cookie mails me all sorts of recipes with grease as the main ingredient." When he said 'grease', Milo made a disgusted face, and Astrid laughed a little. "Mrs. Packard calls me sometimes though when she does, she does not seem to know the meaning of 'bye'. She will talk non-stop if you let her. I haven't heard from Sweet since about a month ago, but I can understand why; he is a doctor after all. And I bet he wanted to surprise me with the fact that he was in town."
"Not much of a surprise anymore is it?" She was being sarcastic of course. He shook his head as his mind began to reminisce. He didn't realize that tears were streaming down his face. "What's wrong?" Astrid's voice broke the silence and brought Milo back to the present.
"Nothing. I must have something in my eye." he lied at first but spoke again. "I really miss them. They were like a family to me."
"It will be alright. They will always be in your heart and memories." Astrid glanced at the clock on the wall. "It's getting late. I better go back to 107, and make dinner." she stated. She walked to the door. "Bye, Milo. Thanks for telling me about your friends."
"Bye, Astrid." Astrid left and Milo was alone. He heard a soft meow and looked down to see his cat. "Well, I guess it's dinner time, eh Fluffy?" He walked to the kitchen to prepare a meal for himself and his pet.