Spontaneously Planned Adventure

Chapter 1

“Cam, I don’t know. I can’t just completely leave with no explanation and then expect to come back without questions being asked!”

“Oh, come on. You’ve only got this year left, and you’re just going to waste it on trying to be valedictorian? Live a little! Sometimes it’s necessary to break the rules.” The girl paced around and then took a deep breath as she shoved her hands into the pockets of her jacket. The boy, Cameron, shifted his feet on either side of his bike. “Well?”

“Okay. Meet me under the bridge at midnight.”

“The train one?”

“Uh-huh.”

“Okay! You got it!” Cam winked at the girl, buckled on his helmet, and revved the engine, igniting the gas. The girl rolled her eyes and held back a smirk, as Cam vroomed off into the distance.

It was getting late, so the girl got into her car and drove home. Most of the problems faded away as she remembered her situation. Her family was currently in Indiana, staying at their cousin’s house, while her mom had a business trip a hour away. The girl stayed at the house, because she didn’t want to miss school or her sports. At first, her mom wasn’t going to let her stay home alone for that long, but after some negotiating, the Mother finally said yes.

Leaving home unnoticed wasn’t going to be an issue. Today, Wednesday, had been a half day, and starting tomorrow, Thursday through Monday would be days off, due to parent-teacher conferences and other things. For her sports however, she was just going to send her coach an email, explaining that she was going on vacation, and wouldn’t be back until school starts again the next week.

With that plan all made in her head, she realized that if she parks her car at the train station, it would verify the excuse of vacation. Her heart filled with excitement, but also a twang of guilt. This is normal, she thought. When you break the rules for the first time, this is how it’s supposed to feel.

When she got home and parked her car, she skipped into the house and began packing her large backpack. If this is going to be a day thing, or possibly more, I’m going to have to pack extra clothes and food/water/money. As she finished, she zipped it shut, hefted the pack up, and then packed it into the car, along with heavy winter jackets, scarves, and gloves. Next, she made a protein-packed, carb-filled meal: beef, a baked potato, cooked green beans, a slice of garlic bread, and a large glass of water. Sitting down at the dimly-lit kitchen table, she dug in, for her practice that day had been hard, and boy, was she hungry.

After the platter was scraped clean, she washed her dishes, put away the food, and cleanup after dinner. She double-checked locking the doors, turned off all lights, except for a couple, and waited for time to pass in the tall arm chair, located in the music room. At 10:30, she became restless, pacing the floors and muttering to herself. She decided to shower to freshen herself up. After she did, she indeed felt more refreshed and excited. In her bedroom, she pulled on warm, comfortable clothes, and then trotted back down the stairs again, after tying her hair back into a braided bun and securing a white bandana over it. She sat down at the piano and pressed a couple keys to clear the silence. Taking a deep breath in, she began to play a piece by Adele: Someone Like You. It was the only real piece that she could play, besides the childish piano books, that were withering away, within the piano bench she was perched on.

The last notes hung in the air as the piece ended. She took her foot off the damper pedal, and got up to grab the guitar that was hanging on the wall. The guitar was her favorite instrument, rising above her violin, that she’d been playing for almost 10 years. Whereas she’d picked up the violin in the 4th grade, the guitar she’d learned 4 years later. With the capo already resting between Frets 4 and 5, she began to pluck the strings, creating a calming tune.

It was around 11:45 pm when she finally put away the guitar, grabbed her keys, got into her vehicle, and drove to the train station. The night drive was strange. She’d never been out this late before, since her curfew rose to only 11 pm. There were barely any cars on the road, except for a few stragglers heading in for the night.

In the dark parking lot, she popped the trunk, and proceeded to take out things that she realized were unnecessary, such as: three water bottles, two extra coats, accessories, and clothes that she wasn’t going to wear. She eventually turned a fat pack into a thin carrier that would easily fit into a small space. Before closing the trunk, she stuffed her keys, wallet, and phone with accessories into her bag. Then, she began to take off her top layers, exposing her bare upper body. As she shucked off her shirt, the rumble of a motorcycle pulled up behind her and the ignition turned off. “Stripping for me, I see.”

“Shut up, Cam.” She fired at him, giving him the bird. “I’m rearranging my assortment of layers so I can easily shed them according to the weather. Now, it’s dropping into the low 30s, and I plan on keeping all my fingers, thank you.”

“Ah,” he responded, with a laugh. “Okay. Take your damn time; it’s not like I’ve got something better to do.” She sighed annoyingly and muttered,

“Oh, fuck off.”

“What?”

“Nothing! Okay, I’m good.” She finally buttoned up her favorite, worn leather jacket, and pulled on her gloves. “Where should I put my bag?”

“Here.” Cameron opened up a compartment under the seats, and together they found a place to stuff the bag. It fit perfectly with room left over. Cam clicked the seat back down again and grabbed a sleek, black helmet decorated with white smiley faces the size of her thumb, and a visor over the eyes. Unlocking something inside the helmet, he raised it above her head and said, “You may want to undo your bun, just to be comfortable.” She undid it and as Cam helped her slide on the helmet, she tucked the braid into the head space. “Good?” She adjusted it, and he clicked the strap shut.

“Yup.” Cam smirked at her and clicked a photo. “What was that for?”

“Memories. Who’s going to believe me when I say I got Miss. Perfect Goody Two Shoes to be a rule breaker for once in her life?” He laughed quietly and then zipped his phone into his leather biker jacket. “Ready?” he asked, placing his own helmet on his head and securing it.

“Yup. What do I do?”

“When you get on behind me, have your legs straddle both sides of my hips and legs. Press your chest tight against my back, and wrap your arms around my waist under my arms, and secure your hands.” She immediately did what he said as soon as he had seated himself on the motorbike. She felt a sudden wave of awkwardness as she situated herself around his form.

She knew he felt it too because when her body moved to fit with his, he took a sharp intake of breath and his body tried, but failed to suppress a shiver that she felt ricochet through him. “You good?” She asked, her voice muffled by the helmet. She heard him audibly gulp and then he shakily replied,

“Uh-huh. Okay, hold tight. This is going to take us a couple hours of driving.” She hugged herself against him tightly, and then he sparked the ignition and revved the engine a couple times, before lifting his feet from the ground and driving off. As soon as they pulled onto the highway, the comfortable sense fell upon both of their shoulders, and finally they could breathe.

Chapter 2

The ride to the city would be long and tedious, but Cam told her not to worry. His friend would meet them halfway and pick them up with his truck. As any person would know, riding a motorcycle for more than two hours would be exhausting. Cameron was able to fit the girl’s belongings under the seat of the motorbike, so there wouldn’t be any other unbalanced weight. It was almost calming, except for the blustery gusts that would tear through the girl’s layers as the bike sliced through the night. It was in the midst of fall, this chilling early morning. The weather had already been hinting at the looming winter that edged closer the last couple of weeks. Cam didn’t like the situation with the cold, but for the girl clinging to his back, he wanted to do it anyway.

The bike became the only vehicle on the road and the girl could see their shadow as the celestial being in the sky covered the earth with its moonlit glow. The girl felt almost cold, but Cam’s body between her arms and up against her chest was comforting as he continued the journey down the interstate to the planned check point.

The loud rumbling beneath her became a low hum as she adjusted to the engine and its call. She leaned her head against Cam’s back and let out a long sigh. She heard Cam’s voice call over the wind, “I have to stop for gas again!”

“Okay!” She called back, and then nestled against his back.

They stopped once again at another gas station and as Cam filled the tank, she used the bathroom and stretched. She stood guard at the cycle when he was done, in a parking spot next to the station. “Want anything?” He asked.

“No, but thank you.” She answered with a smile. She took a hold of his helmet and watched as he walked into the store. Resting her head in her hands on the helmet, she watched the faint lights of the highway drive past.

It was a while before Cam came back again. She noticed that he looked stressed. When he approached the bike, she asked, “What’s up? You look stressed.”

“Well, I chugged a coffee down that was way too hot.”

“Oh! Ow. And?” Cam sighed defeated, and answered,

“My man, Oliver, the one who’s supposed to meet us at Fort Washington, his truck popped a tire and he didn’t have a spare, so its going to be about an hour or so before he can get a pick up truck. That leaves us…”

“Waiting an hour plus, or driving to Brooklyn the whole way by cycle.” She finished for him.

“Correct.” She slid off the cycle and hugged him. Cam wasn’t expecting it, but he eventually accepted it. “Thank you.”

“We’ll be okay, Cam. I believe in your driving! I’ll be behind you every step of the way.” He pulled away and they shared a smile.

“Literally.” Both of them said, laughing.

“Okay!” He said, mentally preparing and shaking himself out. “Let’s go!”

There was more ease as they fitted into each other and got back onto the highway. They eventually managed to drive through Philadelphia safely, and made it to a rest stop that rested along the water of New York City, and gave the view of the city with its twinkling lights within the buildings.

Cam refilled his gas tank and when they were about to leave, she stopped him. “Wait.”

“What? You good?”

“Yeah. I just want to take a few pictures. What time are we supposed to arrive?”

“Um… 4:47am. It’s 4:02 now.”

“Sweet. This will be quick.” She hopped over a fence and looked for a spot to take the pictures. As she clicked away, she heard the fence rattle and a similar thud, and footsteps that stopped next to her. She looked over to see Cam, who was observing the scenery. She turned to do so as well, and for a while, they stood in silence, soaking in New York City and its finery. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” She commented.

“Yeah. Sure is.” She turned to find him not staring at the sight, but at her. “What?” He blinked rapidly and glanced away.

“Nothing!” She took out her phone and captured a photo of him and the scene. He noticed her actions. “What are you doing?”

“Memories. No one’s going to believe me when I say that the bad boy stole me away for a couple of days, are they?”

He laughed. “No. Of course not.” She added,

“I like to document where I go and who I travel with. You’re my partner. I can’t forget you.”

His eyes filled with something she couldn’t place; well, the best she thought she could see since there was very little light. She placed her phone into her pocket and walked back to the fence. “I’m good to go now.” Cam followed her over the fence and together they rode until they found Oliver’s large complex. Cam parked the motorcycle in the garage, then locked everything back up. The girl took her things from the bike and carried them in through the house’s garage door. Up the small steps, she became aware of her surroundings.

Chapter 3

“Okay,” started Cam. “Oliver’s niece, Kristina, is sleeping in that bedroom.” He indicated to a door covered in space stickers. “Oliver and his wife Meg’s room is over there.” He pointed to the bedroom door behind them. “And that bedroom…” He showed her a door next to Kristina’s and a small bathroom. “Is the guest bedroom. There’s only one bed, so I’ll take the couch-”

“No,” She interrupted. “You literally just risked your wheels on the road for four hours, way too late into the night. No way you’re taking the couch. We’ll share the bed. My brother and I used to do it all the time at my grandparents’ house.” She wandered into the bedroom and plopped her stuff on the left side of the bed, closest to the wall. “Oh,” She started when she noticed Cam leaning against the door frame. “Do you prefer a side?”

“Nah. I can take the right. I’m going to wait for Olly to get back. I’ll be in the kitchen if you need me.” He lifted his body weight away, and she watched him wander out of sight.

Unzipping her bag, she dug out an extra large Markiplier T-shirt, shorts, and her dental tools, and paced into the bathroom and then closed the door behind her.

While brushing her teeth, she heard voices coming from the main room, she used her toe to crack the door open and listened in on the conversation.

“How’s Meg doing?”

“She’s great! Currently, she’s on a missions trip in Africa, and the time difference is so weird that there’s only a few hours in the day that we can Skype each other.”

“That’s awesome, man. And Kristina?”

“Better. The situation with her mom hit her hard, but I think her constantly attending school and living here has definitely changed her moods and attitude. She’s going to her grandparents’ house this weekend, and there, the Jackson’s are visiting, so she’ll get to see Judy and Mika again.”

The girl heard shuffling and a cabinet opening. Shutting off the lights, she quietly poked her head out to see Cam and a tall, muscular, dark-skinned dude with black dreads. He had a rough, deep voice, but spoke with a kind, laughing tone. He and Cam clearly had a long term relationship because of the way they acted around each other, she observed. It was like they were brothers. “Anyway,” The dude chuckled. “Who’s the girl you’ve captured in your grasp now, motorcycle man?”

“Haha. She’s a senior like me, and literally has never done anything spontaneous. Everything is planned to the very detail. She’s also the ‘perfect’ student, so breaking the riles was never on the radar. Apparently, she digs leather jackets, bad boys, and bikes, so it was an easy win.”

At that remark, the girl fumed and stomped “quietly” into the room and jabbed a finger at Cam, eyes narrowed.

“For your information, Buster Boots, just because you ride a bike, does not mean I was immediately hypnotized by your charms. Also, I’m not the ‘perfect student’. My grades were atrocious last year, and I have broken the rules.”

Cam’s eyes had widened when he realized he was overheard by the lurking predatory. The pup had become a wolf in all of three seconds. “Dude!” The guy exclaimed, smiling knowingly at him.

“Ah man. Just don’t. Shit…” Cam grumbled, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. He felt a pair of fiery eyes on his back as the girl walked up next to him and plopped onto a stool.

“Hi! I’m Oliver.” The guy said, holding out his hand, a smirk written on his face, lights dancing in his eyes.

“Marshall. Charmed… by you anyway, not this twit here.” She swerved her head around to eye Cameron, but a smirk was creeping up her face.

“Burn and roasted.” Oliver claimed and high-fived Marshall.

“Like a bird on a spit.” She blew on her finger gun after aiming it at him and imitating a shooting motion. “Anyway, I’m going to try and sleep, even though it is 5:30am. Great. ‘Kay, bye!” Marshall hopped off the stool and airplane-zoomed into the guest bedroom, and shutting the door. As she closed it, she heard Oliver say,

“Damn. She’s feisty. You’re going to have fun with her, Cam.”

“Yeah. Anyway, I’m going to try and sleep as well, next to the beast. You?”

“Got to put Krissy on the bus first. I see you when I see you.”

Marshall could hear Cam’s footsteps coming towards the door. She quickly picked up her brush and began taking out her braid. When the door opened, she glanced away from the mirror at him and said, “Hey.”

“Hey.” There was an awkward silence between them. Marshall continued to brush and re-braid her hair while Cameron took off his sweatshirt in one fluid motion, hung it up on the bed’s frame, and then proceeded to trudge into the bathroom with a bundle of clothes.’

After tying up her hair, Marshall pulled the blackout curtains across the window, and the room was blanketed in darkness. She felt her way to the left side of the bed and flickered on the lamp on the nightstand. Then, she walked over to the light switch to turn on the fan. Cam appeared at that precise moment. “I- the fan-” She stuttered, but Cam waved it away.

“It’s fine.” She nodded and climbed into her side of the bed, slipping under the duvet and sheets. Flicking off the lamp, she slithered deep into the silkiness and sighed.

“Good- uh…”

“Just go to sleep, you idiot.”

Marshall snorted. “Whatever.”

Eventually, she did; Cam was dead asleep before his head hit the pillow.

Chapter 4

Hunger may have been the only reason why Marshall awoke with a groan and a dis-appreciation for the fact that her brain was alive and active, though she didn’t want to be. “Ugh…” she growled. Attempting to peek at her watch, her hand slammed down onto the bedside table. “Ow!” she hissed.

Suddenly, all the events of the day before and the morning of came onto her like an intense wave. Hand flying in the air, she nearly slapped the bed space next to her, but realized there could be an occupant sleeping so she landed her limb down gently. To her confusion, however, Cam was not where she’d left him. She checked her watch finally, and saw the time. Marshall shot up in bed and flickered on the light; piercing rays of sunflower and peach blinded her and she reacted by mildly screeching. She recovered eventually and double-checked the time. 20:49, Thursday. She had slept nearly 15 hours. Racking her fingers through the bedhead atop her skull, she peeked out of the bedroom and wandered into the center of the main room. There was a space documentary on the TV, but no one in sight.

A flushed sounded and the nearby bathroom door opened, a kid walking out. “Oh! You must be Marshall! Oliver told me about you: ‘The girl on fire’- no, hang on, that’s The Hunger Games. What did he say… Oh! ‘The fiery beast’! That’s what it was. Anyway, I’m Kristina. I go by Krissy, Kris, K, Cosmos, Stardust… Olly calls me Jupiter (only on bad days) or Earthian.” The girl looked around 11-12; she was about 5’5” and just at the gateway of puberty, by the looks of it. Her skin was a deep mocha brown, but her eyes were a striking deep blue. She had dreads like her older cousin, except with streaks of white, blue, and purple weaved in. She looked almost identical to Zendaya.

“I’m going to call you Cosmos. It fits with your starry vibe. Also, you wouldn’t happen to be a stan of Zendaya, would you?”

“Yassss!” Her eyes lit up. “Z is a queen! I love her so much! Why do you ask?”

“You’re the spitting image of her! Right when you emerged, I thought, ‘Wow. It’s Zendaya in miniature form.’” Cosmos giggled and waved her hand dramatically in Marshall’s direction.

“Honey, stop! You’re making me blush.” They both started laughing hysterically and had to lean down to breathe, hands on their knees. Gasping, Marshall pointed a finger at the kid and stated,

“I like you.”

“I do too.”

“Space?”

“Obviously.” They both clambered onto the couch; Cosmos offered Marshall a blanket and they snuggled into each other as the documentary resumed its display.

As the narrator explained the mysterious phenomenon of the starry void, Marshall’s stomach growled. The girls looked at each other and snickered. “By any chance, is there food? I haven’t eaten since yesterday night.”

“Yeah. Olly made burgers. There’s still some left in the freezer. You can heat them up in the microwave.”

“Okay, great. Thanks.”

“Want me to pause?”

“Nah. I’ll be able to hear it.” Marshall escaped from under the blanket and shuffled into the kitchen where she found a bag of potato buns and leftover lettuce bound up on the counter. She jerked open the fridge door to find condiments and then the freezer door to pull out the bag of burgers. She then banged around in the cabinets after closing both doors, looking for a plate and utensils.

“The plates are in the cupboard to the right of the sink!” Cosmos called, fully aware of what was happening without turning away from the television.

“Ah! Thank you!” Finding the right cabinet, Marshall took out a plate and plopped two slabs of meat on before popping them into the microwave. When the timer sounded, she went to take them out and accidentally touched the steaming patties. Yelping, she hissed as she stuck her fingers under the ice cold tap water. Hysterical laughter erupted from the couch. “What?!” She exclaimed.

“Your noises are so funny! All the banging around and the yelps!” Cosmos continued giggling. Marshall couldn’t help but smile.

“Glad my pain and suffering could be used for your entertainment-Ah shit!” Cosmos howled as her attention was drawn away from the TV to the clumsy-ass wombat muttering around the kitchen. “I dropped my burger!” Marshall sobbed, as she picked up the fallen tribute. Blowing on it dramatically and replacing it on the plate, she laid lettuce and ketchup onto both finishing with twinning buns, before putting the access items away. “Do you want anything?”

“Can you get me a Popsicle from the freezer?”

“Sure! Any flavor in particular?”

“Orange.”

Marshall balanced her plate and the Popsicle in one hand, and closed the freezer with the other. “Here you go.” She handed the desired frozen treat to her companion and climbed under the blanket again. Before she could take a bite, Cosmos stopped her.

“You have to pray first!”

“Oh, right! Almost forgot!” She put the burger down and clasped her hands together. “Dear God, thank you for this wonderful star who lived upon the earth, showers her stardust on me, and makes me sneeze with laughter-” Cosmos giggled. “Thank you for cows because your creation has given me this delicious plate of meat that I am about to eat and thank you for this opportunity to spend time with someone new and this experience to explore for a change, and I ask you to bless this wonderful family who was willing to take me in for a few days. Thank you God. In Jesus’ name, Amen!”

The two opened their eyes and grinned at each other. “Now, through the Cosmos and burgers!” Marshall declared.

Chapter 5

When the documentary credits rolled, there were many Popsicle wrappers that littered the couch, table, and floor. “That was an awesome episode! I liked it!” Marshall bent down and started picking up trash from the floor and putting it on her plate. “Also, do you have a bedtime?”

“Um, usually 9:30. What does your watch say?” Cosmos turned Marshall’s wrist over to see the time. “Oh! It’s… why does it say 22:49?”

“It’s 10:49 military time… WAIT!” Marshall shook her head and sighed dramatically, “Great! Now Oliver’s going to have my head!” Suddenly, at that very moment, Cam and Oliver appeared from behind the wall that the television was studded to. “Oh, hi guys. Long time no see. Hehe.” Marshall cringed and sheepishly met Oliver’s gaze. He looked exhausted, but there was kindness in his eyes when he spoke.

“I’m not going Queen of Hearts on you, Marshmallow. At ease, soldier.”

“Fantastic. I’m going to clean up.” Marshall gave Cosmos a smile and a wink before picking up the rest of the wrappers and her plate, and heading to the kitchen.

“Jupiter,” began Oliver. “Are you totally ready for bed?”

“Yup! Just have to brush my teeth again!” Cosmos smiled and stuck out her tongue. Oliver noted the Popsicle wrappers on the floor, and chuckled.

“Good. Say goodnight to Marshall.” Cosmos ran to the occupant in the kitchen, who was washing her plate, and gave her a bear hug.

“Goodnight, Marshmallow.”

“Goodnight, Cosmos.” Then, the kid ran to the bathroom, and they could all hear water running. Marshall finished drying her plate and after putting it away, she dug out another Popsicle from the freezer, green this time. Sauntering passed, she acknowledged Oliver with a nod, “Oliver.”

Openly, she sent a heated gaze towards Cam and swirled her tongue around the head of the Popsicle before heading into their shared bedroom. “Cameron.” Cam gulped harshly.

Oliver whistled loudly. “Damn, she really knows what she’s doing with that Popsicle. You good, man?” He clasped Cam’s shoulder knowingly. Cameron’s gaze was still fixated on the bedroom door. He stuttered as he pulled his eyes away. He opened his mouth but nothing came out, except stunned silence.

Oliver hollered in laughter and retreated into the kitchen. “Have fun with that, man. Goodnight!”

“Yeah…” Cam trailed off. His heart rate was racing at a million miles an hour and sweat was starting to collect at the base of his throat. He scratched the back of his neck and inhaled shakily before summoning bare courage to walk to the room.

Just before he touched the knob, Cosmos popped her head out of the bathroom, surprising a very-dazed Cam, who nearly fell over in terror. He slapped his hand to his chest and hefted out a startled breath. “Krissy! You scared the heck out of me! Damn!” The kid smirked mischievously at him.

“Marshall’s the bomb. You better not lose her or f- something up because I want to be her back here again. Bring her back for Thanksgiving and Christmas and more, or else.”

“Or else what?”

“I will summon a black hole to destroy our friendship.” Cam laughed, but Cosmos looked him dead in the eye. He cleared his throat.

“Okay, got it. My life is on the line, don’t mess shit up, and don’t lose the merchandise.” He finished, counting off his fingers.

“I’m serious.”

“Oh, I’m fully aware.” He chuckled. “Goodnight, Krissy. Love you.”

“Love you too.” With that, she marched into her room and shut the door.

When the door opened, Marshall was supposedly asleep on her side of the bed in the darkened room; the fan hummed faintly. Cam could see her figure in the bed, lack slowly rising and falling. Suddenly, she rolled over and stretched a hand across his side of the mattress. She sighed and then settled. Cam threw on his pajamas and pulled back the comforter on his side. He gently picked up her arm and tucked it under. He climbed in under the sheets and turned towards her. Lifting a piece of hair that had fallen onto her face, he tucked it back behind her ear. “Marshall, you’re going to be the death of me.” He reached over to unclasp her watch, and suddenly heard a deep growl.

“Don’t. Touch. The. Watch.” In the dark, he couldn’t see her face, but he felt that gaze. He decided to play a very dangerous game.

“Or what?” He knew he was crossing treacherous waters, but he was willing to take the risk.

“Or,” Marshall threatened, as she got up, leaned over, planted her hand in the space between his legs onto the mattress. “You’ll regret it.” Cam felt the heaviness of the threat more physically than verbally. He had taken the risk, and almost regretted it. Almost. The motion made his heart jump, invisible sweat dripping down his back, and adrenaline spiking.

Marshall flipped over and declared, “Goodnight!” There was a silence before Cam heard, “I’ll be watching you…” and then a hysteric giggle came from her. She sat up and cackled at him. “I got you GOOD! HAH! The look on your face! Ah HAH! I wish I got a picture!” Cam quickly recovered and tackled her, pinning her to the bed, trapping her body under his. “Hey…” Marshall whined expressively. “Cam! Let me-” She suddenly let out a quiet, suppressed moan. Cam quickly realized the position they were in and blushed brightly. He was inflicting pleasure without meaning to, but that had given him the upper hand.

“Let you, what? Go…?”

At that moment, the door swung open, and Cosmos stalked in. “Please don’t tell me that you’re having sex now. I’m a minor!” She gestured, exasperated. “I can here you through the walls!” Cam groaned in embarrassment and flung himself back into his own space. Marshall cackled loudly in amusement and answered,

“No, of course not! I threatened him, so he threatened me. All ‘friendly’ banter. No biggie. Also, not married! I know the rule!” She flashed Cosmos a smile and Cosmos’ face contorted quickly, from scowl to smile to scowl again.

“Okay, good. Cam,” She chided; he looked over. “Behave yourself.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Goodnight.” She stated firmly, a sharp look pointed at them sternly. Then, she shut the door. There was a silence before they heard Cosmos’ door click shut, before Marshall giggled,

“‘Yes, ma’am.’”

“Don’t mock me.”

“‘Don’t mock me.’”

“I’m warning you.”

“Ah. Threatening me, are we?”

“Precisely.”

“What are you gonna do, hot shot?”

“Something.”

“Okay,” Marshall hefted a laugh. “While you think about it, I’m going to sleep.” She flipped over again, and within minutes, was asleep. Cam fell asleep watching her back rise and fall, rise and fall, rise…

Chapter 6

It was around 10:30am when the two shenanigans woke up. Cam went to get something to eat while Marshall hit the showers. As she braided her hair back, she looked at her reflection, smirked, and shrugged.

Walking into the kitchen, she saw Cam at the island, chowing down on a bagel. “So,” She stated. “What’s the plan?” She found a pan, the egg carton, and some spices, and began the process of making her breakfast.

“Olly and Krissy are at school. We have time to do anything, as long as we’re here at the house by 3:30, so Krissy isn’t home alone.”

“Can we go to Central Park? And take the subway? I love the subway!” Cam snorted.

“Of course, we can. There’s no reason not to.” Marshall finished making her eggs and cleaned up before sitting at the island next to him and eating as they discussed what trains to take.

“We should pack lunch too.” Cameron added; Marshall nodded as she placed her dishes in the dishwasher.

“Cool. I’ll make sandwiches and pack other things. Which do you prefer: ham and cheese or PB&J?”

“#2, please.”

“Alrighty.” She managed to find a cooler bag where she put in an ice pack, some apples, a big bag of trail mix, and the designated sandwiches. She added two bottles of water and then went to empty out her backpack to store the blanket and food. Next, she threw on her black, long-sleeve shirt and green sweats, put her hair up in a bun, pulled on her beanie, and hefted the pack onto her shoulders, after putting on a layer and her sneakers.

“All good?” Cam asked, who was lounging on the couch scrolling through his phone.

“Yup! Lunch is all set along with a blanket.”

“Great! Let’s go.” He jumped off the couch and headed towards the garage. Marshall quickly zipped up her jacket and called,

“Hey! It’s nice enough outside! Let’s walk!” Cam popped his head out from behind the wall and answered,

“Oh, yeah. Sure! Let’s do it!” Marshall smiled and then shifted the backpack before carefully exiting the house, down the stairs and through the door, Cam following close behind.

As they both walked outside, the chilly September air slapped Cam across the face, though only a snip of it pinched her nose. Cam walked right back inside with a “Whoo!” Marshall cackled wickedly and stuffed her hands in her pockets.

Cameron came back out with a heavier leather jacket. He let out a large sigh and his breath fogged up in the air. “Why are we walking again?” His voice held a suppressed whine.

“Exercise!” Marshall said pleasantly. “Also, it’s a perfect day for a walk. The cold doesn’t bother me anyway.” Cam raised an eyebrow.

“Really?”

“Oh, you…” She scrunched up her nose at him. “I had to, Snicker Doodle Dee, I just had to. Now, onward!”

“Pfff, what did you just call me?!”

“I need not repeat myself sir. Your ears work fine.”

“Whatever.” He smiled broadly and stuffed his hands into his pockets, shoulders tight from hugging his chilled ears.

“Where is the subway?” asked Marshall.

“About seven blocks east. I’ll show you, don’t worry.”

“I wasn’t! I just have to know the plan! I trust your sense of direction, don’t you worry.”

“Onward!” Cam mocked.

“Hey, that’s my thing, Butter Biscuits. You can’t say that! Only I can!” She then laughed and skipped beside him. He rolled his eyes at her hilarious banter.

There was a warm feeling that had spread into their toes, despite the chilly weather. Occasionally, when Marshall found a maple leaf and smiled to herself, Cam’s heart would flutter. He didn’t expect this feeling to arise so quickly, but after the event of the previous nights, he couldn’t help but submit to them.

For years, he had hidden away his feelings for Marshall. The first day of seventh grade was the day the new girl had caught his attention. He’d never seen her before, not even at the Lincoln and Washington Intermediate School that held the fourth through sixth graders. He kept his eyes fixated on this new girl, even through high school. In his eyes, she was always beautiful, but when puberty hit, others had noticed her too. But he was always hit with satisfaction when the primmed and polished males were rejected by her subtle ways. But, after the feelings of satisfactory passed, he was filled with fear. What if she rejected him like she had the rest? So, he waited.

On Valentine’s Day, he sent her a candy gram, saying, "Happy Valentine’s Day! From, Anonymous", and to this day, she still had no idea who sent it to her.

Finally, senior year happened. It had only been a couple months since school started and he was growing impatient with himself. So, after he’d showed up to school with a motorcycle and found out that she noticed, he came up with a day to ask her out. It was a very big proposition. He was terrified that she would immediately reject him. But, in class, she called to him and said that her brother thought that his motorcycle was cool. He smiled at her calmly, though his heart was in his throat, and told her to give her brother a thank you. Then, he pulled a bold move and asked if the tattoo on her leg was real. She laughed and answered, “No, it’s fake, but I plan to get a real one when I turn eighteen.” Then he asked another daunting question,

“What will it be?” She described,

“A tree about the size of four of my hands, with branches holding the names of my family; in the center, a hollowed out cross, and above the tree, the word ‘Familia’.”

“Oh, cool!” When the class ended and she’d left, he became very excited that there had been some form of communication.

“C…”

“Ca…”

“Cam…”

“CAMERON!”

“What?” He blinked hard, shutting his eyes tightly and coming back to reality. Marshall was curiously eyeing him. Cam blushed as she continued staring at him.

“You good? Were you here on Earth?”

“Ha-ha. No, sorry. What were you saying?”

“I was asking what street do we turn on now?”

“Oh!” he glanced at the street signs above them. “This one.”

“Ah, okay. You know we’ve been here for 10 minutes, right?”

“We have?!” Cam was in dazed disbelief.

“Eh, it’s fine. Let’s go.” They waited for the crossing light to appear and then briskly walked across the street to the other side. Not far in front of them was the entrance into the subway station.

Underground, they purchased metro cards and made their way to the marked platform just as their train pulled in. As the doors hissed open, they waited for the bustling passengers to exit, before entering the train. There were no seats available, so they decided to share a pole. The ride would take 20 minutes for the train to get to the station hear the park. Marshall adjusted the backpack, tightening more of it to her chest, and let go of the pole. “What are you doing?”

“Subway surfing. My family and I do it all the time.” She balanced herself out and Cam watched with amusement. He snapped a photo and added it to the album in his camera roll labeled, Spontaneously Planned Adventure.

Chapter 7

There would be at least 10-15 stops along the way, so when the train halted, Marshall would pause her surfing and huddle next to Cam against the pole. After the doors would slide shut, she would resume.

It happened right before their stop; Marshall was casually surfing while lost in thought, and Cam was scrolling through his phone, when the train braked faster than before. The jolt threw Marshall off balance and shoved her back into Cam. Cam fumbled to shove his phone into his pocket and catch her, before they fell into an empty seat, on top of each other. Her hands were braced against his shoulders, and his hands were protectively wrapped around her hips. The unphased passengers existed and a few late stragglers popped in and took their seat just before the doors closed and the train moved again.

Meanwhile, Marshall recovered and got off Cam with an embarrassed “Sorry”. Cam still sat there stunned.

“Cam.”

“Yeah?”

“The train stopped. This is us.”

“Oh, yeah. Coming.” He jumped up and together, they hustled out of the subway. Thankfully, the park was only two blocks away, so they didn’t have to walk so far. Once in the park, they stopped to buy hot chocolate that a vendor was selling, and then made their way down the infamous walkway, The Mall (Literary Walk). It was beautiful, that beautiful September day. The autumnal aura had bestowed its magic upon the elms of Central Park. Gold leaves littered the ground, and pumpkin and rose-maple ones hung in a fall-festive canopy over their heads.

“Magical, isn’t it?” admired Marshall before taking a sip of the steaming hot chocolate that was wrapped in her fingers. Cam, with one hand stuffed in his pocket and the other holding his cup of hot cocoa, looked up and said,

“Yeah. Sure is.”

Eventually, they found a sunny, dry spot in one of the open areas. Marshall unpacked the backpack, while Cam spread out the blanket. Setting down their meal, they moved around to get comfortable. She clasped her hands together, placed her chin upon them, and looked at Cam. “Would you like to pray?”

“Oh, uh-”

“If you don’t want to, I can.”

“No, I will.” As he began the prayer, Marshall shut her eyes and smiled. Cam wouldn’t help, but gaze at her as he said the meal’s prayer. When he said “Amen”, he quietly thanked God for the wonderful human sitting before him.

“Sandwich.” Marshall handed him his, before sinking her teeth into an apple, the juice dripping down her chin.

“Thanks.” He slipped the PB&J out of the nag and took a massive bite. As he silently at his sandwich, Marshall on the other hand, as chewing loudly and making a lot of sudden “chik” sounds, as she monstrously ate the fruit to the core. At the center, she sucked the juice from her sticky fingers and then placed the apple in a bag, zip-locking it shut. Then, she looked up and saw Cam, laughing into his sandwich.

“What?!”

“You’re so loud and obnoxious!”

“Well-” Marshall sputtered defensively. “Apples are loud to eat! It’s not like I can eat it quietly!” Cam just shook his head with a laugh and finished off his sandwich.

As time passed, the sun continued to warm their bodies as they took out other blankets and told stories, did a crossword puzzle, and finally dozed. Cam slept behind Marshall, who was clutching the backpack like her life depended on it. Evidently, it did because once or twice, a straggler came up next to them and attempted to take something, but when Marshall opened her eyes, the person was scorched by the pits of hell burning in her eyes, so eventually, they were left alone.

Closer to 2pm, the sun disappeared. Marshall immediately woke up and began to pack everything up. She shoved in the lunchbox and her blanket, and carefully took Cam’s too, even though she noticed that he was slightly shivering. Once the backpack was ready, she quickly glanced at the sky, took in a sharp breath, and lightly shook Cam awake. “Cam… Cam!”

“Hmm?” He sleepily replied, rubbing his eyes.

“It’s going to rain. Come on!”

“How can you tell?” he asked, as he helped her fold up the picnic blanket and pack it the bag. Marshall closed her eyes and sucked in a breath, tasting the atmosphere.

“I can taste the tension in the air, the lack of humidity, the change in temperature…” Then she inhaled. “I can smell the rains coming. There’s going to be a storm.” Suddenly, thunder clapped, and the winds picked up, causing the park to be filled with the sound of rustling leaves. Then, buckets of icy rain began to pour down atop their heads. Marshall and Cameron quickly picked up the pack and their jackets, and hurried out of the park, along with the majority of the migrating New Yorkers.

Being pelted by rain, it made it harder to see where they could find shelter to wait out the storm. Fortunately, Cam pointed out a closed flower shop that had an overhanging roof. They scurried over and finally their breath. “Brrr, it’s freezing!” shivered Cam.

“Oh, it’s just a little rain.”

“A LITTLE?!” He jabbed aggressively at the buckets being dumped from the sky.

“Okay, maybe more than a bit.” Marshall then noticed that Cam was seemingly very chilled, and it spiked a pang of worry in her chest. The rain had soaked his face and through his layers, chilling him to the bone. Water dripped under his collar and trickled down his back, leaving trails of ice. His ears and nose were very, very red. She quickly unhooked her backpack and plopped it on an adjacent stool before yanking out a polyester scarf, a fluffy, woolen hat, and an umbrella. She took the cloth materials and hurried up to Cam to warm up to him. Holding then between her knees, she hastily unzipped his leather jacket and one of his sweatshirts to bare his bottom layer and long sleeve underneath.

“What are you doing?” Cam chattered.

“Warming you up.” Marshall replied with a smile. She took the scarf, wrapped it around his neck, and tucking it under the hoodie, making it comfortable, before zipping up the other jackets. Next, she pulled the woolen hat over his head, making sure it covered his ears. Finally, pulling up his hood, she securely tied it, so the wind wouldn’t grab hold.

“Thank you.” Marshall nodded and zipped her backpack up, hefted it on her shoulders, and popped open the dark evergreen umbrella that gave off the wonderful scent of pine cones.

“Ready to go?” Cam got up and huddled close to her.

“Mm.” The pouring of the rain was loud against the top of the large umbrella. It was big enough to fit two large people, so, as they walked to the subway station, there was comfortable room. At the stairs, Marshall shook the excess water off the umbrella before tucking it under her arm and following Cam to the appropriate train.

They stood in front of each other on the subway, both hands sharing a pole. Occasionally, one would slip to fall over the other and its owner would mutter an apology. But, as time ticked by, they didn’t care as much, and their hands stayed overlapping each other for the remainder of the ride.

It was still raining when the train got to their stop. Marshall opened the umbrella again, and as they began the seven-block walk back to Oliver’s house, Marshall suddenly stuffed her right hand into Cam’s jacket pocket. Cam was visibly startled. “I want you to keep all your fingers.” she stated, staring straight ahead, a deep blush erupting from her neck and seeping into her cheeks. A mix of the cold and blush turned her face a lovely rosy hue. Cam smiled to himself and took a breath as the butterflies in his stomach began to flutter rapidly. Inside his pocket, their cold fingers clasped together, creating a warm bubble of happiness.

About a block from the house, Cam noticed Marshall squinting at something in the distance. Before he could ask, she demanded, “Hold,” indicating to the umbrella. Cam obeyed in surprise, and then she barreled down the sidewalk, backpack slightly bouncing. He looked ahead and spotted a small yellow bus in front of the house and a dark figure emerging from the bus.

Chapter 8

Cosmos had not had a great Friday at school. In fact, it was horrible. First, she’d tripped down the driveway on the way to the bus and the kids on board had made fun of her all the twenty minutes to school.

Brooklyn Middle was known as one of the best schools; it was elite in its educational programs and attending genius kids. But, beyond the lockers and purple and yellow uniforms, the snobbiest, no-do-gooders of the school were the worst. They made up more than half of the rich, white population. Being black and female were two double whammies for Cosmos, and she hated those kids with a passion. She was top of her class in all subjects, especially astronomy and physics. She, among other students, was part of the brilliant youth with incredible minds; being almost twelve, the ages of her grade pairings were mostly of older kids, though some happened to be her age, but even they were the worst of the worst.

She’d also been pushed into the school’s fountain while carrying a large stack of papers. She had to use the library’s many tables to dry them out. The librarian, Mx. Darthwater, helped her hang up the pages and let her eat lunch in peace. Everything that day had just gone wrong, and even though this weekend she was going to her grandparent’s, she just wanted to stay home.

Getting off the bus, a wave of depression and wariness washed over her. But then she heard a call. She looked down the street to her left and saw a familiar figure sprinting towards her, a wide grin spread across their face. Cosmos weld up in tears as Marshall skidded to a halt and wrapped her in a bear hug. “How was school?” She asked. Cosmos couldn’t hold back and started crying.

Marshall was surprised when she heard Cosmos beginning to sob. But she just hugged her tighter and then led her inside.

In the living room, Marshall wrapped Cosmos in a thick blanket and went to the kitchen to make her a mug of hot cocoa. Cam, after hanging up the shaken-out umbrella, joined Cosmos on the couch. “Cam, do you want anything?”

“Another HC as well.”

“Alrighty.” Marshall got out another mug from the cabinet and made another cup of steaming cocoa. Then, she shuffled around for a kettle, filled it with water, and put the kettle on.

She took both mugs of cocoa to them, carefully moving into the living room to hand the chilling humans their desired beverages. “Thank you,” murmured Cosmos. Cam smiled gratefully, Marshall returned it, and then retired the backpack to their room, and sped into the kitchen as the kettle began to cry. She turned off the stove, took off the mug and went to join the peeps on the couch. They were watching another space film, this time about the black hole. Grabbing another blanket, Marshall snuggled on the right side of Cosmos and sipped her drink. “What’s that?” asked Cosmos.

“Silver Tea.”

“What’s ‘Silver tea’?”

“Just a mug of boiling hot water.”

“Doesn’t it burn your tongue at all?”

“Yup. But you get over it the more you drink it.”

“Oh. That’s interesting.” Marshall nodded and took another sip, fingers clasped around the warm mug. She casted her eyes upon the screen. Cameron, on the other hand, was desperately trying to focus on the documentary, but couldn’t, due to the fact that Marshall briefly brushed his fingers when she had given him his mug. His heart was pounding in his rib cage; trying to calm down was an option he considered, but because of how severely the incident had wrecked him, he wasn’t able to breathe normally.

Cosmos was well aware of Cameron’s distractive behavior. She was always able to see his ticks when something was bothering him. She slipped her hand out of the blanket and pinched Cam’s thigh. He twitched and shot a quick glance at her. She raised her eyebrows and grinned. Cameron sighed in annoyance and rolled his eyes, making a face at her. She just stuck out her tongue and turned her attention back to the TV.

Marshall was oblivious to the whole situation. She was merely enjoying her silver tea and staring in a fascinated manner at the very intriguing film. She knew some facts, but never this much. One of her friends was finishing her first year as an astrobiology major. Oh, Robin. She thought. I can’t wait to tell you all about this when I get back. You’re going to flip.

Chapter 9

A couple hours later, Oliver pulled into the garage, windshield wipers swishing back and forth. A heavy rainstorm had whipped up and that made traffic unbearable. Grumbling, Oliver got out of his truck, grabbed his briefcase, suit jacket, and raincoat, locked the door, and closed the garage door as he trudged into the house.

Hanging up his coat, he come around the corner to find Cameron and Cosmos asleep on the couch. He smiled and maneuvered with his work items into his bedroom. A few moments later, he emerged wearing a dark blue t-shirt, and grey sweatpants. His breads were pulled back with a purple scrunchie, a collector’s item from Cosmos’s hair tie hook that was suctioned to her mirror.

Oliver looked towards the kitchen as his feet carried him there, and he was surprised to find Marshall heating up leftovers and making something on the stove. “Well, look at you, Ms. Chef. All set and ready!” Marshall looked up from her concentration and smiled broadly.

“Thank you, Oliver.” She kept her voice down, as to not wake the sleeping turkeys on the couch.

“Your mother must have taught you well.”

“She did.” Marshall leaned back and let a small smile grow, eyes far off on a distant memory. “She did.”

“What are you making in that pot?”

“Chicken soup. I just figured it would be perfect because of the chilly weather and all.” A timer went off and Marshall jumped to stop it, pressing for silence, hoping not to wake Cameron and Cosmos. She quickly took off the lid and stirred the soup while adding a few spices. Then, she closed the lid once more and turned the heat to low.

“Is it good?” Oliver asked, taking the rest of the leftovers and prepping them for dinner.

“Yes. Do you want me to go and wake them up?” Oliver’s face widened into a mischievous grin and said,

“Let’s both do it. Here, wait. Let’s set the table first. But very quietly.” Marshall grinned as well as she shared a devilish grin with Oliver and nodded. They quickly and quietly set the table and then crept on tip-toes towards the couch. “You take Cameron; I’ll get Cosmos.”

The two creepy-crawly humans, with mischievous looks on their faces, snuck around their designated side of the couch and approached their sleeping victims. Oliver hovered near Cosmos’ ticklish area and pointed Marshall to Cameron’s, which were his armpits and hips. Oliver initiated the attack after whispering down the countdown.

Cosmos woke up almost immediately to the tickle attack, and let out high-pitch giggles. Oliver’s deep rumbles of laughter added into the giggling chaos. Cameron, on the other hand, hadn’t been phased. This was only because he was legitimately asleep, and if the boy was asleep, almost nothing could wake him. So, when Marshall attempted the attack, she got no response. Defeated, she sat back on the coffee table and surveyed the scene, contemplating ways to wake him up. There were some that her brain came up with, but they were so provocative that she blushed all the way to her ears. So, choosing the simplest way she’d thought up, she sat on the side of the couch where his feet were curled up, and stroked a finger down the arch of his foot. It twitched and curled deeper into the pillows. Oliver had figured out what was happening; he beckoned Cosmos to follow him, and they both winked at Marshall, who rolled her eyes at them while her cheeks curled up too, and then walked into the dining room to eat dinner.

Marshall continued her task, and stroked his other sock-covered foot. From the bottom of Cameron’s throat came a low hum and she perked up at that, knowing her plan was working. She, in turn, moved to his hands; she stroked from wrist to finger, and Cameron’s reflexes curled in on each other and pulled away from the sensational feeling. She repeated the motion again, and another guttural sound arose from the boy.

The rest of him was covered in light gray sweats, so she decided to play a bit differently. She leaned over Cameron’s body, her hands alongside his head and her knee in the crevice between his hips, planted into the couch. Then, she leaned down and her lips brushed his ear as she whispered, “Cameron…”

As soon as her hot breath touched the shell of his ear, Cameron let out a… moan? Marshall wasn’t positive, so she repeated the action, this time whispering, “Cameron… Don’t tell me you’re having dirty dreams about me…” Cameron, at that, though still deeply asleep, let out another breathy moan, but this time, Marshall could vaguely recognize words. A name. Was it… hers? Her heart pounded in her chest and her hands started sweating. No. She thought to herself. That couldn’t have been my name. Could it? She slightly blew into his ear and Cameron said her name, clear as day. But, she realized, he had breathed it in a deep, husky voice, heavy with lust. Marshall jumped off his body and tucked herself into the deepest, farthest corner of the opposite side of the couch. She pressed her head into her knees and forced herself to breathe. What the heck just happened?! She wondered, frantically trying to calm herself. Why was Cameron… sounding like that? And saying my name? My name?! Okay, time to play it cool. Brush it off, girl. Time to advance! She unfolded herself from the corner and hovered over the sleeping boy, threatening in his ear, “Cameron, I swear. If you don’t wake up, I’ll have no choice but to pull your socks off and jump on you!”

“Are you joining us, Marshall?” Oliver called, from the dining room, a hint of laughter in his voice.

“Yes, just a second! Buster Boots hasn’t woken up yet, so I’m trying my next tactic!”

“Okay!” Marshall wiggled her eyebrows at the sleeping figure and moved back down the sofa.

Chapter 10

Cameron woke up in a fit of surprise and pain. He opened his eyes to find Marshall grinning at him as she untangled herself from the blankets. “What the heck?!”

“Dinner, sir. Chop chop! Also, your socks are down the stairs.”

“What- Why- Ugh!!” Marshall wiggled her eyebrows at him and went to join Oliver and Cosmos for dinner.

The man was enjoying his nap most immensely. He didn’t remember what he was dreaming about; he rarely did anyway. But, he was suddenly intercepted by a jolt of pain, which unfortunately ripped him from sleep. It had been Marshall. She was strangely flushed with a smirk on her face and a mischievous glint in her eye. “What the heck?!” He groaned, rubbing his forehead with his fingers.

“Dinner, sir. Chop chop! Also,” She jabbed her thumb towards the stairs that let down to the door. “Your socks are down the stairs.” Cameron then became aware of the chilly house air that tickled his bare toes.

“What- Why- Ugh!!” Groaning, he glared at Marshall’s widening grin. He curled his feet into the couch and growled. He heard Krissy’s high-pitch giggle from the dining room, and smiled into the pillow. Then, with a sigh, he moved off the couch to quickly retrieve his socks, and shuffled towards the three at the table.

“What’s for dinner?” He asked, plopping in the seat to the left of Oliver.

“Soup and leftovers.” Krissy proclaimed, who gave a lopsided smile to Marshall. She softly smiled back. Cameron caught it, shrugging to himself, before ladling soup into a bowl.

“Damn! That’s good!” He praised after taking a sip. “Who made it?”

“I did.” Marshall said, avoiding eye contact.

“Dang, Cam! That’s wifey material right there! Where else do you suppose you’ll find that?” Cameron flushed and dug into his soup. Krissy quirked an eyebrow at the two of them and then leaned over to whisper in Marshall’s ear. The young woman’s face contorted, revealing the struggle of barely-contained laughter. She coughed a fit into her napkin.

“So, Kristina. How was school?” Oliver asked. Krissy grumbled and shoved a large chunk of burger into her mouth. The purple-scrunchied man lifted a dark eyebrow, and she chewed with a sigh and swallowed.

“It was shitty.”

“Hey, we don’t use that language in this house.”

“But it was!” The girl glumly insisted. “Luca and her friends pushed me into the fountain again and I had to eat lunch in the library, wrapped in a towel, drying out all my school papers!!”

“Oh. I’m sorry, Earthian.” The man took note of his niece’s saddened expression. “Care for a hug from your favorite human?”

“Yeah.” Her lip wobbled as Oliver scooped up the young girl who gravitated towards him, his signature bear hug finally drawing repressed tears from Kristina. The embrace sketched a soft smile upon her face.

Marshall looked at the two adoringly, her fist propping up her cheek. Cameron, on the other hand, was stealing looks at her, all while continuing to eat his soup. He was uneasy on how Marshall acted around him earlier. Why had her face been flushed? And her eyes avoiding all contact, searching anywhere but him? He finished the bowl and offered to clear away his friend’s dishes.

Oliver let go of Cosmos and told her to go help Cam. The lanky girl smiled and began to collect the leftovers to put them away. The dark-skinned man stayed seated, Marshall alongside him. He massaged his tired eyes and turned to smile knowingly at Marshall. “So, how was your day, Marshmallow?” Marshall snorted, rolling her eyes at his wiggly eyebrows.

“Fantastic, actually.”

“And?! What did you guys do? Where did you go?” The young woman giggled at his eagerness. “I need details, Marshie!! You can’t leave me hanging!” She peered up at the ceiling, a faint blush dusted on her cheeks as memories of the eventful day came to mind.

“Well, we walked to the subway and rode the train to Central Park. But, before that, Cam was being a cold sissy when we first walked outside, so I had to wait for him to grab another jacket-”

“I WAS NOT A COLD SISSY!!” Cameron yelled from the kitchen and a separate cackle of laughter soon followed. Marshall rolled her eyes and sighed, a smile slipping out from under her palm.

“Anyway, after we got on the train, we were basically just in silence the whole ride, except for a tiny collision event. But, then we were fine-”

“Wait, wait, wait, wait. Don’t skip over that ‘tiny collision’ part. What happened? Tell me!” Oliver became alive with intrigued sparks that bounced off his body. He was all big eyes and widening smirks. The brunette couldn’t help but laugh. Her face flushed as she continued quietly,

“The train jerked suddenly and we…” She hid her face with her hands embarrassed, muffling her voice. “Fell on top of each other. It was all by accident, I swear!”

“Uh huh. Right. Okay, carry on!” Just in that moment, Cameron and Cosmos reappeared, and sat back in their seats and stared at the two of them with interested looks: Cosmos with her dark eyes of amusement and Cameron with his strange jitteriness.

“Well, overall what happened was we had a nice autumn picnic in Central Park where we ended up falling asleep. But, then I woke up with an alluring sensation-”

“Yeah!” Cameron interrupted, a light of wonder in his brown eyes. “It’s like she predicted when the storm was going to hit! We packed up just as the skies opened up and dumped icy buckets of water on us, and the thunderstorm began!”

“We ended up hiding under a closed flower shop. Once again,” she reiterated. “This. Cold. Sissy. Here-” She jabbed her words at Cameron with a mischievous smirk cutting through her skin. The boy visibly shivered at the memory and the dark look in Marshall’s eye. “Was freezing! Good thing I always pack extra layers, or this buster would’ve lost his ears!” Turning back to Cosmos and Oliver, she continued, “Anyway, I pulled out my umbrella and we quickly made our way back here. At the beginning of this familiar block though, I spotted my favorite little universe and sprinted off; that’s how our adventure ends.”

“The first highlight of the day,” Cosmos began. “Was when I got off the bus and saw Marshall barreling towards me, a backpack bumping against her back. It was so bizarre, but also hilarious at the same time! Her hug was amazing.” She gave Marshall a loving smile. The brunette reached over and hugged the girl.

“Anytime, Sunshine.”

“So, Cosmos. About your grandparents-”

“I don’t want to go!” She whined stubbornly.

“If you’d let me finish.” Cosmos gave a sheepish grin. “Your cousins have come down with the flu, and AA and UU don’t want you to get sick, so… you’re stuck with me!”

“Yay! But, I hope that they’re going to be okay.”

“They will. I think they said it’s just a fever and a cough, though one came down with an awful upset stomach, so they’re just taking precautions.”

“Can you tell Aunt Ann and Uncle Uriah that I said hello and get well soon the next time you call them?”

“Of course. Now! What should we do tomorrow?” A grin began to grow on Marshall’s face.

“What if…” Oliver looked at Marshall in interest. “We visited the Intrepid Sea, Air, & Space Museum?”

“YES! PLEASE, OLI! PLEASE, CAN WE GO?!” Oliver projected the look of deeply thinking, his finger curled around his chin and his body twisted into a sophisticated posture.

“I’m thinking… I’m thinking… I’m thinking…” Marshall laughed at Oliver’s display of “sophisticated” flare.

“WELL?!?!” Cosmos demanded, the dazzle of excitement and anticipation splashed on her face.

“I have decided!” Oliver jolted up in an overly-dramatic fashion, a finger in the air, and his eyes as wide as his grin. “I say… that we take tomorrow’s adventure… to the Space Museum!”

“YESSSSS!!!” The girl cheered loudly as she danced around the dining room table.

Cameron snapped out of his day-dreaming state and inquired, “What’s happening?” Oliver smacked the top of his forehead with the palm of his hand.

“Dude! Were you out of it the whole time?!”

“Well… I- I…” The boy stuttered, blushing as he was caught dead in the act. Marshall finally turned to face him after hearing their conversation. She had been laughing and hugging Cosmos, who claimed the young woman was the most brilliant star in her galaxy.

“What’s up?” Cameron’s eyes widened and he tried to prevent Oliver form spilling the tea. His feeble attempt was to no use, as Oliver got up out of his chair and pinned Cam’s desperate action under his bear hug from behind him. The long-dreaded, merry man nestled his bearded chin atop the boy’s head and grinned blindingly.

“Lover boy here thinks you’re the brightest star in his universe.” The pinned boy groaned and yanked up his hoodie, pulling the strings tight and tying them into a knot.

Marshall laughed, though a swell of heat was noticeable from her neck by both Oliver and Cosmos. “Should we play Monopoly to end the night?”

“Yes, I think that’s a wonderful idea. Cosmos, can you show Marshall where the board games are?” The ecstatic pre-teen grinned and caught Marshall’s arm, dragging her up and around the corner.

Chapter 11

“So, Cam. How’s it going over there?”

“Aghhhh, I hate you.” Cameron groaned, slowly emerging out of his cotton cocoon. Oliver howled with laughter, arm around his middle as he banged his fist on the table.

“Well, you’re welcome anyway. When are you going to make a move?”

“I-” Suddenly, a shriek and a crash erupted from around the corner, and Cam was at the scene in lightning speed. “What is it?! What happened?! Are any of you hurt?!” He demanded, concern laced through his voice.

He instead found Cosmos and Marshall a giggling mess on the floor, red and yellow Connect Four chips littering the hardwood. Marshall looked up from her position, her face flushed from laughter.

“Whoops.” She gasped, giggling along with Cosmos, as she helped her companion clean up the game.

“What happened?” Cam asked again gently, a whooping breath of relief blowing out of him.

“Well,” began Marshall, regaining her breath. “When we’d opened the closet, Cosmos spotted Monopoly right away. The problem that arose though, was that it was wedged between Connect Four and Settlers of Catan. One thing led to another and we found ourselves here… covered in Connect Four’s children. That shriek you hear… well, that’s what happens when a box comes flying at your face all of a sudden.”

“Well, I’m just glad you’re both okay.” Cameron stooped down and helped them put the game away. Marshall flashed him a small, grateful smile, then picked up the fallen box and reached up to shelf it away. The boy picked up Monopoly and carried it into the dining room with Cosmos tagging along behind. Oliver then soon reappeared, from wherever he had went, and the night took off into a brewing storm of competition and defeated yelling when one got a hold of Boardwalk and Park Place, and stationed three hotels on each.

It was late when the game finally ended; Cosmos was shooed off to bed earlier in the night, and Marshall was given the treasure that the young girl had been hoarding the whole game. Cameron then groaned in defeat as Oliver bankrupted him, and then he too turned in for the night.

All of the loot was at stake as the two competitive beings switched to Poker and all of the winnings from Monopoly were piled in the middle. There would be only one game, and one game only to determine the ultimate winner of Monopoly.

It was down to the tie breaker: The Reveal of Each Other’s Cards. Before them, the five cards faced the Queen of Hearts, the Jack of Diamonds, the Eight of Clovers, and the Nine and King of Spades; it was down to the very last second. Who would be crowned the ultimate champion? “Oliver, you’re first.” Marshall stated, a intimidating poker face upon her face. Her gray eyes were like marble, hard as stone.

Oliver observed his opponent, a iron gaze of his own. But, a devilish smile stretched across his face. “Ha!” He slammed down his creased cards. “Pair of Kings, pair of Queens!” He smugly leaned back in his chair, placing his ankle over his knee and crossing his arms. “Beat that, Marshmallow.”

Marshall sat up straighter, an intimidating silver wall within her eyes, her poker face sending shivers down Oliver’s spine. She simply glanced over the displayed cards and then slowly flipped over her own. “Broadway.” Indeed, her cards completed a straight, trumping the man’s two pair. In her hand, she had hidden with precise secrecy: an Ace of Spades and a Ten of Hearts, earning her the highest possible straight of Ace, King, Queen, Jack, and Ten. Oliver’s face phased from supreme smugness to absolute distraught.

“No…” Utter defeat trembled in his voice. “How?! I could’ve sworn you were bluffing!!!”

“Perhaps my acting was misleading.” Marshall’s face broke into a victorious smirk. Oliver just gaped in disbelief before scrunching up his face and grumbling,

“It was.” The girl slipped the stacks back into their cases and said,

“Well, I would apologize, but then again, sorry not sorry.” As she began to clean up the Monopoly pieces, the African man got up and stopped her.

“Loser has to clean up the game. Now shoo! Off to bed, so I can do my job, ma’am.” She laughed.

“I wouldn’t say you’re a complete loser. You fought well, my good opponent, there are just a few of your skills that require a bit of work.” She looked up to see Oliver wiggling his body around in an eye-rolling stature, mouthing, Blah, blah, blah. The gesture earned a giggle from Marshall, Oliver joining in with his rumbling laughter. “Good night, Oliver.

“Good night, ma’am!” He saluted her with an imaginary tip of his hat.

Silently entering the bedroom she shared with Cameron, Marshall quickly entered and shut the door. Fumbling around, she changed into a large T-shirt and soft shorts, and undid her up-do. Feeling her way to her designated side of the bed, she drew back the duvet before snuggling into the coziness.

Chapter 12

Cameron was very much sound asleep when he suddenly felt a weird shift beside him. Crackling open his eyes, he almost jolted in surprise when he discovered Marshall wrapped in his embrace, nestled up against his chest. He lightly flushed with happiness and snuggled up closer. The girl did not wake, even as he propped his chin over her head. She smelled faintly of copper, leather, and lemons.

Marshall almost jerked awake, but willed herself not to move when she felt a pair of arms tighten around her middle. Slowly, she opened her eyes and found herself tangled against Cameron, face squished against his muscular chest. She would have thought for him to be asleep, but as she shifted to place her head more comfortably on top of him, her ear detected a rapidly fluttering heart beat under his skin. Cameron was definitely awake. Stretching thoroughly, she sat up and tightened her braid that screamed all sorts of bedhead. As her arms lowered, she smiled slyly to her “sleeping” companion. But, deciding against her mischievous plan to poke him, she silently got out of the warm bed, changed into a soft, long-sleeve shirt and leggings, and quietly slipped out the door towards the kitchen, her watch reading 6:00 am.

Eyeing the kitchen space, she jumped as she spotted Oliver seated on the couch, doing his devotions. “Good morning.” She greeted quietly. The man looked up and smiled broadly.

“Good morning, Marshmallow!” His rough voice hinted with amusement.

“Still feeling sore about our game last night?” Marshall asked as she grabbed a mug from the cabinets and put the kettle on.

“Ha! No, not anymore. It’s not the end of the world. I got over that the second my big head hit the pillow.” Marshall snickered,

“True.” Smiling, she began to pace the length of the kitchen, waiting for the water to boil.

As soon as it did, Marshall was speed, taking the kettle off the burner and pouring its boiling contents into the clear mug that read: Wears black, loves coffee, avoids people. She let out a sigh as the heat seeped into her sleepy bones, her hands wrapped around the toasty beverage. Leaning against the counter, she was slightly surprised by a small beeping sound. Turning, she found that the coffee was done brewing, the scent of dark beans filling the air.

Reaching up to get another mug reading “Best Dad” and filling it with the rich-smelling, caffeinated substance, she carefully made her way over to Oliver. “Coffee?”

“Oh, yes. Thank you.” His dark eyes crinkled as she handed him the mug with the sparkly blue and purple font.

“Would you like me to add milk or sugar?” Oliver shook his head, taking a sip and sighing contently,

“No. I prefer it black.”

“Black, black-ity, black-black, like the blackness of space?” Oliver chuckled, careful to keep the hot liquid contained in his mug.

“Precisely.”

Wrapping herself into a blanket, she nestled into a cocoon in one of the armchairs. Cautiously sipping her silver tea, her gaze fell upon the back deck, illuminated by porch light. “Oliver!” She quietly shouted in excitement.

“Mm?” He didn’t look up from his Bible. Marshall shot up from the chair, the blanket tied around her neck and mug clutched in her hand, and scurried over to the sliding glass door.

“Look! Look! Look!” The man set down his journal and walked over to her, sipping his coffee.

“Hm-”

“IT SNOWED!”

“Oh! Would you look at that? It must have frozen over night. Awesome!” Oliver looked over at Marshall, who was buzzing with excitement. She looked up at him with a look of pure joy. It reminded him of when Cosmos had gotten to visit a planetarium in Philadelphia for a school trip and she came back home glowing like a star. She was in heavenly heights for weeks, gushing about the dome-shaped ceiling that had projectiles of the galaxies in the universe. That made him let out a nostalgic sigh.

Oliver chuckled at Marshall’s excitement. Her entire face was smashed upon the frozen door, her breath fogging the glass. “Hey, Marsh.”

“Hmm?” Her eyes were still fixated on the six inches of wintry beauty that covered the back deck.

“Let’s go get breakfast for the munchkins. There’s a bakery that we always stop by. It’s got the best hot chocolate in Brooklyn! In our opinion, anyway.” Marshall snapped her head in Oliver’s direction, a grin golden on her lips.

“Fantastic idea. I’ll go get changed.”

A foot from her door, she quietly called out. “Are we walking or driving?”

“Driving. The rock salt has been laid down, so it won’t be so icy. Besides, my four-wheel drive is perfect for this kind of weather.” Marshall nodded before disappearing into the darkened bedroom.

On the road, Marshall sat comfortably in the passenger seat, hands cupped around the heater. “Tunes?” Oliver asked, eyes on the road.

“Do you have any CDs?” He smiled, a fellow old soul himself.

“Yeah. Middle console, under the surface.” Marshall shuffled around for the black case of CDs and eventually found the sleeves. Sorting through flimsy sheets, she found one marked “Diana Krall”. Smiling, she popped it in and watched the player shuffle until it began to play. Oliver began to smile as jazz floated through the air. “You like Krall’s jazz, huh?”

“Yeah. Some music is better without words.”

“Except Diana Krall.”

“And Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole. I love the classics. Makes life feel like you’re living in a movie.” Oliver laughed and shook his head.

“I never took you for a jazz gal.”

“What did you take me as?”

“I don’t know actually.” He ran a hand through his dreads. “You seemed pretty intense our first encounter. Maybe… death metal?”

“Really??!!” Marshall cackled. “No! Absolutely not!” She slipped her hands underneath her thighs and gazed out the window. “I love jazz and rock. Those are my favorites.”

Oliver chuckled. “Any preferences with rock?”

“AC/DC, Guns & Roses, Boston… I also like Alternative Rock, i.e. Coldplay, U2, Fall Out Boy, Imagine Dragons, even Nickelback.” She laughed again. “I like Nickelback, partially because it’s a meme. But, I actually do like their music.” She stuck her hand up in the air and started singing, “LOOK AT THIS GRAPH!” Oliver howled, the rumblings in his chest vibrating through Marshall’s bones.

“I take it you love music.”

“Yes! I also like 40s-60s jazz- Ooh! Also, 80s and 90s pop/hip hop!”

“Such a wide variety of music! Now you have to have us listen to one of your playlists!”

“I will! Maybe we can prank Cameron and Rick-Roll him.” Oliver cackled at the look in Marshall’s eyes, the gray gleaming with devious intent.

The rest of the ride was silent after their laughter died down, except for Diana Krall. As the truck pulled in front of a quaint bakery, a light snow began to fall. Both adults bundled up and pushed open the door. “Oliver! Bom dia! Como é que está?” A deep, chestnut brown female with an Afro of charcoal-colored ringlets appeared into view, her eyes a striking lion gold and lips a deep plum, complimenting her smile.

“Bien! E tu?”

“Bien!” Her large, golden Brazil-shaped earrings contrasted nicely with her creamy-white, billowing-sleeved blouse and dark green pants. A beige apron with self-embroidered flowers was tied to her waist. “Quem é este?”

“This is Marshall.” The girl halted her fascinated gaze from her observational exploration of the interior and nodded towards the owner of the bakery. “She is staying with us for a couple of days on behalf of Cameron.”

“Olá, Marshall! Welcome to New York!”

“Thank you. I love your eyes!” The female blushed lightly before smiling.

“Obrigada! I mean, thank you. I am Risada.”

“Your name means laughter, right?”

“Yes!” Risada laughed. “You are familiar with the Portuguese language?”

“Yes. Oliver…” Marshall tilted her head at him. “You never mentioned you speak Portuguese as well.”

“Well,” He chuckled, feeling nostalgic again. “When I was in college, I studied abroad in Brazil, Rio to be precise, and met Risada there. She was learning English and I Portuguese. We collaborated and stayed in touch all these years.”

“Your grammar was atrocious!” The woman laughed, while asking Marshall what she wanted before assembling Oliver’s regular order.

“Ah. Well, so was yours!”

‘I was trying, okay?” Risada sighed. “Americans these days!”

“Ey! Youuuu!” Marshall laughed at their Portuguese bickering.

After paying Risada and a little more chatting, the two escaped the blustery outside and drove back in Oliver’s warm truck.

Chapter 13

At the house, Cosmos was sitting in front of the back glass door, reading a book. Cameron was nowhere in sight. “Oh! You guys are back!” The Earthian explained. “You went to Risada’s, didn’t you?”

“Yup.” Marshall sat next to Cosmos after putting the goods on the kitchen counter. “What are you reading?” The kid flipped the front cover over and stated,

“The Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. We have to read it for school, but I love Dickens, so it’s fun for me.”

“Cool.” Marshall looked up as Oliver came over, walking across the hardwood in his purple and yellow, miss-matching unicorn and minion socks.

“Hey, can you two get breakfast all set up? I’m going to wake up the sleepy boy!” He wiggled his eyebrows mischievously. The girls laughed, standing up and heading into the kitchen.

Meanwhile, the predator prowled. His deep brown eyes spotted his prey, asleep under the dark duvet. Creeping into the room, the panther found an advantage point and pounced on the oblivious boy.

Cameron’s sleep was, once again, abruptly interrupted with a searing pain at his back. “UGH!” Through his painful wakefulness, he heard Oliver’s roaring laughter. “WHY?!?!”

“‘Cause I can. Get up, Cam. Breakfast in five.” The boy groaned in protest. Oliver laughed again and the departed from the dark bedroom.

After a few minutes of planning murder, he finally got up, slipping on a dark gray, long sleeve shirt and sweatpants. Groggily opening the door, his eyes immediately snapped to Cosmos complimenting Marshall about her hair, the girl having taken out her braid. Even though it was 9:00 am, Cameron’s stomach flooded with butterflies. “Cam!” Cosmos spotted the sleepy boy, gripping the door frame as the awakening wave of dizziness washed over him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Just got up too fast. My back is also broken!” He sent a murderous look in Oliver’s direction. The dark-skinned man just shrugged and hummed through his work, a touch of a grin on his lips.

“Care for a muffin?” Marshall offered, looking up from arranging the bakery good onto separate plates.

“Yes. Thank you.” Cam settled onto a stool at the counter and quietly observed the girl’s movements in a pleased silence.

“Which one would you like? There are many to choose from.”

“Ah… The chocolate chip one. Please.”

“Alright.” Marshall smiled and placed the desired muffin onto a plate. “Oliver? Cosmos? How about you guys?”

“Surprise me!” Oliver called, his back turned as he whipped up a large bowl of scrambled eggs.

“I’ll have coffee cake!” Cosmos added, emerging form her room wearing galaxy-themed fuzzy socks. Marshall laughed and stuck her hand back in the bakery bag.

“Alrighty. Coming right up!”

Breakfast was satisfying for the whole bunch. Laughter filled the dining room as they all clinked muffins in cheer of the snow and the upcoming event of the adventure to the Intrepid Sea, Air, and Space Museum that rested at the Hudson’s edge. “I can’t wait to go! I can’t wait to go! I can’t wait to go! OH MY GOSH, I’M SO EXCITED!!!” Cosmos’ excited chanting followed them all the way to the museum.

After buying their way in, the four friends partnered and took off in separate directions: Oliver and Cam, and Marshall and Cosmos. The girls made their way towards the tour that brought you to the bridge of the massive ship, all the controls behind glass and the feel of the air giving the place an aura lost in time. The boys explored the machinery of space equipment. All while taking it in, Oliver looked over at Cam, who was observing the rockets in awe, and his heart sank. “Hey Cam.”

“Yeah?” The boy was too intrigued to notice the change in Oliver’s eyes, and the shift in his posture and expression.

“You have to tell her at some point.” The brightness in Cam’s eyes distinguished and his head hung to stare at the metal flooring. He sighed heavily and felt a hand at his shoulder. “I know it’s hard, but she deserves to know the truth.”

“But… it’ll crush her. I-”

“I know. I know, kid. Life can throw us curve balls and sometimes it’s hard to accept them. But, we have to dealt with those problems sooner or later, or else it’ll come back to haunt us in the end.”

Cameron found himself staring at one of the displays of the history of the USS Intrepid that the four were watching, his heart and mind lost at the sea and metal displayed before him. Tell her today, Cameron. It’s now or never, Oliver’s voice echoed. His heart pounding like a drum and blood rushing in his ears, he abruptly stormed away and burst out of the massive ship, not even noticing Marshall running after him.

Doors slamming open, Cameron emerged outside to the harbor, the bitter chill of midday New York City nipping at his face and fingers. “Cameron! Are you alright? What’s wrong?” Marshall called out to him, stepping rapidly towards him.

“WHAT’S WRONG?!?!” The young man shouted, startling Marshall, his stress and anger with himself erupting out of him. “I’ll tell you what’s wrong with me! I- Well- YOU! ARGH!!! Why is it so hard to tell you?!” The young woman’s expression began to harden.

“What the hell is going on, Cameron? Why are you like this?”

“This! THIS FUCKING TRIP! It was all a fucking lie! Me asking you to come with me! ARGH!!!”

“What the hell is that supposed to mean? What?! So, you and me sharing feeling towards each other, that ride to New York on your bike, didn’t mean anything?! Have you been fucking playing me?!?!”

“IT WAS A DARE!!! A GOD-FUCKING DARE!” Cameron’s voice echoed through the bustling streets, onlooker’s heads turned to watch their fight. Marshall became as rigid as a statue, icy fire roaring in her eyes. “The guys and I made a bet that whomever got you to go out with us, that they would win some dumb shit prize. None of them believed me when I told them I would do it. It was to prove them wrong! But, as I was on my way to do it, it all came crashing down on me! Why was I doing a dumb, stupid dare to ask you out with made-up feelings? They were all rejected by you, and I was terrified that you would do so to me. But… I realized that… all my feelings have been real, this whole time! The whole fucking time, my actions and feelings were genuine. I-”

“Save your breath.” Marshall’s voice sliced through Cameron’s confession like a scythe. “I’m done with your bullshit.”

With that, the young woman with glaring gray eyes stormed into the Hell’s Kitchen district, leaving Cameron a mess on the museum outskirts.

Chapter 14

Oliver and Cosmos later found him in a wary stage of shock and heartbreak. The older man hugged him a good lot; Cosmos, on the other hand, stared at him with blank disappointment and contempt. When they arrived back to the house, it had been empty. But, a small bit of relief filled their hearts, for Marshall’s things were still there in the bedroom, all neat like they always were.

Cosmos locked herself in her room, the boys doing so as well. The house remained quiet, the air still and bearing the ache of Marshall’s absence. Laying in her bed, Cosmos stared at her ceiling and let out a sigh, immediately missing Cameron’s companion.

Suddenly, she heard a “tink” at her window. Curiously, she went to investigate. She nearly screamed when she found Marshall outside her window, a happy but seldom look on her face. The girl stuck a finger to his lips and gestured for the kid to open the window. Chewing on her index finger, Cosmos quietly opened it for her favorite human. Marshall held out a note that said, Come with me for the evening. Stay quiet. Leaving out window. Take this note and leave it on your bed. Next, she was given a second note. It had a drawing of a black hole, an alien face, the planet Jupiter, and a marshmallow with a funny face, holding up a straight in poker cards.

Cosmos nodded to the first note, and after putting on warmer clothes and placing the doodles on her bedspread, she escaped out the window with Marshall.

After hot chocolates and a subway ride later, the two were continuously walking down the chilly streets of New York City. “I have a secret.” Marshall said, after the long train of silence that had been chugging along behind them.

“What about?” Cosmos asked. Her purple, space-themed jacket made Marshall smile.

“Myself.” They finally stopped walking and the kid looked up and around. They’d stopped at a building down one of the streets off of Times Square.

Punching in a code, Marshall pushed open the door and held it open for Cosmos to enter.

Chapter 15

Cosmos was buzzing. A faint mechanical voice stated, “Locked” as Marshall closed the door. The woman caught the girl’s eyes and sighed contently, shoving her hands in her long coat pockets, her breathe fogging before her. “I’m glad I can tell you. It’s hard doing things, such as this, alone.” A wind blew through the loose strands of brown hair framing her face and she tucked them back under her hat. All Cosmos could do was skip alongside Marshall, thoughts threatening to explode from her mouth.

They’d rounded a corner and descended into the subway, a comfortable silence between them, though the young girl was brimming with excitement. “You’re not going to tell anyone, right?” At that the entirety of the subway tunnel echoed with Cosmos’ shriek,

“OF COURSE NOT! WHY THE HELL WOULD I?!?!”

Marshall laughed the whole ride to Brooklyn.

Oliver was relieved when Marshall and Cosmos came back home. The notes on his cousin’s bed gave him something of an anxiety attack, but then he remembered that he trusted Marshall the second she walked into his house. There was something intriguing about the young woman, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it. He noticed that Cosmos had stuck like glue to Marshall, who was also drawn to her.

The African man understood why Cameron liked her too, but the idiot dumb-ass had to have messed things up, hanging out with bad influences. Hopefully the kid would find better friends when he went to college. The switch from teenager to being an adult would surely knock some sense into him. But for now, the young senior had to make it up to the girl he liked. Though, Oliver laughed to himself. Marshmallow is rather scary.

The three had a quiet dinner. Cosmos had calmed down, her shrieking through the subway and the excitement of the secret adventure had made her exhausted. Cameron, Oliver explained to Marshall and his cousin, had not left the guest bedroom since they’d arrived back from the museum.

Cosmos insisted that Marshall sleep in her room in her bed, but Oliver laughed, patting the girl on the head, and went to go dig out the spare mattress that was under Cosmos’ bed. He also kindly gave Marshall a set of Meg’s pajamas that had been left behind. The gray-eyed woman accepted everything gratefully.

Before they went to bed, Oliver halted at the door of his ward’s bedroom. “Cosmos, you already know what is planned for tomorrow.” The kid in her alien nightgown nodded vigorously, a wide grin on her face and large, sparkling eyes. “Marshall. I apologize for such short notice, but tomorrow is the premiere of Men in Black: International, and Cosmos and I are on the guest list along with a plus one each. It works out perfectly that you both decided to come up to New York this weekend.” Oliver noticed a flicker of sadness ad anger behind Marshall’s eyes. “We start the whole fiasco of getting ready early tomorrow morning. My stylist has already been informed of your and Cameron’s arrival, and she’s put together individual teams to accommodate for all of us. You two will be picked up early for the appointment, so I suggest setting an alarm. You got all that, Marshmallow?”

“Perfectly.” She beamed. “I can’t wait!”

“Excellent. Well, goodnight you two. Cosmos, don’t stay up too late!”

“Aye aye, Captain!” The girl giggled, saluting Oliver, the African-American rolling his eyes amusingly and closing the door.

Cosmos shut off the light and instantly, the scatters of glow-in-the-dark stars lit up the ceiling and walls. Marshall whispered, “This reminds me of home.”

“Of Pennsylvania? How?”

“No, silly. I’m a peculiar case, Cosmos. I’m an exchange student from Russia. I’ve been living with a host family for almost six years now.”

“Oh! You must miss the stars at home very much.”

The two girls peered up at the stars, the woman feeling void and homesick. “But, how does that fit in with what you showed me today?” Marshall was silent for a moment, but then Cosmos could hear a smile in her voice.

“That’s the story everyone knows. Only you know my secrets.” There was another pause.

“Can I come with you to Russia?” Marshall chuckled, Cosmos smirking at her answer,

“Maybe.”

Chapter 16

The girls were woken up extra early by Oliver, who hurried them out the door into the frigid cold where an expensive car awaited, the heat inside perfectly warm and inviting. Cosmos fell right back to sleep while Marshall soberly awoke, the cold transition waking her senses. She cradled the girl’s head in her lap as she focused on their passing surroundings.

Once they arrive at a rather elaborately-designed hotel, Marshall maneuvered the girl so she could piggy-back her into an elevator with other stylists that had beckoned the young woman to follow them. The penthouse suite blinked form the metal wall as one of the stylists clicked it with a manicured talon. Marshall adjusted her footing to keep Cosmos secure at her back. Thankfully, the kid was already waking up, heart rate accelerating with excitement at the view as the elevator doors slid open.

There were handfuls of stylists, one with a black, bee’s nest of gold-accented ringlets, bright purple lipstick and mocha skin, grinned wide at the sight of them. The taller woman with beautifully-rounded features was dressed in a silver pantsuit, neon-green wedged boots that peeked from beneath her pants hem, and sky blue nails. “Cosmos, Darling! How wonderful it is to see you again!” The girl at Marshall’s back perked up with a grin, sliding to the floor to run and hug the extravagantly-dressed woman.

“Itri! I’ve missed you!” The woman’s North African-South London laughter filled the room, warming Marshall’s heart.

“Look at you, Love! Already three inches grown since the last time I saw you!”

“It’s been a year since Paris, Itri.”

“Oh yes, I remember! You and dearest Oliver and Meg came to visit me! Oh, what a memorable time that was!”

“Itri, Love. Let the girl ear breakfast before you steal her away for the day.” Marshall turned to see whom had spoken. It was a fine-boned female in a stark-black pantsuit, slicked back, yellow-blonde hair, thick, black eye makeup, nude lips, black and purple nails, and a cobra tattoo that curled under her jawline and dipped down beneath the back of her pale neck. Her thick Dutch accent dripped in distaste, eyes softening as they spotted Marshall, standing stiffly in the entryway. “Relax, popje. This isn’t the Marines.”

“Darling, Isa calls every lass ‘Popje’. It’s Dutch for ‘doll’.”

“Thank you, Itri, but I understood what she meant.” Isa raised a slit, blonde eyebrow.

“You speak nederlands?”

“Ja, dat klopt.”

“Interessant. Follow me, popje.” Marshall waved goodbye to Cosmos, who was feasting on a delicious-looking stack of pancakes and colorful fruit, and followed Isa into an adjacent room. A bony hand pressed her into a vanity seat and with a snap of Isa’s fingers, people of all styles, identities, and colors filled the room. “Félix,” Isa commanded to a male beside her, his eyes separately blue and brown. “Begin.”

“Oui.”

Oliver calmed himself in the backseat of their Mercedes chauffeur by breathing in and out. This wasn’t the first premiere, though it was his first without Meg, which made him miss her even more. Cameron beside him looked pale and lifeless. “What if she won’t talk to me, Oliver?” The boy wrung his hands in his lap, the two men professionally and handsomely dressed in black and white suits, their faces powdered lightly and eyes accented by faint, black lines.

Oliver put a reassuring hand on the boy’s knee. “She’ll forgive you. Besides,” There was a glint in his brown eyes. “You probably won’t be able to talk to her when she arrives with Cosmos.” Cameron cracked a smile and lightly shoved Oliver, who chucked.

“Gentlemen, your ladies have arrived.”

“Excellent, Clemente. Obrigado.” The Portuguese driver responded with a curt nod over his shoulder.

As they exited the vehicle, the men were glad to not be overwhelmed with cameras, though the chaos of fans held back by guards and metal barriers gave the two slight nervousness. Oliver opened the door to the sleek, black car and out stepped Cosmos.

She wore sparkly, purple heels, the shoe straps ending in eight pointed stars. Her gown was amethyst, onyx, and lapis blue, the colors of the fabric resembling a nebula, signature to her name. Her braided, black hair was styled around her head, stardust glitter decorating her eyes and smile. Stars and planets glistened form her ears and throat, complimenting her dark skin.

Cosmos looked radiant. Oliver beamed proudly at his ward and cousin, offering his arm to the gorgeous girl.

Cameron sweated underneath his suit, his mouth and tongue sticking to the roof of his mouth. He couldn’t swallow, his body alive with nerves as a second pair of feet exited the vehicle. He couldn’t speak, just as Oliver had predicted, as he took in Marshall’s attire.

It was a beautifully-intricate design, extravagant, yet perfectly Marshall. Her dark brown hair was braided up to join in an elegant bun at the top of her head; her makeup gave off a dangerous and alluring presence, her silver eyes accented to pierce souls and her mouth pursed with a dark and brooding lipstick. Clasped at her left ear was a mid-length, silver band and at her right, a full ear, dark-winged piece. Her dress hued a royal magenta, the neck secured just below her jawline. Silver body chains clinked silently against her olive skin, and a fluttering, sparkly and sheer cape clasped at the material of the high, halter neckline. As she dropped the dress atop her feet, Cameron caught a glimpse of black boots. From her elbows, she wore matching, magenta gloves, the cloth smooth as he offered his hand to help her out of the car.

His heart hammered at her deliciously-exposed shoulder blades and spine. The entire back of the dress was open, the sheer cape draped over top additional chains that decorated her skin and the rest of the dress. Cameron cleared his throat and willed himself to steadily follow Oliver and Cosmos, who had waited for the two.

As cameras began to flash at their presence and an interviewer questioning Oliver about his father’s work and influence, Cameron was amazed at how steadfast Marshall was. She stood and posed regally. It could be mistaken that she herself was a celebrity among the famous visitors.

Marshall did not speak to Cameron however, even after they watched the premiering film. She was engaging with Cosmos though, but as soon as she made eye contact, her eyes would steel into an intimidating gray and she’d leave.

After the premiere, there were refreshments provided as well as time to mingle with other guests. Cosmos pulled Cameron to greet Oliver’s father, who had decided to make an appearance finally. Oliver joined the three briefly and then set off into the crowd on a mission.

Marshall found herself sipping from a flute of sparkling water, gazing at the glamorous crowd. “Marshall!” She turned to spot Oliver and an older woman hooked warmly at his arm. “I want you to meet someone. This is Sophia Rjicna, one of my dearest friends.”

“Rhi-jik-nah?” Marshall tried her best to sound out the stranger’s last name. The woman with graying blonde hair twisted into a bun decorated with sapphires, matching jewelry, and a midnight-blue and gold gown that accented her deep sea eyes laughed, the weathered skin around her eyes crinkling.

“Yes. Quite so.” Her Slovakian accent was rich and authentic. “Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Will you join me for a stroll?”

“Of course.” Marshall followed the kind-hearted actress through quieter corridors of the film complex.

“Oliver tells me you were deceived by Cameron.”

“Yes. I though what we had was genuine when in truth, he was lying the whole time!”

“Child, haven’t you seen the way he looks at you? That awestruck gaze, the way he smiles at you? Doesn’t that show you how much he cares?”

“Mrs. Rjicna-”

“Please, dear. Call me Sophia.”

“Sophia… I want to, honestly I do, but he lied to me. I cannot so easily trust him again.” The Slovakian nodded, the two turning corners to reroute themselves back towards the party, the woman gently taking Marshall’s hand and placing it on top of her aged one, hooking her onto her own blue-clothed arm.

“I understand, child. Your heart is broken and needs healing.” They slowly began to approach Cameron who was talking to Oliver. “In time, you will come to accept that he loves you. Ah, Oliver!” The older actress left Marshall with Cameron and strode away with Oliver.

“Hello, Cameron.” The boy’s heart was in his throat at Marshall’s approach.

“Marshall.” His throat was unbelievably dry. “I-”

Suddenly, the ground shook beneath them, ceiling panels falling to the floor, and guests and their security guards shrieking and running out of the building. Marshall’s eyes grew wide and her voice cut through the chaos like a knife, Cameron’s audible senses adamant on her words. “Where’s Cosmos?!” He whirled for his young friend but she was nowhere to be seen. His thoughts clicked and he roared her name as his love disappeared into the crows in a blur,

“MARSHALL!!!” Running after her, he slipped and fell, recognizing a familiar fabric that had been thrown askew on the marble: Marshall’s dress. Fear thundered in his chest as he stood up and skimmed the fleeing people, unable to spot her within the chaos.

Stumbling outside, Cameron gasped at the absolute ruin of the carpeted runway, his head swiveling to find Oliver running towards him. “Have you seen Cosmos?!”

“Marshall went after her! She’s gone too!!” Oliver panted, shielding his eyes from the rising smoke from the fires that had caught aflame to the carpet and backdrop, live wires sparking, rubble from the concrete walkway catastrophically impacted.

“There is rumor of a planted bomb that was detonated!” Cameron’s mind stuttered at the word bomb.

“THERE!” He shouted, pointing to the middle of the chaos. Cosmos looked terribly frightened, looking for Oliver and Cameron. The two began to sprint to her, but screeched to a halt. A ring of black-suited figures materialized out of thin air, their bodies outlined with a strange, glitching purple, and circled the girl.

“COSMOS!” A roaring call echoed through the noise.

Cosmos jerked her head in the direction of her name, spotting a black-clothed figure leaping from a nearby building and landing in a heroic crouch, their burning silver eyes bringing shivers to her dark skin. The figure, female, had braided hair tied in a bun at the top of her scalp. She wore a high-haltered jumpsuit, the black leather material reflecting the flames and flashing lights. The alluring female turned to Cosmos, a smirk sharing between the girls, and she winked, “Now everyone knows my secret.”

In a whirl of silver and knives, a path opened up and Cosmos sprinted to Oliver and Cameron, whose jaws were slack in shock. The assassin-like figure pulled weapons from thin air and embedded them into the masked intruders, bodies falling like dominoes.

Suddenly, a spotlight flooded the scene, a helicopter’s thundering blades creating a whirling gust, a ladder falling to hover beside Marshall. Grabbing hold, the young woman pressed her fingers to her right earpiece, shouting commands. The helicopter rose higher into the sky, taking her with it. All the while, Marshall’s gaze penetrated Cameron’s until she disappeared from view into the glittering night.

One Day Ago

Lights flickered on overhead, revealing an old ballet studio. Taking Cosmos’ coat and boots, Marshall arranged their items by a vintage coat rack and shoe bin. “Please promise me you won’t tell anyone about this.”

“Of course I won’t.” Cosmos insisted, her expression determined. “Why would I rat out my favorite human?” Marshall grinned and then shed off the rest of her clothes, standing only in a sports bra and knee-length, black spandex shorts. “Wait. What’s happening? Why are you undressed?”

“You’ll see.” Marshall walked over to the floor-length mirror and pressed her left hand against it. She then turned to Cosmos and said, “Are you ready?”

Print scan complete. Voice activation required. A stiff, robotic voice sounded, startling Cosmos.

“Agent M. 072. M1. Alias: Marshall McKyle.”

Activation complete. Stand by. The mirrors then split down the middle and a glass entryway appeared, a bright, light-green glow framing the doorway.

Marshall held out her hand to Cosmos whom immediately took it, and followed her into the place beyond the studio.