Airborne

by Kimberly P. Chase

  Zane pulled himself up, glancing back through Aurora’s window one last time. She was leaving the room, her father following behind. Zane didn’t need to see her face to know she was confused and hurt. Her shoulders were tense, her back rigid.

  The sound of the wind kept him from hearing anything said inside.

  Why had he thought this was a good idea?

  Right, he hadn’t. He’d acted on instinct alone. Getting out of there his top priority. Zane knew at some point he would have to face Collin Titon, in fact he’d relish confronting him, but he’d be prepared when he did it. Not half naked, hooking up with his daughter.

  Not that he’d just been hooking up with her. Something way more intense was going on between them.

  Zane wanted to pound his head against the window. Aurora made him do stupid, idiotic things. His muscles strained to keep him from falling. Even though he was fitter than most, it would take all of his strength to get down without falling.

  Glancing to the window below, Zane calculated he had about a five-foot drop before the next windowsill. A normal human probably wouldn’t survive this.

  Maybe sometimes not being normal … kind of rocked?

  Zane didn’t hesitate.

  He let go and used his legs to slide him in the right direction.

  A second later, his hand made contact with the outer window casing on the second window.

  Stomach flying into his throat, Zane repeated the process until he was on the last window above the ground. People walked below him, none of them ever looked up. Glasses wrapped around their faces kept them from seeing what was right above them.

  Knees bent, Zane landed on the ground just as a hoverbus came down the road. Not wanting to stick around, he jumped on board. It’d take him over an hour to get back to the Academy. Plenty of time to kick himself for all the mistakes he’d just made.

  Sure, he’d snuck into Titon Technologies without getting caught. But he might not have gotten away with it if it hadn’t been for the earthquake. Even the run-in with Aurora had been a miscalculation in his plans; the mission forgotten as soon as he’d laid eyes on her.

  He’d missed her these past two weeks. Everyone had left the Academy … leaving him alone.

  The thought to just ask Aurora for a visit into Titon Technologies never even crossed his mind. That certainly would have been easier, but he wasn’t used to asking anyone for help.

  Remembering the way her face lit up with joy at the sight of him was like a punch to the gut. There was no way he could have explained the truth to her. And if she found out now, Aurora would think he’d been using her.

  Zane rubbed his temples. But hadn’t he kind of done that anyway? When she’d opened the door, he’d lied. He hadn’t been there to see her. He’d been there to steal from her dad. And then he’d almost had sex with her! He was such an ass. He was already messing this up.

  He didn’t know how to take care of anyone but himself. Talk about zero experience.

  Zane didn’t deserve her.

  Listening to her childhood memories had made him dream of things best not thought of. Zane had let his guard down. It was like the walls he’d built around himself crumbled in Aurora’s presence. How could he forget whose house they’d been in? That he’d never be good enough … forever an unknown.

  And what if they hadn’t heard her father come into the condo? A litany of curse words exploded in his mind.

  Zane jumped off the hoverbus even though the Academy was still twenty miles away. He needed to get his mind straight.

  The bag strapped across his shoulders bumped against him with every step he ran, reminding him of what was at stake.

  Chapter 9

  Aurora

  The Apollo Academy loomed over the hovercar as it pulled up to the gate, throwing a shadow over the vehicle. Her best friend Kaylana’s continuous chatter came to an abrupt halt and her dad’s face seemed to wrinkle in thought. Aurora supposed the Academy could be intimidating to some, but all she felt was a rush of excitement. Despite Hailen trying to kill her last semester, this was where she belonged.

  Aurora grabbed Kay’s hand and gave it a quick squeeze. With her best friend and roommate beside her, she could get through anything.

  Reporters gathered outside recording their progress, but she paid them no attention as they yelled her name and snapped pictures. Training to be an astronaut wasn’t the only thing she’d learned last semester. It was freeing not feeling weighed down by the eyes of cameras anymore.

  Before they were allowed through the gate, a security guard trotted out of the guard station and scanned their eyes through the lowered back window. Aurora and Kaylana happily complied, while her dad seemed miffed that his eyes had to be scanned too.

  Security had been tightened. Any anxiety Aurora still held dissipated. She couldn’t wait to get back to flying.

  ‘Don’t be surprised to see me at the Academy more often,’ her dad said after his eyes were scanned.

  ‘Uh, yeah …’ That wasn’t exactly surprising. Hopefully he wouldn’t interfere too much.

  The gate swung open and the hovercar pulled up to the massive Academy building that stood proud and tall in the sky.

  Aurora hopped out as soon as she heard the doors unlock.

  Two A’s intertwined and twirled together with a shuttle and stars on the Apollo Academy logo. The palm trees swayed in the Florida breeze just as they had her first day here. Their green leaves were full of life, reminding Aurora what she was training for.

  With Hailen behind bars and the increased security, Aurora would be able to focus solely on training this semester.

  ‘What, are you in awe again?’ Kaylana glanced up at the swirling logo. ‘Glad to know you still love it here. Are you imagining Neil Armstrong touching one of those stones?’ Kaylana bit her lip, failing to hide her grin.

  Aurora shoved her shoulder, laughing. ‘Shut up.’ So what if she sometimes imagined just that.

  ‘Seriously, the man died like two hundred years ago. Maybe you should be dreaming about Sky touching one of those stones. He’s the one that holds the most lunar landings.’ Kay wiggled her eyebrows suggestively. ‘Shouldn’t that like turn you on or something? I bet Sky’s way cuter than Armstrong was …’

  ‘Kay-lana!’ Aurora’s mouth dropped open. She looked behind her to make sure her dad hadn’t heard. She shouldn’t have worried. Collin Titon was already on the escalating stairs; probably rushing inside to ensure Ms Lovell had everything under control.

  Aurora’s feelings for Sky were still tangled up into one big mess. Not to mention, Zane was also bundled up in that same stupid ball. She could still feel the delicious weight of his body on top of hers.

  Aurora glanced up at the moon, barely visible in the morning sky. Was Sky looking down at them right now?

  She shook her head and grabbed her bag from the back of the hovercar, not wanting to think about Sky or Zane.

  Especially Zane.

  Aurora jumped on the moving stairway and called out over her shoulder, ‘Come on, Kay. I bet Akemi’s already here.’ She didn’t need to look back to know that Kaylana was hastily grabbing her bag and stepping on the stairs behind her.

  Coming back to the Academy felt different this time. The rocket ships that had flown around her stomach last time were less pronounced. There was no initiation test to pass this time. Not that she wouldn’t mind skydiving again.

  The floating solar system in the middle of the lobby welcomed them. This time she didn’t need to be directed where to go. Pulling their luggage behind them, they made their way through the cafeteria and to the back alcove where Ms Lovell was already chatting with a group of students. Aurora’s eyes drifted around the room. Kylie, Brianna, Jeremy, and Miles were huddled together at a table catching up.

  Her gaze moved on, settling on the boy she wanted to kiss and yet strangle at the same time. Zane’s gray eyes were downcast as she studied him.

  Good. So he knew he’d overreacted.

&n
bsp; Kaylana’s bag thumped to the floor as she ran past Aurora, having spotted Akemi sitting beside Zane. Aurora’s approach was much slower, as she tried to figure out what one was supposed to say after a guy kissed you senseless, almost taking things further than any other boy she’d been with before, and then dropped out the window to avoid a parental confrontation. If they hadn’t been interrupted she knew she wouldn’t be a virgin anymore. Aurora thought she’d been ready, but obviously they still had some trust issues to work on.

  At least he hadn’t run out the window after that happened.

  I guess things could have been worse, she thought to herself.

  ‘Hi.’ She’d decided that was the only thing to say. It’s not like she could ask what the heck he’d been thinking here in the middle of the cafeteria. Aurora hadn’t even had time to update Kaylana on yesterday’s events yet. Her father had been with them all morning, leaving no room for a much needed girl talk.

  ‘Hi,’ Zane whispered back.

  Akemi and Kaylana were too busy making out to witness the awkwardness between them.

  Aurora rocked back on her heels. ‘So, um, about yesterday …’ She lifted her eyebrow.

  Thankfully, Zane took the hint. ‘Yeah, sorry about that. I may have overreacted.’

  But the thing was, he didn’t really sound all that sorry. ‘Okay.’ Aurora drew out the word. ‘I think your response might have been a bit extreme.’

  There. She’d said it nicely. There was no might about it … his response had been ridiculous.

  ‘I’m an unknown,’ Zane whispered. ‘I’m pretty sure your dad wouldn’t approve.’

  ‘Yeah, I guess when you say it like that, it makes sense. But a normal person would have just hid under the bed or something. It’s not like he would’ve forced a retinal scanner on you …’

  Zane’s face completely shuttered and Aurora regretted being so hard on him. Sort of.

  ‘Well, we won’t have to worry about my dad here,’ she said, trying to get the Zane she liked so much back. The one who didn’t hide from her.

  He didn’t look convinced.

  ‘Are you sure that’s it? You know you can tell me anything, right?’ The uneasy paranoid feeling that he was hiding something else from her returned.

  Zane’s face remained blank as he shrugged.

  Great. So they were back to that again.

  Ms Lovell cleared her throat to get everyone’s attention. She was dressed in a blue business suit and her hair was twisted back into a neat bun. Aurora quickly took the open seat beside Zane as Ms Lovell strode to the center of the alcove to address the class.

  ‘Now that everyone’s here we can get started. First of all, welcome back.’ Ms Lovell’s smile was genuine, as she looked them over. ‘I do hope you had a relaxing break. This semester will test you to your physical and mental limits.’

  A few groans accompanied that statement. If it was any more exciting than last semester, Aurora thought to herself, she might not make it.

  ‘Classes resume tomorrow at zero eight hundred. And as many of you already know by now, toward the end of the semester you’ll spend a month on Aviary where you’ll learn to truly function in space.’

  Oh my stars. Aurora had the odd urge to dance around the room. Instead she squeezed the sides of her chair. In three months her dream of flying into space would come true. That would be right around her birthday. Perfect.

  ‘Because of this, we must ensure everyone will survive the launch into space.’

  Ms Lovell continued to give them the run down on the upcoming semester, but Aurora missed every single word of it. In no time at all, she’d touch the stars.

  ***

  As Aurora and Kaylana meandered down the hall toward their room, she noticed Hailen’s old room was open and music played inside.

  Kaylana strode toward the door and peeked in before Aurora even thought to stop her. ‘What’s going on in here?’

  Curious, Aurora scooted around Kaylana. Brianna and Kylie were unpacking and decorating the room, the mess of the previous occupant long gone.

  ‘Since Hailen’s not here anymore, I needed a new roommate,’ Brianna said, answering Kaylana’s question.

  ‘Well good riddance.’ Kaylana stepped further into the room, leaving Aurora hovering alone in the doorway. ‘You didn’t know Hailen was a TerraRist, did you?’

  Man, sometimes Kaylana still shocked Aurora. What she wouldn’t give to be that blunt.

  Brianna’s face paled as she shook her head back and forth. ‘No. I mean, I knew she was keeping things from me, but I had no idea what.’

  ‘Why didn’t you say anything?’ Kaylana continued questioning. These were all questions they had thought about over break, so Aurora didn’t interrupt Kaylana’s impromptu interrogation.

  ‘She was my best friend. I’ve known her forever …’ Brianna squeezed her eyes shut. ‘I just thought she wanted to keep her new relationship to herself or something.’

  ‘Brianna answered the cops and Ms Lovell’s questions. She’s been cleared,’ Kylie said, jumping into the conversation.

  Kaylana nodded. ‘I hope so.’ Aurora watched as Kaylana shed her prickly demeanor and turned back into her normal bubbly self. ‘Maybe we can all hang out now?’ Kaylana called over her shoulder as she walked back to Aurora. ‘We’re still just one room over.’

  After entering their four-digit security code, the locks to their room disengaged. Aurora walked inside and it instantly felt like home. The room was exactly as they’d left it. Books, pictures, and flat screens dotted the walls. Their shared glass desk sat at the back of the room ready for long nights of studying.

  ‘It’s good to be here.’ Aurora threw herself down on the twin bed, tucked her knees underneath her and relaxed. As much as she’d needed a break after last semester’s drama, she was happy to be back and ready to continue training.

  She must have been smiling because Kaylana asked, ‘What are you so happy about?’

  ‘Just happy to be back.’ Aurora shrugged. ‘So there’s something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about.’

  Kaylana paused unpacking her suitcase. ‘Oh, yeah?’

  ‘Zane stopped by to see me yesterday.’

  ‘What?’ Kaylana was sitting on the bed next to Aurora before she’d finished her squeal. Her knees bounced up and down, shaking Aurora as she rapid-fired questions at her. ‘Did you know he was coming? Did he meet your dad? What did he say? Were you alone?’

  Aurora placed a hand on Kaylana’s knee. ‘No, no, we talked, and yes.’

  ‘How did he get in then?’ Before Aurora had a chance to answer Kaylana zeroed in on the last answer to her question. ‘You were alone.’ Kaylana wiggled her eyebrows. ‘Details.’

  A blush crept up Aurora’s neck until she felt her cheeks on fire.

  ‘Ohhhh, spill. I feel like I should get popcorn.’

  When Aurora was quiet for a few seconds, Kaylana said, ‘Just start from the beginning,’ like she’d known Aurora had been struggling where to begin with yesterday’s events. The two of them had briefly talked about the earthquake with her dad this morning, so she’d start after that.

  ‘After the quake, the elevator opened and BAM, Zane was there. I didn’t ask how exactly he got access to our elevator, but it’s Zane.’

  Kaylana nodded like this made complete sense, for once remaining quiet.

  ‘He said he’d come to see me. So we talked and hung out for a little while.’ Heat swamped Aurora’s cheeks as she remembered Zane’s lips crushed to hers.

  ‘Are you still carrying around your V-card?’

  Grabbing the pillow beside her, Aurora smacked Kaylana with it.

  ‘What?’ Kaylana chuckled. ‘That’s a perfectly legit question … especially with your face on fire.’

  Aurora groaned. There was no way she was getting around this. ‘We made out—’

  ‘With clothes or without?’ Kaylana jumped in.

  ‘Um … without,’ Aurora admitted.

&n
bsp; ‘And?’

  ‘And we probably would have done a whole lot more, but my dad came back and that sort of ruined the mood.’ How was Aurora going to explain what happened next? She still didn’t understand it. Was it really like Zane had said? Because he was an unknown?

  ‘What!’ Kaylana screeched. ‘What happened?’

  ‘Well, we got dressed and Zane … he kind of jumped out the window.’

  Kaylana reared back in surprise, tumbling off the bed, her whole body shaking with laughter. She repeated ‘Oh my’ between fits of giggles.

  ‘Kay, Zane jumped out the window instead of chancing a run-in with my dad!’ It hadn’t felt funny at all to Aurora. ‘We almost had sex and that’s what he does?’

  Kaylana reined in her laughter, her face turning serious. She climbed back on the bed and grabbed Aurora’s left hand. ‘Sweetie, your dad is pretty scary. I’m sure Zane just overreacted. It had nothing to do with you.’

  Aurora’s shoulders slumped. She’d needed someone to tell her that. ‘Zane said he didn’t want my dad to know he was an unknown.’

  ‘Yeah, that wouldn’t have gone down well.’

  ‘You’re right. So you think I should forgive him?’

  Kaylana patted her hand. ‘So he made a mistake. He snuck into Titon to see you. That’s kind of a big deal.’ Kaylana’s blonde eyebrows rose high on her forehead. ‘You still like him, right?’

  ‘Obviously.’ Aurora’s answer was immediate. She pressed her cool hands to her forehead hoping that would calm her down.

  ‘So was he a good kisser?’ Kaylana’s smile could only be described as mischievous.

  ‘The best.’ The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She’d needed to take a cold shower after he’d left.

  ‘I knew it!’ Kaylana yelped. ‘Better than Sky?’

  Oh stars, Aurora thought. ‘I don’t want to talk about Sky.’

  ‘Why not?’

  ‘Because he’s not here and I feel like something may finally happen with Zane.’

  Kaylana rolled her eyes. ‘Just because he’s not here doesn’t mean you just automatically don’t like him anymore.’

  ‘But he’s such an ass,’ Aurora said defensively. Kaylana looked at her like she knew Aurora’s excuse was just a cover.