Supernova
Page 25
Chapter 27: The Talk
Unfortunately, the guy with the rifle, a tall, raven haired man, is not alone. He’s with a group of armed hunters. History is repeating itself.
“Are you here by yourselves?” questions the raven haired one.
“What?” Royce asks
“Is there anyone else with you?”
“No,” Royce answers without hesitation.
“Are you sure?”
“Of course I’m sure.”
“What are you doing here?”
“Hunting—what else?”
Raven-hair narrows his eyes. “Hunting?”
“Yes, and camping.”
“What would rich kids be doing hunting and camping?” he snaps.
We couldn’t fool them. They could see in us that we weren’t part of their culture. People at the top rarely looked down, but people at the bottom had no choice but to be constantly looking up.
“For sport,” states Royce.
“Sport?” he snickers.
“Yes.”
An angry gasp explodes from the crowd. Furor burns from Raven-hair’s eyes. “It must be nice not having to hunt for food! It must be nice to always have your stomachs full! It must be nice to play at life!”
“We don’t mean any harm,” Royce murmurs. “We just want to be on our way.”
“These are our grounds,” he snaps, “and we say what goes!”
“Then what goes?” I ask, keeping my voice calm. “What are you going to do with us?”
“I’ll think of something.”
“We should let them go,” the young girl next to Raven-hair says. “What if we get in trouble for threatening them?”
“I’m tired of them! They’re not better than us. I’m so sick and tired of the way we’re treated!”
“Besides,” another hunter states, “they shouldn’t be in our woods no matter who they are.”
“We—“
“Shut up until we tell you to speak,” Raven-hair tells Royce.
“You shouldn’t be in our area,” snaps a tall hunter, glaring at Royce and me.
“Yeah,” Raven-hair announces, suspicion in his eyes. “Something’s fishy here—they aren’t allowed in our woods. They’ve got their own frou-frou campsites. The guardians try to keep us separated.”
“And what are they doing with those clothes?” asks the girl, disgust in her voice. “Why are they wearing what we wear?”
“We need to get to the bottom of this,” Raven-hair snaps, pointing his weapon straight at me. “Start talking!”
“Hey, point that rifle somewhere else!” demands Pilar, as she steps into the clearing.
“Who says?” Raven-hair snickers.
“Me!”
“Why should I listen to you?”
“You’d better!”
“Why should I?”
“I’m better than you at everything!” Pilar chortles.
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am!”
He chuckles darkly as he sets his dangerous rifle down. “Nice to see you, couz.”
“Couz?!” Royce exclaims, surprised.
“Yes, this is my cousin Claudio.” Pilar grins broadly as she embraces Raven-hair. “And by the way, Couz, you were pointing your deadly weapon at the Supernova.”
The crowd gasps loudly—this time in explosive surprise instead of sharp rage.
“The Supernova?” Claudio mumbles.
“She’s the one we’ve been waiting for.”
“The Supernova?” repeats Claudio.
“Her name is Nova.”
“Are you sure it’s her?”
“Very sure.”
Claudio gawks at me with saucer-like eyes. “The prophesy is true then?”
Pilar energetically shakes her head. “I would say so. Meggy picked her out.”
“Meggy is never wrong,” Claudio murmurs.
“I went looking for you. I’m glad you found us,” announces Pilar.
Claudio snatches his eyes from me and glares at Royce. “I asked you if no one else was with you. Why didn’t you tell me Pilar was here?”
“How was I supposed to know that she’s your cousin?”
“Claudio, don’t get upset with Royce. I didn’t tell him I had family here,” Pilar explains apologetically. “I thought it would be a nice surprise.”
“We’ve been looking for you for a while now.”
“You’ve been looking for me?”
“Yeah.”
“You knew I was coming?” asks Pilar, surprised.
“Your dad sent me a message with a carrier pigeon.”
Pilar grins. “Good ole dad.”
“He thought you might need my help.”
“Those carrier pigeons are lifesavers.”
Claudio’s eyes narrow. “Yeah, we don’t have phones like the others do.”
A short time later, the delicious aroma of fried fish wafting across our noses makes me insane with hunger. An old tire hub cap with legs made of large rocks sits on top of a fire with fish frying in wild boar fat. We wait impatiently at the homestead, almost identical to Pilar’s one with shacks dotting the clearing, for the food to be done.
“This is a special occasion. We went all out for you, Supernova,” declares Claudio, a sheepish grin on his face.
“Thank you,” I express, uncomfortably smiling back.
Pilar shouldn’t have announced that I’m the Supernova. Dozens of eyes stay on me like they did at Pilar’s homestead. It’s unfathomable that for most of my life I was basically ignored or mistreated, and now I’m being treated as if I’m a somebody. Inside of me, it doesn’t compute.
“How do the fish look?” Claudio asks, leaning into me.
“Delicious.”
Claudio grins wider. “Nothing’s too good for our Supernova!”
“Thank you, but please call me Nova.”
“I had no idea the Supernova would be so gorgeous,” declares Claudio, his eyes steadily on me. I grimace involuntarily.
“She’s on a mission,” snaps Royce, his voice tight. “She’s not looking for a boyfriend.”
“I’m just making a comment,” Claudio states, irritation dripping from his voice.
“Royce is just very protective of the mission,” announces Pilar with admiration. “He’s the most focused person I’ve ever met! He’s the best of leaders, the best of human beings, the best of—”
“I got it, I got it,” chuckles Claudio. “You really like this guy.”
“What is there not to like?”
“If you say so,” he snickers.
I let out a vociferous grumble. All eyes shift to me, and I go for the quick save. “Sorry—it’s my stomach. That fish is making me hungrier and hungrier.”
“Lucky for you, Nova,” declares Claudio, “it’s time to eat.”
As we each are handed a fish on a chipped wooden plate, we ravenously attack the food. After having so much dried bear meat, this is nothing short of rapturous. The fresh taste and crunchy bites stay on my tongue until I force myself to swallow them.
I shut out Pilar’s close proximity to Royce to keep enjoying the food. She eyes me intently, and I grimace back before I can stop myself. Smiling at me, she acts as if I’m returning her good humor instead of scowling at her. This irritates me even more.
“I’m still amazed that you’re actually here, Supernova,” gushes Claudio. “Through the years, I had doubts about the prophesy being true.”
“I did too but not anymore,” Pilar asserts.
“Who would’ve thought that I’d have the privilege of meeting you or that I would have you as my guest?”
“I’m just a human being,” I insist.
“No, you’re much, much more,” Claudio assures.
“And so is Royce,” Pilar interjects.
I eye her with narrow eyes. “You would say that,” I blurt.
Instead of being furious at what I had blatantly said, she chuckles whole
heartedly instead. I’m more than irritated with her at this point. “Are you baiting me?” I ask, trying to keep my exasperation in check.
“Nova, take a walk with me,” she says, smiling.
“I don’t—”
“We’ve got a lot to talk about.”
At the corner of my eye, I see Royce’s right eyebrow shoot up. “What about?” I question.
“You’ll see.”
“But—“
“Just come with me,” she mutters, impatiently.
I finally give in. My curiosity is definitely piqued. Standing up, I follow her into the woods. She’s stone quiet as we arrive at a small clearing where she plops down on a tree stump and signals for me to sit on the one next to her.
“What do you want to tell me?” I question.
“About Royce—“
“You don’t have to say anything about the two of you.”
“But—”
“You don’t,” I persist.
“I do.”
I let out a deep sigh. “If you’re attracted to each other then it’s none of my business.”
“Don’t tell me you’re not jealous.”
“I’m not,” I say resolutely.
“Then what are all those angry glances about?”
“It’s your imagination,” I lie.
“Don’t play that game with me, Nova. I don’t imagine things. Let’s put our cards on the table.”
“Look,” I state, “Royce and I are just friends. We’re not involved—never have been. You’re free to pursue him, and he’s free to do the same thing with you. . . I’m sure you’ll be very happy together.”
“Admit that you like him.”
“Of course I like him.”
Pilar frowns deeply. “I don’t mean the like of just friends and you know it.”
“I don’t—”
“Admit your feelings for him,” insists Pilar.
“Stop this inquisition,” I demand.
“Not until you admit what you feel.”
“Why are you doing this?” I ask with exasperation.
“Believe it or not, I’m doing this for you.”
Surprise and disbelief bursts through my voice. “For me?”
“For you.”
My eyebrows snap together. “I suppose you’ve been hanging on Royce’s every word for me? I suppose you’ve been gushing about who he is for me?
I suppose you’ve been blatantly flirting with him for me?”
“Yes, for you,” Pilar states, matter-of-fact.
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
“It bothers you that I’ve been paying so much attention to Royce, right?”
“Pilar—“
“Right?”
“But—“
“Right?”
“I don’t—”
“We can keep playing this game all day long,” Pilar states, “but I’m going to get an answer from you.”
“Pilar—”
“It bothers you, right?’
“Stop this. Stop—”
“Right?’
“Stop—”
“You feel deeply for him, right?”
“Pilar—”
“Right?”
“Don’t—”
“Since you refuse to admit it, I’ll have to kiss him and see what happens.”
“Kiss him?” I gulp, acid in my throat.
“Yeah, I bet he’ll be a great kisser. I bet I’ll get completely hooked on him. I bet—”
“Stop it!” I hiss. “You’re not going to kiss Royce!”
A mischievous grin stretches on her lips. “Why not?”
“No!”
“What should you care if I kiss him?”
“Okay I care!” I blurt loudly. “I care a lot!”
Pilar chuckles darkly. “Now we’re getting somewhere.”
“Stop laughing,” I demand. “Why are you making me admit it when you are so obviously in love with him?!”
“I’m not in love with Royce,” she explains. “I mean I could fall for him if I let my guard down—he is an awesome guy after all but . . .”
“But what?” Suddenly, I absolutely need to know this.
“He’s not for me.”
“What do you mean?”
“He’s for you.”
“What?” I ask, startled.
“You two obviously belong together.”
“Pilar,” I say, irritated. “Let’s not go there.”
“We have to go there. I’ve been sacrificing our friendship so you can go there, so you can admit your feelings for Royce.”
“That’s why you flirted with him?”
“Didn’t it bring out something in you? You were jealous, right?”
“Maybe a little.”
“A little?” Pilar guffaws.
“Okay, a lot.”
“He is quite a guy—intelligent, smart, good-looking—”
“Are you trying to make me jealous again?”
“Maybe,” she smiles.
“Are you sure you don’t want him for yourself? He’s fair game, you know.”
“He belongs with you,” Pilar insists.
“He may not choose me.”
Pilar looks solemnly at me. “He already has. You’re his choice.”
“You think?”
“Stop being so blind,” she retorts impatiently. “It’s obvious.”
“But—”
“He’d never pay attention to me while you’re in this world.”
“Pilar,” I utter. “I’ve seen how he admires you.”
“Admiration is one thing—squishy feelings are another.”
“Squishy feelings?” I ask, puzzled at her wording.
She nods strongly. “Yeah, you know the kind. I-melt-for-you feelings.”
“Pilar—“
“Nova, take this however you want, but I have to tell you something.”
“What do you need to tell me?”
“Open your heart.”
“What?” I blurt.
“Open your heart.”
“Open my heart to what?”
“Everything.”
“My heart is open,” I assert.
“You’re starting to free yourself but aren’t quite there.”
“What are you talking about?
“You’re heart is only halfway open. It’s critical that you open all of it.”
“Critical?”
“Critical to our cause.”
“I’m not following you,” I say, puzzled. “I already know how important the resistance is to you.”
Pilar eyes me. “I feel there’s something inside of you that needs to get out.”
“Like what?”
“I’ve seen it in animals and I’ve seen it in humans—I especially see it in you, Supernova.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Your power. Open your heart and unleash the power stuck inside of you. You are the Supernova after all. Meggy told you to let it float up, right?”
“Yes, but—”
I have to cut myself off because a wild, black boar hastens into the clearing—straight towards us.