STF

San Francisco - Christmas Vacation

Posted Nov. 16, 2020, 9:37 p.m. by Lieutenant Nathan Harland (Counselor) (Steven Sigle)

Posted by Ensign Chloe Harland (Nurse) in Connecticut - The Winter Masquerade

Posted by Ensign Chloe Harland (Nurse) in Connecticut - The Winter Masquerade

Previously - https://www.star-fleet.com/core/stf3/outpost42/posts/110171/

Chloe sat looking around the room. The yellow- gold maple floors glistened from their oiled based polyurethaned shine and holographic snowflakes dotting here and there. The room’s magical feel continued with the white satin banners, tablecloths, and bunting. The lights on the ceilings shone through blue filters giving everything an ethereal glow. The people in the room wore two things. The girls wore long, flowing dresses in either white or pale blues, greens, or pinks. The boys wore dark suits in black or navy with crisp white shirts. Everything was picture perfect yet like all things in Connecticut it was simply a facade.

Two Hours Earlier

The van was pulling up to the building as the young band looked up at the sign with a squinted glance “Whitehall Christian Academy?” came the voice of the drummer as they all looked at each other. “I thought Nate said this was a club…” Chad said as the eyes of the band all turned around at Nate who could be seen taking a deep breath.

“I said it could lead to club gigs… look we are ages 16 to 18 here, i.e. we are young. Most clubs won’t touch us unless we can get some local New England following… how do you get following? You play crappy gigs like this. Time will come, but 30 Seconds To Vulcan can’t get anywhere without someone to give a crap about us!” Nate insisted as the young bassists sitting next to him, whom was sitting awfully close to him, nodded in agreement.

“Nate’s right, we all agreed we needed some gigs and this is one… so just get in there… be polite… play the songs they request, throw in a few of our own… and see where we can go.” Piper said as she wanted to get everyone on board with the plan, knowing they all needed to work together to get the gig.

“Of course you back him up, you’re sleeping with him… but if this goes bad then the band rep takes a hit too, it works both ways.” chimed in the rhythm guitarists John as he felt a need to voice what they all very much where aware of.

“That doesn’t matter John, they are both right… lets be honest we sometimes need some crappy gigs to get good ones.” Chad chimed in knowing that this was the best move, even if he felt hesitant.

“That settles it then, let’s get going.” Nate said as he opened the sliding door as the band began to pour out.

Present Time

The Whitehall Christian Academy’s annual Winter Masquerade Ball was the talk of the holiday season. Everyone wore a small mask to hide their features which to Chloe was ridiculous. They lied to each other’s faces the other three three hundred and sixty-four days of the year so why go through the hassle of using a mask tonight. The mask didn’t stop Chloe from recognizing her date kissing Kaitlyn Meyers in the locker room nor did it add sincerity when she found Chloe and professed it was just a one-time event. Kaitlyn Meyers spun the truth so much you had no idea what was real or not. The thing that surprised Chloe the most was Kaitlyn’s request that they work through this and try to be friends. When Chloe pointed out that Kaitlyn’s tongue down Jake’s throat did not bode well as the start to a friendship, Kaitlyn groaned loudly announcing how difficult Chloe often made things.

Jake for his part was giving the two women wide berth for the moment as he spiked the punch bowl. No one would ever believe anyone at the WCA could do this if caught. The blame would fall to some invisible party that had snuck in and tried to ruin the party. Accusing someone from Danbury of any wrongdoing, was like calling the Pope an atheist. It was just not done and yet here was Chloe, sitting in the corner of the gym because her date lip locked another classmate, with everyone smiling pretending everything as copasetic.

Well almost everyone. The band the committee had chosen was not the typical bubble gum pop act that graced most of their dances. The songs were clean and appropriate yet carried an edge to them. The base beats felt almost like they were being strangled back to fit in with the atmosphere and people. Chloe would have bet and won that the reason the band was still wearing their coats in the overheating gym was that tattoos graced their arms. Several of the member’s heads were covered by knit caps. This was probably due to a piercing somewhere which the chaperones and teaching staff would never approve of. Chloe mused at what each member of the band was really like but constantly kept looking at the lead singer. He had a piercing blue stare that felt like it reading your soul when it fell on you.

Shifting in her seat, Chloe glanced up at the clock wishing the hands of time moved faster. Her parents were chaperoning which meant she was stuck there until the last song played and the final student left the property. For Chloe, this could not happen fast enough.

Chloe Harland

Chloe listened to the band keenly aware that the song currently playing was original works and not on the approved list. It was a Christmas carol in the sense it involved Santa, snow and mentioned the twenty-fifth, however, that is where all comparisons ended. What was more interesting was the way the lead singer was checking out Aimee Quark. The mousey little student vice president was eating up the attention of the smoldering blue gaze focused on her as the lyrics floated about the room. Chloe rolled her eyes and shifted in her chair watching the display. The lead singer was not her type. If there was any hope to the Christmas season at least he wouldn’t be her type.

Fluffing her skirt slightly to remove a nonexistent wrinkle, Chloe noticed something else going on with the band. Only a woman would notice a love triangle in the making. Men were always blind to them because they either were a dog and knew they were participating in one or too focused on the F-Box playing games to notice a girl was playing both ends of a candle. Not that this was an actual triangle but the bleached blonde rocker type bassist with blue highlights in her hair did not seem thrilled the lead singer was crooning to Aimee.

Settling back Chloe listened to the songs and watched with mild interest as the events played out.

“Screw you Piper! Just cause I play to the audience doesn’t mean I am banging every girl I see.” Nathan shouted as he threw the guitar across the room as it smashed a large glass case as the young Nate came rushing off the stage.

Chloe sat up shocked. This was definitely going to be the most talked-about event at WCA hands down. Glass peppered the area around the broken case. Chloe smiled not at the destruction but at the image of the scattered half hanging trophies. The coveted second-place trophy clung to the shelf by one hooked claw of the brass statue much like the players did during that game. Losing to Martha’s Vineyard Academy wasn’t just a loss. It was a massacre with Dandury’s finest being trounced by beach boys of New England. The Connecticut papers heralded the game as a nail bitter. The only real action however was counting off the WCA egos that were bruised during that game. “Still trying to hang on there buddy,” Chloe said to the statue before it slipped from its precarious position shattering more glass. “And nope,” she added seeing on the ground. “The PTA is going to have a blip fit about that.” Even though she was talking to no one, talking did pass the time.

The commotion was the most excitement anyone had heard in the ball as Nathan made it through the crowd as the security at the doors began to quickly talk into their mics as the room seemed to not know what to do. Few moments later, as the principle seemed to be encouraging the rest of the band continue, music once again resumed only with no voice back up.

Nathan was dressed much like others in the ball, a suit with dark tones and a very black mask that covered his face per the regulations of the ball. He looked like a stark contrast though the the more wintery color schemes all around him as he sat down on the wall, a few seats separating him and Chole as he began running his hand through his hair with a frustrated sigh.

Chloe studied the man now sitting in exile with her. “So is the mask part of a cult recruitment thing or,” she let her voice trail off not needing to finish her comment to get the point across. The black mask the lead singer wore had a sinister quality to it. While it was a masquerade ball, no one but the band had the goth adjacent feel to their facial wear. “Ms. Archibald warned us that if anyone left the gym with you guys we would be suspended. Mr. Frasier is off in the corner hastily plugging away at the morality sermon for the assembly on Monday. The gray-haired woman is Sallie Buxton, our principal,” Chloe added for clarification, “told my mother that she firmly felt there was some kahootzing a foot and we should give you wide berth.” Chloe let her conversation sink in eager to hear his response. She hoped it wouldn’t be some upper crust drivel or feigned hostility over being a rebellious youth.

Looking over he could see Chloe had a very nervous movement to her as he sat down, which brought him to smile at the young girl to try and reassure her. “I don’t bite… much… that’s…” he said as he moved his hand gingerly to the stage.

“That’s reassuring. If you did though,” she turned her legs to face him directly, “bite me I mean would I wake up tomorrow, shave half of my head and dye the rest of my hair green? If I did just know they might send me to public school Such a tragedy<’ Chloe tsked and held out her wrist in his general direction.

“She is not my doing… I… don’t know where the yellow came from. I more prefer people who can be themselves… or at least convincedly pretend to be themselves.” Nathan said as he leaned back and took a deep sigh.

“That was fate inevitable. Never work with someone you are dating… or form a band. It’s never going to work… least that’s what my Uncle tells me, but he’s on his fourth marriage so I am not sure how much I should take from him.” he said with light-hearted laugh.

Harland, Doctor

Chloe looked at him and then back to the stage where the music was wafting again as students danced patrolled by the chaperones with twelve inch rulers. “You need to change the lyrics in the last stanza before the chorus. I like the beat but the rhyming and word choice make it feel off. Maybe try something deeper like When Santa comes in the backdoor, You’d better be in bed, When Santa comes in the back door, You’d better do what he said. I don’t know..something different than just repeating the same sentence over and over. You’re definitely more creative than that. It would also allow you to drift off into the angry music genre which would allow you to attack helpless curio cabinets or if you are lucky a beverage cart.”

Chloe Kendrick

Nathan couldn’t help be laugh a little as he shook his head. “That wasn’t my lyrics, no we don’t sing much of what I write…Piper writes the stuff, I just sit on stage and try and look pretty… or so they tell me.” Nathan said with a small shrug as he reached into his coat and took out a flask as he opened it and began to drink as he offered it the Chloe. The look she gave couldn’t help but make him smirk widely.

Chloe’s face held shock and her mouth opened slightly looking to the left and then right. “No thank you. I don’t drink,” she whispered as if they were old friends. “Well at school I don’t drink but I have had a few beers under the bleachers at a football game only that is not like drinking drinking,” she moved her hands about as she talked motioning from the guy next to her to put the flask away. “You shouldn’t drink that here but....what are you actually drinking what you shouldn’t be drinking?” Chloe knew she was rambling. She often did that when she was nervous and how could she not be nervous with the guy next to her.

“It’s just pomegranate 7 up.”

“Likely story,” Chloe rubbed her arms feeling a draft come out of nowhere as if the gym doors had been thrown open a summer day. “I won’t push but you don’t seem like the healthy type to avoid caffeine.” Her comment allowed her to scrutinize the singer without looking like she wanted to drink up every detail. Even though his body was hidden behind a long sleeve shirt, vest, and formal jacket, it was easy to see he had an athletic build. A small part of Chloe was also disappointed that the man next to her wasn’t drinking real alcohol out of a real flask. It would have completed her perfect man trifecta for the bad boy rocker one too home to meet mom and dad just to peeve them off.

I swear… I may look the part but I don’t break all the rules… though it does give an image I know, I just hate school punch it’s always the same flavor, red.” he said as he took off the jacket he had before sliding next to Chloe. He could tell she was shivering each time the door opened, her dress leaving her shoulders exposed as he wrapped the coat around her shoulders.

Chloe sat stiff as a board as he set his coat around her shoulders. It was very thin material but the rush of adrenaline from the act of him doing it raised her internal thermometer several degrees. She took a long second inhaling deeply. The coat smelled like him with a hint of sandlewood, pine, and rosewood. It felt familiar somehow even though the guy next to her was a stranger. “Thank you,” she replied with a smile.

“And pomegranate soda isn’t red,” she teased looking down at her dress. His gaze was penetrating like it could see into your soul reading all your secret inner thoughts. It would be the one thing she remembered most about this evening. Clearing her throat, Chloe began a new topic.

“So where are you trying to escape from with your gig here because you definitely aren’t from Connecticut,” she looked up tucking a stray hair behind her ear.

“You know, I am not sure why I came back here… I am trying to leave New England and I find myself taking gigs before I graduate like somehow this is really going anywhere… I maybe young but… come on this.” he said as he gestured up and down himself. “This isn’t going to take off. I have to be kidding myself, my dad said there wasn’t a snowball chance and hell and I just hate it when he’s right.”

Harland, CNS

“Okay take a piece of advice from a stranger and remember Dad’s are the greatest person in the world but also your harshest critic. They build up this image of who you are and when that image is not the real you it can suck.” Part of Chloe was talking to the man next to her but the other part was just talking out loud. “My dad wants me to go into finance or economics because that is what he did. He keeps pushing me to look at business schools after high school. I don’t know what I want to be but I know I sure don’t want to be a banker. As to you,” tugged the coat closed to stay warm in the draft gym, “don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something. What do they know? It’s not like my dad was a nurse before he became a financial analyst. If you entertain the idea you aren’t going to succeed at that,” she pointed to the stage,”then you won’t. I think you were amazing up there. If you asked me I would say do what you feel a passion for because you are going to be doing that job for a long time ,” Chloe shrugged after speaking.

Chloe

“I don’t know if I have a career in this Band anymore… and just being the singer slash guitarists isn’t… really what I want. They don’t seem to like my songs… I think that was more of the boiling point THAN her thinking I am always trying to hook up with the girls in the front row…” he said as he took a deep breath as he couldn’t help but starting laughing as he was certain Chloe thought him to be an insane person.

“I don’t know if you do or don’t but at least this time you can prove her wrong because right now you are talking to the one person that is the farthest from the front row as possible. Remember that point when you are duking it out on the ride home.” Chloe’s tone was matter of fact as she played with the embroidery on her skirt. She wasn’t coming onto him with her comment just pointing out the obvious with a bit of snark that until now had been held back.

“Well… you’re the only one in this place that doesn’t seem to have an air of smugness, l don’t know why I feel that way… I just do. You seem to genuinely be done with this place… and that’s a feeling I am attracted to.” he confessed as he looked around. Last time he was here it nearly got the police called on him, and the way he could see some of the adults pointing at him he wondered if that was going to continue.

“As to your career in music that is up to you. I liked your song so what if these people didn’t.” She shrugged off her statement like it was a trivial thought. “Find a group that does like your singing. Don’t just give up.” Chloe felt a bit more brave talking about this topic rather than the merits of embracing a rebellious youth. For all, she knew the crooner was like any other guy and trying to find an in to just schmooze a girl up. She had given up on the idea that this dark clothed man was a hoodlum. His manners were too polite to be a thug or being goth adjacent.

“I’m sorry… it’s just I mean mainly cause this is our first official real gig that didn’t have our family in front, and Grandma Patty might have been a looker back in the day but I am not trying to go hook up with her. Piper…” Nathan shrugged a bit as he wondered how to put it. “She isn’t really the best girlfriend… I am not sure why I put up with it, if someone talks to me she freaks out… but she can make out with Lenny after prom and oh that’s fine she was just drunk… kinda feels ass backwards ya know?” Nathan said as he thought on something else Chloe said as he wondered about the idea of doing what you love.

“Bassakwards is life.” The play on words was something Chloe always used to describe the event Nathan mentioned. “Things always are different than you you know or perceive. Take this place. It looks like a posh, upscale high school were white shirts and red and black plaids are the standard uniforms. Those are reality but the upstanding lets make the world a better place because we have the opportunities to do it is in short supply. It is just a lot of gum flapping. People only want to make a difference with their words and not actions yet Danbury High has half the money and a quarter of the resources but do all sorts of fun projects and things. I would love to get away from here and try school there.”

“Look at you, little miss rebel. Maybe you need to be wearing a bit more goth adjacent colors to match that spirit.” he said with a playful wink as he nudged her gently with his shoulders as he kept his hands in his pockets.

“What I love… is to get away from here… I graduate early in the spring, I am from Martha’s Vineyard… I want to be away from pretentiousness, Boston is about the only people I think this far north of Philly, but New England… it’s old and dying. I want to do something that is my choice, so I am thinking Starfleet… half way across the continent … try to do something good. I would go to Oxford first though, which fits into the get away from the family, then finish it in San Francisco…” Nathan paused, feeling like perhaps he was rambling a bit too much, as he paused a bit as he looked over at Chloe.

“Look, you want to not be like your father… Starfleet is a helluva way to go. Or Paris, Milan, Vienna … anywhere but Coniticituct. Even the air feels judgmental here.”

Harland, CNS

“No that is just the HVAC system,” she shoved his shoulder playfully. After a long pause, she looked up at him. “Starfleet? You want to join the military? What are you going to study at Oxford that will help you be a soldier?” The idea was exciting but it was also permanent. It wasn’t like a normal job where one just up and quit. Joining them was a commitment.

Chloe Kendrick

“Well, my mother was a Doctor, she went to Oxford… it’s how she meet my father. She…” Nathan paused as he took a deep breath. “She died giving birth to me, she was in Starfleet too… was protecting a group of colonists from a Nausican raider party. My dad… he was off on Earth doing his private practice, psychiatry … telling everyone else how they felt.” he said as he took a deeper breath as he shook his head.

Chloe started to apologize but stopped. While it was a common thing to say what did it really do. It didn’t bring anyone back nor did it really make any sense. Her mother often said it was better to listen than speak so that is what Chloe did. She turned more in her seat to direct her full attention on the man next to her. If he was going to tell her something this personal, she would make sure he was her focus. His story also started to explain why he was the way he was or seemed to explain it. The weight he must have felt losing his mom the way he did. There was one part of the story she could relate to: his father. Fathers tend to think they know everything but having one that also thinks he knows what your thinking. It would have made Chloe crazy.

“I’m not quite sure why I am even telling you this, I don’t… I don’t tell this story to anyone.” he said as he looked over at her, feeling as if perhaps she could somehow understand, or perhaps it was the animosity. She didn’t have to know him after this, no names, no faces. It made it very easy to want to open up more.

“Maybe it is because you need someone to listen and not talk,” Chloe suggested. “Besides I am a stranger. Strangers are easier to talk to because you don’t have to see them in the halls or wonder who they talked to. They also can’t give you life advice. We can only listen.” Reaching over she squeezed his hand briefly. Chloe hoped it made him feel safe.

“Thank you, and there was more… when the war hit Earth, the Breen… you probably saw the videos but… I was there, this girl I liked… she wanted to come see me as her dad was an officer and my dad consulting for the Academy, a favor he claimed for the work my mom did. No one knew what was happening as people cried out… the girl, she was only there cause I asked her to be… died.” Nathan felt a small tear fill his cheek as he wiped it away trying to not let the memory overwhelm him.

“You were in San Fran when the Breen attacked,” Chloe wrinkled up her forehead confused. There was so much news coverage on the attack no one missed it however the spotlight was on Starfleet and the personnel lost at the Academy and headquarters. The newscasts did not focus on the civilians there because their numbers were so few. Her confusion was not that the man was claiming to be there but how well he seemed to manage the history of being there. “I think I would still be having nightmares if what happened to you happened to me. You are really brave.”

“After that, I knew I wanted to be like my mom… I couldn’t help her, she died in my arms… and I didn’t want to see that happen… plus it pisses my dad off who after my mom’s passing doesn’t really like them. I consider that a twofer.” he said with a chuckle, wanting to try and bring some levity to the whole topic.

Harland, CNS

Chloe wanted to hold him. Why she had no idea. He was a stranger that had no name or place in her life yet the more he shared the more Chloe felt a connection to him. The problem was she had no idea what to say or how to react. She had never met anyone who lost a parent yet. This was unchartered territory for her. “I think your mom would be so proud of you if you followed in her footsteps,” she said softly, “although how could she not be proud of you even if you didn’t. You are a pretty good guy. That’s all a mom could ever ask for. A kid that thinks of others and wants to make the world a better place. It’s what I hope my kids will want to do one day.”

Chloe Kendrick.

Red and blue lights flashed at the entrance of the door as Nathan leaned forward as he nodded to himself. “I guess my ride is here,” he said as he looked over at the girl he had been having more fun with than anyone else in the evening.

“Wait what,” Chloe stood up looking around frantically as if someone had just screamed fire. “They can’t arrest you, you are a minor.” Her logic made no sense. It was just her mind wanting things to be different than reality. The guy did destroy school property. Her wishful perspective evaporated like an icy breath when one stepped outdoors as the crowd of kids parted showing the principal pointing to the spot across the gym where she and Nathan sat. Chloe watched the officers crossing the room in slow motion not able to react or talk. Their swagger was slow and purposeful drawing out the time it took for them to reach Nate and Chloe.

“Time to go,” the officer wiggled his fingers for Nathan to stand up. So far the kid didn’t seem to be as much of a menace as Mrs. Ellis ranted about on the call to the station but a call was made so they had to intervene.

“I can bail you out,” Chloe rapidly began to ramble looking at Nathan. “I have four hundred credits in my savings account.” She had never even stepped foot in a police station so four hundred credits to her would either bail out the entire building or not make a dent. Those details didn’t matter though to her. All Chloe could think about was finding a way to have more time with the man next to her. She felt her chest tightening not knowing what to do.

The officer rolled his eyes clearly annoyed as he pulled out his cuffs. “Whatever. Mr. Montague here will be at the 10th precinct Ms. Capulet so go get your allowance and meet us there.”

It was a shame his temper had gotten him to get the stodgy elitist’s of the school to call the cops, especially seeing as he had found someone so delightful sitting next to him. “Look, doubt I ever get to come back here… but if you do decide to buck tradition …” Nathan paused as the officers began to pull him off his seat as they put the cuffs on him.

Hearing his words, Chloe knew what to do. He had shared stories about his life that was so personal. The least she could do was sharing something as intimate. Without time for a conversation, there was only one way to share something. Chloe stood up and rose to her toes. If Chloe was ever going to have a first kiss go badly this was the time and place: A stranger, being arrested, in the middle of her whole school. The good part was Chloe had low expectations about how the kiss would end. All first kisses were bad kisses. No one knew what they were doing so why not make her first kiss have a good, bad memorable moment. Leaning forward she pressed her lips to his closing her eyes. The height difference was the first thing she noticed was going wrong. Missing the top of his lip, Chloe’s face planted his bottom lip and chin with her mouth. There wasn’t much time to right this wrong so she placed her hands on his shoulders. Chloe pulled down slightly this time catching only his top lip and part of the plastic covering the tip and bottom of his nose.

“Okay that’s enough,” the officer moved Nathan backward.

“You said buck tradition…right,” Chloe stood back feeling all eyes on her in the gym. Her expression was shocked realizing she might have misconstrued his initial comment as an invitation to lip-lock him in public. “Or is that not what you meant?”

“Let’s go Romeo,” the officer shook his head with half a smirk. Teenagers were so annoying but this little display was going to gnaw at the morality council on the school for a while which was a win for him. The morality council on the school board was a bunch of pretension idiots. If anything good came out of this, it would be the drug store would run out of Alka Seltzer for them tonight. At times like always had a win.

“Look me up in San Francisco, I’m Na…” before he could finish the Officers pushed him out the door, for all to see as he got thrown in the back of a hover squad care before being whisked away. In the front, driving as the sirens got turned off the officers shook his head quietly.

Looking to the left, the school had all come out to witness Nathan being hauled away. Undoubtedly this event would make the yearbook as being one of the most exciting events of the year. Of to one side Chloe could easily be seen arguing with two women as she gestured to the car with her hands and the two women threw up their hands clearly angry at whatever she was saying.

“What am I going to tell your father? Do you know how many favors I had to ask to come pick you up when I heard the lead singer of ‘30 Seconds to Vulcan’ was destroying school property?” said the officer, who clearly knew young Nathan as he looked back as the officer shook his head at the sight of Nathan swinging his feet under his cuffs as he switched positions so that his hands where in front instead of behind.

“Were these really needed Uncle?” Nathan asked as he pushed his hands threw the prisoner slit so that his Uncle Harold Harland could remove them as his partner looked over to be certain if this is what he wanted as Harold nodded quietly as the younger deputy began to remove the cuffs before Nathan sat back down in his seat.

“Look, I didn’t attack anyone, it was my guitar and Piper was being a giant cu…” Nathan was cut off as Harold loudly told the young boy to watch his mouth before anything else could be said.

“Fine, but she was… why did you even want us at this gig? I know you wanted to help out… but your old high school? These kids already hate me when I play them in lacrosse like they were ever going to like my band.” Nathan said as he removed his mask as he tossed into the seat next to him.

“Your dad said to help get you out of the house, so I did. Besides whatever happened between you and that Piper, you seemed to be over her awfully quick with the Kendrick girl.” Harold said, as that phrase clearly piqued Nathan’s interest.

“Kendrick? Do you have a first name?” he asked, eager to know more about the mystery girl.

“No, just that it was one of Andrew Kendrick’s girls, I remember her an event he threw for the town, he has a whole brood of girls, kids in general. I will bring you home though maybe Matthew knows which one she was… we can keep this between us, as your name was never giving to the school… which somehow I feel like was the plan all along.” Harold said with an arched eyebrow as he looked back at his Nephew.

“It wasn’t the plan to break their display case, though… I might want to ask Matt more about the girl… she… felt familiar.” Nathan said, as the small town winter glow shined bright into the back of the car as he looked out in the window waiting to get to his Uncles home.

==================================
Two hours later......at the Kendrick house
==================================

“Wait so were you grounded, suspended, or both,” Meredith shifted on Chloe’s bed to a cross-legged position. Grabbing a pillow she hugged it tight to her chest. The story she heard from her friend’s sisters sounded just like something from the VT network. The scene in the living room when Chloe had returned with their mom was more like an episode of the Galaxytime Movie Network as they filled in the night’s events to their father. Sitting with her sisters, Meredith felt like she was in a dream.

“She is so both,” Kevin Kendrick said from the door leaning against the door jamb, “and she should be.”

“Shut up Kevin,” Chloe threw a teddy bear at her brother feeling hot flames rise to her cheeks.

“Why cause you wanted to kiss a jailbird? The guy trashed the gym. You really pick winners sis,” Kevin’s tone dripped with condescension. A loud trill caused Kevin to groan and then punch the wall in front of him. “Everybody is calling me asking me about tonight. Maybe you should field a few of these because I am tired of defending your reputation. Hey,” Kevin ended the conversation with his sister as he started a new one with a friend leaving Chloe’s room.

“Did you really kiss him,” Delaney asked staring at Chloe as if she had just grown another head. Being in the fifth grade meant some girls were just starting to kiss boys but only the wild and daring ones.

“Uh huh,” Chloe’s frown slipped into a soft smile. “And it was,”

“Magical and perfect,” Meredith rose onto her knees with wide eyes. Her preteen mind began to replay every tween love scene she ever watched. Her sister Chloe, desperately in love, packing a suitcase to sneak out in the middle of the night to run away with some rebellious boy and ten years later showing back up on their family’s doorstep, probably at Christmas, to rejoin the family.

“Familiar,” Chloe leaned back. “It was not magical or electric. It didn’t make my mind go blurry or my toes feel numb. It felt like something I had done all the time for years and years.” Grabbing another stuffed animal she held it to her chest playing with its tail. She couldn’t explain anymore to Delaney or Meredith because she had no answers. She did have time however to try and figure out why. Six weeks to be exact. Maybe when she was finally allowed to leave the house and go somewhere besides school, Chloe would try to find out more about Mr. Montague as the officer had dubbed him.

Chloe Kendrick

Eight Years Later

“Come on Kelly, you can just slide me the officer exam notes right? You are training to try and get that promotion, I just need five minutes … five quick minutes, think of it like bad date you had the other day… you weren’t satisfied but you got a new hovercar for just five minutes of work. I get that and I can pretend to be going to my home for the holiday.” Nathan said as he sat with his feet propped up on the table. They were in a type of coffee hut/bookstore that a lot of students, Starfleet or otherwise, tended to visit.

As his legs hit the floor Nathan shot up as he shook his head. “Look, I’m not like your family… I will try is the best I can offer.” he said as took a deep breath in an almost sigh like heave. “Besides, Christmas has never been my holiday. Just my cousins and the families meeting up together as I am reminded that I spent years alone with my dad being ignored… hell the best Christmas I had in the past decade was trying to track down that mystery girl from Connitituct. Never did find her, though most of the the people in Dansbury where total asshats… maybe I missed a bullet?” Nathan said we a chuckle as he brought up from his bag an empty notebook.

“Hey hey hey, don’t make fun of me. I enjoy writing. This is one of the last beacons of a time before digital footprints took over, a smell that can’t be forgotten, and you love the coffee so don’t act like you hate this place.” he said as he looked at the notebook as he looked up at Kelly with a smirk. “Look, you want a bet? I will step out of my comfort, find someone completely random like you keeping saying I should try… if you ask Ric out.” Nathan said as he grinned knowing she wouldn’t take the bait.

Surprise couldn’t be the word that came over Nathan’s face, she took him up on the offer, which wasn’t something he knew how to answer on. “Okay… fine I know you have been avoiding his advances… you at least have someone you like… me… I can customize my target with… tasks.” he said with a smirk, everything an experiment for him. “I write out a series of things I want to see in someone… and see if someone takes up on the task. Leave it on a shelf here, anyone who reads hard copy books already has a huge mark in my mind.” he said, not even remotely thinking this would produce anything of value.

Harland, CNS


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