22Hey everybody. Sorry to those of you that I told I was going to do 'The embarrassing adventures of Nicky Hallaway's hilarious holiday'. But I wanted to do this story more.
Anyways please review and tell me if you like it and who you like more out of Nate and Aden.
Read on…
Chapter One-Beginnings
Spire City ~ 2010 April 12th
"Where did you say you lost it?" Nate asked and gave a sigh of exasperation. I totally agreed with his impatience. We'd been searching this abandoned junkyard for over an hour and we still hadn't found Aden's super high-tech watch.
"I didn't lose it." Aden scowled. "Those barbaric apes that pose as my classmates threw it out here for a lark."
"A what?" Nate asked in confusion.
"A lark," Aden sighed. "Don't you have any comprehension of the English language?"
"What he means," I said, butting in before they could start arguing again. "Is his idiot classmates threw his watch in this junkyard for a joke. They probably wanted to see Aden trawl through rubbish and gross stuff like that." I shuddered as I glanced around.
We were standing on one of the many piles of garbage littering the abandoned junkyard. It was about the size of a foot ball field and full of small hills of decomposing food, old TVs and really, every piece of junk you could imagine. The only security was a single high fence of barbed wire. But even if it was cheap and rusted it worked; afterall no one would want to break into an abandoned junkyard.
A small brick building by the front gate might once have been an office for staff but it looked like it could have been a hundred years old. And whatever staff had once worked here were long gone. Hence the term 'abandoned'. So there wasn't anybody to stop pesky teenagers from getting in.
Of course Aden's bullies didn't have to get in; they just tossed his watch in here over the fence.
How did we get in you ask?
Great question. But let's just say if you have a teen prodigy and a quarter back at your disposal a single padlock fence starts to look pretty stupid.
"Why's this stupid watch so important anyway?" Nate asked gruffly.
He didn't really get this whole 'bullying' thing. Because he's the hot shot, cool kid of his class. Actually he and Aden are almost complete opposites, with me being the happy go-between. I constantly have to translate Aden's mature vocabulary to Nate and translate Nate's slang back to Aden. I'm kinda like the peanut butter that sticks a PBJ sandwich together. If they didn't have me they would have broken apart years ago.
Go peanut butter!
"Because, that 'stupid watch' was a gift from my father. And my father is a brilliant computer expert, so naturally that watch is nothing ordinary. It tells the time, your pulse, and the weather, what gases are in the air around you and if anyone near you has a gun. It is also flame retardant, water proof and non-conductive" Aden intoned patronizingly. Next to him Nate narrowed his eyes.
Hey, Aden may be a teen prodigy…but Nate has a six-pack. And the six-pack always wins in an argument.
"Don't talk down to me, twerp," Nate spat.
Aden smiled nastily "Then don't call me twerp, you prehistoric caveman.
"Caveman?" Nate asked dangerously. "I'll show you cave man."
And then he grabbed Aden by the scruff of his shirt; lifting him into the air like he weighed no more than a pillow. From the look on Nate's face he'd have no trouble beating him to a pulp either.
Great.
"You two! Break it up!" I yelled. "Guys!" I yelled again. They both ignored me.
"Fine," I sighed. "Remember, you asked for this." And then I reached up on my tippy-toes and grabbed both of their ears, yanking down with passion.
I have to do that a lot.
Because I (Salina Jefferson) am barely 5 foot and never listened to. Plus I don't have muscles either, so it all comes down to the little things…like ear yanking! I've been doing that since we were all five years old.
I do wish they'd stop bickering though. But they only argue because they're complete opposites.
Afterall, Nate is 5.8 and has muscles to spare. He's got light brown hair, grey eyes and a right hook that makes the guys weep.
Aden, on the other hand is 5.6, with a pasty complexion, asthma, cat green eyes and a smart mouth that normally gets the crap beaten out of him.
Very different.
But they're both my best friends…even if they're always fighting. Maybe if Nate was in Aden's class he could stop bullies picking on him…but probably they'd just decimate each other. Nate with his fist and Aden with his super weapons. Of course we aren't in the same classes. We share English, Maths and Science but in all of our other subjects we're in different classes.
"Ow ow ow ow ow ow," Nate cried dropping Aden on the filthy ground. "What did you do that for?"
I gave him a look.
"Why did you insist on incapacitating me as well as the big oaf?" Aden asked scowling.
"Because, you're both being airheads." I replied "We're supposed to be looking for Aden's super watch and instead you're both behaving like three year olds!"
Aden and Nate both glared at each other.
"Aden," I said icily glaring at him. "You're a teen genius; doesn't that mean you're smart enough to not get into these situations?"
Aden nodded sulkily.
"And Nate," I commented turning my glare to him. "You're captain of the football team as well as being the quarterback; you're trained in teamwork, so why are you starting fights for no reason?"
Nate paused before shrugging his shoulders.
"Then apologize to Aden for being an A-class dork."
"Sorry Aden," Nate mumbled gruffly, pulling Aden up to his feet.
"And Aden, you apologize for being a patronizing smarty pants."
"Patronizing smarty pants?" Aden grinned. Beside him Nate hid a chuckle.
"Yes," I replied firmly, determined not to laugh.
"You're the boss Sal," Aden replied still smiling. "Nate I apologize for being a patronizing smarty pants."
"No worries bro," Nate said punching him lightly on the shoulder. Aden winced and massaged his arm.
"See," I smiled. "That wasn't so bad. You guys shouldn't fight so much," I said. "We're the three amigos!"
"Sally," Aden sighed, "We don't even take Spanish."
"Pfft," I snorted. "Minor detail. Now Aden, what did that watch look like again?"
"It's black and silver with a large digital screen," Aden replied and then added quietly. "I need that watch for when I catch up with those barbarians from my class."
"Aden," I whined. "Don't tell me you added that laser thingy to your watch."
"Laser thingy?" Nate asked eagerly. "What did I miss this time?"
I turned to Aden, "You explain. You're the one that burned off Bruno Donnin's eyebrow."
"What?" Nate grinned. He turned to Aden with a look of anticipation. "This will be good."
Aden sighed in exasperation. "It was self defense. Bruno Donnin and his cronies attacked me and I had no choice to shoot him with the laser I invented."
"Why didn't I hear about this?" Nate asked. "It should've been all over the school! I mean, no offense Aden, but you're a twerp and Bruno's on the football team with me."
"Hey!" I scowled, elbowing Nate. "Don't call Aden a twerp!"
"It's quite alright Sal," Aden commented smiling thinly. "I have learned from experience that low mannered insults are the last refuge of the wittedly incompetent."
"Okay, I don't understand what you just said…but I sounded like an insult," Nate frowned.
"The reason why you wouldn't have heard about it," I butted in. "Is because Bruno's too proud to admit he got his eyebrow burned off by Aden."
"Exactly," Aden smiled. "I added the laser to my father's gift in the hopes of preventing further assaults. And it worked for a while…"
"…Until they threw your watch in here," Nate grinned. "Next time I see Donnin I'll congratulate him on outsmarting you, 'the genius'."
"Shut up Nate," I muttered resignedly.
"Yes," Aden commented. "Just because you yourself have no previous experience with the mocking and humiliation of bullying does not mean that you never will. Studies prove that males that peak during high school are eight times more likely to end up working in a fast food restaurant in later life. And that my friend would be a sure cause for mockery."
"Shut up twerp."
"Guys," I smiled. "If you really hated each other you would have stopped hanging out with me years ago. Obviously you don't mind each other that much…so stop it with the name calling."
"I'd never stop hanging out with you because of him," Aden replied seriously. "You are the only person I know that can hold an intelligent conversation with me. Other than my father of course."
"Thanks Aden," I smiled.
"Plus you know what Star Trek is." he added, grinning.
"Always a plus." I replied mock seriously.
"Yeah Sally," Nate smiled. "You wouldn't get rid of me just cause of the twerp. Besides you need someone to hang out with."
It's true. Aden and Nate are my only friends. A fact that Nate loves to remind me of. Just because I suck at making friends and prefer talking to guys than girls doesn't mean anything. Afterall I'd met Aden and Nate on the first day of primary school. I'd taken one look at Penny Michaels and then marched over to the boys to make introductions. No one wants the drama of Penny Michaels' blonde perkiness.
Eleven years later and the only thing that's changed is that now she wears a D cup.
And the only thing that's changed about Aden is the size of his vocabulary. He still has the same dark brown hair that curls slightly and is always falling in his eyes. The same bright green eyes that can change from witty and warm to calculating and cold in a secound. And of course the same scrawny, pasty, skinny, asthmatic, short, geek look that still gets him a wedgie.
The only thing that's changed about Nate is that he works out now.
"Again Nate, shut up."
"Whatever Sally," Nate grinned slinging an arm around my shoulders. "You know you love me."
I just rolled my eyes. But next to Nate, Aden shot him a glacier glare. Nate stared back, his arm around my shoulders tensing.
"What's up with you too?" I asked.
"Nothing," Nate said, still locked in a staring contest with Aden. "Right Aden?"
"Of course," Aden replied in the same monotone. "Nothings wrong Sal."
"Okaaaay," I said shrugging out from under Nate's arm. Whatever just happened there was weird. Then again, sixteen year old boys are unpredictable and strange.
Not to mention immature.
"Anyway," I continued, changing the subject. "How about a sleepover at my place tonight?"
I had a sleepout in my backyard, surrounded by trees that stopped my parents noticing that the lights were still on at 3 in the morning whenever we had a sleepover.
And the sleepout was awesome. It had a mini fridge we kept packed with junk food, a small toilet for late night emergencies and our sleeping bags were permanently laid out in the floor.
Did I mention the widescreen TV and DVD player? That would be the reason we always used my sleepout.
"Sure," Nate shrugged.
"Certainly," Aden agreed nodding. "Are we watching 'The Super Adventures' again?"
"Of course," I smiled. "I have the next season ready and waiting. Mum got it for me for my birthday."
"Sweet," Nate grinned.
'The Super Adventures' was Aden, Nate and my shared passion. It was a TV series about a Superhero, his sidekick and his battles against the Supervillain plaguing his city. The Superhero, Speed, was Nate's idol. Aden loved the Supervillain, MasterMind. Personally, Speed's sidekick BouncerBoy was my favourite.
He was smoking hot. And yes, I'm not ashamed to admit the only reason he was my favourite was because of his smoking hotness. (Even though the name BouncerBoy left a lot to be desired.)
And yes, it's a just a corny Super series, but it's an awesome corny Super series.
Of course, the only thing that annoys me about it is the lack of females. Jane Jones is the only girl and she's a blonde bimbo that's always working herself into stupid situations and having to get saved by Speed.
NOT a good look for the female population.
"Won't you're mum be worried that you're having a sleepover with guys?" Nate asked.
"Honestly Nate," I sighed. "My mum gave up on me being a normal teenage girl years ago. Besides, you've both been having sleepovers with me since we were all five years old."
"True," Nate shrugged.
"Besides," I scoffed. "It's not like either of you like me romantically or anything."
Next to me Aden and Nate both stiffened and glanced at each other.
Again…weird. What's up with them, I wondered. But as I was about to ask…I noticed something strange in the sky.
"What's that?" I asked, pointing at the tiny speck that was rapidly growing larger.
"It looks like…a rock?" Nate muttered.
"That's not a rock," Aden frowned. "Its looks like a meteor."
"Isn't that just a rock?"
"No," Aden replied, shaking his head. "A meteor is a meteoroid that has broken off a piece of asteroid in space and plummets into Earth's atmosphere. As it falls the sheer velocity creates a fiery tail behind it."
"So, a rock," Nate said.
"Yes Nate, a rock," Aden sighed.
"But," I asked. "Won't it crash into Earth or something? I don't want to be around when that thing hits the ground." I stared nervously at the ever enlarging meteor hurtling towards us.
"No," Aden said, shaking his head again. "It will disintegrate before it reaches us."
We all stared at the flaming fireball as it got closer and closer.
"But don't some meteors crash?" I asked nervously.
"Well," Aden frowned. "A small percentage is large enough to survive the fall and crash land on Earth…but only 500 hundred or so crash every year."
"500!" I squeaked. "That's not a small percentage!"
"Those meteors range from the size of a marble to the size of a basketball."
"I'd still feel more comfortable if we skedaddled out of here. I don't want to get hit by a rock marble, let alone a basketball," I murmured staring mesmerized at the rock. By now it was about the size of my hand and that told me it was probably larger than a marble.
Much larger.
"Yeah, me too," Nate added nervously.
"The only problem…" Aden trailed off. I could see the fiery comet reflected in his eyes.
"What's the only problem?" I asked.
He turned to look at me, "From this range we can judge its descent pattern but not its probable landing point."
"You mean," Nate asked. "We could run for the gates and it could hit us on the way there cause we don't know where it's landing?"
"Yes."
"Guys…" I cried. "I think it's going to land here. I'll take my chances with running."
"Judging by the velocity at which it is traveling…I'd say it'll hit in the next five point three secounds," Aden stated calmly.
"RUN!" I screamed grabbing both of them by the hands and sprinting for the gate.
The fiery meteor hurtled towards the ground in front of us and before we could back peddle it crashed into a pile of junk with a huge boom.
And of course, sending us sprawling.
I tripped sideways falling to the ground with Aden and Nate landing on top of me. And can I just say that having a quarterback lying on top of you is no picnic. Aden didn't matter because he hardly weighed anything. But I could barely breath with them on top of me and my leg was trapped at a sickening angle.
Everyone was quiet for a moment staring at the black three meter high meteorite smoldering and sending out black bitter smoke. Then Nate and Aden both rolled off me groaning. Nate stood up and wiped a banana peel out of his hair. Normally this would have made me laugh, but considering the circumstances it was hard to laugh.
"What the hell!" Nate swore as he looked back over the wreckage.
"My sentiments exactly," Aden whispered as he stood up. Then he started coughing on the black smoke wafting from the meteor. I tried to get up, intending to help Aden before he launched into a full on asthma attack, but a sharp pain in my ankle stopped me.
I cried out, falling back to the ground in pain. Instantly Aden and Nate were at my side, kneeling in rubbish.
"Where does it hurt?" Aden asked seriously.
"My ankle," I gasped, trying not to cry. Please, please don't cry. I hate crying in front of people, even my best friends.
Aden checked my ankle with the hands of a boy that had taken more first aid courses, and been to more seminars than most high paid doctors. He squeezed a spot on my ankle and I sucked in breath between my teeth.
"Don't touch that," I whispered. Hmm, are there meant to be black spots dancing in my vision?
Probably not.
"Watch it Aden," Nate growled protectively.
"Nate" I managed.
"Yeah, Sally?" Nate asked leaning in to hear me.
"Shut up," I whispered.
"She's okay," Nate grinned.
"On the contrary," Aden sighed and leaned back. "She has a broken ankle."
"Ouch," I muttered. Aden and Nate helped me into a sitting position as I cringed and tried not to scream. "I can't walk. One of you is going to have to carry me."
"I will," they said in unison, and then they turned to glare at each other.
"You won't be able to lift her twerp."
"My body mass states otherwise. I will carry her."
"Guys I don't care who carries me as long as somebody does."
"Of course," Aden frowned. "She needs to get to hospital as soon as possible."
"I think Grace Hospital's the closest," Nate agreed. "I can call a cab if my cellphone survived."
"Guys," I commented dryly. "There's a giant meteor lodged just behind you. Before I go to hospital we definitely need to check it out. Or had you forgotten?"
They both grimaced sheepishly.
I sighed. "Okay, both of you help me up. You can be my crutches."
I grimaced as they hauled me to the ground and draped each of my arms around their shoulders. At least they're strong, I thought. If it had been Aden hurt there was no way I'd have been able to help lift him.
They helped me over to the crash sight effortlessly, all of us staring in horror at the alien rock. The meteorite must have been three meters tall and at least a meter wide. It was made up of dark rock lined with what looked like small green veins. But that probably wasn't right. And on top of that it was rapidly sinking into the garbage pile. Or at least it looked like it was. I might have just hit my head as well.
"Holy crap," Nate swore.
"This is impossible," Aden frowned. "With the speed of it's descent it should have created a huge crater around it, huge enough to incinerate us."
"I for one am glad that it's defying logic. I like being alive." I smiled dryly.
"I agree but…there's no crater at all. It's sinking in the ground."
He was right; confirming my fears. As we had been talking the huge rock had sunk into the rubbish pile. In a minute there would be nothing left to show it was here at all.
Aden walked up to it, forcing Nate and I to follow. He poked at it with his finger before jumping back in alarm.
"Of course," he said sheepishly. "It's so hot it's melting the rubbish beneath it causing it to sink. But that still doesn't explain why there's no crater. That should be impossible!"
"Obviously it's not impossible," I muttered staring at it. The thin veins of acid green were real. They laced the rocks pitted surface with little bubbles of the green goo popping amongst them, getting bigger every secound.
"This meteorite is unlike anything I've ever studied," Aden muttered in confusion. "It doesn't fall under any of the basic types of meteorite."
"There's more than one type or meteorite?" Nate asked. "Isn't there just one type of rock? You know, rock type?"
"No," Aden sighed. "Most meteorites are stony meteorites, classed as chondrites and achondrites. Only 6% of meteorites are iron meteorites or a blend of rock and metal, the stony-iron meteorites. And about 86% of the meteorites that fall on Earth are chondrites. But this doesn't look like any of them. It must be at least three meters tall, and these green veins…it's like nothing ever recorded!"
"Aden," Nate said stonily. "You're getting excited over a rock. A rock that almost killed us."
"Incinerated actually," Aden corrected.
"Aden," I warned.
"But killed is fine."
"No it's not," I smiled. "Aden, killed is baaad. Got it? Baaaaad."
"Ha ha," Aden smiled. "Very funny. But you know what I meant." But his heart wasn't in it, he was already moving closer to the meteorite to stare at the thin veins of green merging with the small bubble spitting goo at us.
"That's not right either," Aden commented, mostly to himself. "That rock should not be bubbling. That indicates that that meteorite is actually a shell of some sort. The inside filled with some kind of semi-stable liquid."
"Semi-stable?" Nate asked, his eyes fixed on an expanding bubble.
"Meaning not balanced or correctly proportioned. Likely to change or move…and in this case it means that the substance inside that meteor might explode any secound."
"Explode!" Nate cried, leaning around me to yell at Aden. "Then shouldn't we-?"
"Definitely!"
"Run!" I cried breaking the boys' moment.
But we never got the chance. Before anybody could even blink the large bubble burst sending a jets of green liquid and chunks of rock flying from the meteorite. We were all pushed back from the blast, hit with fist size lumps of hard rock.
For a minute there was total silence, as we stood transfixed at the remains of the meteor. The entire part facing us had been blown away to leave a kind of 'doorway' in its wake. We stood, coated with goo from head to foot not moving a muscle. Around us a few bits of rubbish sizzled and I was vaguely aware of a slight stinging sensation.
Then Aden spat out some goo and Nate swore breaking the silence.
"What the hell just happened?" I asked.
"Beats me," Nate said gruffly.
"Technically, an alien object relised a form of gas that was bubbling below the surface, also releasing some liquid as well. Causing the rock to blow apart under pressure." Aden answered. Always the scientist.
"You mean a rock farted at us?" Nate asked bewilderingly.
"Yes."
"Shit." Nate laughed letting go of my arm to wipe goo from his face. Too late he saw me stumble and made a grab for my hand. Aden tried to pull me back but I was already falling into the sinking meteorite Aden's arm the only thing keeping me from falling.
"Aden!" I shrieked as he desperately held my slipping hand. The goo making it almost impossible. I was completely inside the meteor, as the rock sunk into the ground.
Taking me with it.
Time seemed to slow down around me; I had to struggle to concentrate as Nate's head appeared next to Aden's. His face the picture of terror.
"Sally! Sally stay calm!" Nate yelled, reaching through the 'doorway'. "Just swing your hand up to mine."
I swung my hand up to meet his…and missed. I tried again but I was crying now, my vision blurred with tears. And I was still aware of the disappearing gap in the rock.
If I let that disappear then I had no chance at getting out of this. And the stinging sensation from the goo was getting stronger, making it even harder to hold on to Aden's weak grip.
Oh, please god, I don't want to die like this! It can't end like this!
With a burst of determination I threw my hand up to Nate and sighed in relief as he caught me.
But my relief was short lived. For a short moment I stopped falling. Then I slipped again and screamed as I almost fell before Aden and Nate regained their grip. Our hands were covered in alien goo and too slippery to hold onto. Nate's face was beaded with sweat and a vein was bulging in his temple.
Aden on the other hand was panting, his face fiercely determined but his arms shaking with the effort of holding me. If they didn't pull me back up soon they'd fall in with me and the meteor would sink beneath the ground killing us all.
I met Nate's eyes, then Aden's. I saw what I had to do. They were both slipping and I could never let them die.
I would always try my hardest to protect them.
Always.
"Sal don't you dare let go!" Aden warned, reading my thoughts. "You can't give up!"
I'm dangling in a meteor covered in alien substance and I'm trying to save your life! That's what I wanted to yell at him. But I didn't.
"I'm sorry guys," I said instead, and smiled sadly.
An eternity seemed to pass as I stare into his green eyes. The meteors walls slick around me, Nate's grip almost breaking my wrist…the patch of blue sky I could just see at the top of my vision. God, that sky looked so beautiful.
"I love you both," I whispered.
And then I let go.
"Sal!" Aden cried scrambling for my wrist.
"Sally! Hold on!" Nate yelled desperately holding to my wrist. But it was no use. No one can hold a deadweight.
Finally I slipped from their grip.
"No!" they screamed as I plummeted towards the sea of green below me.
My last vision of that baby blue sky disappearing as the meteorite sank below the ground.
And then with a splash I sank into the green. I could faintly hear my name being screamed from outside the meteorite before my head sank beneath the surface of goo.
I clawed for air, wrestling with the unrelenting goop. It slimed its way into my mouth and ears, up my nose and blinded my sight. I fought for air my lungs screaming, my thoughts…blurring.
I never…thought I go like this…hoped I'd…die in my sleep…old age…grandchildren…or if it was tragic…there would be violins playing in the background.
I laugh escaped my lips sending my last bubble of air floating slowly to the surface above me.
My thoughts drifted throwing pictures of a five year old Aden…of Nate's first football tryout, when he got beaten to a pulp…my nasty piano lessons...losing my first tooth…riding a trike…going to high school…eating an ice cream…watching the Super Adventures with Aden and Nate…laughing…
…My parents telling me they loved me...
I cried a single tear. Then gave up to the pull of oblivion, my eyes fluttering shut.
As everything…faded…to…black…
Don't worry she's not dead. That would make a really terrible story! ;)
Please review and tell me who you like better out of Aden and Nate. Do you think this was dramatic?
Did you like it?
Please review! XD