Parker sat idly while Bubba and General Ramsey finish their dessert. The General showed them around the kitchen, how to rinse their dishes in a giant sink and then run them through an automated dishwasher.
He led them out of the Mess Hall and up a flight of stairs to the Study hall, giving them a brief tour before leading them up another flight to show them around the Barracks. They each had their own room near a central bathroom. Further down the hall was the bathroom designated for Sunny. At last the General stood waiting for the elevator.
“The sleeping fox catches no poultry,” said the General. The elevator doors opened and he stepped into the car. “So we’ll begin at seven a.m. Sharp. Be awake and dressed and ready to begin.”
“General?” asked Sunny.
“Yes?”
“What about our parents? They’ll be worried we haven’t come home.”
“My dear, I’m taking care of everything. Don’t worry. You’ll be able to speak with them soon enough. Okay?”
“I guess.”
Sunny’s eyes dropped to the floor. Parker knew how close she was with her parents. Despite the high demands on her academically and with the duties around the house, combined with their insistence on her strict compliance with their rules, they were always first and foremost in her thoughts. It pained him to see her worry about them.
“By the way, you’ll find everything you need beneath your bunks. Enjoy your first night in Candyland.” The doors slid closed and General Ramsey disappeared from view.
“Well,” said Colby. “Here we are. Not quite what any of us had in mind when we woke up this morning, is it?” No one spoke. “Igby, you sure you want to stay here instead of in your regular place?”
“I’m sure,” said Igby. “The only way this is going to work is if we are a team. And the only way we’re going to become a team is by getting to know each other. Training together. Studying together. Living together. That way, if any of us has a problem, there are four others who can help.”
“Good point,” said Parker.
“I prefer to work alone,” said Colby.
“Not anymore,” said Bubba. “Didn’t you hear what Igby just said? I think he’s right.”
“I think maybe you need to wipe the cherry pie off the end of your nose, Miss Piggy,” said Colby. Bubba quickly pulled a napkin from his back pocket and rubbed the end of his nose. The napkin came away clean. Colby laughed.
“Nobody likes a wise guy, Mr. Wizard of Crap,” said Bubba.
“I told you before: it’s Wizard of the Sky,” said Colby.
“Are you guys going to duke it out now or wait until morning?” asked Parker. “I don’t know about you, but being kidnapped and taken to an underground city to be recruited as a warrior test pilot has kinda taken it out of me. So if you don’t mind, I’m going to turn in.”
“We’ve all had more than enough excitement for one day,” agreed Sunny. “Why don’t we all go to bed.”
“I second that,” said Igby.
“Fine,” said Colby.
“Fine,” said Bubba. He glared at Colby as they slowly turned away like gunfighters on dusty Main Street of an untamed frontier town, not willing to turn their backs on each other.
The boys went into their rooms and closed the doors behind them, leaving Parker in the hallway with Sunny. They stood together for a moment without speaking.
“Not exactly your typical thirteenth birthday, was it?” Sunny asked.
“No, not exactly.”
“At least it turned out okay.”
“How do you mean? We’re not at home eating the cake and ice cream Bubba’s mom made. I never got to open your present. And my dad’s not home from the war. No telling where he is. So how is that turning out okay?”
“It’ll all work out in the end,” said Sunny.
“How do you know?”
“Because. We’re the good guys now. The good guys always win. We have right on our side. In the end, that always counts for something.”
“Maybe.”
“You’ll see.” Sunny took his arm and patted him on the shoulder. “A few weeks from now, we’ll be back home and everything will be fine. You can open my present while we eat Mrs. Black’s cake.”
“Maybe.”
“It’ll be okay. I promise.” She kissed him quickly on the cheek and trotted off down the hallway. She reached her door and looked back at him. “Goodnight, Parker. Happy birthday.” She disappeared inside and gently closed the door.
Parker leaned against the wall, sensing the fall of night somewhere high, high above him. It was a few hours before the end of his thirteenth birthday.
He stood awhile in the empty corridor. Sunny had just kissed him on the cheek. Strictly speaking, it was their first kiss. He knew he should be pleased. But somehow the magnitude of it had diminished. Amidst the events and craziness of the day, a kiss on the cheek seemed inconsequential.
And so he stood in the empty corridor.
Alone. As usual, he thought to himself.
Chapter 8
Everything Happens for a Reason