Star Runners (2 page)

"Sure, I'll be there."

Josh glanced over his shoulder and leaned forward. "You up for
Star Runners
tonight?"

Austin grinned.

When they both bought
Star Runners
, it had been on the market for almost a year. The game’s popularity soared at first and everyone at school talked about it. No longer a popular topic, Austin and Josh kept their addiction to themselves.

"Sure, I think I could fit it in."

"Fit what in?"

Josh's eyes grew wide as Nicole Snell plopped in the chair next to him, leaning on his shoulder. Her brown hair frizzed from her head and bounced on her shoulders like it was alive. Her neon pink shirt glowed so bright it looked electrified, but the strength of her perfume overpowered her fluorescent shirt.

"Nothing, Nicole," Josh said, energy leaving his face.

Nicole followed Josh most of the year, always appearing just as he talked about
Star Runners
. She asked another question just as a slap echoed across the lunchroom. Yellow and brown banana fragments launched into the air and landed on the table. Josh slammed his hands down and spun around. Banana oozed down his back, saturating his shirt. Austin stared, not sure what happened.

Josh marched toward the source of the flying food. He asked students questions, the table with the wrestling team and their girlfriends burst into laughter. Josh hurried over and spoke to one of the team's best wrestlers, Walt Taylor, a beast of a student with arms thick as tree trunks.

"What's he doing?" Nicole asked.

"Shhh." Austin stood and walked toward his friend.

Josh lifted a lunch tray from the table, dumping the warmed cafeteria meatloaf and mashed potatoes on Walt's head. Walt stood and tackled Josh. The two fell to the floor and out of sight as all the students in the lunch room stood and cheered.

"Fight! Fight! Fight!"

Austin ran through the crowd until Coach Hearn stood in his path.

"Don't even think about it," he said in a deep voice.

The administrators descended on the fight scene like concerned mother hens and pulled apart the two athletes. The lunch room cheered and screamed as if the fight would continue. Students jostled past Austin for a better view as debates started over who won the scuffle.

Talk of this fight would last well beyond lunch period.

*****

"I heard he's going to be suspended for like a week," Kadyn Joyce said, turning her car into Austin's neighborhood. "Can't believe I missed the whole thing."

Austin snorted. "Wasn't much to see unless you were close. I should have followed him right away. I feel like I let him down."

"How could you have known he was going to go Rambo in the lunch room?"

Kadyn shook her head, her brown hair draping onto her shoulders. She turned up the radio and swayed as the music blared from the speakers. She closed her hazel eyes at a stop sign and used her cell phone as a microphone to sing along with the radio. Austin smiled and wondered what he would be doing if his friend didn't give him a ride after school. He could ride the bus, but only the biggest losers did that their senior year. Kadyn had been there throughout high school and she seemed happy to help.

The Honda sat in the garage untouched since his father died. It needed a transmission and new tires, probably a paint job since the champagne color now looked rusted gray. Austin didn't know how he would pay for any of it. The baseball season chewed up half his year and left no time for steady work. He worked last fall at the nearby farmer's market, loading pumpkins for Halloween and Christmas trees after Thanksgiving. He managed to save some money, but not enough for a car plus insurance. And gas. And maintenance.

He shook his head.

"Is Josh going to miss the opening game?"

Austin sighed. He hadn't thought about next week's opening game against South. With Josh out three days, he wouldn't be able to practice Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday. Coach Pennington might not even let him play Friday.

"Don't know. Guess we'll find out."

Kadyn turned down his street. "How's your Mom?"

Austin blinked and stared at mailboxes go past the window. The wind touched his face. "Fine."

Kadyn eyed him before turning back to the road. "If there's anything you need, you let me know."

"I know."

They pulled into his driveway. Austin popped the door open before the car stopped.

"Thanks for the ride."

"What are you doing this weekend?"

Austin swung his backpack over his right shoulder. Kadyn leaned over the passenger side seat.

"I hadn't thought that far ahead."

"Well." Kadyn leaned back and put the car in reverse. "Call me if you do."

The car backed out of the driveway. Austin watched her drive away.

After walking through the front door, Austin turned into his father's office and paused.

Without thinking, he wanted to tell Dad about what happened with Josh. He wanted to tell him about the fight and all the happenings of this week. He stood in the office doorway for a long moment. The keepsakes from Dad's coworkers still lined the desk as they did before he quit his job when cancer made continuing impossible. A photo of Austin and his Dad took up a large portion of the desk. He walked over and gripped the photo, pulling it close.

Dad was much younger and Austin was five. They stood on a beach, their hair blowing in the wind.

Austin set the frame back on the table.

"Austin? Is that you?"

Austin wiped at his face and cleared his throat. "Yeah, Mom, I'm here."

He walked into the living room. Mom sat in the recliner. A trashy talk show beeped in the background, a guest screaming a profanity-laced speech.

"How are you honey?"

"Fine." Austin sat on the couch.

"Anything happen at school today?"

He chuckled. "Josh got suspended from school."

"What? Why?"

Austin told the story of the cafeteria battle. Later, over macaroni and cheese, hot dogs and chocolate pudding, he finished the story, omitting the part where he attempted to rush to the rescue.

*****

After dinner, Austin took out the trash. He wheeled the reeking can out of the garage and set it next to the house. He leaned against the brick and stared into the sky.

He gazed at the deep blue as it transitioned to darkness. The stars came out for their nightly display. He watched one move slowly and figured it must be a satellite. He dreamed of being up there.

He thought of his homework. School started two weeks ago and the teachers already piled it on. He had to complete two essays, a lab assignment and three chapters of history by Monday. Of course he also had math homework and he started work at the farmer's market Sunday afternoon.

His cell phone vibrated, startling him. He glanced at the display and accepted the call.

"Hey man, how's the heavy weight champion?"

"Funny," Josh grumbled. "I knew you'd be a smart ass."

"Seriously, you okay?"

Josh exhaled into the phone hard enough to cause static. "I guess. More ticked about getting suspended than anything else."

"A week?"

"Three days."

"Sorry, man."

"Me, too."

Austin paused. "Sorry I didn't have your back today. I was behind you, but not close enough."

"That's no big deal, buddy. Forget it."

The tension in his chest left. "Next time, tell me you're planning on attacking someone in the middle of a cafeteria and I'll back you up."

Josh laughed. "I didn't know I was going to do that."

Austin walked into the grass and it tickled his feet. "So what are you going to do with your little vacation?"

"Get to the top of our server. Wouldn't you do the same?"

"I guess I would." Austin thought about spending three uninterrupted days racking up kills and statistics. "You might actually do it."

"Did you still want to play
Star Runners
tonight?"

Austin shrugged and moved toward the house. "You don't have any plans tonight? I thought you were taking out Nicole."

"Not funny. With what happened to me today, I'm grounded. About all I'll be doing for the next few days is playing online. Dad's pretty mad about this whole thing and even madder I'm missing three days of practice."

"Can you play in the game this week?"

"Team rule is if you don't practice, you don't play. I don't know. Coach is not too happy, either. Maybe I'll get in later. Who knows?"

"Alright, man. I’m up for a little
Star Runners
. Give me a few minutes and I'll log in."

Josh hung up. Despite the fact he fought at school and got suspended, all Josh cared about was getting more game time.

Closing his eyes, Austin rested his head against the cool brick of the house. Mom had spent another day at home. Ever since she quit her nursing job at the hospital to take care of Dad, she never left the house.

He opened his eyes and stared at the stars as a shooting star passed overhead.

The cool air whistled through Kadyn’s car windows. The smell of freshly cut grass swept in, and the drone of lawnmowers mixed with the buzz of leaf blowers.

"Josh's coming back to school tomorrow, right?" Kadyn asked.

"Yeah, I called him yesterday to see how forced vacation was. He sounded tired. Wish I could be worn out from three days off."

Kadyn laughed. "You don't want three days off that way!"

She turned left and veered onto Austin's street. Austin lifted his hand and held it out the window, allowing the air to lift his arm like flaps on a plane.

"Why is it short weeks always seem longer?" he asked.

"Dunno, but they do."

Austin’s house came into view. In the driveway, Mom shuffled back toward the house. She wore a bathrobe and torn bedroom slippers. She slid her feet across the pavement as she flipped through mail.

Austin turned down the radio. "Keep going."

"What?"

"Drive past my house," Austin said, leaning back in the seat.

He glanced at Mom as the car went by. Her hair curled and tangled away from her head like an animal made a nest inside. She barely lifted her feet and looked as if she could have been eighty years old.

He sighed.

"Where do you want me to go?" Kadyn asked as the car continued away from his house.

Austin shook his head.

Kadyn reached down and touched his hand. "I'll drive around for a while, 'k?"

Austin sat in silence, watching the neighborhood pass. The car went around the large curve near the neighborhood lake. She pulled the car near an empty tennis court and shut off the engine. Austin leaned back in his seat and stared into the cloudless blue sky.

"Thanks."

Kadyn shrugged. "What are friends for?"

He listened to the birds singing. "I saw a shooting star the other night."

"Really? Never seen one."

"Yeah. Made me think about Dad."

She placed her hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright?"

He nodded.

"I hadn't seen your Mom since the funeral."

Austin snorted. "Not many have."

"The nightshift will do that to people."

He blinked. "Nightshift?"

"Didn't your Mom go back to the hospital?"

"No. She ran out of leave time. They replaced her, but I don't think she even tried to go back. She just sits at home. She cries a lot. It's like I lost them both at the same time."

She squeezed his shoulder. "That must be tough."

He looked at her. Her hair, rustled by the wind, twirled past her ears and glowed in the afternoon sunlight. With her eyebrows arched and her lips slightly parted, she either wanted to say something or waited for him to say something brilliant. He grinned and gently squeezed her hand.

"Thanks. I just didn't want you to see her like that, that's all."

She smiled and nodded. "I understand. I'll take you back."

*****

He woke Friday morning with a pain in his stomach. As he sat up in bed, his stomach bubbled and he felt like running for the bathroom. A dry, acidic taste filled his mouth and his tongue swelled like an overused sponge. Empty bags of chips and crushed cola cans littered his computer desk.

He laughed. While fighting Tyral Pirates online until long past midnight, Austin ate nothing but cheese-flavored chips.

Reaching his hands above his head, Austin stretched and felt the soreness from sitting in his computer chair for eight hours. The missions against his online opponents had, after all, been worth it. His overall skill score increased three-hundred and ten points. Playing on the "sortie" server wouldn't gain as much experience as dog fighting on the elite server, but he could also lose points on that server every time he died. On the sortie server, he flew alongside strangers for most of the night except for a few exceptions.

The "dogfight" server held unforgiving competition, especially at the upper echelon level where he and Josh flew. Pilots had to reach a certain level of flying prowess to compete on the elite server. Every time you lost a fighter, your points decreased. A pilot could survive a poor session, but would eventually get booted. Playing on the elite server was not relaxing.

He pulled himself to the computer when he had a few minutes to spare. Booting up the game, Austin collapsed into the chair with a grunt.

"You awake?"

Austin spun his chair around. "Morning, Mom."

"Good morning to you, too." She tilted her head to the side. "I came in to see you last night, but your speakers were up so loud I didn't think you heard me."

"I was playing online."

"I figured. Don't hurt your ears doing that."

"I won't," Austin sighed.

"Josh called last night and said your phone went straight to voice mail. I told him I could get you, but he said he would just see you today at school."

"Sounds good.”

She lingered for a moment in his doorway before walking away.

Locking his fingers together, he pulled back until they popped. Let's see how the standings are shaping up on the elite server before getting ready for school.

"Oh, man."

His mouth hung open like a caught fish. The standings glowed on the screen and he stared in silence. Austin slipped a ranking, probably the result of playing on the sortie server last night. But he didn't care about that as much as the other numbers. Since he achieved the right to compete with the elite, one call sign loomed at the top of the chart: Scorpion.

Now, a different but familiar call sign took the top spot: Razor.

Josh had done it.

Austin didn't know how, but his friend became the top pilot on the server while Austin fell to fourth. He logged out.

He brushed his teeth and got ready for school, wondering how Josh managed to catapult his scores past the legendary Scorpion.

*****

The air in the house was stale. Mom stretched out across the couch.

"Hi, sweetie," she said, flipping through mail. 

"Hi, Mom." He tossed his bag onto the floor.

He raided the pantry, grabbing a bag of chips and a cola from the refrigerator, and walked back to his room. Kicking dirty laundry across the floor, he stepped to his computer and moved the mouse. The screen flickered and came to life. He didn't care about homework. He wanted to play
Star Runners
.

He launched the game. The familiar loading image of Legion X4 Trident fighters clashing with interceptors from the Zahl Empire flashed on the monitor. The Tridents, their wings stretching downward and forward from the nose of the craft, bore down on the horseshoe-shaped imperial interceptors. He hadn't battled with imperial forces in a while. The servers focused the Legion forces on Tyral Pirate craft all the time. Although a different challenge existed when facing the pirate forces, he missed the skill of the computer-controlled Zahl fighters.

The neon green bar at the bottom of the image crept across the screen as the game loaded. Waiting, he munched on the chips and took a few gulps of his drink. He propped his feet up on the desk and leaned back. He heard his mother watching television from the other room, so he slipped on his ear phones Dad had given him for Christmas two years back.

He smiled, and shook away the memory.

The old joystick with the cracked black plastic on the handle sat next to the keyboard and he calibrated it for play when the load screen disappeared. A dark game screen with the game's title,
Star Runners
, in a shining silver font, replaced the load screen. The star field drifted beneath the options. He considered logging onto the "sorties" server and doing a couple of missions. He liked the "dogfight" server, but sometimes he wanted a different objective than killing everything in sight.

Cranking the volume on his earphones, he decided to proceed with a nice Legion-assigned escort mission and see if he could protect the civilians from a Tyral Pirate attack.

The game launched and he disappeared into another world.

*****

The sunlight hurt his eyes. He shielded himself with his left hand while rummaging through his bag with the other. The school needed more windows. The afternoon light shocked his system after being inside all day under flickering fluorescent lights.

He found his sunglasses and blinked several times.

Students milled around near the doorways while others made a mad dash for the parking lot. Conversations centered on plans for the weekend. A large group of guys spoke about seeing a movie. A group of poor saps shuffled toward the line of buses roaring and rattling to life as they prepared to file out of school for the final time that week. At the far end of the school, Kadyn walked out carrying several books. She wore large black sunglasses. Austin swung his bag over his shoulder and strolled toward her as the breeze touched his face.

The school day went by fast. His teachers didn't give any homework, but his math teacher, Mr. Abney, threatened a pop quiz on Monday. He didn't plan on studying Sunday night, not after seeing the scores Josh posted online. Because of a meeting with his football coaches, Josh did not come to the lunchroom that day, so Austin spent the period listening to Nicole drone on about her weekend plans. He avoided sharing his own. A movie in history class ended out the day, courtesy of Mr. Roell.

The movie discussed the first seafaring vessels embarking on journeys into unknown waters to discover faraway lands. The Spanish swept through South America, bringing war and disease. Austin daydreamed about massive war galleons doing battle on the ocean with dozens of canons sending metal crashing into their enemy.

Like most things, the movie made him want to play online and create battles of his own.

Kadyn waved when she saw him leaving the building. The afternoon sunlight beamed down golden rays through the cloud cover, illuminating her brown hair. She smiled and pulled the books to her chest.

"Hey you," she said.

"Hey you."

He reached out a hand and blinked.

"Oh, my books? Thank you."

"Chivalry is not dead." Austin tucked the books under his arm. "Have you seen Josh today?"

Kadyn ran her fingers through her hair, tucking the wild strands behind her ear. "I saw him talking to Coach Pennington earlier, but that was around lunch time."

"Oh," Austin said, turning to survey the parking lot. "You ready to go?"

"Austin!"

Josh jogged through the cars.

"Hey man!" Austin yelled. "We were just talking about you."

Josh caught his breath. Sweat glistened on his forehead as he nodded to Kadyn. As usual, Josh wasn't carrying a book bag home for the weekend.

"So, where you been, man?" Austin asked.

Josh's blue eyes went wide and darted toward Kadyn. "Uh, well, I had a busy day coming back from my suspension."

Austin followed his gaze. "It's okay, man. She's cool."

Josh nodded. "Cool. You guys want to go get a snack or something? I have a lot to tell you."

"It's okay with me, I guess." He turned to Kadyn. "I'm not driving, though."

Kadyn rolled her eyes. "It's Friday. Let's go."

*****

The coffee shop looked like every other in town. Dark browns mixed with aqua blues and light greens on the walls. Retro photos hung in crisp black and white. Austin’s gaze lingered on a photograph of Marilyn Monroe standing over a street vent as she tried to prevent her skirt from flying up. The smell of coffee permeated the air and seeped into his clothes. He ordered a fruit drink and bought Kadyn a sweet roll. She cleared her throat as he gazed at Marilyn, so he turned his attention back to Josh who walked back with his coffee.

"Got to fuel up for tonight," he said with a grin.

"Oh, you got big plans since you can't play in the game?" Kadyn asked, chewing on her sweet roll.

Josh slumped his shoulders and frowned. "Uh, not really."

Austin chuckled. "I told you; she's cool."

Kadyn looked between the two of them. "Oh, God, you guys are playing that game on a Friday night?"

"Why not?" Josh asked.

"She's kidding," Austin said, sipping on his drink. He winced, unsure what flavor he had ordered.

She cocked her head, clicking her tongue to her teeth. "Only a little, but I can't judge if I've never played."

Austin looked at her. "You should try it sometime."

She eyed him. "Maybe I will."

The life returned to Josh's face and he leaned in close. "It's actually the game I want to talk to you about."

"What about it?" Austin asked.

Josh looked over his shoulder as if disclosing a state secret. "I've been playing a little the past three days and something happened."

"You broke your computer." Austin glanced at Kadyn. "Seriously, this guy took his suspension and played the game for forty-eight hours straight."