This Is Where I Want To Be

131. Caleb and Juliet

Chris

The hairs on my arms stood up when I heard the child... Of course, I wanted to teleport down there and push myself in. Sick of being the one that had to wait. Even so, I couldn't rush in there and take the chance of spooking them. I couldn't risk it.

Salena and I were walking into the valley after spending twenty minutes going all the way around. I told her that I didn't want to miss Caleb. When we got to the entrance, he came out running...

"What were you doing in there all alone?! Where is Jamal?" I yelled.

"I heard the cry, but I couldn't find anything. He's probably looking for me. Come, let's go...." Caleb pulled me by the arm... "Jamal will be worried sick... It was just some weird creature... And Sirius is going down. The next patrol would be here soon...." Caleb was rambling. Juliet was with me up on the ridge. Whoever was in the valley was with a child... A child... And Juliet might be back. Why would she flee Earth with a child... Why would she flee En-gannim with a child? Why would she come here? My mind was going nuts. Scared that something worse had happened to her after I last saw her? Who would she be hiding from?

I was almost sure that Juliet and Caleb had met, but he didn't know who she was. On the way home, Caleb was acting even stranger. He pulled out an imaginary gun and held it out like in an old Western movie. If nothing confirmed it, that was the proof. Whoever was in the valley had pulled a gun on him. I paused, thinking. Why would they bring a firearm... It was like the worst protection against us... How would they know? Then I remembered... It was probably a dart gun. I chuckled.

But other than that, Caleb's countenance had fallen. He met a guy. I had wondered if it might be Charlene and Miné. But there was someone with Juliet, and Caleb wasn't happy about it... And he was in a hurry. Something was wrong.

At home, he went into his room and called an early night. From being excited about going hunting to that... I couldn't just ignore it. "Caleb, I need to talk to you." I pulled back the curtain that was his door. It really wasn't any privacy, and me opening it was wrong. The room was empty. Frustrated, I walked around, checking out the window.

"Crap..."

Ira came to stand in the doorway.

"Leave the boy! He's probably making arrangements with that girl. They're probably finding a place to have sex right now."

My face contorted. Yeah, with his mother... "He's only fifteen! Why is everything about sex for you? Or are we going to fight about the succession again?"

Ira scoffed. "Men of fifteen have had sex before." He lifted his hands in the air.

"Yes, but you actually have to woo a girl to do it on Earth."

My father rolled his eyes. "That is why the Earth is like it is... Too many hang-ups. And the last time I checked, it wasn't at all what Earth is like... Juliet being the model standard of propriety... When are you going to face it.... It's you."

"I'm not going after him, Ira..."

He let it go and left me alone. Why, Juliet, do you not trust me? Why not come to me? It had to be Ira. I should have gotten my own house when Caleb turned thirteen. I sighed. I had to live with Ira till I was a hundred. The fact that I had a child was out of the norm.

***

Juliet

I couldn't find anything to eat that day. When I returned to the cave, I had to leave again to make it back to the city gates. I didn't want Michael to suffer anymore... He was weary and hungry. I could grab anything on the planet, kill it, and suck on it; it was like heaven. Everything I brought human-wise was limited. My dad had sent us stuff for the first few weeks. My gut churned, thinking about Michael suffering again... At all... In any way. But it would be worse if I made him feel like less of a man. We needed to finish our mission... I had to take a chance. It was going to happen the following day. If I died, it was okay. Chris would have to protect Michael. I had been stupid. Not coming alone... Do some recon and let them beam me back and forth... Thought about another plan...