❝you know, you're pretty cute, considering you're 4,000 years old.❞
❝thank you?❞
luna clair loves museums. she loves history, mythology, all that old shit. so when her best friend's dad gets a new job as the night guard of the new york national hist...
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CHAPTER NINE
❝The moon is a friend for the lonesome to talk to.❞
Carl Sandburg
✦✧✦
It is May. School ends in a month, and for Nicky and Luna, that means the end of high school. The end of childhood. Nicky's planning to apply to NYU, and Luna's already been accepted to George Washington University online to study--you guessed it--history. She doesn't quite know what she wants to do with her degree, but that's the beauty of life. You figure it out as you go.
Larry's flashlight did much better than he was anticipating, and Daley Devices is a thing now. It's not quite a full business, but the billionaire who funded it has been pitching it to some of his clients, and Larry's making bank on his glow-in-the-dark flashlight. There was even a column about Daley Devices in the New York Post the other day, and Larry's got it framed on his wall, which Luna thinks is kind of hilarious, but definitely deserved.
It's also been three and a half weeks since Luna last saw Ahkmenrah. Which really sucks.
The first week was the worst. It was hard to listen to Les Mis without thinking about him, but she managed, and spent most of it studying with Nicky, which kept both their minds off the museum.
The second week was better. Luna discovered a new band, Vampire Weekend, and Nicky was very pleased to not have to listen to Into the Woods again. "Oxford Comma" was the anthem of the week, and study sessions would usually culminate in the both of them singing the final lines under their breath: "'Show your paintings at the United Nations/Lil Jon, he always tells the truth...'"
The third week, Luna realized what the butterflies mean.
(And so did Ahkmenrah, reader.)
They're currently eating PopTarts and playing Halo when Nicky's phone rings. "Hang on," Nicky says, pressing the PAUSE button so that his avatar is mid-destruction of Luna's and pressing ANSWER and SPEAKER on his phone. "What's up, Dad?"
"Hey, kiddo," says Larry's tinny-phone-speaker voice. "What are you doing right now?"
"Playing Halo with Lu."
"Hi, Luna."
"Hi, Mr. Daley." Luna breaks off another piece of her confetti cake PopTart (limited edition!) and pops it into her mouth.
"You guys up for a museum night tonight? I got off early and was kind of feeling something fun."
Luna gives Nicky a very vigorous nod and Nicky stifles a laugh. "Yeah, sure, Dad," he says into the phone. "What time?"
