Secretly Signaling Santiago #Wattys2016

Star-Crossed Lovers

Akane stared deep into Santiago's eyes and kissed him again on the forehead and then told him something rather peculiar, "I miss my ant-ant."

"Wha," asked Santiago.

"Ant-ant-ant-ant-ant-ant," screamed Akane sounding just like Santiago's alarm clock. 

His eyes sprang open, confused, Santiago looked around his room! 

He threw his blankets off and noticed he was still wearing his black hoodie and his clothes from yesterday. Confused, Santiago sat up in bed, and shut off the alarm clock. It all seemed so real," he told himself as he smelled his pits, meh, and decided he didn't need to change his outfit.

A knock at the door, and he heard his mom ask, "you getting ready?"

"MOM!"

"What?," she asked opening the door a crack, "you okay?"

"Yes," he said throwing the door wide open and giving her a bear hug, "I love you mom! Happy Valentine's day!"

"Happy day to you too," she giggled and pinched her nose scolding him, "you stink."

"I think I smell rather dashing," he joked, "and all manly."

"No, like old mints or something," she laughed, "but not in a bad bad way."

"Good because I'm going to miss the bus if I go all spa on ya now mom."

"I noticed," she said giving him the eye, "your alarm has been going off for a while now."

"Oh, crap," he said looking at the clock in the hallway, "I'm gonna be late." 

Santiago hugged his mom again, and ran past her down the stairs as she called, "your backpack is by the door."

Did I even finish my homework he wondered as he sat down on the bus to rifle through his binders. He noticed his iPhone instead. He had twenty-seven missed messages from an unknown number. Stalker!

The last one read, "dont trust Akane luv dad."

What? But his dad was...

"Is this seat taken," said a familiar voice.

"Akane! You're," he gulped and scooted over so she could join him, "here?"

"I didn't know where else to go," she shrugged, "after we escaped on the Skuttle my father banished me and the crew from Neptune. We dropped you off and just kind of stayed," she added fidgeting with her gloves.

"Ssh," he said looking around and hoping no one was listening, and quietly asked" why?"

"We destroyed the Arachnid's home planet," she said leaning back in the seat, and grinned smugly at him, "we're villains."

"What? No," he said shaking his head, "I'm not."

"You actually are," confirmed Steward, who surprisingly spoke from Santiago's pant's pocket, "a real beast they all say."

Santiago slumped in his seat, "I'm not a bad guy."

"It's okay," said Akane holding Santiago's hand, "it's all a matter of perspective."

"I guess," he said squeezing her hand. Santiago was confused, to say the least, he really liked, might even love Akane, she was here because of him, and now there was the text, from his dad? Was this someone's meager attempt at a joke?

 Akane continued to smile at him, so Santiago asked, "do you know my dad? 

"Of course," she blushed a deep blue, "everyone does!"

"But he's gone," and Santiago was afraid to ask, "right Akane?"

"No one is ever really gone," she winked at him, "if you know where to look."

"Answer the question," he said looking deep into her sparkling blue eyes, "please."

"He's not here," she said a little sad, "not in this time."

"Can you," and he shook his head, "can your ship go back in time?"

"Of course," she tapped him on the nose, "every great ship can!"

"We're not going to school," he said in a conspiratorial voice, "who you staying with?"

"The del Mario's."

"WHAT! You're staying with Gastonia!"

"Yep," she grinned, "they think I'm an exchange student from Iceland."

"But her dad's with the Bureau! U.F.O Division!"

"Nothing we can't handle," she purred and winked at Santiago.

"Nope, I guess not," agreed Santiago as he leaned over to kiss Akane, text or no text, he'd explain to his dad, very soon, and drawing from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet, Santiago found the words he needed, and quietly quoted, "love is the fire burning in your lover's eyes... a wise form of madness."