No Pain: Book 1

Chapter 8: Star

          "Your car is puny." I say leaning my head out of the window. I can tell the wind is cold because of the goosebumps on my arms. I tug the sleeves of my blue sweater down to hide it.

"Yeah, that's why I usually use the other one." John says smiling.

Does this boy do anything but smile?

"So, this Australia thing." I start "you were just going to drop everything to spend, possibly the rest of your life, babysitting me?"

"I told you already," John turns his smile on me as if nothing is weird about this. "As your friend."

"He should have known better." I scoff at the ridiculousness of the idea.

"Oh, he did." John says "he told me to pretend to help you find him but... I have a feeling that wouldn't end well for me." He turns his eyes back to the road. I squelch the hope that started rising inside me "what are you saying" I ask, "you're going to take me to him?"

"No," John chuckles a little "he probably guessed I wouldn't be able to lie to you, so he didn't tell me anything about where to find him, but I know some places we can try." John finally turns off the seemingly endless road from his house.

"and how could you possibly know where to even start looking for him?" I ask.

"You didn't know about me." John points out "there are things he didn't tell you for the same reason there are things you don't tell him." John looks out at the road even though there isn't a thing he could potentially run into. "You guys, you live on secrets, on knowing things other people don't. Whether you guys know it or not there are things that you keep from each other because it gives you an advantage over the other." For the first-time John doesn't seem impressed or impartial to something we do.

"Comes with the job." I say, but I hadn't actually noticed it like that before. Even though I can't deny that I do the same thing I can't stop the little twinge of betrayal. Najee and I are so close, we share everything with each other, it's strange to think he's been there much longer than I have, that he had a whole life before with a family and a brother.

"There's a few places we met up at to hang out for a bit. We had to keep it low profile, he didn't want anyone to see us together and he's creative."

"Yeah... he is..." I look out at the clouds. It's beautiful here, quiet, no death, no fighting. My secret I think the thing I can never let them know I push the thought away because wishful thinking is pointless and focus on breathing in the clean air. I wish that I never became Star.

"We'll get to them in time." John assures me.

"If there's anything this business has taught me," I say as I cast a sidelong look at John "never promise something you can't personally produce." John just looks at me for a second, his head tilted as if her were considering my words.

"You're right." He smiles though, a genuine innocent smile of a soul reader "I just have a really good feeling that we will find them in time to deliver your message." I consider him for a second, the slightest suggestion of a smile tugging at my lips.

"I guess that's not technically a promise." I sigh, soul readers I shake my head and stare out at the quiet landscape. I wonder what it's like to live out here, away from everything, everyone. I slide a glance at John, his eyes firmly on the road, a smile permanently set on his face. I wonder why a soul reader would want to be way out here. I should have been suspicious, after all, someone could have overheard Najee call me shooting star. It's possible John was luring me into a trap but no internal alarms went off, I couldn't find a single thing that indicated he was lying still, I should be on guard as I say it I know that I won't, my instincts don't come on command, they come when there's something wrong.