Little Green Stars

Chapter 10-The Scientific Method

Meet me at the door. Don't knock!

Holding my breath, I discreetly open my door and slide out like a ninja. Once downstairs, I can see the backlight gleaming into the dark living room from Maeve's bedroom—she's in her room. Thank god. I look over to see a shadow standing on the porch. He's here.

I rush to the door and close my eyes as if they'll somehow absorb the creak of the door. Once the fresh air hits my face, my eyes open to see none other than the infamous Jin. He jumps back, looking dumbfounded at me. Without time for a greeting, I reach and grab his jacket, yank him in the door, pull him up the stairs, and shove him in my room before shutting the door with a quiet thud.

I can't believe I just pulled that off. My heart explodes as I stare at the closed door. Taking a couple of deep breaths, I turn around to face him. Jin Caldwell, who I know almost nothing about, is standing by my window with his dark, terrified eyes unmoved from me.

"You like Netflix?" I ask, not knowing what else to say.

"What?!" Jin lingers ridiculously close to the window.

"I mean I figured if we had to stay awake, then we'd watch Net—"

"I didn't come to hang out! I came for answers!" Jin demands, now gripping the window seal.

"SHH!" I whisper as Jin's words beam through my room. "You said you would help me!"

"I did," Jin says, looking me up and down, still unsure how to act around me.

"Let's start over. I'm Vel," I say, reaching my hand out.

Jin turns his cheek away, puts his hand into a fist, and slides it into the pocket of his leather jacket. Who wears leather jackets anymore?

"Jin," he says, cautiously nodding back.

An awkward silence emerges between us as we just stare at each other. I wish I knew what was going on inside his head. Not knowing what else to do, I sit down criss-cross applesauce on the carpet by my bed. Jin moves cautiously to do the same but keeps his distance.

"Why am I here?" Jin's ruff voice asks, his eyes still fearful.

"Your drawings...they're of—"

"You." His answer has the hairs standing on my arms.

"How?" I whisper back.

"You tell me?"

"I just don't know how it's possible...None of this makes any damn sense. I mean go I wake up at the same time every night and can't move, then I see myself leave my room and I can't do anything to stop it, and then those drawings, all of my pajamas match every single one," I begin to ramble at this guy I barely know as his eyes widen in response. I JUST DON'T KNOW!"

"What do you know?"

"I know I'm not a ghost and I know I'm not in control of whatever is happening to me," I become panicked as I say it all out loud. This is insane. Then an idea hits me. "Let's start from the beginning. Tell me who you are, where you came from, and why you moved here."

"How will that help?"

"If we're going to try and figure out what the hell is going on, then we need all the variables and shit." God, I sound like Dwyer.

Jin shifts around uncomfortably, obviously unsure if he should trust me. "I'm from LA until four days ago when I got here."

"Why here?"

"My mom's brother—"

"Rina's dad?"

"Yeah..." Jin says, looking unnerved.