Circling Stars

🌟Chapter 23🌟

Once the announcement had been given, Eliza took select media corespondents through the facilities and showed off some of the technology that would be used to get the Athena 1 crew to Mars. A large refreshment stand had been set up for the employees and their guests. Jessica, Jasper and I grabbed a few things then scurried to one of the unoccupied tables.

"You must so thrilled! I almost can't believe that someone I know is going to be the first person to walk on Mars!" I gushed as Jessica took a sip of champagne.

"I know! Teddy just burst out with the news after he got home from work one day. Of course I knew he was being optioned but there were so many other people on the list with the same qualifiers. But I want to hear about you, Theo. You show up here with a gorgeous man and I didn't even know you were dating someone." She nudged Jasper who laughed.

"I'm sorry. Between this and my school work and the adoption I've been pretty busy." It was a very lame excuse but I couldn't tell her the real reason. If Jessica had known she'd of wanted us to come down for a visit. Jasper plus sun equaled sparkle and though we might be getting away with it now, we wouldn't be able to during the summer or even fall. We really needed to figure out how we were going to handle that.

"You adopted a kid?" Jessica asked in shock.

"No, my parents did. I have a brother now." I showed her pictures on my phone.

"That makes more sense. I was wondering what Wisconsin law maker thought it was a good idea letting high schoolers take in kids. Speaking of school did you get that scholarship?"

"No," I said glumly. "I only got a B+ in my history class last semester so I never qualified." That had come as a blow but actually getting into my dream college had softened it. "But I did get into the University of Houston."

"Theo that's wonderful. What about you?" she asked Jasper.

"I will be attending as well but for psychology, not aerospace engineering like my girl."

"Well the world needs shrinks too." Jessica took a big swing of her drink.

"Jessica's dad is a psychologist. She doesn't have a lot of patience for that type of thing," I told him.

"Hey, you try growing up in a house where your dad profiles you all the time and spits out advice non stop. I swear that man had a file on me somewhere I just never found it."

"Jess what are you doing for this mission? It's what they hired you for right?" I started to take bites of the cake slice I'd grabbed from the table.

"Yup. I've been running worst case scenarios and trouble shooting the equipment with a huge team." She took another swig of champagne.

"It has taken a toll on you?" Jasper asked gently. Jess looked at Jasper in surprise. Her outward manner hadn't changed but he must have felt something in her mood.

"Yeah. It's one thing when you're just solving problems, but when I start to think about Teddy experiencing those disasters it becomes a bit harder to focus. Especially since this is the first go around and we don't know what we're missing."

"There's two more years to figure that out," I promised.

"Yeah."

"Babe!" Teddy's voice cut through the noise. The man was shaking hands and smiling as he made his way over to us.

"Theo!" He held his arms out ready for a big hug.

"Theo!" I echoed while hugging him. Before meeting me Theodore had been called Theo too. Since I hung out with Jessica and Teddy a lot, it got a bit confusing because we were never sure whose attention someone was trying to get. So he had gallantly changed his nickname to Teddy to avoid the confusion. Of course he and I still called each other Theo since the name had fallen from popularity and we rarely met anyone else called that.

"So you're talking to me again?" I asked with a mischievous smirk.

"Today's a special day. I'll overlook your wrong opinion." He slid into the chair next to Jessica and put his arm around her.

"Theodore this is my boyfriend, Jasper Whitlock." Teddy shook Jasper's hand and studied him in this intense way he had. It was probably an instinct ten years in the Air Force had drilled into him. Jasper actually wore a similar look and I realized that with their military experience they probably would have a lot in common.

"And what difference of opinion has fractured your epic friendship?" Even without Jasper's empath abilities it was clear Teddy and I weren't actually fighting. Not seriously at least. Teddy was wrong and just wouldn't admit it.

Teddy gestured to one of the drink servers and four glasses of champagne were placed in front of us.
"Well apparently my belief that Grease 2 is better than the original is highly controversial, evil, wrong, and the two of us cannot possibly be friends anymore," I said.

"That's right," Teddy confirmed. "There is no better musical and the sequel just doesn't live up. It's nothing but bad trash."

"I have never seen either," Jasper shrugged. Jessica took a sip of champagne then pinched her lips as giggles threatened to escape her. I had to bite my tongue from laughter at the scandalized expression on Teddy's face.

🌟

"We'll be together. Always together. Like birds of a feather, forever and ever-" I was snuggled up with Jasper on the couch of our hotel room. Teddy made me promise I would make Jasper watch Grease and if I absolutely had to the sequel as well. True to my word when we got back I ordered room service and charged both movies to our room.

The sun had gone down about an hour ago and Grease 2 was just ending. I was humming along with the song happily. As the last of the credits rolled I looked up to Jasper and asked what he thought.

"I do not care for musicals. However I see why you like the sequel better."

"So you agree with me," I said excitedly.

"I did not say that. Motorcycles, blond well mannered hero, leather. Reminds me of someone."

I blushed. "I did have a thing for the actor who plays Michael. Which is strange because I normally like dark haired men. Until I met you."

"I usually have a thing for brunettes, until I met you," Jasper played with my golden blond hair and I played with his dark honey colored hair. I leaned in to kiss him but a knock at the door startled me but not Jasper. Jasper stopped breathing and was growling lightly at the door.

"What is it?" I asked with alarm.

"Vampires. Whatever you do stay behind me." He touched my face gently then went to answer the door. My heart nearly stopped beating as four red eyed vampires entered the room. One woman and three men.

"Theo," Jasper said, "this is Sarah David. The woman who overthrew Aro and his Volturi." Jasper was back by my side in an instant as the woman turned into a blur as she settled herself in the recliner right next to me.