Cloud Nine - A G.A.L.E. Force Novella [Sample]

One - Homeward

LAWRENCE CROXLEY STEPPED out of Peachtree Station, rolling his suitcases along. The late summer heat crashed into him, the humidity slicking his hair to his head. Summer in the South sucked. His ride wasn't there yet, so he slumped against the building's bricks, the sun beating on his face. A train whistle blew nearby, and he clenched his teeth, the sound reverberating through his already aching skull.

    He shut his eyes and took a deep breath, only to choke on a cloud of exhaust. He couldn't wait to go home—and his real home, this time. This freelance job had been more taxing than he'd expected, probably because his wife hadn't been able to get off work to come with him. There were many perks that came with being mentally tethered with a telepath, but there were also plenty of complications, like finding it hard to think without her around. He wanted to pull her into his arms and never let go, ever again.

    They'd hardly had a chance to breathe since the ordeal on that island that had changed everything forever. Some things for the better, others for the worse. Lawrence was glad they were going to his parent's annual cookout, the thought of chilling out by the pond with Gale making him smile. There was something else he'd been secretly planning to do with her, and his heartbeat a little faster. He hoped it would make her happy. He also missed the way the old farmhouse smelled, the musky wood that mixed with the sweet, damp scent from the tall grass outside. The way he could open a window at night and let in the fresh breeze and the sound of crickets. Atlanta was a fun place to live, sure, but nothing makes a person miss the country like lung-full of smog and the melody of car horns.

    A vehicle pulled up, and Lawrence opened one eye to a car he recognized—a tiny, eco-friendly one that thankfully didn't have a nasty air freshener hanging from the mirror this time. He cracked his neck and dragged his bags over to his ride.

    His friend, Cameron Sasaki, popped the trunk and rolled down his window. The sun cast a blinding reflection in his glasses. "Need any help?"

    "Naw, I got it." Lawrence struggled to lift his bags into the trunk, the ones housing his camera equipment the heaviest, but he wasn't about to lose his pride. He adjusted them to fit next to Cameron's luggage, the fit tight. How we're they going to get Gale's bags in there? Lawrence shook his head. He'd deal with it when it comes to it.

    He then fell into the passenger seat and popped the visor down to look in the mirror. He grimaced at the five o'clock shadow that ran down his face. "Man, I need to shave."

    Cameron pulled out into the main drag and laughed. "What, Gale not like stubble?"

    "No, she doesn't, actually. In fact, she usually won't kiss me until I shave." Lawrence slicked back his now-greasy blond mess, the long pieces hitting well past his ears, and he flicked the visor back up. He apparently needed a trim, too. Not that Gale minded his hair long, but it was getting on his nerves. "So, Cam, is Mandy able to make it?"

    "No."

    I detect some sadness. "I'm sorry."

    Cameron shrugged, glaring out the windshield at a driver who'd cut them off. "It is what is."

    Lawrence decided not to mention Cameron's fiancé anymore and adjusted a vent to get more cool air. "How's the new job?"

    "It's all right." His mouth a flat line, he pushed his glasses up.

    What wouldn't irritate him? "Excited to see your family?"

    He nodded, his fingers flexing on the wheel. "Yeah, I've not been back for like a year, so I'm excited."

    "Has it really been that long?" Lawrence hadn't been back since just before he and Gale's wedding, and that had been months. A year was a long time. "We're only a couple hours away, man."

    "Yep, I know. Could never find a chance when I could go. You know, saving the planet again kind of cut into my free time." Cameron chuckled and pushed his glasses up again, his nose shiny with oil. "I mean, I saw my fam when they came to visit me and meet Mandy, but I really miss Huntsville. I'm hoping to spend Sunday at Wheeler."

    "God, I miss Wheeler. And the swamp. Gotta love the way the swamp smells." Lawrence could picture walking down wooden planks, surrounded by still water and those weird trees with the wide bases.

    Cameron shook his head. "Funky—that's how it smells. No, I'm looking forward to going fishing. I want to bring a bass home to throw in the freezer. What're you and Gale gonna do?"

    "Chill outside. Sleep in. Eat too much." Lawrence laughed. "I haven't seen her in a week, and I look forward to doing nothing with her."

    Cameron slammed on the breaks, and Lawrence jerked in his seat belt. Traffic . . . The cars lined up in front of them inched forward at a snail's pace, and he folded his arms. Gale was waiting, and he wanted to be on the way to Huntsville. The sooner he got there, the sooner he could spend time with her.

    Turning off the air, Cameron rolled down the window—the heat waving off from the cars around—and felt his spiky hair. "It's so hot, my hair gel is melting."

    "Dude, you're so vain." Lawrence leaned his chair back and his eyes shut of their own volition. "Normal people wouldn't bother styling their hair in this heat."

    "Hush, kid, or I'll make you walk the rest of the way to your apartment."

    He shut up, as he wouldn't put it past Cameron. The heat made Lawrence's body limp, and he thought to text Gale and tell her they would be late. He willed his hand to pull out his phone, but it wouldn't budge as his mind drifted into a daydream about a charred burger served with a huge heap of coleslaw. He'd text Gale in a minute; this was a dream he wanted to enjoy.

***

Thanks for taking an interest in my story! The series has been taken down from the site for heavy rewrites. I haven't decided when I might repost this.