unstuck | lost in space au

two | relatable

"Do you think they have volleyball on Alpha Centauri?" I placed a model on my shelf, glancing at the computer on my desk.

"My dad says they have everything," Vijay replied, he watched me on his screen, "It's crooked."

"No, my desk is broken, so you're just crooked."

"Get a new one"

"We're leaving the planet in a few weeks, I think I'll wait"

"Will Robinson was asking about you," Vijay told me.

I stared at the mountain ahead of me and nodded. He saw me staring and looked out. It was beautiful. My father loved the outdoors. I didn't much. Especially, since the Earth wasn't as beautiful soon after my birth.

"Remember when we went to that one math camp, against our will?" Vijay asked, chuckling.

I nodded again, silent- making his smile fade.

He sat beside me, "But then somebody stole the counselor's entire bag and threw it in the lake. So we never had to go back."

"Because they were 'bad influences' there," I replied quietly, "Like it was yesterday."

He turned around and mouthed something to someone. He gestured to me and then turned back around. I don't know who, or what either of them communicated to each other.

"How long until we have to go back?"

"Lunch time, probably. An hour," He replied.

I shook my head, "To the Resolute"

"We can go back once the light tower is built, the Resolute sees us, and sends back help."

I nodded.

"My parents already arranged for you to stay with us. Even when we get to Alpha Centauri," He told me, "I think they cried a little.. including my dad.."

I giggled, and he smiled looking at me, asking: "What?"

"Can't imagine your dad crying"

"I think that's his goal.."

"Vijay," His father's voice chimed out through the comm, "How's Cassidy?"

He looked at me and I nodded, he answered: "She's alright now".

"Good, come over to the cable path and set out the MRE's. She can help," Victor instructed. Vijay stood up and helped me up.

"Yes, sir," He replied.

∘₊✧✩✧₊∘

After Vijay and I had already carried the boxes to what we thought was the correct place, Victor came and yelled at us for doing it wrong.

"Use your head!" He exclaimed. His eyes came to lay on me, and his expression softened. He nodded to me and walked away.

A girl walked up to us as we started to pack the boxes up.

"Hey, my brother's been looking for you," She said to me, "Will. He's over there, doing some cable stuff beside the light tower".

She faced me, but looked at Vijay in the corner of her eye. He just stared, slowly continuing his work. The girl subtly gestured me away.

I waved to Vijay, who was confused. As was I. I heard her ask what was wrong with me as I walked away, although the topic quickly changed.

I found Will under the light tower, rather than beside.

A man was walking away from Will when I approached him. When Will saw me and half smiled, like he was trying to hide a full one.

I sat beside him, staring at the colorful cords he was setting up.

"Hey," I muttered.

"Hi," He replied, continuing what he was doing, "Are you okay?"

I nodded, "Sorry... for that."

"No, it's okay," He said, "I.. do that sometimes, too."

I fiddled with my hands as silence set in for a few seconds.

"The stress test.." I started, "..was harder than any test.. I had ever taken in my entire life."

He stopped what he was doing, and stared at me.

"Me too," He said.

My stomach did tumbles of excitement.

"Really?"

He nodded, thinking for a second before continuing with his cords.

"My.. father.. was a psychiatrist," I told him, "And knew a thing or two about how to cope with anxiety. Other than medication."

"Medication?"

"Well, psychiatrist's are kind of like psychologists. But, psychiatrists can prescribe medication. Psychologists can't," I explained.

"Breathe. In through your nose and.."

"Out- Out.. my m-mouth," I exhaled shakily, staring at my father as he put a hand on mine.

"You are in control."

A single tear slid down my cheek as my father's voice rung through my ears. I wiped it away, but Will has already noticed. He didn't say anything about it.

"That's cool. Do you want to be a psychiatrist too?" He asked.

I shook my head, "A psychologist. A child psychologist."

"Was your mom a psychiatrist?" He asked.

I paused and shrugged. I've never met her. I mean, I must've at some point. She handed me over to my father and left. Forever.

"Oh..? Here can you hold this?" He handed me pliers and fumbled with something.

He showed me what he was doing, "My dad said to run them parallel. You see, cause if I did otherwise, if one went out, so would the others."

"Why?"

"That's just the way the current goes," He explained, "One of them holds all the power and shares, that one goes out and all the others do too- because no ones sharing. If they all hold the power, then they kind of run individually."

He told it to me like I was a baby. Not like high pitched voice and straight baby talk, but he put it down soft and easy.

He put his hand out for the pliers, our hands brushing as I handed it to him. He looked at our hands and stopped, then continued.

"Can I try?" I asked him.

"Oh, yeah," He began to explain.

He watched me try, smiling.

"Thank you," He suddenly said.

"For?"

"I don't feel shy around you," He answered, "So, thank you. For being my friend".