Categories > Original > Sci-Fi > P.O.D.
They headed off north and walked for hours in silence. Cal continually looked at his P.O.D to make sure that the direction hadn’t changed.
“Stop checking your POD! It’s not going to change!” Alex shouted annoyed.
“It doesn’t hurt to make sure,” Cal replied, unfazed by his annoyance.
Alex grunted and then it was silent for quite a few miles more.
“I’m tired. Maybe we should set up camp. Plus it’s starting to get dark,” Lara suggested breaking the silence.
“With what? We have nothing to camp with,” Alex said, stating the obvious.
“Well we have our PODs, why don’t we use them?” suggested Cal, finally using his brains.
Joe raised his eyebrows in thought then pressed the yellow button. “Camping supplies,” he said clearly in the POD.
Lara looked over at him as a tent and sleeping bag popped out of the POD.
“That’s handy,” Joe said looking at the tent which was lying on the ground in front of him.
Alex, Cal and Lara followed suit and out popped three more tents and sleeping bags.
The four teens set up their tents and put their sleeping bags inside them. They said goodnight to each other and crawled inside.
Lara lay awake staring up at the roof of her tent. She tossed and turned then, finally, tired of trying to sleep, she got up and walked outside. Once she was out of her tent she saw Joe sitting with his arms on his knees staring off into space.
Sitting down next to him she asked, “What are you doing out here?”
“Couldn’t sleep,” he said still looking at the stars.
“Same,” she replied. Then looking at him she inquired, “So, why were you in detention anyways?”
“If you ask the principal, I went kamikaze on a class set of desks. If you ask me, I was framed.”
“Caught in the wrong place at the wrong time?”
Joe nodded and said, “Yup.”
They sat for several minutes staring at the horizon just enjoying each other’s company.
“Brrr, it’s cold out here,” Lara commented, shivering and rubbing her arms.
“Here,” Joe said as he pulled a denim jacket out of his backpack and put it around her shoulders.
“Thanks,” she said smiling up at him.
Joe, rubbing his neck and feeling uncomfortable looked at Lara and asked, “I don’t know how else to ask this, but, do you really, uh, like me?”
“Let’s put it this way. I have a bit of a soft spot for cowboys,” she answered blushing.
“Really?” he replied, raising his eyebrow, as he turned to face her.
“You see, my dad was a cowboy. I’ve always loved riding horses, until…,” Lara started to explain but faded off.
“You lost him didn’t you?” Joe asked sympathetically.
Lara nodded then continued, “Ever since his death I’ve been afraid to ride. I put on this tough façade and have been getting into trouble and stuff. I haven’t really been myself. I guess it’s just my way of hiding my feelings.” She shrugged.
“How did he die?” Joe started then quickly added, “Oh, sorry. You probably don’t want to talk about it.”
“No, it’s ok, it’s been awhile since it happened. He used to be an amazing bronc rider. One day a wild one bucked him off and he was knocked unconscious. The rodeo clown tried to help. Attempted to get the horse away from him but the horse wasn’t cooperating. It reared up and came down right on my dad’s head. It wasn’t a pretty sight,” she replied trying to joke a bit.
“I can imagine.” Joe replied with a bit of a sympathetic frown.
Lara lay down on the grass and stared up at the starry sky. After a pause she said in awe, “You can see so many stars from here. It’s amazing how vast the universe is.”
“Yeah, I’ve always been interested in astronomy myself,” Joe replied.
“I’ve noticed.” When Joe looked at her confused she continued, “You look up at the sky whenever you’re thinking.”
Joe nodded then lay down beside her, putting his hat on his chest, and looked up at the sky.
“Well, I think I’m gonna head back to bed,” Lara said to Joe but looking over at him she saw that he had fallen asleep. She got up and laid Joe’s jacket over him then crawled into her tent and fell asleep instantly.
“Stop checking your POD! It’s not going to change!” Alex shouted annoyed.
“It doesn’t hurt to make sure,” Cal replied, unfazed by his annoyance.
Alex grunted and then it was silent for quite a few miles more.
“I’m tired. Maybe we should set up camp. Plus it’s starting to get dark,” Lara suggested breaking the silence.
“With what? We have nothing to camp with,” Alex said, stating the obvious.
“Well we have our PODs, why don’t we use them?” suggested Cal, finally using his brains.
Joe raised his eyebrows in thought then pressed the yellow button. “Camping supplies,” he said clearly in the POD.
Lara looked over at him as a tent and sleeping bag popped out of the POD.
“That’s handy,” Joe said looking at the tent which was lying on the ground in front of him.
Alex, Cal and Lara followed suit and out popped three more tents and sleeping bags.
The four teens set up their tents and put their sleeping bags inside them. They said goodnight to each other and crawled inside.
Lara lay awake staring up at the roof of her tent. She tossed and turned then, finally, tired of trying to sleep, she got up and walked outside. Once she was out of her tent she saw Joe sitting with his arms on his knees staring off into space.
Sitting down next to him she asked, “What are you doing out here?”
“Couldn’t sleep,” he said still looking at the stars.
“Same,” she replied. Then looking at him she inquired, “So, why were you in detention anyways?”
“If you ask the principal, I went kamikaze on a class set of desks. If you ask me, I was framed.”
“Caught in the wrong place at the wrong time?”
Joe nodded and said, “Yup.”
They sat for several minutes staring at the horizon just enjoying each other’s company.
“Brrr, it’s cold out here,” Lara commented, shivering and rubbing her arms.
“Here,” Joe said as he pulled a denim jacket out of his backpack and put it around her shoulders.
“Thanks,” she said smiling up at him.
Joe, rubbing his neck and feeling uncomfortable looked at Lara and asked, “I don’t know how else to ask this, but, do you really, uh, like me?”
“Let’s put it this way. I have a bit of a soft spot for cowboys,” she answered blushing.
“Really?” he replied, raising his eyebrow, as he turned to face her.
“You see, my dad was a cowboy. I’ve always loved riding horses, until…,” Lara started to explain but faded off.
“You lost him didn’t you?” Joe asked sympathetically.
Lara nodded then continued, “Ever since his death I’ve been afraid to ride. I put on this tough façade and have been getting into trouble and stuff. I haven’t really been myself. I guess it’s just my way of hiding my feelings.” She shrugged.
“How did he die?” Joe started then quickly added, “Oh, sorry. You probably don’t want to talk about it.”
“No, it’s ok, it’s been awhile since it happened. He used to be an amazing bronc rider. One day a wild one bucked him off and he was knocked unconscious. The rodeo clown tried to help. Attempted to get the horse away from him but the horse wasn’t cooperating. It reared up and came down right on my dad’s head. It wasn’t a pretty sight,” she replied trying to joke a bit.
“I can imagine.” Joe replied with a bit of a sympathetic frown.
Lara lay down on the grass and stared up at the starry sky. After a pause she said in awe, “You can see so many stars from here. It’s amazing how vast the universe is.”
“Yeah, I’ve always been interested in astronomy myself,” Joe replied.
“I’ve noticed.” When Joe looked at her confused she continued, “You look up at the sky whenever you’re thinking.”
Joe nodded then lay down beside her, putting his hat on his chest, and looked up at the sky.
“Well, I think I’m gonna head back to bed,” Lara said to Joe but looking over at him she saw that he had fallen asleep. She got up and laid Joe’s jacket over him then crawled into her tent and fell asleep instantly.
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