Categories > Original > Sci-Fi > P.O.D.
They trudged to town slowly, sore from all the bruises and injuries they had suffered during the battle. Cal was walking with a limp and Alex was gingerly holding his wrist. Cuts and blood covered much of their body and clothes. As they entered town the population slowly emerged from their shops and homes.
“Is she gone?” a small boy asked, his bright blue innocent eyes shining with fear.
Joe gave a silent nod and instantly the whole town broke out in cheers. They ran together and hoisted the four heroes, with much pain to the hoisted, above their heads and carried them to the crooked Q. They were each given a hero’s drink.
Cal looked at the drink offered, shook his head and pushed it away.
“It’s alright, Cal. You can drink here, it’s legal,” Joe said putting his hand on his shoulder and shaking him playfully.
“It’s not that. I just don’t drink. I’m a Christian, drinking’s against my religion. Especially under age drinking,” Cal explained blushing shyly.
Joe raised an eyebrow and said, “Suite yourself.”
The crowd chatted for hours and asked the four teens to tell the story of how the Queen was defeated over and over again.
After awhile Joe turned to the bartender to ask him a question. “So we were told that there were Xonars before us. What were they like and what did they do?”
“Well, they had the same gadgets on their wrists and according to the stories had the same silver stripes. They were the people who imprisoned Queen Chasa in the first place,” he explained. “After she tried to destroy the planet.”
Joe raised an eyebrow and took a big gulp of his drink, finishing it off.
After the group, excluding Cal, finished their drinks, and Joe his fifth, they left the bar. Joe swaggered out and grabbed on to Lara for support.
“Oh my gosh. Joe, you’re drunk!” Lara exclaimed.
“No, I’m fine,” he said, slurring his words but finally standing up straight. Lara looked at him and stomped away in disgust. Cal shook his head behind them.
They walked back to the hotel and took the elevator up to the forty-second floor. The scenery outside had turned into soft pastel colors. As soon as they walked in the door of their room Joe fell right asleep, collapsing on the floor. Lara stepped over him, intentionally kicking him as she did, and went to the bathroom to get changed into her bikini.
Cal looked down at Joe and turning to Alex said, “Well we could at least get him into his cloud. Can you help me?”
Alex and Cal dragged him over to his cloud then with a big grunt hoisted him on top of it.
“Sleep well,” Alex whispered mockingly.
In no time at all the other three teens were sitting in the hot tub relaxing and reflecting on their time in this unknown world.
“Ah,” Lara sighed, sinking into the water. “Much better.”
Alex laid his head back and relaxed. “What a day.”
The next morning Joe woke up first, like he always did, with another huge hangover. He didn’t get out of bed right away but instead rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow. He looked over at the cloud next to him where Lara lay sound asleep. Her eyes were closed tight and her mouth partially open. She’s so cute when she’s sleeping.
Alex snorted in his sleep and Joe jumped. He had been so focused on Lara that he had forgotten that Alex and Cal were even in the room.
Joe lay back down on his back then sighed and hoisted himself off his cloud. He took one last look at Lara, smiled, then went to have a shower.
Cal slowly opened one eye then forced the other to open. He groaned as he stood, feeling the pain of yesterday surge through his muscles. He walked to the sink and splashed water over his face letting the refreshing water run down his skin. Cal looked around his room at his roommates. Alex and Lara were still sound asleep but Joe was long gone. He shrugged then went to put some coffee on.
Lara slowly opened her eyes, then seeing the light moaned and buried her face in her cloud.
“Good morning sleepy head,” she heard a voice say. It was Cal. Alex and him were sitting at the table drinking coffee.
Lara slid out of bed complaining about her aching body. “Where’s Joe?” she mumbled.
“Who knows? He’s never here in the morning,” Cal pointed out.
“Just give me some coffee.”
Just then Joe walked in the door. “Advil anyone?” he asked shaking a small bottle.
“They have Advil here?” Alex inquired.
“Ok, so it’s not exactly Advil but it has the same affect.”
“Meh, good enough for me,” Alex said standing up and snatching the bottle away from Joe.
The Xonars swallowed down the medicine and finished off their coffee before heading downstairs to get some breakfast. When they walked into the restaurant everything went quiet. A small murmur filled the air and people stared at them as they walked past.
“This is getting really weird. It’s freaking me out!” Cal mumbled out of the corner of his mouth.
“Well we did just save their planet. You should’ve expected some attention,” Lara whispered back.
They sat down and instantly five waiters were on top of them fighting over who would serve the heroes.
Finally getting fed up Joe bellowed, “That’s enough! We’ll just eat from the buffet.”
The waiters walked away looking thoroughly disappointed. Alex winked and smiled at a giggling blonde waitress.
Lara rolled her eyes and turned to him. “You do realize you’re flirting with an alien.”
“Yeah, a hot alien.”
They went and got some bacon, eggs and pancakes from the buffet and sat down to eat.
“Joe you got pretty drunk last night. What was with that?” Lara said after a few moments of silence.
“I was just having a bit of fun, that’s all,” Joe replied shrugging.
“No, this has happened before hasn’t it? More than once too. I thought you had a bit of a problem when we first arrived here in this town. The first thing you looked for was the bar,” Lara pressed on.
“Look, I explained that. We needed to find out some information and that was the best place to look,” he replied shrugging it off.
“Come on Joe, you know that’s a lie. What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing! I’m fine!” he snarled back.
“You have a problem Joe. Is it your brother? Is that why you drink?” Lara continued to pry.
Joe calmed for a moment then began to talk, “Ok fine maybe I have a problem but there’s nothing you can do, ok?”
“It is your brother isn’t it? I thought we talked about that. It wasn’t your fault. We can get you help Joe. There are people who can help with things like this.”
“I’m fine ok!” Joe yelled, standing up and walking out of the restaurant. The crowd stared at him in shock as he left the room. Soon whispers filled the room.
Lara groaned then ran after him. Once they were outside she saw him in the back alley leaning against a post, looking down at the ground. When Joe saw her coming he turned to leave. “Joe wait. I’m sorry. I pushed that on you a little too hard,” she ran across to him and grabbed his arm. “We need to talk. You know it wasn’t your fault he died. Why can’t you just accept that?”
“It may not have been my fault but that doesn’t help with the pain of loosing my brother. He was the best friend I ever had. The only time I forget about it is when I’m drinking.” Joe had crossed his arms and wasn’t looking Lara in the eyes. He couldn’t.
Lara sighed. “There are other ways to get over it. Drinking won’t solve anything, it’s only ever a temporary fix and one of these days it could kill you. Come on let’s go back inside and finish our breakfast,” she grabbed his arm and led him back inside.
“Is she gone?” a small boy asked, his bright blue innocent eyes shining with fear.
Joe gave a silent nod and instantly the whole town broke out in cheers. They ran together and hoisted the four heroes, with much pain to the hoisted, above their heads and carried them to the crooked Q. They were each given a hero’s drink.
Cal looked at the drink offered, shook his head and pushed it away.
“It’s alright, Cal. You can drink here, it’s legal,” Joe said putting his hand on his shoulder and shaking him playfully.
“It’s not that. I just don’t drink. I’m a Christian, drinking’s against my religion. Especially under age drinking,” Cal explained blushing shyly.
Joe raised an eyebrow and said, “Suite yourself.”
The crowd chatted for hours and asked the four teens to tell the story of how the Queen was defeated over and over again.
After awhile Joe turned to the bartender to ask him a question. “So we were told that there were Xonars before us. What were they like and what did they do?”
“Well, they had the same gadgets on their wrists and according to the stories had the same silver stripes. They were the people who imprisoned Queen Chasa in the first place,” he explained. “After she tried to destroy the planet.”
Joe raised an eyebrow and took a big gulp of his drink, finishing it off.
After the group, excluding Cal, finished their drinks, and Joe his fifth, they left the bar. Joe swaggered out and grabbed on to Lara for support.
“Oh my gosh. Joe, you’re drunk!” Lara exclaimed.
“No, I’m fine,” he said, slurring his words but finally standing up straight. Lara looked at him and stomped away in disgust. Cal shook his head behind them.
They walked back to the hotel and took the elevator up to the forty-second floor. The scenery outside had turned into soft pastel colors. As soon as they walked in the door of their room Joe fell right asleep, collapsing on the floor. Lara stepped over him, intentionally kicking him as she did, and went to the bathroom to get changed into her bikini.
Cal looked down at Joe and turning to Alex said, “Well we could at least get him into his cloud. Can you help me?”
Alex and Cal dragged him over to his cloud then with a big grunt hoisted him on top of it.
“Sleep well,” Alex whispered mockingly.
In no time at all the other three teens were sitting in the hot tub relaxing and reflecting on their time in this unknown world.
“Ah,” Lara sighed, sinking into the water. “Much better.”
Alex laid his head back and relaxed. “What a day.”
The next morning Joe woke up first, like he always did, with another huge hangover. He didn’t get out of bed right away but instead rolled onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow. He looked over at the cloud next to him where Lara lay sound asleep. Her eyes were closed tight and her mouth partially open. She’s so cute when she’s sleeping.
Alex snorted in his sleep and Joe jumped. He had been so focused on Lara that he had forgotten that Alex and Cal were even in the room.
Joe lay back down on his back then sighed and hoisted himself off his cloud. He took one last look at Lara, smiled, then went to have a shower.
Cal slowly opened one eye then forced the other to open. He groaned as he stood, feeling the pain of yesterday surge through his muscles. He walked to the sink and splashed water over his face letting the refreshing water run down his skin. Cal looked around his room at his roommates. Alex and Lara were still sound asleep but Joe was long gone. He shrugged then went to put some coffee on.
Lara slowly opened her eyes, then seeing the light moaned and buried her face in her cloud.
“Good morning sleepy head,” she heard a voice say. It was Cal. Alex and him were sitting at the table drinking coffee.
Lara slid out of bed complaining about her aching body. “Where’s Joe?” she mumbled.
“Who knows? He’s never here in the morning,” Cal pointed out.
“Just give me some coffee.”
Just then Joe walked in the door. “Advil anyone?” he asked shaking a small bottle.
“They have Advil here?” Alex inquired.
“Ok, so it’s not exactly Advil but it has the same affect.”
“Meh, good enough for me,” Alex said standing up and snatching the bottle away from Joe.
The Xonars swallowed down the medicine and finished off their coffee before heading downstairs to get some breakfast. When they walked into the restaurant everything went quiet. A small murmur filled the air and people stared at them as they walked past.
“This is getting really weird. It’s freaking me out!” Cal mumbled out of the corner of his mouth.
“Well we did just save their planet. You should’ve expected some attention,” Lara whispered back.
They sat down and instantly five waiters were on top of them fighting over who would serve the heroes.
Finally getting fed up Joe bellowed, “That’s enough! We’ll just eat from the buffet.”
The waiters walked away looking thoroughly disappointed. Alex winked and smiled at a giggling blonde waitress.
Lara rolled her eyes and turned to him. “You do realize you’re flirting with an alien.”
“Yeah, a hot alien.”
They went and got some bacon, eggs and pancakes from the buffet and sat down to eat.
“Joe you got pretty drunk last night. What was with that?” Lara said after a few moments of silence.
“I was just having a bit of fun, that’s all,” Joe replied shrugging.
“No, this has happened before hasn’t it? More than once too. I thought you had a bit of a problem when we first arrived here in this town. The first thing you looked for was the bar,” Lara pressed on.
“Look, I explained that. We needed to find out some information and that was the best place to look,” he replied shrugging it off.
“Come on Joe, you know that’s a lie. What’s wrong?”
“It’s nothing! I’m fine!” he snarled back.
“You have a problem Joe. Is it your brother? Is that why you drink?” Lara continued to pry.
Joe calmed for a moment then began to talk, “Ok fine maybe I have a problem but there’s nothing you can do, ok?”
“It is your brother isn’t it? I thought we talked about that. It wasn’t your fault. We can get you help Joe. There are people who can help with things like this.”
“I’m fine ok!” Joe yelled, standing up and walking out of the restaurant. The crowd stared at him in shock as he left the room. Soon whispers filled the room.
Lara groaned then ran after him. Once they were outside she saw him in the back alley leaning against a post, looking down at the ground. When Joe saw her coming he turned to leave. “Joe wait. I’m sorry. I pushed that on you a little too hard,” she ran across to him and grabbed his arm. “We need to talk. You know it wasn’t your fault he died. Why can’t you just accept that?”
“It may not have been my fault but that doesn’t help with the pain of loosing my brother. He was the best friend I ever had. The only time I forget about it is when I’m drinking.” Joe had crossed his arms and wasn’t looking Lara in the eyes. He couldn’t.
Lara sighed. “There are other ways to get over it. Drinking won’t solve anything, it’s only ever a temporary fix and one of these days it could kill you. Come on let’s go back inside and finish our breakfast,” she grabbed his arm and led him back inside.
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