Children of the World

EPILOGUE

“What’s everyone rushing for?”

“Sometimes I wonder if you ever really recovered,” his friend said, a considering look on his face. He smiled to indicate he was joking. Apollo acknowledged the comment seriously.

“As much as I can be.”

“Apollo, you know I didn’t mean—Why do I bother? C’mon, we need to hurry up, too. Everyone’s heading to the dorms because first-year is taking on a new student.”

That was surprising. They were already a few months into the first semester of the school year. “This late?”

“Yep. And if you’d stop daydreaming you’d realize something else—this new kid’s bunkin’ in our room.”

Apollo stopped suddenly, causing his friend and roommate to bump into him. “What?” He really had been out of it.

Sympathizing, the dark-skinned teen patted Apollo’s shoulder reassuringly and gently nudged him to move along. “We don’t know the name yet or much about ‘im, so you’re really all right, buddy. Just stay with it enough to give a nice greeting and all, okay?”

“Won’t Jolly protest?” Apollo asked suddenly, the news of a new roommate still sinking in.

“Wow. You missed his rant about moving his stuff to fit in one trunk the other morning? My gods, you must teach me this technique so that I can tune out those airheads from the cheer squad.”

Apollo for once didn’t chastise his friend for being rude, he was too deep in his thoughts and reevaluating the past few months. He really needed to snap out of it, start focusing on the world again. It was hard. His week-long absence from the familiar had hardly been a vacation, but he found himself longing for some of the quieter moments. He longed to take a walk in the city and stare up at the stars. He longed for that sense of freedom and self-reliance again. Hell, what he missed most was looking around and letting his eyes fall on dirty blond hair.

Starbuck.

“Better tune back in, Apollo. We’re here and I’m sure First-Year will be arrivin’ soon, too.”

“Boomer?” Apollo asked hesitantly, as if he hadn’t heard what the other had just said. “Care to head to the Dance Pad this weekend?”

Boomer gave him a stern look. “Nuh-uh. West Side is off-limits, buddy. You know that.” His tone gentled as they entered their room. “Besides, you’ve said often enough that he stayed further in. We really can’t risk that.”

Apollo sighed and let himself flop back onto his bunk. Jolly stood a few feet away, looking mournfully at the empty bottom bunk of his bed that would soon be occupied by a new body. Boomer let his attention turn to his other friend to tease.

Their voices lulled Apollo into a light doze. He was exhausted after a long day of mostly physical training classes. His schedule usually mixed up an even amount of academics and physical workouts, except for every Fourth-Day when he did more training than classroom work.

He started awake at the sound of the door opening. Propping himself up on his elbows he watched Boomer and Jolly’s backs as they blocked the view of the door. They were talking in especially polite tones which meant there was some administrator out there—with the first-year, probably. Apollo sighed to himself, not sure if he was up to dealing with one of the energetic first-years sharing a room with the older boys. Of course, Jolly was actually a first-year, but he was a special case out of the overall very annoying younger class.

His musings were interrupted by Boomer calling his name with a far too happy lilt in his voice.

“What?” he asked grumpily as he swung his feet over the bed and sat up. The door remained open and it was obvious that the adults had gone, but Jolly and Boomer still blocked his view.

“I think you might like to meet our new roomie,” Boomer replied, the grin on his face looking far too much like a felix who had found its way into a creamery.

“And why’s that?” Apollo asked dryly, standing up in attempts to see who it was—with no luck. Boomer was just a few inches taller than him and whoever their roommate was, he was only as tall as Apollo at most.

“Let me through,” the newcomer muttered in exasperation. Apollo glared at his roommates, enforcing the demand.

With a mocking bow, Boomer cleared the way, continuing to shoot a grin Apollo’s way.

“Starbuck?” the exclamation was from his lips before he fully comprehended who the cleaned and cropped boy was.

He gaped openly at the familiar blue eyes and blond hair—cut chin-length now. “Starbuck!” Without worrying about the possible consequences, Apollo embraced his friend and held on tight. “I can’t believe you just left without saying goodbye! You could have at least asked if I wanted to go, too!”

He pulled back and was amused to see Starbuck’s surprised expression. “Gods, it’s good to see you!”

The blond tugged at a strand of cropped hair in apparent nervousness. “Oh, um. Yeah. You, too.”

“C’mon! Get settled in! You get bottom bunk—like me! This is Jolly, and Boomer. You’ll love it here. I can’t believe it!” Apollo’s energy made Starbuck’s eyes widen in stunned silence. He let himself be dragged about at the brunette’s whim while Jolly and Boomer stood back and laughed.

“How long have you planned on coming here? Why didn’t you let me know?” Apollo finally demanded, sitting Starbuck down on his new bed.

The blond fingered the folded blanket on his bed with something akin to wonder. He stared down at his fingers, careful not to meet anyone’s gaze as he said, “I have a sponsor. It just took them a while to find me.” He shrugged. He raised his chin defiantly and added, with a hint of his old spark that Apollo remembered, “Besides, maybe I wanted it to be a surprise.”

Apollo grinned. “I don’t care how it happened. I can’t believe you’re here!” He sat down beside his friend and gripped his shoulders tightly, constantly reaffirming that this was indeed reality. “Wow! This is great! I’m going to show you around after dinner!”

“Show him off, you mean!” Boomer chuckled, startling both boys out of their own little world.

Starbuck’s smile looked a little forced as he turned his gaze to the other two. Apollo assured him, “They’re great pals, you’re in good hands, Bucko!”

“Bucko?” Starbuck demanded.

“I think I like it,” Boomer remarked. “Bucko. A nickname’s good for you.”

“Boomer, right?” Starbuck asked. With a smirk, he announced, “Boom-boom for you, then.”

“Hey!”

Jolly cracked up. Apollo grinned widely.

“And you,” Starbuck announced, turning his attention on Apollo, “you get the very best.” His eyes glinted with predatory humor. “Thanks for welcoming me to the club…Appy.”

Apollo’s howl of protest brought the residents of nearby rooms into the hallway to look curiously at the closed door. The cadets exchanged glances with one another—looking both uneasy and amused. Chuckling nervously, they withdrew to their own rooms, somehow knowing that such noises would become familiar very shortly…

END

(for now?)