3 ANDROMEDA 83

Once everyone is standing in the main lobby, Kookie and I, the shorties, have to jump over other's heads to get a good look.

There's nothing for a few minutes. But soon enough, the volume increases like crazy. There's gasps, lots of rapid conversations, and I hear some girls screaming. Not like, 'help me im gonna die' screaming, but more like, 'help me im gonna faint from sexiness'. Not at all professional, polite, or proud. Kookie jumps onto the person in front of him, and I follow him, clinging onto somebody's back and looking over the heads of others. The person I'm holding onto is too busy talking to his friend and watching the new crowd to bother shaking me off.

The crowd parts so there is an empty space in the middle. I see a smaller crowd walk down, and like our ship, they're mostly composed of teenagers. But their clothes are loose, as if they've lost weight. Maybe they went low on food supply. But nevertheless, they are all exceptionally good-looking, especially the group of boys at the front. The group of boys have thick black hair, dark monolid eyes that sweeps through the crowd with a steady, calculating gaze. My heart jumps into my throat when one of the boys meets my eyes, and lingers a second longer. I have to admit--they're hot, but there is no way I am going to scream like the other girls. Kookie would tease me till my death.

They are composed and quiet, unlike us. I glance at Kookie, and his eyes are locked on the boys at the front. He's frowning slightly, his eyes a little unfocused. The adults surrounding us try in vain to calm us down. I'm not sure why everyone is so loud--maybe because they're so excited about the new people? I'm really curious about what they're like, but I'm not jumping up and down.

I catch Janet, one of the Head Pilots that always does the announcements, pull out a device, and she lifts it up to her mouth and clicks it. She wears a disapproving frown. There's a slight buzz in the speakers, and everyone manages to quiet down a little. "Alright everyone, don't be fools, welcome our new guests, they have gone through several hardships to come here safely. Don't be shy, they speak English, they're just tired..."

The crowd finally calms down as the smaller crowd of guests slow to a stop. Some adults from their ship, all dressed in dark clothing, walk briskly to the pilots and medics of our ship, the only adults with us. Their heads are held high and their shoulders squared confidently. I shiver at the sight of them-- they look so cold and unwavering. They greet each other and shake hands, but they talk too softly for anyone else to hear. Everyone starts to murmur to each other with curiosity.

After a few moments of the adults conversing, Janet brings up her device again to her mouth. "Ahem. Let me introduce you to the passengers of Andromeda 83, who have endured similar troubles we have. Unfortunately, their ship suffered several incidents with enemies, and they had to abort. We are going on the same route, and our ship has plenty of room to spare, so we are kindly having them as friendly guests."

"Why is she talking like that..." I mutter.

"Here is also a quick update--we have about eight months before our arrival at a safe planet." Several whoops fire up in the crowd of teenagers. The crowd from Andromeda 83 remains quiet and still. A feeling of relief spreads throughout my body. I've been waiting, we've all been waiting too long.

"As most rooms in the North Wing are currently vacant, the 804 from Andromeda 83 will stay there for the rest of our journey. They will also enroll in our classes, and we will treat them like family. You understand?" Janet adds, a threatening look in her eyes.

Everyone nods. "Alright," Janet sighs, her breath slightly static through the speakers, "since I expect the passengers of Andromeda 83 are quite exhausted, they will rest in the North Wing, and tomorrow they will join us for classes and meal times. Please welcome them, but let them go to their new dormitories to rest. Thank you."

After the small 'crack' in the speakers after Janet clicks the device off, everyone rushes to the new guests. Kookie and I have to jump off the backs of the people we were holding onto, as they too run forward to meet the people of Andromeda 83.

Kookie sighs, and we start walking away. "We'll meet them later. There's no chance to see them, with us this far back."

"If only you were a little taller, you mean..."

Kookie throws me a dark glare, but his lips twitch upward. "You wait, Emma. Soon you'll be looking up at my knees."

I snort. "Yeah right, fetus."

"Hey!" I laugh and dodge a playful punch. We both hear the sound of gathering footsteps and bright voices behind us, and we turn around. The handsome boys that were at the front of the Andromeda 83 crowd are surrounded by girls, and look disinterested and slightly annoyed. They walk with this aura full of confidence that you can't help but stare in awe. But when one of the boys catches Kookie and I standing there, he abruptly stops his brisk pace, and so does the rest of the boys. One of the girls trips and causes another girl to stumble.

The boy that stopped first stares at Kookie. Kookie stares back. "Hey," the boy blurts out. One of his friends sniggers, and the boy shoots him a look and then glances at all the girls around them. "Shoo!" he yells, waving them away. They glare at him and all stomp away eventually, leaving the boys there and Kookie and I standing my ourselves.

I feel a little forgotten and awkward, and I step back. This seems to be some sort of weird meet between Kookie and the Andromeda boys. Maybe I shouldn't get involved. Only if they try to hurt him....

"You look familiar," one of the boys towards the back says softly. Kookie's round eyes widen. The boy grins and steps forward. "I'm Min Yoongi. I'm nineteen. We're all really glad that your ship was nearby, you know."

"Oh. Yeah." Kookie blushes. I stifle a snort. Kookie has always been shy around strangers. "I'm

K-- uh, Jeon Jungkook."

"I'm Namjoon," says one of the taller boys in a deep voice, the boy that stopped when he saw Kookie.

"Seokjin," the boy next to Namjoon says, winking.

"Hoseok," a boy says with a big grin, a happy aura coming from him.

"I'm Taehyung," a boy with a deep soulful voice says, his eyes watching Kookie carefully.

"I'm Jimin," the last boy says softly, his eyes glancing curiously at me. He's the one that looked at me in the main lobby, I realize with a jolt.

"Our names are all Korean," Kookie says quietly. The boys stare blankly at him. "You know, like the ancient country on the first planet Earth... we probably aren't fully Korean but maybe... you know.... never mind," Kookie says sheepishly.

'Hah,' I think, 'Kookie and I are too nerdy for them.'

"So can you show us where the North Wing is?" Hoseok says, amusement glinting in his eyes.

"Yeah, sure. C'mon, Emma." Kookie brushes his hand on my arm and starts walking to the North Wing. I catch up to him and walk beside him, glancing behind at the six boys following us.

"I wonder why they're so interested in you," I murmur to Kookie.

"I dunno, but I have a weird feeling about them too," he mutters, and we turn left. The boys behind us turn left soon after.

"Let's just hope they're not trouble..."