Chapter 3

The cool evening September breeze was quite refreshing, and I lay sprawled on my bed, listening to cool music through my earphones when Dave barged into my room.

"I found it!" 

"You didn't even knock!" I said a mock annoyance. 

"Oh, silly me. My bad," he answered sweetly with a grin. I just rolled my eyes at him. 

"So, as I was saying, I've found it, so we go in 11.00 PM" 

"Alright," I answered trying to hide the uncertainty in my voice. I had doubts about this whole thing from the very beginning. 

It had clocked eleven and as expected, Mom and Mr. and Dr. (Mrs.) Darwin had gone to bed. We quietly hurried down to the basement, into the lab Dr. Darwin and my mom worked in. 

Dr. Darwin and my mom had a bio-tech astronomy project and research they were working on so, Dr. Darwin suggested that mom stayed over at their place for easy mobilization. Mom didn't mind me tagging along, knowing fully well that Dr. Darwin's son, Dave, was my best friend from childhood and also the fact that he and I could work on some of our project ideas. 

Dave and I took after our mothers in a slightly different way. We all shared the same passion we had for science and technology, but astronomy was the piece that completed the puzzle for Dave and me. 

We had been working on a project and it had been over three months due to school and stuff. But we had all the time this summer and we were going to make the most out of it. 

We definitely made a great pair; at school, at home, during our projects, some even thought as a couple, but I like us just the way we are hot and cool yet nerdy. Lol. 

We got in and went over our calculations and the plan. 

"Dave, I don't know why, but I'm really having second thoughts about this," I said. 

"Come on bro, you were excited about this, weren't you?" Dave said. 

"Yes, I was but, I don't know...I all of a sudden have weird hunches about this" 

Dave took my hand in his and squeezed it fondly. 

"Relax Lily. I'll always be here for you, okay? Remember, I'm your best friend," he winked then got to work. Oh well. 

We'd prepared our bags for our hopefully brief journey earlier so there really wasn't much for me to do apart from me overseeing the work and fetching tools for Dave here and there. We'd made progress so far. 

"Li bae, I need the authentic cord 54 and a few 0.8 millimeters (about 0.03 in) wires" 

"Sure, no p... wait what did you...?" 

I made an attempt to hit him with a rod I was already holding while he just chuckled. 

Dave enjoyed teasing me occasionally and also loved watching me react. Like there was this one time while we were doing a presentation on one of our research projects. 

We were a part of the science club at our school. Yeah, you guessed right, we were, are, any who, among the top members. 

I was busy explaining the second paragraph after him, pointing out keywords on the projection screen when this jerk went on one knee and held out a hand to me. 

"Would you love to remain my science and lab partner?" he said dramatically then he grinned and turned to Miss Madison. She was the head of our science club and our chemistry teacher. 

"Miss Madison, please leave us as partners. We make the best team," he said, giving her this silly look. 

Everyone burst into a fit of laughter, including Miss Madison herself! OMG! I slapped my hand against my forehead. Was I embarrassed! It was enough to have our set mates ship us from time to time, no need to add our serious science club to the list! 

Dave turned back to me, winked and grinned sweetly. Of course, he knew he was pulling my legs.

"Oh, you...!" 

I reached for my shoe and immediately he hit the run, sending everyone into another fit of laughter. Silly boy! 

But in all, he was still the best bestie I could ever wish for. Those teasings from time to time is quite necessary, keeps friendships afloat. 

I went over to one of the cupboards beneath the laboratory tables. I'd gotten the cord and was picking out the millimeter wires when some neon greenish matter appeared out of nowhere. I closed the cupboard instantly. Then, I saw the handle of the cupboard which I was holding was glowing neon blue and the source seemed to have been from my hands. 

I drew my hand back almost immediately and my heart started beating fast uncontrollably. Yeah, you guys are probably wondering, why was it just me that was seeing these things? I have no idea myself, or could it have been that Madula was right? 

I went back to Dave and handed him the materials. Then he gave me a strange look. 

"You okay?" 

I was about to tell him what I'd just encountered but I decided not to. 

"I guess so. Why'd you ask?" 

He gave me a small smile with one of his brows shot up. 

"You look like you'd seen a ghost," he said turning back to what he was doing. 

As much as I tried to concentrate on what Dave was doing, my mind just couldn't. My mind kept replaying that weird scene and then my heart started beating fast again and loudly, I was almost certain Dave could hear it. Then my head started spinning. 

"I... I think I need to sit down" 

Dave looked up from what he was doing at me then scanned the lab with his eyes. He took my hand and led me to a ball chair then he sat me down while he crouched on one knee. 

"Girl, what's up with you, man?" He asked, concern evident in his voice, "You sure you're okay?" 

I couldn't speak. I just leaned back and closed my eyes. 

He placed his hand on my lap. "Is it about this journey thing?" 

I took his hand, my eyes still closed, "I'll be fine. Go on," I managed to say. 

Apparently, he hadn't moved because our hands were still together. I opened my eyes and gave him a weak smile. 

"Music?" 

"Alright. That'll help, I hope" 

He went back to work while I plugged my ears with my earphones and continued with my playlist. Yup, the music certainly did help. 

Some few minutes later, Dave's voice jolted me out of this other dimension to reality. 

"Woo-hoo!" 

I stood up and walked over to him to see a magnificent, mesmerizing sight awaited us—a portal, bathed in an enchanting azure hue. 

"Whoa!" I couldn't help but say. All thoughts forgotten, its radiance pulsed with an otherworldly energy, beckoning us to step into the unknown. 

"Pretty cool, huh?" Dave said. 

"You forgot to tell me how good you've become. Nice one bro." Then that feeling came back. 

"That hunch..." 

Dave took my hand, "It's okay Lily, I'm here" 

I took a deep breath in. 

"This is going to be a once in a lifetime journey," Dave said, "Here we go!" 

And with that, we took the bold step and... that's how we got here. 

*** 

I sat there in the shadows till some light lit above me.