Midnight on Strange Street, page 14
“Okay, listen,” said Bastian. “I know this probably sounds too weird, but I’ve been thinking of a plan. A way we can stop waiting around and do something. Say the elixir is glow. And say the aliens planted glow here in Callaway fifty years ago. Well, it sort of makes sense that they’d be drawn to it, right? It’s their own substance after all. Maybe it’s how they found us in the first place—because of the glow in us—like Dani said, our blue flames. But they keep breaking up, right? It’s like the connection isn’t strong enough. Well, what if all the aliens need is more glow? Like, glow is an antenna that can reach out to them? And if we surrounded ourselves with a ton of glow, their transmission might come through. Then they could find us, and we could share our memories, like we’ve planned.”
The circle of Sardines was quiet.
“You’re right,” said Avery. “It does sound too weird.”
“I don’t know if it would work,” Bastian admitted. “But to me at least, it’s better than sitting around, waiting, worried about missing the aliens’ message and getting the world eradicated.”
“I agree with Bastian,” Lola said. “At least it’s something to do.”
“Okay,” said Dani, folding her arms. “Say we try this plan. Where do we surround ourselves with a ton of glow?”
Bastian looked at his sneakers, more nervous than he’d been before.
Dani caught on. “Nuh-uh,” she said. “No way.”
“What?” asked Avery. “Where?”
Bastian summoned the strength to look up again and say, “Glow Expo.”
Avery blinked. “But…that’s at Carl Jensen’s place.”
“Yeah,” Dani cut in hotly. “That’s why we never go.”
Never was dramatic, Bastian thought. This was only the second year they’d done Glow in the Park and the second year they’d decided not to go to Glow in the Park’s pre-race party, Glow Expo. The event was literally in Mitchell Jensen’s backyard. It took place five days before the race—in this case, tonight. There was a cookout, fireworks, and even swimming at the huge lake on Carl Jensen’s ranch. There were also exhibits from glow companies all over the US, featuring their latest products. And of course, Gloworks, Inc. was the biggest exhibitor of them all. The Sardines stayed away to avoid the Grackles; Dani called it “protecting team morale.” And Bastian was the last Sardine who wanted to run into Mitchell, Zander, or any of the Grackles. But if his plan could work…well, wasn’t it worth the risk?
“C’mon,” he said. “Team morale is fine, Dani. And I think we can all admit, Glow Expo looks pretty cool. Carl Jensen’s ranch is huge—plenty of space to keep away from the Grackles. And plenty of space to try our plan. There’s going to be so much glow there, from Gloworks and all the other vendors.”
Dani shook her head. “This is stupid. We don’t know that your plan is going to work. We don’t even know if glow is the elixir.”
“I’m not saying we do,” Bastian replied. “But we might as well try. I’m tired of waiting.”
“I guess,” said Avery, “the worst that can happen is that it doesn’t work.”
“And if it does,” said Lola, sounding hopeful, “we can share our memories with the aliens, like Bastian said. We can convince them to leave Earth in peace.”
“And then,” Avery added, nodding toward Dani, “our concentration will be even better for Glow in the Park. You know, because we won’t be worried about the world blowing up. That’d be a good thing, right, Dani?”
Dani twisted her mouth, as though she were trying hard not to smile. Bastian could tell, she’d been worn down. The Sardines were going to Glow Expo. They were going to try his plan.
Now Bastian just hoped the plan would work.
“I didn’t think it’d be so…pretty,” said Lola.
Jensen Ranch was aglow with lights. Bulbs were strung from cedar trees to oaks, and a giant patio stretched before Bastian and Lola, looking out over Jensen Lake. The sun was setting, casting umber hues on the water. Cicadas buzzed loudly. Festive guitar music piped from the speakers. All around, guests were laughing and talking, and the scent of grilled corn and fresh watermelon wafted down from the barbecue tent. Lola looked enraptured by the sight, and Bastian couldn’t blame her. Glow Expo was way prettier than Bastian had imagined.
Still, the thought of Mitchell Jensen growing up here, with a giant lake and patio, made Bastian want to puke. Mitchell had everything a guy could want, so why did he see the need to ruin other people’s lives? Bastian would never understand.
“Avery!” Lola cried, waving.
Bastian watched as Avery emerged from the dim tree line, where a makeshift dirt parking lot had been set up, complete with glowboard racks. Radar was trotting happily ahead of her on a leash. When Avery spotted the twins, her face lit up, and she ran to meet them, Radar bounding by her side.
“This place is out of control,” she puffed out. “Who knew there were so many glowboard stores? There are, like, a hundred tents over there.”
“Thirty,” Bastian corrected. “And most of them are Gloworks-sponsored. That’s what it said on the Glow Expo website.”
Avery waved him off. “Whatever, it’s a lot. You were right, Bastian: There’s a ton of glow here. Do you see that display?” Avery pointed farther afield, toward the lake. “I heard some kids by the glowboard racks talking about it. It’s this new thing called glow boosters. They make your boards go, like, turbo speed. But the Junior Glowboarding League hasn’t approved them yet.”
“Good,” said a new voice—Dani’s. The Sardines turned to where she was approaching them from behind. “Because we sure couldn’t afford them.”
“I mean, yeah,” said Avery. “But they’re cool.”
“Whatever,” Bastian said, shrugging toward the vendor tents. “We’re not here for that stuff, anyway.” He looked to the lake and pointed toward a distant spot, where a copse of trees bordered the water’s edge. “I’ve been scoping it out, and I think that’d be a good place. We’ll be close enough to all the glow, but far enough away to do this privately.”
Dani nodded at the proposal, but Avery and Lola were distracted, looking toward the barbecue tent. Radar, too, had pricked his ears and pointed his nose toward the scent of food.
“Hey,” said Dani, snapping her fingers in front of their faces. “Focus. We came here to talk to aliens, remember?”
A group of older teenagers passed by just then, and two girls glanced at Dani, whispered, and burst into laughter before heading on.
Dani’s cheeks pinked, and she whispered, “The sooner we try this out, the sooner we can leave.”
Bastian didn’t like how dismissive Dani sounded—like she thought his plan wasn’t going to work. But he did at least appreciate that their interests were aligned. Lola and Avery, on the other hand, were still distracted.
“The food’s free,” Lola offered, a little sheepishly.
“And it smells amazing,” Avery moaned. Beside her, Radar whined in agreement. “C’mon, we’d be stupid not to…you know, take advantage.”
“Seriously,” said Dani. “You want food catered by Mitchell’s dad?”
“Well, yeah,” Avery said. “He’s, like, a billionaire. It’s about time he shared the wealth.”
“Don’t you remember why we’re here?” Bastian protested. “Light beings, not roasted corn.”
But Lola and Avery were whispering conspiratorially, and Avery piped up to say, “We’ll be five minutes, tops. We’ll meet you right where you said, at those trees by the lake!”
Before either Bastian or Dani could protest, Avery was off, along with Radar, tugging Lola behind her. Lola glanced back once to give Bastian an apologetic grin. Bastian sighed and rolled his eyes at Dani.
“We can head down there at least,” he said.
But now even Dani was glancing toward the tents. “I mean,” she said, “if they’re going over there anyway…”
Bastian gaped. “Seriously? You, Dani Hirsch, are going to eat Jensen food, too?”
“Well, I’m hungry,” Dani admitted. “All we had for dinner tonight was this weird quinoa bake. I’ll be down there in five, too, okay? We’ll do a better job if we’re not starving.”
Bastian watched as the last of the Sardines abandoned him. Then, shaking his head, he stomped down a slight embankment, steering clear of the tents and heading toward the lake. He was so focused that he didn’t notice anyone approaching him until there was a hand on his shoulder.
“WHOA,” Bastian yelped, jumping away from the touch.
Then he saw who it was: Zander Poxleitner.
Bastian scowled. “What the heck do you want?”
Zander blinked at Bastian. There was a weird look in his dark eyes, like…regret? Only, that couldn’t be right.
“I didn’t think you’d come to this,” Zander said. “Are the others here, too?”
“Yeah,” said Bastian, resuming his stomp toward the lake. “Yeah, we are. Now go report that to Mitchell. You tell him everything, don’t you?”
To Bastian’s irritation, Zander followed him. “Hey. Dude. Can’t we even talk?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
Bastian turned on Zander, planting his feet in the grass. “Seriously? Why not? Let’s just forget the fact that you left the Sardines to become a Grackle; you’re the one who told Mitchell about my art. Private stuff. Stuff I didn’t even tell Lola. And all that stuff you fed him? That’s his ammo. You get that, right? You betrayed us. You betrayed me.”
That look was back in Zander’s eyes. In fact, it was all over his mole-marked face. But Bastian didn’t buy it.
“I didn’t betray you on purpose,” Zander said very quietly. “Any of you. I still thought of you as my friends. I thought the Grackles were my friends, too. That’s why I told them those things about your art. It wasn’t because I wanted to hurt you. If I’d known what Mitchell was going to do—”
“But you did know!” Bastian shouted. “You knew he was a jerk when you left us. And that’s what makes you as bad as him. That’s what makes you worse. Because you knew how terrible the Grackles were, and you joined them anyway. For what? Fancier equipment? Better friends? Well, I really hope that’s working out for you.”
The words were out before Bastian could consider their importance. He saw hurt flash across Zander’s face, and then…resignation.
“Fine,” Zander said. “I don’t know why I even tried to talk to you.”
“Yeah, me neither,” said Bastian, still red-hot with anger.
With that, Zander turned around and left, heading up the embankment, back toward the tents, the music, and the crowd. Bastian watched him go with clenched fists, warding off stinging tears that threatened to spill.
Forget Zander. Bastian was here for one purpose, and one purpose only.
He set out once more toward the lake.
Dani bit into a steaming piece of corn on the cob, which she’d slathered in hot sauce and sprinkled with cotija cheese. She watched from the food tent as partygoers gathered and mingled around her. Some of these people were her age—fellow skaters or kids interested in the sport. Most of them, though, were older teens and adults—members of the adult Glowboarding League, or businesspeople, or curious locals. Glow Expo brought out a lot of Callaway residents simply because they didn’t have anything better to do until the Fourth of July.
Dani would be lying if she said she hadn’t wondered about Glow Expo the year before, when she’d made the other Sardines promise to boycott it. Back then, Zander had just left the team, and Dani had been raw over his betrayal. Now, a year later, she still felt on edge. This was Grackle territory, and she sure hoped Bastian’s plan was worth it.
The corn, Dani had to admit, was decent. She finished off the rest of it, dumping the cob into a nearby trash can. Then she sidled up to Lola and Avery, who were sitting side by side at a picnic bench, sharing a plate of barbecue and coleslaw. Radar sat at their feet, happily nibbling bits of brisket that Avery occasionally lowered to his mouth.
“Do you think it will work?” Dani asked, taking a seat at the table. “Bastian’s plan?”
“Yeah,” Avery said. “I mean, I hope it does.”
“I’m nervous about it,” Lola offered, in her quiet way. “I guess…well, I guess I’ve been scared to try.”
Dani pointed to their plate of food. “Hence the procrastinating.”
“Speak for yourself,” said Avery, taking another bite of slaw. “I really wanted the food. You know when it’s Carl Jensen, there’s no expense spared.”
Dani glanced down the embankment, toward the trees by the lake. She couldn’t see Bastian, which must have meant he was well and truly hidden away.
“It’s pretty cool here, actually,” Avery went on. “I don’t think our team morale is suffering.”
“Yeah, well, it might be soon,” Dani said. “We’d better head down there, or Bastian is gonna get mad. He already kind of is. We did come here for his plan.”
Avery pointed her fork as Dani. “Then how come you’re up here procrastinating, too?”
It was a good question, but Dani shrugged it off. The truth was, she was afraid that Bastian’s plan to reach the light beings wouldn’t work; but she was more afraid that it would. And then what if they couldn’t share their memories, like they’d planned? What if they couldn’t convince the light beings to spare their planet? What then? All this to worry about before Glow in the Park. These aliens had thrown a real wrench into Dani’s plans.
Lola wiped her hands on a paper napkin and stood, taking away her and Avery’s plate and dumping it into the trash.
“You’re right,” she said. “We shouldn’t upset him. Let’s be brave and go.”
Together, the three girls headed down to the water’s edge, Radar trotting ahead, leading the way to the dense copse of cedar trees until Lola spotted Bastian ahead. They hurried their steps to join him where he stood.
Bastian’s arms were folded tightly across his chest. As Dani suspected, he wasn’t happy.
“Whoa,” said Avery. “If I wanted something chilly, I would’ve gone to the Popsicle tent.”
Lola giggled, Dani smirked, and even Bastian cracked, the lines in his face relaxing.
“Whatever,” he said, shaking his curly mop of hair. “Can we all focus now?”
Avery stood up straight and saluted, causing Radar to let out a low woof. Lola nodded. Dani said, “What’s the precise plan?”
Bastian’s eyes lit up; this, it seemed, was the question he’d been waiting for.
“Before,” he said, “when the light beings contacted us together, we gathered in a circle. So I’m thinking we do that, and we join hands. You all brought your glow cartridges, right?”
The girls nodded, and Dani pulled out a clear plastic cartridge from her back pocket. Its contents were nearly drained, but what remained was an orange-colored substance: glow. Avery, Bastian, and Lola produced theirs, too—far fuller cartridges, their contents colored green, silver, and blue.
“Okay,” said Bastian. “Let’s place them right there.” He pointed to a patch of grass. “All together. And we’ll form a circle around them. Combined with all the glow up the hill, they’ll form a beacon.”
Dani gave Bastian a skeptical look. “Says who?”
Bastian shrugged. “It’s a hypothesis. We’re testing it out.”
“Okay, okay,” said Dani, setting down her cartridge as Bastian had directed. Then, stepping back, she joined hands with Avery and Lola. Avery kept Radar’s leash looped around her wrist, and the Aussie took a seat between her and Dani, looking up at the group.
“Now,” said Bastian, “we summon the light beings here. We close our eyes, and we think up the memories we’ve been practicing.”
Dani watched as the others shut their eyes and grew quiet, concentrating. Sighing, she finally closed her own eyes and conjured up the memory she’d been reliving lately: the first time she’d set foot on a glowboard. She focused on the thrill she’d felt, on the wobbling of her legs as she found her balance. She focused on the bright green body of the board, trying to draw out as vivid an image as possible. Then she envisioned sending that memory up—past the cedar treetops, past the clouds and the stratosphere, into distant space, wherever the aliens might be.
Seconds stretched out, turning to a full minute. The circle remained quiet, and the only sounds came from the distant Glow Expo crowd—strains of music, laughter, and conversation.
Soon, Dani couldn’t take it anymore. She chanced a peek at the rest of the Sardines. Their eyes were still closed. The sun was lowering, casting warm rays through the cedar branches. Trickles of sweat had begun to run down Dani’s forehead and the back of her neck. She coughed, causing Bastian to open an eye.
“Stop looking,” he hissed. “Concentrate.”
“You’re looking,” Dani countered. “And let’s face it, nothing is happening.” She motioned to their collection of glow cartridges. “This is stupid.”
Now Avery and Lola also opened their eyes. A flush was spreading over Bastian’s face. “We haven’t tried long enough,” he insisted. “Take it seriously, Dani. You have to want it.”
“Says who?” she said. “C’mon, we’re taking a stab in the dark. You think the aliens are really going to see our memories?”
“We can see each other’s memories,” Lola offered. “Dani, just try it. Bastian’s right: We haven’t given it enough time.”
Dani grimaced, but said, “Fine. Let’s try it some more.”
She shut her eyes and, once again, focused on her memory: the musty, old sweat scent of the glowboard shop, the tremble in her knees as she’d mounted the board. Moments passed, Dani focusing solely on the images from her past.
Then Bastian’s voice broke the silence. “Hang on.”
Dani’s eyes fluttered open. “What now?”
Bastian shook his head. “We’re all trying to reach the light beings on our own. But why do that when we can reach out together—the four of us as one?”
He turned to Lola, who was nervously biting her lip. “Lols,” he said, “do you think you can tether us?”
