Page 27 of Starry Skies, Stolen Kisses, and My Best Friend's Brother

Seth leans back in his chair and rests his feet on his desk.“You do realize that at some point, I’ll probably kiss you.”

I grab the door handle so I don’t jump into his lap.“I’m counting on it.But first, let me make sure that kiss doesn’t cost you all this.”I wave my hand around the room.

He nods, and I disappear out the door before I make a mistake that could ruin everything.

EIGHT

Mae

I think about grabbing a golf cart and taking a shortcut across the farm to my dad’s place, but I need to clear my head before I go home.At this point, I’d probably tear into Dad’s bedroom and beat him with pillows before talking to him.I need to calm down.

I run back to the bunkhouse, quietly change my clothes, and then jump into my trusty junker and hit the gas.I grip the steering wheel, and my vision blurs with anger a few times, but I still manage to stay on the road.

After a few miles, I reach the Green Bank Observatory, which is surrounded by towering pine trees.The massive dish comes into view, lit up in the dark space.I park in a visitor spot.Leaving my phone behind in the vehicle, I make my way down the winding path toward the lab and punch in the familiar code that unlocks the door.Every step calms me just a little bit.The quiet hum of scientific equipment fills the air as I step inside.This is my sanctuary, a place where I can connect with the wonders of the universe.

Even though it’s late, the observatory still bustles with activity.I pass most of the labs and head to my favorite spot in the whole world.The one where the search for aliens happens.

I push open the door to the SETI Lab.I don’t recognize most of the people here.They’re young, probably graduate students, and they have a couple of people sitting among them with their skin painted green and wearing headbands with alien eyes.

In the corner is the man who taught me everything there was to know about life outside our galaxy.

Dr.Harrison’s face is lined with wrinkles, deep grooves etched by years of studying the stars.His beard is gray and unkempt, and his glasses perch on the end of his nose.As he spins around, his chair creaks and groans under his weight, but his smile is bright.

“Mae, you’re back.”

“I am.”

He turns to his computer without a word and studies his screen again.He’s always been like that.He knows nothing of my personal life, and he speaks of one thing and one thing only—aliens.And I love him for it.Here, I can get lost in the tiny blips on the screen that might mean something important.Here, I don’t have to think about how sucky my life is or that my dad is interfering again.

I take the chair next to him and study the screen.I don’t recognize anything, which means it’s new research.

“Whatcha looking at?”I ask.

He doesn’t take his eyes off the screen, but he starts going on about lasers and the Milky Way, and I don’t understand a bit of it.For some reason, my brain doesn’t grasp science or math, no matter how hard I try.

Which is why, even though SETI is the only company I’d ever want to work for, I’ll never be able to.I long ago came to terms with it, but I still come here and listen to Dr.Harrison talk.He gives me odd jobs, things that I don’t fully understand but can do, and sometimes the graduate students take pity on me and explain things in plain English.Which helps, but still isn’t crystal clear.

The screen goes blank, and Dr.Harrison rubs his eyes and turns his attention to me.“It’s been four years since you went off to college.”

I nod.

“And did you graduate?”

“Yep.”

“Good.Think we can find you a job here before you go to graduate school?”He has no idea my degree isn’t in astrophysics.

“No.I’m working out at the Blackwood Family Farm for the summer, and then I have an internship in D.C.in the fall.”

He blinks at me for a minute.“At NASA?Congratulations.I always thought we would get you here, but that’s a step up.Don’t forget us little guys.”

“No.Not NASA.A marketing firm you’ve never heard of.Plus, you know I’d never abandon you for them.”

His screen lights up again, and his face turns back toward it.“Can I help with anything?”I ask.

He shoves a notebook at me and points at the screen.“Every time you see a green dot, note the exact time to the millisecond.”He thrusts a timer into my hands as well and goes back to his computer.

The lab is mostly quiet.People take their work seriously, including Dr.Harrison.This is a great distraction from my anger at my dad.Every time the feelings bubble up, I concentrate harder on my screen, and they go away.After a couple of hours, the numbers start running together, and the screen goes blank once again.

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