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“It’s quiet around here.” Sam points out as Cora scampers off to one of the many climbing structures, made of metal and nets. There’s a comfortable warmth in the air, mixed with the occasional light breeze from being so high up in the city.
“It’s morning on a school day, what did you expect? A bumbling playground full of children her age?” Polaris rolls her eyes at him, before heading towards the swings, motioning to Sam to join her.
They sit in silence for a bit, their feet anchoring them to the ground while their legs move, making the swings gently sway them.
“You should take her out here on weekends, she’d have more fun. Make a pal or two.” Polaris speaks first, her eyes fixated on the soft bits of black rubber gravel that cover up the playground, drawing up random patterns with the tip of her shoe.
“She’d just end up making fun of them for not knowing how to launch a spaceship, or how to do… quantum shit.”
“Maybe she’d rally them and take over a spaceship on their own.”
They both chuckle at the idea of Cora being the captain of her own ship, leading a handful of children into space.
Sam quickly changes the subject, feeling Polaris even more tense than usual- while she’s still fidgeting her fingers and on high alert, her eyes constantly darting from one place to another, her head twitching at every single little sound like every other day, this time around, her leg is restless, trying its best to bounce despite only the very tip of her feet touching the ground, her hair isn’t as carefully styled and gelled, and some of her jewellery is missing. Clearly, she was in a rush to get somewhere to talk in private.
He feels honoured, in a way, that his friend values his words so much.
“What did you want to talk about?”
Mild relief washes over her face, immediately followed by anxiety. “I, uh…” She quiets down and frowns, trying to find her words.
Digging into the deep pockets of his jacket, Sam pulls out two juice boxes, and hands one to Polaris before calling Cora over, who rushes to get the box and leaves just as fast as she came.
“I don’t remember ten-year-olds being so energetic.” Polaris says, taking a sip as she watches Sam open up one of the many pockets on his cargo pants to grab his own juice box. “You’re weird.”
“You’re the weird one.”
“Ooh yeah, you sure got me there. Anyways… You know how I make really, really bad decisions?”
Sam nods, a smug smile on his face to tease her, earning an even deeper frown from her.
“I have no idea what you’re talking about, but go on.” There’s sarcasm in his voice, trying to ease her nerves.
“I think I made another bad one.” She mumbles out, her voice soft and low and her gaze avoiding Sam’s.
“You didn’t contact- “
Polaris immediately cuts him, almost in a panic. “No, I wouldn’t! She’s kind of a terrible person, and she scares me, and she’s also your ex. That’s just a no-no zone. Not in the bro code… No bro zone…”
He sighs. “I meant YOUR ex, not mine. Why would you even think of her first?”
“I’m surrounded by Coes right now, and I’m full of anxiety. But, as I was trying to say… I may, or may not…”
There’s impatience in Sam’s eyes, but also restraint. He knows that if he pushes her, she’ll simply explode. Whether in a metaphorical or in a literal way, he doesn’t want to find out.
They stare into each other’s’ eyes for an uncomfortable amount of time, Polaris’ eyes nervously darting around before she blurts out what’s been building up in her.
“I’m not beating the allegations Sam, I’ve got the hots for Sarah.”
That’s… it? There’s relief in both of them. Polaris, from having let her feelings out, and Sam, from thinking that she had done something terrible.
“That uh… Good for you, pal.”
“So… Do you…. Think that I have a chance?” She’s fidgeting with her fingers again, but she’s more at ease than she was mere seconds ago.
“I mean, you should just get yourself out there, test the waters a bit. Take her along for the next few trips, get some rapport going.”
Sam feels as if he’s talking to one of the junior rangers, like he used to back in the past, but Polaris doesn’t seem to mind- she’s always been the type to follow instructions to the letter when given any, and this time, she’s taking Sam’s words to heart. First step, visit Vladimir, in the hopes of getting new information. Second step, check out that information. Last step, go back to the Lodge. All of this done with Sarah by her sides, and hopefully with detours to see her out of her element.
“Sam. Sam wait.” Her eyes open wide as a thought passes through her brain, and she’s tapping his arm to get his attention, which she already had. “So you know how we have the same tastes in women,”
This much is true – when peeking in Sam’s bedroom (with his permission, of course, and accompanied by him, even), back in Akila, she’d inadvertently stumbled upon an old tablet of his while searching for Solomon Coe comics. Sam forgetting what was on it, and Polaris overtaken by curiosity, had turned it on, and found nothing but pictures of scantily clad men and women. Sam’s sudden burst of shame was quickly washed away by Polaris going ‘Holy shit man, we had the same crushes!’
It doesn’t take much for Sam to cut her once more. “No, I don’t have the hots for her. If you say that one more time, I’ll lock you up in my ship again.”
“Ew, that’s kind of illegal and gross.” She replies, kicking a bit of the rubber gravel towards him, just enough to sprinkle some over his shoes.
He kicks back, exaggerating his movements in a childish way. “You’re one to talk about illegal stuff. You’ve ever heard of white collar crime?”
“Yes, and I’m good at it. At least now I have a reason to put all that money to good use. I’ll take Sarah to Paradiso, like she’s been talking about, and then I’ll get a good grade in ‘making your crush happy’.” Polaris snickers, before pulling her tongue out at him.
They share a chuckle, their hopes high for what is to come. Polaris more so than Sam, but still, he’s curious to see what will happen between her and Sarah. The soft breeze that sweeps upon their faces swells her heart with newfound confidence, a feeling which Sam immediately rips out of her.
“You have a thing for whoever your superior is, huh. First your old Ryujin boss, now Sarah…”
“Sam, I don’t think I’m in the right mental space to be called out on my taste in women right now.”
“I’m just sayin’.”