of zebra grazing somewhere. She was getting behind the rest of the class in this course and got back into it, watching the professor's latest lecture and going through the other students' comments and questions. Her mom would be checking her progress with her classes when she came home soon and April didn't want to spoil her return with an immediate controversy.
She set her hand pad to the side, with the stocks she was holding streaming. If they traded up or down, the color change would catch her eye. Multitasking her lessons, the live screen and music, as well as the market quotes, felt about right. Less would be boring.
She figured Art wore an Earth style blazer to conceal his weapon. If her idea worked out with Heather, that was something she'd need. She thought she could accomplish it with a little more style for herself. While she was still at the com she did a search for costumes - capes and found a theatrical supply which carried them. She ordered several of them in various sizes and fabrics.
If she made gifts of them to the right people, they would be a common sight in no time. She arranged FedEx delivery. Every time she tried UPS they ripped her for some new fee, or they had the customs broker in their pocket to add charges.
A sudden flurry of activity caught her eye on the wall screen. She looked up just in time to see all the zebra exit the cam view, in a dusty desperate scramble. Behind them a sleek shape ripped through the coarse tan grass, almost the same color and too low to see clearly. Lion! she immediately guessed.
This is how I felt this morning with Art, she thought, watching the zebra scatter. I don't ever want to feel that way again. If I have to play the game at all, I want to be the lioness.
All the fatigue of the stressful day weighed on her at once, so she said, "Log-off," went in her room telling the room "lights out," and lay face down on her bed without even undressing. I'll just catch a little nap before supper, she thought and was asleep before she had drawn her second breath.
Chapter 6
April woke up with her face on a cold slobber spot. She rolled away disgusted and called the lights up. The screen clock said Tuesday, October 5, 2083 - 06:32. She stumbled into her bathroom, a little stunned from sleeping too long and peeled off the clothes she'd slept in. When she had a pile made, she kicked the whole thing outside the door. The entire tiny room became a shower stall with the door closed. It was small, but nonetheless, it was still an uncommon luxury on station, to have a private bath of any size. At first she soaped up in a warm mist, but ordered the shower cooler by degrees, until it was chill enough to be a little jarring before she cut the flow. That chased away the last lingering traces of the fogginess. Instead of an air blast she took a towel from storage and rubbed hard with the coarse material between her toes and behind her knees, the sensation invigorating.
April thought about her supper tonight with Heather and Jeff. She didn't want to wear sweats, even nice ones, like she did so often. Out of the shower she picked something nicer, black tights and a long belted black tunic with a hood.
When she left her room her dad was sitting at the com with a mug of coffee, working. It was a workday but he was in casual clothes, jeans and an Earth style print shirt. What she became sure of as she got closer and inspected her dad, was he had been up all night. There was stubble on his chin, droopiness around his eyes and the back of the shirt was all wrinkled from leaning back in the chair. He worked hard as director. They didn't allow him an assistant or secretary, using one Earthside by com instead, but pulling an all-nighter was unusual.
She walked around the back of the com desk to avoid the camera, got her own mug of coffee and a couple biscuit sandwiches started in the microwave to take the edge off her hunger. She pulled a chair over outside the camera range and started on the
She set her hand pad to the side, with the stocks she was holding streaming. If they traded up or down, the color change would catch her eye. Multitasking her lessons, the live screen and music, as well as the market quotes, felt about right. Less would be boring.
She figured Art wore an Earth style blazer to conceal his weapon. If her idea worked out with Heather, that was something she'd need. She thought she could accomplish it with a little more style for herself. While she was still at the com she did a search for costumes - capes and found a theatrical supply which carried them. She ordered several of them in various sizes and fabrics.
If she made gifts of them to the right people, they would be a common sight in no time. She arranged FedEx delivery. Every time she tried UPS they ripped her for some new fee, or they had the customs broker in their pocket to add charges.
A sudden flurry of activity caught her eye on the wall screen. She looked up just in time to see all the zebra exit the cam view, in a dusty desperate scramble. Behind them a sleek shape ripped through the coarse tan grass, almost the same color and too low to see clearly. Lion! she immediately guessed.
This is how I felt this morning with Art, she thought, watching the zebra scatter. I don't ever want to feel that way again. If I have to play the game at all, I want to be the lioness.
All the fatigue of the stressful day weighed on her at once, so she said, "Log-off," went in her room telling the room "lights out," and lay face down on her bed without even undressing. I'll just catch a little nap before supper, she thought and was asleep before she had drawn her second breath.
Chapter 6
April woke up with her face on a cold slobber spot. She rolled away disgusted and called the lights up. The screen clock said Tuesday, October 5, 2083 - 06:32. She stumbled into her bathroom, a little stunned from sleeping too long and peeled off the clothes she'd slept in. When she had a pile made, she kicked the whole thing outside the door. The entire tiny room became a shower stall with the door closed. It was small, but nonetheless, it was still an uncommon luxury on station, to have a private bath of any size. At first she soaped up in a warm mist, but ordered the shower cooler by degrees, until it was chill enough to be a little jarring before she cut the flow. That chased away the last lingering traces of the fogginess. Instead of an air blast she took a towel from storage and rubbed hard with the coarse material between her toes and behind her knees, the sensation invigorating.
April thought about her supper tonight with Heather and Jeff. She didn't want to wear sweats, even nice ones, like she did so often. Out of the shower she picked something nicer, black tights and a long belted black tunic with a hood.
When she left her room her dad was sitting at the com with a mug of coffee, working. It was a workday but he was in casual clothes, jeans and an Earth style print shirt. What she became sure of as she got closer and inspected her dad, was he had been up all night. There was stubble on his chin, droopiness around his eyes and the back of the shirt was all wrinkled from leaning back in the chair. He worked hard as director. They didn't allow him an assistant or secretary, using one Earthside by com instead, but pulling an all-nighter was unusual.
She walked around the back of the com desk to avoid the camera, got her own mug of coffee and a couple biscuit sandwiches started in the microwave to take the edge off her hunger. She pulled a chair over outside the camera range and started on the
Similar Books
![Celeste Bradley - [Heiress Brides 02]](https://fs.dianahicksbooks.com/616522/thumbs/152x264/celeste-bradley-heiress-brides-02.jpg)
![Lakeshore Chronicles [10] Candlelight Christmas](https://fs.dianahicksbooks.com/572035/thumbs/152x264/lakeshore-chronicles-10-candlelight-christmas.jpg)
