Chapter 91: [91] Two Steps Forward
October 7, 5:47am
Disgusting. This corner store worker has trash taste.
Xavier scowled at the energy drink in his hand, the lurid green liquid sloshing inside its plastic container. The label promised "XTREME KIWI BLAST," but delivered something closer to liquefied candy with a chemical aftertaste. Still, caffeine was caffeine, and after a sleepless night, he needed whatever he could get.
He leaned against the ferry rail, salt spray occasionally misting his face as the boat cut through the early morning waters. The sunglasses Ashley had given him—high-end Maison Crystalline with subtle pink-tinted lenses—proved their worth against the rising sun. The horizon glowed orange and pink, painting the waters between Nexus Point and the mainland in shifting colors.
Most of Class 1-D had scattered across the ferry, finding places to doze or stare zombie-like at their phones. Nobody looked happy about the 4:30 AM assembly time for their field trip to the controlled gate environment near San Francisco. Professor Valdez and Fox had been ruthlessly cheerful about it, though.
Footsteps approached from his right. He didn’t need to turn to know who it was. Ashley Martin’s perfume reached him first. She settled against the railing beside him, her shoulder almost but not quite touching his.
Xavier glanced over. Ashley wore hiking boots beneath fitted thermal leggings and a cream-colored parka. Her blonde hair was pulled into a messy bun, with stray strands framing her face in a way that looked elegant. Those unusual pink-purple eyes of hers surveyed the horizon with the same intensity she brought to everything.
They stood in comfortable silence for several minutes, watching the sunrise together. Ashley Martin was undeniably beautiful, but there was something else about her—a carefully maintained distance, a wall between herself and others that felt oddly familiar to him.
"You look like hell," Ashley finally said, not turning from the view.
Xavier snorted. "Good morning to you too."
"Those glasses look good on you, though." A hint of satisfaction colored her voice. "I have excellent taste."