Tickets

                            By:

                         Fox Cutter

2/14/96:

I threw my back pack onto the couch, and sank down into it.
Laying back, staring at the ceiling, I sighed a bit.

"Something wrong?" Oria asked, looking down from the
kitchen.

"Not much. I have a teacher I'm having problems trying to
talk to." I said, pulling my jacket off.

"Oh, what's wrong?"

I shrugged, "Apparently he didn't like me doing one of the
projects how it said to in the book. I figure I would talk
to him, find out what I need to do, and he can revise the
book."

Oria nodded a bit, coming down the stairs, "I see. To change
the subject, but I've gotten everything set up, just like I
said I would."

I sat up, "Really, So what exactly is this idea of yours
that might help?"

She grinned, and handed me a small pamphlet. Raising my
eyebrows I took it, and flip through the pages. It appeared
to be an add for a two week inter-galactic cruise a few
universes over. It landed on seven planets, and three moons,
would have dining and dance, and an sun dive half way
through the trip.

I shrugged, handing it back, "Nice, not my style though. I
would stick out like a sore thumb. Anyway, I some how doubt
I could afford it."

Sitting down next to me, she grinned widely, "Well... yes.
But think about it, it's through five open verses, so you
wouldn't stick out anymore then you normal would there. It
will be relaxing, no one should be trying to kill you. And
it will help with your fears."

I nodded, "So, that's all fine and good, but I'm still not
interested."

She shook her head with her eyes closed, "Come on Fox! You
yourself say you never get out. Well this is your chance.
You can meet people from all over, maybe make some friends
that could come in handy in the future. Maybe even find a
good looking women you can get involved with."

I gave a crock-eye grin, "Well, all of those are good
points, especially the last one." I grinned as I said this,
though I did notice that there was a slight fade in the
glint of her eyes. Though it must have been just from the
light of the first sun setting outside.

"But...?"

"There is still no way in any verse I could afford it." I
said, shrugging.

She grinned, and handed the pamphlet back, "Look in the back
page."

I raised an eyebrow again, but looked. In the very back,
tucked into a lose-leaf was two tickets. I pulled them out
and looked them over, "Holly shit! Oria, how the hell did
you get the cash for these!?"

She winked, "One of my little secrets. So, want to go."

I grinned at her, but the grin slowly faded as I read the
tickets. "This trip starts on the twenty-fourth. I'm not out
of school till the twentieth of next month."

She shook her head again, "Fox, it's only two weeks. Use a
Bio-drone."

I sighed, "You know my feelings about those things."

Looking me strait in the eye, she said, "Fox, seriously,
what is the worst thing that can possibly happen if you take
this trip?"

"I could flunk out."

She rolled her eyes, "You've said that there really is no
real hard work you need to do. Why not get as much as you
can out of the way before we leave, then you can afford to
miss two weeks."

I rolled it over in my head, the nodded, "Your right. Your
absolutely fraging right! I could pull this off, even with a
Bio-drone!"

"So you'll go?"

"Yes, it sounds fun!" I grinned as I said it.

"Thanks!" she said, kissed me on the cheek, then run up
stairs to her room.

I rubbed my cheek a bit, 'What was that for?' I wondered to
myself.