That’s when I had a genius idea. Frankie was only nine when the asteroid hit. To be in a situation like that at such a young age can be devastating. Fourteen was young too, but I got to do a lot of things that Frankie would never be able to do. I went to school dances, traveled, and the list went on. Frankie missed out on her childhood and had to grow up really fast. So, I thought about how happy she’d be finding the piece of chocolate and came to a decision that I would hide the chocolate kiss somewhere in her things, so that she’d think she found it on her own.Entering my room, I remained as still as possible, listening for any sound or movement. I waited.
After seconds of silence, I tiptoed over to the nightstand, next to Frankie’s bed, quietly opened the drawer, placed the kiss on top of a notebook, and closed the drawer. Then, I removed the rest of the items in my pocket and wrapped them up in the letter Owen gave me and tucked them safely under my cot.
At dinner, I plopped down next to Grace as our plates were being distributed. “I came to your room today,” she commented. “You weren’t there. Where did you go?”
I took my plate and passed the rest down to the next person. “Oh,” I answered quickly. “I was around. Did you need something?”
She shrugged. “I just wanted to see if you wanted to go to the rec after dinner. Maybe we could play checkers or something.”
I smiled. “Definitely. That sounds fun.” Honestly, it sounded boring. With the amount of action that had taken place in the last couple weeks, returning to normal every day colony life was a major adjustment.
Colin sat down across from us, with Molly Edwards. “What’s up, girls?”
“Nothing,” I replied. My answer was short yet cordial. I never elaborated or struck up a conversation with him, but I simply remained polite to save myself from any future arguments.
“Same here,” said Grace. “How about with you?”Grace didn’t stay mad at Colin for long. He explained to her that he had nothing to do with Monica’s disappearance. He also said that Mr. Baker had formed that plan on his own, before he got his father and Mr. Edwards involved.
He smirked. “Not too much.” After that he turned his attention to Molly and proceeded to flirt with her in front of me.
Occasionally, I’d catch him, out of the corner of my eye, trying to sneak a peek at me without seeming too obvious. He was about as obvious as a T-Rex watching a field full of brontosauruses. I knew exactly what he was trying to do. And I knew for sure that the jealousy I’d once felt when I watched him flirt with Molly Edwards before would never return again.
In the rec, I sat across from Grace on the dirt floor, with a stern face, trying to decipher my next move. Grace glanced at the checkerboard, then back up at me. “You could move there.” She pointed to an empty red square.
“Don’t help me!” I scolded. She was already annihilating me, and had way too many pieces left on the board.
“I’m just trying to help,” she stated.
“It would help me if your pieces just magically disappeared,” I joked. And we shared a laugh.
Getting back to my move, I started to slide my piece forward. Grace shook her head. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” she warned.
I grinned. “You’re not me.”
The truth was, I was tired of playing. I just wanted to go back to my room, lie down on my cot and relax. So, I continued moving my piece forward, knowing that as soon as I took my hand off of it, Grace was going to jump me four times and the game would be over.
Grace’s eyes sparkled as she picked up one of her pieces. “One. Two. Three. Four!” She made her move, swiped all of my pieces off of the board and snapped her fingers. “I win!”
“Darn it,” I whined with a bit of anguish in my voice, trying to sound believable.
“Maybe next time, eh, Georgie,” Grace teased.
“That’s what you say every time.”
On my way to my room, Frankie met up with me in the hall. “Where were you?” She looked around the hall warily.
“Getting my ass kicked in checkers by Grace.”
“Don’t swear,” she said.
“Sorry,” I corrected myself. “Getting my “butt” kicked in checkers.”
Frankie stopped mid-step in the middle of the hallway and grabbed me by the arm. I watched her intensely as she stifled a look around the hall. She seemed worried. Frankie was rarely ever like that so I was instantly concerned. “Is there something wrong?” I patted her shoulder gently and she faced me.
“Come with me,” she demanded and drug me down the hall to our room. “Someone has been in my things.”
“What?”
Inside, I flopped backward on my cot when it dawned on me that she found the kiss that I’d put in her drawer.
Propping myself up with my elbow, I kept my eyes on her as she rooted through her drawer. Then, Frankie removed the kiss and brought it over to over to me. “It’s chocolate,” she said. “I don’t know how it got in my drawer because it wasn’t in there yesterday.”
“Chocolate,” I said in a hushed voice. Then, I peered around the room cautiously, playing along. “If I were you, I’d eat it before anybody can catch you with it.”
Frankie focused on the shiny silver wrapping. “It would be terrible if I let it go to waste. I didn’t even think chocolate existed anymore.”
“You shouldn’t waste it,” I told her. “Do you know how many people down here would fight you for that piece of candy?”
She closed her fingers around the kiss and looked at me solemnly. “You’re not going to tell anybody are you?”
I pretended to zip my lips. “You have my word. I won’t utter a peep.”
The crinkling sound of the wrapper filled the quiet room and Frankie marveled at the chocolate in her hand. She held it out to me. “Do you want to share it?”
The gesture made me beam, a gleeful feeling writhed in my veins. Even though she had a big mouth, Frankie really was the kindest, most generous little girl, and she had a bigger heart than most adults.
I shook my head. “You enjoy it. Maybe one day, I’ll find my own chocolate kiss.”
“Are you sure, Georgie? Isn’t it rude if I eat it in front of you and don’t offer you any?”
“No. Besides, I don’t want any.”
Slowly, Frankie rested the chocolate against her lips. She moved her mouth, shot her tongue out and pushed the kiss back. It rested against her tongue and I smiled as tears formed in her eyes. “This was one of the best days of my new life,” she said through her mouthful.
She chewed the chocolate and brushed her tongue against her lips for a second time as I lifted my arms and she buried her head in my shoulder. Never in a million years did I think that one, single, solitary piece of chocolate could have that much of a lasting effect on a twelve year old. In the times that we were living in, it was those simple things like a piece of chocolate that could make your entire year or as Frankie said, “one of the best days of my new life.” And I was more than thrilled to be the one that gave her one of those days.
That night, I agreed to let Frankie sleep with me and after an hour of her kicking me, rolling over, elbowing me in the gut, and shouting I knew that I’d made a mistake in allowing it.
“Ouch!” I yelped as she kicked me in the shin for the fourth time. Finally, I’d had enough of sharing a cot with her and moved from mine over to hers.