by Jaz Johnson
“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Saphora said to Maverick, who was on the other end of her phone. Maverick scoffed, shaking his head as he put one arm through his leather jacket, holding the phone to his ear by pressing it between his cheek and shoulder.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m pretty sure this is going to go down as the coolest thing I’ve ever done,” he reassured. Saphora shook her head, unable to help grinning at the light hearted attitude to what was probably a crime.
“Right after going to jail, right?”
“Oh I highly doubt we’re going to get caught. I mean, what are they going to say to the court? That you spawned fire? Right,” he scoffed, sliding his other arm through his jacket, now able to hold the phone properly. “Besides, if I do go to jail, I’ve got you to bail me out. Or the water dragon here.”
“Drakon,” they heard Hydra correct from the background.
“Potato,” Maverick spat.
“How are you going to get to the office?” Saphora asked, closing the house door behind her. Fran had already left for the day, and she was just heading out to start walking to Lupin’s office. Flying was still not acceptable to her. And it probably wouldn’t be, until she met and befriended whatever was thought to make the noise that caused her to fall.
“I’m going to borrow Jared’s car. It’s going to be a gray Honda. I’ll probably be parked around the corner. You can call me when you walk out, and I’ll tell you where I am.” Saphora nodded.
“Where is Hydra going to be?”
“She’ll be in the car.” Saphora sighed.
“Okay.”
“Are you alright? You don’t sound like you want to do this anymore,” Maverick pointed out, pausing in his steps towards the front door of his apartment, where Hydra was waiting in her sunglasses and baseball cap.
“No, I do. I would love nothing more than to make Lupin’s life even just a little harder. I just know Fran won’t approve.”
“Wait, you’re not going to tell her, are you?”
“No, but I know Lupin will accuse me.”
“And Fran wouldn’t believe the story you tell her?”
“I don’t like to lie to her …”
“Well, for the sake of getting away with this, you might have to.”
“Yeah … I know. I’m just not looking forward to it.”
“I know. It’s never easy to lie to someone you care about. But hey, maybe when everything’s going a little more smoothly, you can come clean about everything.” Saphora huffed, nodding.
“Yeah, on my way home,” she scoffed. Maverick paused, but made a note not to do so for long.
“I’m sure it’ll be fine,” he coaxed. “I’m going to … get Hydra ready to go out. Can’t have her looking strange, right?” he said, knowing that she would be in a car with tinted windows.
“Okay, good luck.”
“Same to you. And remember. Just relax.” Saphora nodded.
“Right, relax,” Saphora sighed, moving the phone from her ear and ending the call. Maverick frowned once the call ended, and slowly lowered the phone into the front pocket of his jeans as he exhaled a breath. Hydra studied him and his body language and he lethargically zipped up his jacket and made his way over to her and the front door. But before she could question him about his behavior, he spoke up.
“Hey … When Saphora goes home … she’s not coming back, is she?” he solemnly asked, averting his eyes from hers. She paused, blinking behind the shades. She felt for the boy. She saw the way he looked at her. As Dolphus looked at Vida. Longing to be with someone he thought would forever be out of his reach.
“You don’t want her to go, do you?”
“I do. I want her to meet her family, save her world, and be happy,” he argued with raised eyebrows. Hydra shook her head.
“Then why are you not?” Maverick paused.
“Because I want to be there when she does it.” Hydra’s brows furrowed in confusion.
“Do you not plan on being?” Maverick looked over at her, now being the one in confusion.
“I said I want to be,” he repeated. Hydra opened the front door, making Maverick take a step back.
“Then be there. There’s enough room on the ship for you too, Maverick.”