"We need to find a way to contact all the Perfects around the world. Even the ones planning to board the Mayflower. Actually... especially the ones planning to board the Mayflower."

-Declan Kunkle

TEMPEST

I can barely tell if my cheeks are flushed because of the heat from the cake in front of me or because of Yuri's breath landing on me. He's leaning into me, so close that I can't only feel his breath on my cheek, but also on my neck. Every inhalation sends tingles through me, and once again... my brain hates me. Mostly because my lips can't stop smiling and my stupid laugh can't keep from chiming in after everything Yuri says.

"Remember that time in Petra," he starts, laughing along with me, "when Rafi shaved his head just before one of the big council meetings?"

The memory replays in my mind, and I can't help but laugh even harder. "And he didn't realize how dimpled his head was until that moment, so he kept rubbing it."

"And everyone was whispering about him touching his head so much."

"It wasn't even the look of his skull, it was how obsessed he was with it."

"So then the whole rest of the evening he wore a hat."

I wipe away the tears that have collected in the corners of my eyes from laughing so hard. "But it was the only one he could find in Petra, so it was that stupid trucker style in white and red."

He laughs even harder before adding the best part of the whole story: "With the words 'Warning: Driving While Sexy'."

My sides hurt, I'm laughing so hard, but somehow I manage to get out, "The hat was way worse than the head or the rubbing."

"So much worse," he agrees mid-laugh.

We both allow the other to catch their breath,, and when Yuri sees I've finally caught mine, reaches the small distance between us, lifts my fork, and serves me a small bite of the chocolate cake in front of me. My laughter fades away as I am suddenly face to face with the undeniable reality of my situation: I'm rewarding a spoiled brat who demanded my presence on the Mayflower, who demanded I lose at least 26 years of my life to this trip, and who is now basking in the glow of my forgiveness by feeding me. Like he already means something to me. I have to stop this. My brain finally drowns out my heart. I'll lean into this experience to make it amicable, but I won't lean in so far as to let Yuri win. Not this easily.

"Stop," I say, no louder than a whisper, but as sternly as a yell.

His brows furrow. "What is it? Have I finally done too much?"

My sternness wavers behind a small smile. "Yes, I think it's finally too much. Yuri, you're not my boyfriend. You and I barely know each other."

"We've known each other for years."

"Barely. And only in passing for years, it's not like we've been close for years. We've been going to the same parties for years, and standing mostly in opposite corners. There's a difference."

He scoffs to himself. "You're right. I'm sorry." He leans away from me and sets the fork back down on my plate.

"Why me? Why is it me who you want on this ship? Why not any of the other girls who were at all those parties? You're Yuri Oshiro... you can pretty much take your pick of any of them."

"You've seen attractive guys before, right?" he asks.

Uh, yeah, I'm looking at one right now. "Uh huh."

"And I bet you wrote a bunch of them off, right?"

I nod, a sneaky smile creeping through my lips. That's exactly what I've done with you, Yuri. Only I've left my feelings open for curiosity, too.

"It's like that. The other girls who I could choose from, the other girls who I've known, they haven't ever really had any substance. I could never talk to them about anything. And then there you were. You were always involved in the politics and diplomacy your parents were. You helped set up communities with clean water and shelter, you helped children feel better about the aftermath of the war and about rebuilding, you were the face of America's branch of the World Alliance, even though your parents were the true ambassadors."

I scoff. "The Americas are big, Yuri, it's not just Old United States."

"No matter, you were the face of it all. The Western Hemisphere, everything. You were... you are its representative. And you're only nineteen-years-old."

Something in my brain shifts to side with my heart. "That's a big statement to make. How did you know I did all of that? I had a lot of help, you know."

"I paid attention. I wanted to know, for Japan's future, for future diplomacy. I needed to know that if I would one day be the emperor, I would have a strong ally. And then my paying attention turned to admiration, turned to interest. There's no other girl with as much substance or ability to make us all a life on Janus than you."

"Thank you," I say, not really sure what else there is to say. I lift the fork from my plate and take the bite of cake, hoping that maybe that will keep me from saying anything my head or heart would regret. Something like, let's give this a shot, or I need some distance for a while.

But then he says something that shocks me: "We haven't taken off yet, Tempest. You can disembark if you want. Before tomorrow's launch... before you are stuck with me. If you don't want to be here, you don't have to be."

"Really?" I ask, so eagerly that some of the cake crumbs spill back onto the plate from my mouth.

He smiles. "Really."

"What about my family?"

"Well, I don't know about them. I'm pretty sure they're needed on board. But you could have a life on Earth if you preferred it that way." He stands from the table and rests his palm on my back. "You decide. I won't make you do anything you don't want to do. If I see you after the launch, then I'll be the happiest guy you've ever seen. But if not, I won't ever blame you for leaving."

Is it just me or are his palms heating at my touch? He lifts his hand from my back, and with a quick smile, leaves me in the dining room. When he opens the door, I see Neo on the other side of it. Yuri gives him a pat on the shoulder as they pass, and Neo enters the room.

"Can I escort you back to your room Ms. Becker?" he asks.

The formality shocks me out of my daze. "Ms. Becker?"

He checks the hall, then leans forward and whispers, "Tempest."

I smile and stand up to join Neo at the door. "He is giving me a choice. I can leave if I want."

The playfulness in Neo's face dissipates. "Will you?"

"I don't know."

"Sleep on it. Just not the whole night in case you want to leave."

"What would you do?" I ask him.

He checks the hall again, then takes me by the arm and escorts me to my room in silence. Finally, after my door is locked and closed, he says, "You can't ask me stuff like that... it makes them think I would influence you either way."

"But I need your opinion. You're from Hicksmon, you know what I'd be leaving behind."

"Tempest... I've already chosen to board the Mayflower. If I were you, I'd stay, but that's me. It's up to you."

"Right," I say, my head spinning. I could go home and find Tempest and keep doing my humanitarian work... or I could be a pioneer on the Mayflower. Suddenly, the choice I wanted so badly to make—to leave this stupid ship—doesn't feel so easy to make. Not if my parents can't come with me, as much as they've betrayed me with this whole thing.

"I'd like it if you stayed," Neo says. Once again, I'm shocked out of my daze.

"What? Why?"

He shrugs. "Who else am I going to be a smart ass with? Also, who else am I going to take care of? You're Yuri's only lady on board."

I smirk. "Uh huh. You just want me around, because you'd miss me, don't lie."

His demeanor quickly shifts. "I would," he says, without a drop of sarcasm. "I would definitely miss you."

I suddenly feel sick. This is all too much. "I have a lot of thinking to do, could you give me some privacy? If you haven't heard from me at, like, 3:00 in the morning, come in to check on me."

"Will do," he says with an awkward nod before leaving the room.

Now that I'm alone, I have much more to think about than just what's going on with Yuri. Now there's some weird tension between me and Neo too. Not saying I don't like it... I do... but I also kind of like the attention from Yuri, and thirteen years is a long time to be cooped up with a love triangle.

Maybe I should leave, after all.

What do I want?

My head is so full of questions that finally it can't take them all anything, and I drown them out by closing my eyes, and falling asleep.