The Mars Project by Julie Steimle (i can read with my eyes shut TXT) 📕

Zormna tried to smile but it didn’t seem to help. She shook her head.

Jennifer glanced at her watch and then grabbed Zormna’s arm. “We’re late for Biology. We can talk about this later.”

Zormna let Jennifer save her from embarrassing herself further. She waved goodbye to Sam. He waved back, looking puzzled as he stood alone in the hallway.

“So, are you going to be her partner?” Adam asked with a bemused grin, leaning against the lockers. He had followed at a safe distance.

Sam still watched Zormna go, still puzzled. “I think so.” He laughed to himself. Then looking up, he asked, “Hey, what are you doing for the fair?”

Adam smiled. “I’m on the entertainment committee. You got any suggestions?”

Sam smiled a moment then glanced back at where Zormna and Jennifer ran off to and nodded. “Yeah, I got one.”

They met a two hours later at lunch not far from the redtop near the senior lawn. Sam started to rattle off ideas, and Jennifer and Zormna listened. Zormna sat cross-legged on the grass, folding her arm across her stomach with her chin with her other hand while Jennifer sat with her notebook in hand, taking down notes. She wrote down nearly everything he suggested.

“If we can get authentic Irish costumes, we can dress up. And we can set up the booth in green, or we can drape the Irish flag over the back and serve an authentic Irish food. I’m sure you know some, Zormna. And then we can also have some Celtic music playing. I have some of pictures of Ireland from my trip. I can have those put on a poster.” He said as he took in both girls’ expressions. Neither girl appeared enthusiastic.

“What?” he asked.

Zormna sighed, giving a glance to Jennifer. “I don’t know any Irish recipes. I don’t cook. And I ate in a cafeteria.”

Jennifer nodded. “I don’t know any either. Mom and Dad are all-American food fans. And that’s one thing Miss Bianchi wants. She wants,” quoting her, “a taste of the culture.”

“You have got to be kidding. Zormna, don’t you even have a favorite food?” Sam peered at them both in dismay.

Zormna shrugged apologetically. “No. Not really. I told you. I ate in a cafeteria.

Sam laughed aloud. “Not even corned beef and cabbage?”

Zormna shook her head, not recalling ever even eating something that sounded like that, even on Earth. “Nope. Is that casserole?”

Sam sighed. “A stew.”

“Oh, I like stew,” Zormna lifted her head, looking to Jennifer. “And soup.”

Jennifer chuckled. Zormna loved things that did not require she used a fork or knife. Spoons, Zormna could handle. Apparently her people mostly ate with their fingers and spoons.

“Well then, what are we going to do now?” Sam muttered.

“Why don’t you just drag a recipe off the Internet?” Jeff replied. He was sitting not far off, eating a lettuce and tomato sandwich.

All three of them looked up.

“You have heard of the Internet, right?” Jeff asked, smirking.

Scowling, Zormna snapped back, “Of course we have. But our teacher got after Todd for using it on the last fair. I don’t think we’re allowed to.”

Jennifer bit her lip and shook her head. “She didn’t say that.”

“What?” Zormna turned back to face Jennifer, her voice reaching an annoyed pitch. “But you said—”

“She was just mad because he printed off a website and played a tape,” Jennifer said, “That took him only about ten minutes to do. What she wants is major effort.”

“Major effort?” Zormna groaned, closing her eyes.

Sam laughed with a look at them both. “Alright then. We’ll get a recipe off the Internet, and you’ll cook something,” he decided, looking at Zormna.

“I. Don’t. Cook,” Zormna sputtered again, raising her hands, though she was still surprised that he didn’t understand when she said it the first time. “I was a raised a—”

He laughed, his eyes showing true amusement. “Come on, all girls can cook.”

“It is not a genetic predisposition—” Zormna stared at him now, wondering what he was implying.

But Jennifer recognized Zormna’s increasing glare and broke in.

“Uh, I’ll do the cooking.” Then looking at the list she copied, Jennifer said, “Ok, then, where can we find authentic Irish outfits?”

Sam looked to Zormna. “Doesn’t she have any?”

Zormna stared at him like he was an idiot for a full second before she rose, nodded once to Jennifer with a slight look to Jeff. Then she stretched out her arms and walked back and forth as if she was modeling. “Like it?”

Jennifer burst out laughing. Kevin, who had been glaring at Sam the entire time, rolled his eyes. Darren sat nearby, watching silently. Most of the boys at Brian’s table were also watching.

Staring at her as she strutted, Sam cocked his head then let out a small laugh, though he seemed disappointed. Despite that, Jeff was grinning and shaking his head, though the rest of his table on the redtop wondered what she was doing.

“I don’t get it?” Mark said, looking at her up and down.

Jonathan tossed his lunch bag at him. “What do you expect Irish people to look like? They dress like us. It’s a global economy.”

Brian laughed, shaking his head wearily.

“Yeah, but that’s not what Miss Bianchi is after,” Adam said, placing his banana peel on top of his lunch tray. Darren shifted from him, frowning. He had been listening quietly since the two boys converged on Zormna after their Chemistry class, almost pushing him away, though Zormna insisted he stay.

Jennifer nodded with a moan. “He’s right. Maybe we should go for the leprechaun look.”

Jeff laughed even louder, this time nearly choking on his sandwich. “I can just see it, three little green men—or as they put it, one wee lad and two lassies.”

Brian laughed also. “Yeah, put on antenna, and you can do a two for one, Zormna.”

That drew out a scowl from their blonde gal. With a plop down on the grass she shook her head vigorously.

“It’s Ireland, not a fool fest,” Zormna said. “If your criticism isn’t constructive, I suggest you not say anything.”

Jeff only smirked more as he looked up innocently. He finished off his sandwich then started on his juice. After swallowing, he said, “Well, how absurd do you want to make this? Jennifer’s never been there, and you never left your school. Only Sam here has a clue what to do. Why don’t you take his suggestions?”

Sam turned his gaze to Zormna. She listened to Jeff, but she looked like she’d rather get her teeth pulled than take any of the suggestions that had been made. However, after one look at Jeff, she surrendered with a nod.

“Wait a second,” Brian said, lifting his head. He pointed to Jeff. “You’ve been to Ireland. Don’t you have any souvenirs you can donate to their booth?”

On the spot, Jeff shook his head, watching all the eyes turn on him. “No, Bri. Don’t you remember? I told you, my dad unceremoniously dropped me at the school and nowhere else. The only souvenirs I brought back from Ireland were these two scars,” he said, pointing to his nose and face.

“That is enough!” Zormna jumped to her feet. Her face was immediately red and hot. “I’m not sitting here and listening to another word out of you!” She leaned up to Jeff so that they were nearly nose to nose. “You just can’t let that alone, can you?”

Picking up her things, Zormna stormed away. Darren followed, shaking his head gravely at Jeff.

The entire group looked at Jeff as she tromped up the hill, fuming.

“Well, there goes that.” Jennifer tossed her folder closed. 

Sam looked up at Jeff with a blank stare and then at Zormna walking away. “What was that?”

Brian, Mark, and Jonathan all glanced at one another.

“I’m done,” Mark announced, packing his lunch up quickly.

“Me too,” Jonathan and Brian replied.

Jeff rolled his eyes, leaning back against the picnic table with a mild groan while his friends cleared out, leaving the two newcomers alone with him. Equally lost in thought, Adam stared after Zormna the same as Sam, his confused glances at Jeff and the departing boys.

“Just an old argument,” Jeff said to Sam with his usual casual shrug.

Adam laughed, looking back again. “You’re kidding.”

With another shrug, Jeff placed the remains of his lunch into his bag. “Yeah, I should go too.”

Sam wouldn’t let it drop, following him. “What kind of argument?”

“An old one,” Jeff said again, refusing to elaborate. He picked up his bag then walked off the redtop, dumping his bag in the trashcan. His stride took him quickly out of the center of the campus.

Both boys watched him with amazement as his brevity.

Sam turned back towards Jennifer who had remained at her lunch spot. “What was that?”

Jennifer shrugged, gathering her things also with a peek to Kevin who silently agreed to vacate the area with her. “That’s nothing. Bad…you know…history. Jeff just doesn’t get along with Zormna.”

Adam hopped after her. “Are you kidding? Come on, Jennifer, everyone notices it. They are almost always together. He’s always, I dunno, watching out for her. He’s always teasing her. And I have heard something like a thousand rumors about them. Half the school is buzzing that they were an old couple once and they had a vicious breakup. And I heard some other kids say that he and she snuck off at camp and…you know…”

Jennifer paled, shaking her head at that. “She’d never…”

Kevin agreed with a cringe next to his girlfriend. “She’d kick his teeth in.”

“Ok! Ok…but, what really happened?” Adam looked exasperated and hopeful at the same time. “I mean, is she available?”

Seeing Adam for real this time, understanding his intentions, Jennifer said, “You don’t really understand Zormna. She’s all soldier. She’s not available to anyone.” Then sighing, Jennifer shook her head. “As for Jeff and Zormna, no. They have never been an item. It is the reverse. They are barely friends. And honestly, if Jeff wants to tell you, he’ll tell you. He’s pretty open about stuff like that.”

“Come on.” Sam stepped closer also, almost cornering Jennifer between Adam and him, until Kevin stepped to her side and whispered they ought to stay out of it. “Why is it a big secret?”

Kevin said, “It’s not a secret. They met at Zormna’s old school in Ireland—totally by chance. And in some kind of fight, Zormna broke his nose. Jeff isn’t exactly over it. And he brings it up occasionally. And whenever he does, Zormna gets mad, because she claims it was an accident.”

“Seriously?” Sam laughed.

“That’s what he said.” Jennifer shrugged. “He was there for two weeks, apparently.”

“So, she broke his nose in a fight?” Adam asked, just to make sure he heard right. “For real?”

Jennifer nodded.

“Zormna,” Sam said to make sure. “As in five foot tall—”

“Military trained martial artist,” Kevin cut in. “You did see her throw Bradley Hershott the other day, didn’t you?”

Adam and Sam blanched.

“What was the fight about?” Adam asked, now breathless.

Jennifer shrugged again. “Zormna says it was an accident, but Jeff claims it was on purpose. Something about him trying sneak out of the school, and she caught him doing it.”

“Maybe he tried to kiss her,” Sam murmured, elbowing Adam in the side.

“Zormna really does hate being hit on then, huh?” Adam asked sadly.

It was impossible for her not to grin at that. Jennifer shrugged once more. “Yep.”

Sam frowned and shook his head. “She really is weird. I thought it was odd that Jeff warned us from her.”

Kevin rubbed his temple, thinking over the things he knew about the pair. But Jennifer nodded in relief. And she wondered vaguely how many times she would have to tell that story.

*

Zormna sighed while sitting on the grass and pulling up the last dandelion from the front lawn. The McLennas’ lawn had never looked so good, not even when Todd had done all the mowing. Not only did Zormna regularly mow it, but she also weeded the garden and trimmed the hedges. Her own house lacked such thorough care—as she didn’t have the time except for on spare weekends. Her exhaustion under her servitude with the McLennas was stripping her