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

HOUSE RIGHT NOW!” Zormna’s voice echoed like a bomb. “I DID NOT AGREE TO DRUGS IN THIS HOUSE, OR ACOHOL!”

Jeff shoved through. The crowd stared up, defiant, almost growling and insufferably fractious. Many of them straightened up with mob-like glares at the small owner. He got to the front, preparing for the worst.

But Darren was already two steps ahead of him, reaching up to her.

“Zormna, get down,” Darren called, though he did not look flustered.

She glared down at him then turned her glare on Jeff as he reached out for her.

“I’LL CALL THE COPS MYSELF—” she started, yelling at Darren.

But Darren shook his head and replied in his casual loud voice, “My mother already did. You guys were too loud. They’re coming to—”

He didn’t get to finish. The crowds stampeded out the door the moment they heard him mention the cops were already on their way. They left a wide mess behind them making a wreck of the front lawn.

Zormna gaped, first at the fleeing crowd, then on Darren. Yet her eyes also turned to the few the original friends who had remained behind.

“How did you…?” she could barely ask Darren, staring at the smug expression on Darren’s face.

He bounced on the balls of his feet, smiling with a shrug. “Sometimes you just have to know the right things to say.”

“Brilliant,” Jeff muttered, staring at him.

Darren looked a little prouder.

Alex went from the doorway to the kitchen, then gazed across the emptying room. Their close friends were sheepishly saying good-bye, including Joy who ducked out with Jennifer McCabe.

Adam stared mournfully at the emptying room, though especially his bare arms. His date had decided to leave before the police arrived.

He glanced up at Zormna apologetically. “Sorry about the mess.”

“Really?” Zormna curtly hopped off the piano bench to the carpet. “Good. Then you can help clean up.”

Adam winced.

Mark and Jonathan were already rising from their card game, collecting their pieces. Brian didn’t look all too pleased with the immediate exit either, but he shrugged and prepared to go.

Seeing him, she said sharply, “Oh…don’t you go, Brian. You’re helping us clean up. You promised me. No mess. And no…” She just shook her head at him, disappointed. “You were supposed to help me.”

Brian frowned, pivoting on his right foot to face her, though he had been hoping to get out of it. However, Jeff walked right up to him and handed him a broom with a chiding look.

Brian gazed at his friend and sighed. “Siding with her?”

“It’s her house.” Jeff smiled with a nod. “And I told you so.”

Brian huffed, but then he laughed, nodding. Jeff did warn them.

Jennifer and Kevin came out of the upstairs attic into the hall then stared down over the banister.

“What happened to the party?” Jennifer asked.

Jeff looked up with a laugh on his lips though he peered at Kevin with masked annoyance. “It’s over.”

Darren glanced up as well. “Zormna found beer at the party. So we decided to end it.”

Jonathan rolled his eyes, and so did Sam who was slightly drunk.

Jennifer nodded and crinkled her nose. “Well, it does smell in here. Maybe you should open the windows.”

“Maybe you should open the windows, Jennifer,” Zormna responded, crossing the room where she righted vase that was spilled on the floor along with a smashed bouquet of flowers she had bought. It was too late to salvage them. “Remember, I have to serve in Oktoberfest tomorrow.”

Jennifer sighed loudly with a nod. They had promised to help out after all.

“Good. And maybe Kevin can check the rooms to see if there are any stragglers,” Zormna continued with a moaning eye-roll.

Jennifer nodded again then looked up at Kevin. He glanced back at Jennifer, patting her on the shoulders and kissing her head. He walked to each door on the second floor and knocked.

“Party’s over. Time to come out,” he said.

Sam staggered to his feet and helped pick up cans and trash.

Zormna peered down at him with disgust. “You’ll need to sober up before you drive home.”

“I think I can make it.” He sat on the couch and smiled.

Zormna shook her head at him and continued to clean up the room. Three couples stumbled out of the upstairs, nearly half drunk themselves though one was worse. Kevin also tossed out the three boys that had gone back into Zormna’s junk room, digging through the boxes to find ‘alien artifacts’. They had peered around the place remarking that they didn’t even find her radio equipment. Kevin walked them down the stairs, making sure they would leave, though he confiscated a few items also. Just junk.

“That’s all up there,” he said to Zormna.

Zormna nodded appreciatively. “Thank you, Kevin.”

He nodded back then looked around for Jennifer. Hearing her voice in the kitchen, he walked in and stayed.

After more cleaning, Brian and Jeff strode in from the front lawn with a garbage bag full of trash and cans. Brian had a tired expression that also looked a mite penitent.

“All done out front,” Jeff said. He walked into the kitchen.

Zormna nodded. “Thanks. I think we’re almost done here. I just need to clean the carpet.”

“Already doing that!” Mark replied over their heads.

Zormna turned around to see where he was spraying the carpet with a cleaner in a clear bottle. She shook her head and ran over to him. “What are you doing? That’s for windows!” Jerking the spray bottle out of his hand, Zormna told him to go home. “I’ll just get a professional cleaner to take care of it.”

Mark shrugged at Jonathan, though he happily picked up to go.

“I think I should go too,” Adam said. “I can drop off Sam on my way.”

Zormna nodded.

Still drunk, Sam lifted his head from where he had been lolling on the couch.

As she walked by, Zormna rolled her eyes at him. She walked into the kitchen. There, she saw that Jennifer and Kevin were listening intently to Darren’s whispers. And even Jeff was taking him seriously.

“…That’s what I think. I have been watching their movements. Adam has at least three classes with Zormna, two with you, and Sam has three with Zormna, and how many with you?”

Jeff nodded, listening intently. “Three.”

“And he has three with me. I bet he doesn’t have one class where he isn’t with one of us.” Darren enumerated on his fingers.

Zormna stopped. She glanced back at Sam who was lying half drunk on the couch. Adam was gathering his things. Then Adam stepped into the kitchen.

“I’m going. Thanks for letting me use your place, Zormna,” Adam said. “I really am sorry about the mess. I really didn’t plan for it to end like this.”

Everyone turned around. Half of them seemed surprised to see Zormna standing there. The rest were looking at Adam.

Zormna smiled at him, approaching him. “I’ll help you with Sam.”

“I can walk,” Sam announced with a slur, trying to stand up again.

Both Zormna and Adam rushed over to help lift him up.

Jeff looked back, taking a step out of the kitchen. “Do you need any help?”

Zormna glanced up at him pensively and replied, “No, I can handle it.”

He watched her go with Adam, following them to the door. Zormna and Adam walked down the steps. Sam supported his weight, though tipsy, swaying as he went along. He wasn’t just a little drunk. He was wasted.

Zormna grimaced at the smell. She was glad to be rid of it when she had Sam settled in the passenger seat of Adam’s car.

Walking back up to the house after they shut the car door, Zormna watched Adam’s car go down the street. She noticed the returned FBI car—ever watchful and listening intently. Rolling her eyes at them, she then stepped inside her house and closed the door.

Jeff stood in the living room, silently watching her as she walked across the threshold and checked the room for bugs. One or two, she found around coffee table, three under the couches and two on the lights. Then Zormna walked into the kitchen, picking up the meat tenderizer. She pounded them into the cutting board. After that, she walked around the kitchen to the fridge where she pulled out two more. She smashed them, giving the room another visual and touch sweep.

When she stopped she said, “You think Sam and Adam are spies, don’t you.”

Darren gazed at her, admittedly stunned that she knew. He nodded.

Zormna turned her gaze to the floor, pressing her lips together. “Though that is possible, I think only one of them is actually a spy.”

Jennifer leaned in. “Who?”

Kevin watched her facial expression, but it didn’t change much.

“I’d think it was obvious,” Zormna said then went to the fridge to take out some juice. She had only one carton, though inside she found someone had stashed two six packs of beer with three unopened cans remaining.

Jeff shook his head, pulling the beer out and dropping them onto the counter. “It is not exactly obvious. All we have are suspicions about the two new kids hanging out with our friends.”

Zormna nodded, taking a sip out of the juice carton. “Yes, and that should be our first clue. The second is their schedules. Whose schedule includes classes with all of us?” she asked, turning to Darren.

He pulled out the notebook that he used in Chemistry. Reading, Darren glanced up. “Sam.”

Zormna nodded. “Have either of you been to Adam’s or Sam’s house?”

Most shook their head, but Jeff didn’t.

“I’ve been to Adam’s,” he said. “We met his dad outside when we dropped him off after the Monroe game. His dad was fuming that we dropped him off so late. Sam got off there and said he lived on the same street.”

“Adam and Sam do go places together a lot. Maybe they are both spies,” Jennifer said, peeking to Kevin with hopes that the conversation would steer clear of Martian things. He was the only one who did not know that little secret. Kevin still thought the FBI were investigating people from another country. Not another planet.

Zormna shook her head. “No, I don’t think the FBI would try to get two incredibly new students to fit into our group. Besides, Adam is from Billsburg. We could easily check in on that to see if it is true.”

Jeff nodded in agreement. “We should check up on him. I’ll do it tonight.”

“Sam never did say where he was from,” Darren added.

They nodded.

Jeff then looked back at Zormna and asked, “How did you know he might be a spy?”

She shrugged and picked up the glasses on the counter, placing them in the dishwasher. Then she went after the powdered soap, pouring it in the slot. “He seems too mature to be a teenager. That, and he knew all the moves to make us feel comfortable. He’s a professional,” Zormna said, flipping the dishwasher switch.

“And Adam’s not?” Jeff asked stepping closer.

Zormna smiled.

“Jafarr, I have spent a lot of my life looking out for suspicious characters. Adam is too real to be a spy.” Then shrugging, she added, “And he fits his age. Besides, he doesn’t try hard enough to get into our group. He doesn’t even talk to Darren anymore.”

Darren nodded, now understanding. “And Sam does still. My reputation has its merits.”

Jennifer smirked at what the tall space-crazed boy said, but saw it too.

Jeff nodded, then glanced at Zormna for one more question. “When did you know he was a spy?”

Zormna shrugged, though there was a faint smile on her lips. “Know? I didn’t know until tonight. I cleared the place of bugs before the partiers got here. Adam was with that girl the entire night. Sam, however, was walking around, drinking. I started to suspect he was a spy when he read that paper in English about how his parents ask too much of him.”

Jeff started to nod, slowly.

“He kept referring himself as a kid.” Then she said, looking at them all, “I know no student at the verge of graduating that refers to themselves as kids.”

Chuckling, Jeff nodded more.

“And further,” she added, “I know very few that articulate that well in high school—no offence