CHAPTER SIX

Nebula was well aware that Zenon's birthday was in 2 more days, and she had been working late at night to be sure to finish the stellar shirt she was making. As of right now, Zee's shirt was a pinkish red color, it has some special earth paints on it, Neb had gotten them at a Craft Shop or something like that. She had gotten Zenon's fave color, silver. She had labored over the tiny detailing, little spirals, starlets, and little things only Zenon could appreciate. Neb hoped the shirt would be ready by tomorrow night, which was when Zee's party was, she just didn't know it yet.

Neb had been working on her shirt nearly nonstop the last few nights, except that night the ProtoZoa had needed her help picking out Zenon's birthday present. Around one o'clock yesterday morning, there was a light tap at the guest room door, which ProtoZoa had given up to Nebula upon her arrival. She opened the door to see a tired looking PZ leaning on the doorframe. Her mind flashbacked to that night.

"PZ! Its," Nebula looked at her watch. "Nearly 1 O'clock! What are you doing awake?"

"I could ask you the same thing Darling, but I need your help, in answer to your question," Zoa explained.

"Help with what?" Nebula inquired.

"I... I don't know what Zee would want for her birthday... I'm no good at this stuff, and I want to get her something she'd absolutely love," He replied.

"Oh," Nebula said with a sympathetic smile. "Well, what do you have to look through?"

"I have this MZine from earth, it has some pretty rings... and I think that's something she might like, friendship rings. One for you and one for... well, me?" He said, slightly sheepishly.

"Zoa, she'd love it. And you don't need to get her one for me, its your gift," Nebula said.

"I don't want to seem too forward about it, plus you are her best friend," He said, explaining without realizing it, his motives towards Zenon.

"Proto Zoa," Neb stated, tone serious, causing him to look up from his musing over the rings in the MZine.

"Hmm?" ProtoZoa responded.

"Do you have feelings for Zenon?" Neb was staring into his eyes, and all he wanted was to look away to avoid her piercing gaze.

"Why do you want to know," Proto Zoa said, almost defensively.

"Because I am her best friend, and I want what, and who," Neb started, putting emphasis on the word 'who', "is best for her."

"Ok, Nebula, I like Zenon. She's one of the most wonderful people I've ever known. When I am with her.. I feel. I don't know.. I feel. infinite. Like there is absolutely nothing that I cannot do, and even if there were, she would be able to get rid of my obstacle. She's my friend and no matter what I feel for her, I wouldn't be able to act on those feelings because of the way things are between us. We are friends. and that's one thing I don't have. Friends. She and you are the only two people in the entire galaxy that I can be myself around and not be afraid to do so. That's why I'm here. For my friend," He thought he did a pretty good job covering up his feelings, but Neb knew better.

"First, thanks for telling me I'm your friend, I'm glad to know that. But seriously, drop the act. Do you like her? As more than a friend, and if you two could be together, would you get together with her?" Nebula asked, not forgetting her original goal. ProtoZoa looked away finally, and then uttered an almost inaudible response.

"Yes," his voice came, small.

"Tell her," Nebula instructed. ProtoZoa's head shot up at Neb's last remark and gave her a look that only could mean 'You have to be Crazy'.

"No. No way, no how. I am not risking our new relationship as friends, maybe even best friends by my emotions. No, I want her to feel the same for me as I feel for her and I want to be sure of it," He objected.

"So you are just gonna sacrifice a possible relationship with someone you really care about because you aren't sure? What the nova?" Nebula said, expressing some anger.

"Yes," He said, matter of factly.

"Ugh. Zoa, just look at the rings," Neb gave in, frustrated.

They continued to browse for another moment or two, when ProtoZoa found the perfect thing in his MZine.

"What is it?" Neb asked. ProtoZoa pointed a very pretty pair of rings, one silver and one gold. Neb took the magazine from him and read the description. 'Two rings in set, one silver and one gold. These rings commonly used to represent a group of friends, traditionally gold for the older friend and silver from the newer of the pair. Can be engraved up to 12 characters inside band.'

"Nice PZ!" Nebula exclaimed. "But what are you going to do with the silver one?"

"The silver one will represent Zenon and I, and the gold one would be Zenon and you," He explained.

"Oh, PZ, you don't need to do that," Nebula said. "You ought to just order the set and just give her one, maybe the other for Christmas or something."

"No, that's what I want to do. Neb&Zee in one ring, the gold one, and Zee&Zoa in the silver one. You cannot change my mind on this one. I'm doing it!" He said with a triumphant air in his voice. Within a half a minute, ProtoZoa had jumped off Neb's bed and was already up the stairs, placing his order with his Zap Pad.

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Zenon was deeply engrossed in yet another MZine, looking for the latest info from Cosmic Rock Radio. CRR was the source she turned to for all major music news, ever since she found out about Microbe coming to space nearly 5 years ago. They told her first, so now they were her first choice for all her Rock Radio News. The latest news was still that ProtoZoa could not be found, that he Microbe still had no new songs. All the same news from yesterday and the day before, all about him.

Zenon was just flipping to an article about ProtoZoa, what he likes, what he doesn't like, and what he looks for in a girl, and his idea of a perfect date. Zenon had no doubt that the article would be fascinating, but was unable to read the wealth of information about her friend because Nebula's voice came calling from up the spiral staircase, asking for her help on something. With a sigh, Zee rose from her comfy bed and stretched, before proceeding up the staircase.

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ProtoZoa, Nebula, her parents, and a couple of other friends from the Spay Stay had come over to the Karr's habitation module for a surprise party for Zee. They all had received an invitation from ProtoZoa himself, the sole coordinator of the party. They all had brought Zenon a card with a touching message, but only three gifts were on the table. Not that Zenon would mind, that's one of the many things that ProtoZoa loved about her, materialism wasn't exactly what she focused on. Look at the way she treated him, complete equal, and that's why he loved her. He couldn't wait to see the look on her face when she came up the stairs, which he hoped would be a very happy expression.

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As Zenon got to the top of the stairs, the first sight she was greeted with was a roomful of people she knew, mainly acquaintances, but just the same, they were there for whom she assumed was her. She saw the small table of gifts and realization hit: it was a surprise party. The grin that lit up her face was nearly incomparable to the grin that lit ProtoZoa's. She liked it, and that was all that mattered to him. Two seconds later, Zenon was in the crowd thanking all her guests for coming, like a true hostess. She gave her parents a quick hug and then gave Neb a big hug.

"Thank you Neb! This is so sweet!" Zee exclaimed.

"Uh-uh, I can't take his credit or his hug," Neb answered, "PZ arranged this whole deal. Zenon turned to Proto Zoa.

"Thank you," She said softly.

"Oh, I get a smaller thank you and no hug Love?" He responded playfully.

"Nope, you get a bigger hug!" Zenon replied, rushing into his semi- open arms. The feeling she got, the tingles that ran through her, she had never felt that when she hugged him before. The only thing she could think of was her adrenaline was racing from the sudden excitement, but deep down, in a place where feelings that she knew existed but would not be acknowledged were kept, she knew it was because she had finally been honest with herself: She had feelings for ProtoZoa and that hug only made them stronger.

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The sudden impact of her body in his opened arms caught him off guard, and he felt a light ticklish feeling run down his spine. That had never happened before, and it wasn't because it was not welcome. ProtoZoa felt as though he never wanted this moment to end, and he never did. With her in his arms, he felt infinite.

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After dancing till nearly 11:30, everyone was ready to leave. Zenon enjoyed their company thoroughly, despite that; she was ready for them to go. Her parents had retired too, ready for some sleep. They had stayed up after the guests had left long enough to watch Zee open their gift, which was a new Microbe Disc, the inside look at Microbe, the cover read. She couldn't wait to check it out; she knew it would be stellar major.

Nebula and ProtoZoa waited until her parents were gone to grace Zee with their gifts, which they had the boxes mad special for her. Neb's was been in silver paper, and ProtoZoa's was in a simple silver box, with a shimmering silver ribbon around the small velvet object. Neb gave Zee the shirt first.

"Oh Neb! How lunarious major!" Zee exclaimed, lifting the shirt out of its nestle of tissue paper. The first thing that caught her eye were the special spirals, so detailed that Zee had to wonder if Neb had purchased it in a store. "Thank you Nebulator!!!" Zenon said, referring to her so fond nickname for Nebula.

"Here you go, Love," ProtoZoa stated evenly, "Happy birthday." He finished, handing her the gift that had arrived on that afternoon's shuttle. Zenon began opening it with utmost delicacy, taking extra care not to rip the ribbon. She slowly lifted the lid, and peered inside. Nestled in the soft fabric were two rings, one silver, and one gold. Slowly removing the silver one, Zenon felt the tug of a string still buried in the box. Pulling the tag out, she read silently: 'This gift comes from one who cares much for you. Theses are friendship rings, one being silver, and one being gold. The gold represents your oldest friend, and the silver the more recent. Look inside your new rings, and see which represents which. Enjoy your gift from your special friend.'

Zenon looked inside the silver ring, and engraved in the center was the small phrase, 'Zoa & Zee'. Zenon looked up at ProtoZoa with the most serene smile he had ever seen from her, as if the smile was the most delicate thing in the entire world. She slowly slid the ring down her right ring finger, lightly pushing it past her knuckle, and gazing at it though it was the most precious gift she'd ever received. For any matter, she thought it was, and that made him one of the happiest people in the galaxy.

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Somehow, the ring that stood for Nebula had managed to find its way to Zenon's finger within the next day. Not to be seen offensively by Nebula, Zenon was just very touched by Zoa's gift. No one, not once, had ever given her anything that compared to the sentiment of those rings, and she let him know by her going away gift. It had been very simple, but she hoped it touched him similar to the way his gift touched her.

For his going away, she had gone dumpster-diving for some discarded gold string and some silver string, something that would mean a little something in its own respect to him. She had woven both into a five-way braid, crocheting the ends. Weaving the ends together, Zenon attached a little hand written card. 'Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other's gold. A circle is round, it has no end, that's how long I want to be your friend.' Zenon had signed her name a placed it in a simple little bag.

Going up the stairs, Zee was greeted with a sad sight. All his bags packed, stacked in mediocre organization in comparison to Nebula's, whose bags were right next to his. Both her best friends would be leaving today, and she wanted to go with them so bad, but she had her final exams to take, and as much as she dreaded it, she would also be kind of glad to get back. Nebula was standing in front of the T-Tube, watching the end of that VChip again.

"And what happens after he rescues her?" Nebula mouthed along with Edward.

"She rescues him right back," Neb continued reciting with passion. The couple on screen then shared a kiss and went back to real life.

"Ahh," Neb sighed, "How romantic," she said, with extra emphasis on romantic, making sure both of the two stubborn people in the room could hear her. ProtoZoa had been standing in the corner across from Zenon, also watching Neb's little performance. He looked up at Zenon, and Zenon looked up at him, almost as if a connection had been established making them think that maybe they were the modern day couple. A mutual understanding. Then Zenon broke her gaze away.

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At the Loading Bay, the pilot of the space shuttle took Nebula and ProtoZoa's bags on board and left them to say their goodbyes. Nebula always hated goodbyes and she quickly followed the captain, after giving Zenon a quick hug and whispering an 'I'll miss you, visit me if you can,' goodbye. Zenon watched her retreating form, a tear forming in her eye. She turned to see ProtoZoa sitting in a chair opposite her, just across the bay. He was watching her, hoping that she would remain the strong girl he had found lost in herself before he came to visit her. The girl standing across from him was the girl he had fallen in love with. She was right for him, and he was right for her. Star crossed lovers whose paths weren't destined any time soon. Lost in his thoughts, ProtoZoa didn't realize that Zenon had moved from her former position to directly in front of him.

"Zoa," She said, shaking him from his thoughts.

"Yeah," he said, voice raspy, looking up at her.

"It's." She began, unable to finish.

"Yeah," He answered, knowing what she was going to say.

"I um, I don't know how to thank you for the past few weeks, I have changed so much, I feel so much better, thank you Zoa," She finished, handing him the small bag. He opened it, peering into the bag, and pulled out the hand made gold and silver ring. Slowly turning over the tag, he read it once, again, and once again. He looked up at her, and slowly stood up.

"Zenon, this has been as much a benefit to me as it has you. I haven't been myself lately, I've been lonely. I missed you, Zee," He said sentimentally. "And I, I don't want to go."

"I don't want you to go," She said, collapsing into the hug he initiated. The tingles returned with a vengeance, over taking his body and hers. He withdrew his arms from her waist, and placed his hands on her shoulders.

"I guess this is good-bye for a while, Zee. I will zap you every day," He said hastily, and she nodded. "I-I-good-bye Zenon," he said, leaning over quickly and placing a sweet peck on her cheek. He then turned quickly and took off in a brisk jog down the terminal, determined not to look back at the girl he secretly loved.

Zenon stood there, a hand on the right side of her face, gently lingering where his lips had touched. It was the source of the tingling. The tingling that had over took her body, the tingling that she felt coursing through her veins. She loved him. She did. It just took her a while to realize it. She stared after him, wanting with all her being to shout after him that she loved him, but not being able to. She watched him get to the gate, and then took off running in the opposite direction. She had to go Zap him. She had to tell him how she felt.

ProtoZoa looked back at her, and saw her taking off in the opposite direction. He wanted to look back before he did, but the tingling that was coming from his lips, the tingling that took over his body, wouldn't allow it. He desperately wanted to run the opposite direction, to tell her that he missed her already, he had loved her forever. But the tingling wouldn't let him.