Green Is the Color

"Chris, would you be a guide for Alan." It wasn't a question. Mrs. Lecky didn't ask you to do anything, she told you.

Chris looked up, and there was a boy with brown hair, brown eyes and glasses, standing at the front of the room. Chris raised his hand so the boy would know who he was, and the boy came and sat in the empty desk to the left of Chris.

When lunch time finally came, the boy followed Chris, and once they sat at a table, the boy asked, "Did I do something wrong?"

Chris looked at him and shook his head, "No. Just don't try to be my friend. Okay?"

Alan was shocked. He never knew anyone who didn't want friends. "Sure, I guess. After we eat, could you show me where things are?"

"What things?" Chris replied and took a bite of his sandwich.

"You know, like the bathroom and library and stuff," Alan said hopefully.

"Yeah." Chris concentrated on his lunch and ignored Alan.

After eating, Chris showed Alan where the boys' room was, and the library down the hall from their class. At the end of the day, Chris left as fast as he could. Mrs. Lecky sidetracked Alan. "So how was your day, Dear?"

"Okay. What is Chris' problem?" Alan asked his new fourth grade teacher.

"He has lost so much. Well, that's not your business. I'm glad you had a great day. I'll see you tomorrow."

Alan made his escape and found his mother waiting out in front of the school for him.

"How was your day, Al?"

"Fine. I met a nice boy, Chris. He showed me around."

"Already made a friend. I knew you would. Your father will be happy to hear that, when he calls tonight."

Alan and his Mom had come to town to look for a place to live. His dad was some kind of designer of stuff for Starfleet. But it was good, because he never had to go on missions, like a Starfleet Officer. When that disaster with the Pulaski happened, his dad was assigned to a team that was studying the designs, to see what needed to be changed to prevent anything like that from happening again. It was the loss of a ship and its entire crew, not a single survivor.

For some reason this town had been picked as the home base for the investigation team. So, while his dad was working, he and his mom were looking for a house to rent or buy. They stopped at a realtor, and were off to look at houses. The third house they saw was furnished and had nice stuff in it. There was a neat room for Alan that had been set up for a boy. Alan's mom was impressed and the place was for rent with immediate occupancy. To Alan's relief, his mom said they would take it and move in Saturday.

The next day in school Chris didn't say anything until Alan sat down and made a point of saying, "Good morning, Chris."

Chris looked at him startled. "Yeah, hi," he said quietly and turned back to his book.

At lunch Alan sat with Chris again. As they were getting up, one of the bigger kids knocked into Chris, "Watch where you're going, twerp."

Alan saw red, "You knocked into him, stupid. You watch where you are going!"

"You going to make ME?" Several of the bully's friends laughed.

Alan had been in this situation a time or ten before. Taking off his glasses and handing them to Chris, he said, "If that's what it takes."

This was a new experience for the bully, someone standing up to him. The new kid didn't look like much but he must know 'kung-fu' or something to be that confident. "You're the new kid, right?"

"Yup, until someone else comes, anyway."

"I'll keep my eye on you." The bully walked off, giving Alan plenty of room.

Chris stared at Alan. "He could have killed you. What were you thinking?"

Alan held out his hand for his glasses, "I was thinking that guys like that need to learn to be nice. I don't let anybody push me around, and I don't let them push around my friends, either."

Chris got a panicked look and took off running. Since he had Alan's glasses, Alan was right behind him. When the boys stopped, they were in a far corner of the playground.

"Can I have my glasses?" Alan asked.

"Oh, here." Chris handed the glasses to Alan.

When Alan could see clearly again, he said, "What is your problem?"

"Nothin'."

Alan sighed. "It ain't nothin'. I'm just a kid like you, but I can tell it ain't nothin'."

Chris sat on the ground and started to cry. Alan heard the bell ring ending lunch, but he sat next to Chris. "My mommy says that talkin' about what is botherin' ya is good."

“My mommy and daddy got killeded. I was stayin' with my Grampa and Granma when it happened. Then the man next door, he was so nice, and he was goin' to 'dopt me. He was in Starfleet, and he was on a mission, and he got killeded. Now my Grampa is sick, and well, every time somebody likes me, they die. So I don't want you to die."

Alan didn't have any idea about how to answer that. He figured a change of subject would be good. "We're late for class; lunch is over. We better get moving, or Mrs. Lecky will be real mad at us."

"She will be, anyway. Come on." Chris got up and helped Alan to his feet.

As they started back to the building, the vice principal, Mrs. Alterton came out. When the boys got to her she said, "Are you two all right?"

"Yes, ma'am," Alan answered. "Chris just got a problem, but we got it taken care of."

"Good. Now let's get you two back to class." They followed her to the room and were surprised when she told Mrs. Lecky, "I'm sorry these boys are late. I had them do something and it took longer than I thought."

The boys took their seats, and the day continued. Chris again left quickly, and Alan missed him. By Friday Alan was really excited about moving to the house and out of the hotel. Chris just nodded as Alan talked. Inside his head, Chris wished that Alan was moving into Phil's house next door. Well it wasn't Phil's house anymore, it was actually his house. The man in the suit said everything Phil had was now his. Grandpa and Grandma had had all the personal stuff packed up and stored somewhere, and the house was empty. Chris couldn't even look at it without crying.

Saturday, Chris woke up hearing noise outside his window. He got up and looked out, there was a woman carrying a box into the house and she was yelling something to someone inside. Chris was torn between being happy someone was going to be living in Phil's house, and feeling bad that Phil would never be back.

Grandpa was in the kitchen reading the paper when Chris arrived. "Hey there, Chris. New folks next door. I think they have a boy your age, or close to it."

Chris felt a flutter in his stomach. He wasn't sure how to feel about that. A few months ago, he would have loved the idea of a friend next door, but now it scared him. What if he killed a kid his own age? Somebody would find out he was doing it, and then... Well he didn't know what.

Alan kept an eye out for any kids in the neighborhood. It would be nice if there were kids his age living close by. He helped his mom get everything unloaded from their SUV. The movers were arriving later with their stuff from the old house, and his dad would be here tonight. Alan saw a kid come out of the house next door and walk away down the street. "Hey, Mom! There is a boy next door. I'm going to go meet him."

"Okay, Sweetie. Don't go too far."

Alan was already out the door, running to catch up with the boy. As he got closer, he recognized him. "Chris! Wait up!"

Chris froze in place. Alan. What was he doing here? Then Chris realized who was moving in next door. He wanted to cry. Why did it have to be Alan? Why couldn't it be some guy he could hate or a girl? He liked Alan and really wanted to be friends, but then Alan would die. "NOOOOOOOO!" Chris screamed, and ran as fast as he could. He didn't get far because he tripped over the neighbor's garden hose and sprawled out on the lawn.

Alan ran over to Chris. "Man it's a good thing you tried to cut across the grass. You could have been really hurt, if you fell like that on the sidewalk." Alan checked Chris for bleeding and he wasn't cut and seemed okay, except for the tears. "Where you hurt?"

Chris shook his head and tried to get up. Alan helped him to his feet. The boys headed back towards their houses.

Alan said, "I'm sorry for what ever I did. I was just excited that you were my next door neighbor. I never had a friend next door."

The word cut Chris like a knife. A friend. That meant feeling the loss and pain. He already hurt. Why? Why? Why?

"I can't," Chris managed to say.

Alan silently walked him to his door. Chris slipped inside and disappeared. Alan went home and sat in his room, thinking. To pass the time, he set up his computer and found that someone nearby had wireless and he just mindlessly checked a few of his favorite sites. One of the Starfleet news sites had an article that caught his attention. It was about a place called Camp Little Eagle that was run by Clan Short of Vulcan.

After reading the story twice Alan wrote an e-mail to Chief Tecumseh who ran the camp.

Dear Chief Tecumseh,

My name is Alan. I live in Greengrove, Ohio.

I just met a boy that is really hurting, and I don't know how to help. He lost his parents, and the man who was going to adopt him got killed in that space accident a few months ago. I really like Chris, but he is scared to have a friend.

Could you tell me how to help him? Please.

Alan Hobbs

Alan read and re-read the message, then just hit send. He turned off his computer and went to see if he could help his mom. The day passed, the movers delivered the boxes (Their furniture was in storage.), and at six o'clock his Dad arrived. It had only been two weeks, but he had really missed his Dad. They filled him in on all he had missed, Alan's school and Mrs. Hobbs finding part-time work at a doctor's, office filing insurance. She was excited because she could work during school hours and still be home when Alan got home.

Mr. Hobbs was delighted with the location of the house they had found, since it was only a fifteen minute drive to the Star Fleet office where he would be working. He said that for the first six months or so, he would have to go in every day to work with the team, but after that, they should be able to get by with meeting only one or two days a week and could work from home.

After dinner, Alan and his Dad were in Alan's room rearranging the furniture the way Alan wanted it when in the corner of the room by the door there was a shimmering and a boy, a few years older than Alan, was standing there. "Are you Alan Hobbs? I'm T. G. Erickson. Chief Tecumseh and Teri Short sent me to determine the situation here."