The Modified (The Biotics Trilogy, #1) Read Online Free Page B

times' sake?”
    “Sure.”
    “I’ll go first,” I say and then scan the sky for a star. The blanket of tiny twinkling lights above our heads is truly breathtaking. There are so many stars in the sky that it almost makes it impossible to choose just one. I finally settle on a large bright one off to our left. It’s surrounded by several other stars, but its light is so intense that it shines there like a beacon in the darkness. “That one,” I announce as I point to it.
    “Good choice. Now, what’s its name?” he asks.
    “Joey.”
    “Joey, huh?”
    “Yep, I’m dedicating this one to you.”
    The moment I say that, another star right next to the one I chose begins to shine just as bright.
    “Well, I’m choosing that one then,” Joey states, pointing to the star next to mine. “That star has your name written all over it.”
    I laugh and so does he. “What’s your star’s story?” he asks me.
    “Actually, if you don’t mind, I have a story for both of them,” I reply with a slight smile.
    “Oh really? Consider me intrigued,” he jokes.
    I strengthen my grip on his hand. “The Joey star and Kenley star are best friends, and have been inseparable since they were young. They’ve been through a lot and have persevered, not allowing their glow to ever be diminished. Joey and Kenley have made a pact that they will always be by each other’s sides, and nothing, not even death, will keep them apart. When one of them glows bright, the other one glows just as bright because they support one another, no matter what.”
    I feel Joey kiss my forehead and lay his head down closer to mine. “Kenley Grayson. You are my best friend in the entire world. You know that, right?”
    “Yes, and so are you,” I reply as a tear rolls down my cheek. There’s a slight pause in our conversation as a silence falls between us.
    “Hey, I thought you said you didn’t want to get deep and emotional,” he says with a laugh.
    “I guess I got caught up in the moment.”
    “Well, that was a great story. Ever thought of becoming a writer?” he jokes.
    “Very funny. Let’s see you come up with a better one,” I giggle, giving him a little love tap on the arm.
    “I’m up for the challenge. Here goes nothing,” Joey states and I snuggle up close to him as he begins to tell his tale of Joey star and Kenley star.
       
    While Joey and I sit in the airport terminal waiting to board our plane, I think about the fact I’m going to fly for the first time in my life. The thought of flying kind of terrifies me, but in the way riding a roller coaster does. The sad truth is I’ve never left Maine until now. And who knows if I’ll ever return after all of this?
    As I attempt to find a comfortable sitting position in one of these awkwardly designed airport chairs, I try to push aside the sadness of saying goodbye to my mom and brother earlier that morning. Thinking back to the day when we saw Dylan off, I remember my mom crying a lot, knowing that her son would be on the front lines. She was a wreck the entire time he was gone. There were fewer tears this time, though, mainly because my mom thinks I’m going to be safe behind a desk somewhere. It tears me up inside, but at least she’ll have some peace of mind.
    I look over at Joey and I’m so glad that I’m not going through this alone. He has his headphones on and seems lost in his own world. I think he might be upset that his parents didn’t seem to care about him leaving. He won’t admit it though. I wasn’t really all that surprised since they’ve been counting down the days until he was old enough to kick out of their house anyway. Now they have the perfect excuse.
    Staring down at the piece of paper in my hand that I received in the mail from the Federation, I sigh. Along with the general admission papers that were inside a shiny oversized black-and-gold folder, there was a handwritten note tucked into a small envelope. The instructions inside told us our plane