Some Slight Persuasion

Posted on Sat Mar 8th, 2025 by Charlotte Preston & Paige Cohen & Katelynn Bancroft

1,043 words; about a 5 minute read

Mission: M01 - The Hooke
Location: Classroom, USS Hooke
Timeline: Present

Class had ended only a few minutes ago, and Kate was already packing up and getting ready to head back to her quarters for her daily call to her friend Rebecca. She had thrown many of her data pads into her bag when she overheard the other two girls talking. This was enough to cause her to stop packing up and look in their direction.

Charlotte looked at Kate when she stopped packing up her things, "You should come with us." She politely informed Kate, "We're going to see about going down to walk around Logan City and stretch our legs. It'll be fun too I bet," Charlotte told the other girl.

"Yeah," Paige agreed.

Kate frowned when she was invited to go spend time with the other two girls, she was most certainly not wanting to be a third wheel to them. Besides she knew Rebecca was most certainly anticipating a subspace call from her, "I... I don't know." She mumbled. "I always call Rebecca after class lets out for the day."

Paige tilted her head, "Rebecca?"

Kate nodded, "My friend from when I was on the Eisenhower, well sort of friend we've never met in person. We just talk over subspace all the time."

"You'll have time to call her," Paige told the other girl. "We still have to ask for permission and based on what was announced earlier over the intercom, our parents are probably still in that meeting." She waved her hand slowly, "Besides if we get to go down to the planet we've got to get changed and all that."

Charlotte once again decided to reiterate that it would be fun, "It'll be fun, besides I'm sure your friend Rebecca would probably tell you the same thing. Have you told her about the two of us on the ship?" She asked.

Kate nodded again, "Yeah I've mentioned you two a couple times." She still didn't want to be a third wheel on whatever adventure they were about to go off on. But, she could hear her father and her mother telling her that it would do her some good to make more friends. Perhaps this was the only way she'd be able to make more friends? She considered it for a moment.

Charlotte grinned, "And, what did your friend Rebecca say?"

"That I should get to know the two of you," Kate admitted sheepishly.

Charlotte looked at Paige for a moment before looking back toward Kate once more, "Come on it'll be a great time and it'll give us a little bit of a break." She hoped she wasn't being so pressing about it, but at the same time Charlotte truly wanted Kate to come along.

Kate sighed, "All right," She replied. "I still want to call Rebecca first though." She told the two of them, "That's okay right?" She hoped they would say yes. Kate didn't want to feel rushed by either of them, and she most certainly was still undecided about either of the other two girls.

"Absolutely," Paige told her.

Kate smiled sheepishly then left the classroom, "I'll meet you outside the transporter room then." She said just as she went through the door before breaking into a faster walking pace.

Paige watched as the other girl left and the door closed. She eventually frowned, "I don't think she likes us very much." Paige was still watching the door as she spoke to Charlotte.

Charlotte shrugged, "I think she's just shy," The other girl said. "We just have to be patient with her is all," Charlotte watched Paige for a moment. "I hope we didn't pressure her into doing something she didn't want to do." Charlotte had genuine concern about that. She shook her head, deciding to not dwell on that thought for too long. "Who's going to ask our parents if we can go?"

Paige eventually turned her attention back onto Charlotte. "I need to get changed first." She told the other girl, "And I'm sure you want to wear a different outfit other than your pajamas right?" Both girls rarely showed up to class dressed in anything other than the clothes they would sleep in the next night. The classroom was so relaxed that as long as it wasn't a lab day they could wear whatever they wanted to.

"Right," Charlotte replied. "I'll ask after I get changed. By then the senior staff meeting should be over. I also heard there's this coffee shop down on the planet in Logan City that I want to try."

Paige turned up her nose, "Coffee?" She shook her head, "I hope they have more than just coffee there."

"I'm sure they do," Charlotte said with a shrug. "I just want to try it," She answered and stood up. "We can meet up with Kate after we've gotten changed and I've asked our parents. Do you know if your Dad is against children on the bridge?" She asked, "That's where everyone is at."

Paige honestly didn't know the answer to that question, "I don't see why he would have a problem with it. He's got me on board of course and I would assume as long as we don't get in the way that it would be okay. I've not gone up to the bridge since we've been on board. I'm guessing neither have you?"

Charlotte shook her head while biting her lower lip, "Nope." She said. Charlotte started for the door after that, "I know where the bridge is, I've just avoided going up there. Didn't really have a reason you know?"

Paige nodded, "Oh I know," She answered. "And it seems like the homework assignments are never ending, we've been stuck doing homework and preparing for our science fair project. I still don't even know what I want to do, but I guess we've got time don't we?" She headed for the doorway to leave the classroom. "It won't take me real long to get changed," Paige told her friend.

Charlotte nodded, "It won't take me real long either," She said. Charlotte then left the classroom, "See you at the transporter room." She waved her hand over her shoulder before heading toward the quarters that her mother and her shared with each other.

 

RSS Feed