Homecoming

“Are there actually—” she said at the same time.

“You go first,” they both said together, then laughed. They pulled away from each other, the smiles fading on their lips as the scent of smoke and charred metal reminded them of where they were, and why. Wells struggled with the question that bubbled up in his throat, and the way Glass’s face grew serious told him she knew what he was thinking. He swallowed hard and found the courage to ask.

“Do you know anything about my father?”

Glass pressed her lips together, and her eyes filled with sympathy, a look Wells recognized from the terrible weeks after his mother’s death. Wells braced himself for whatever she was about to tell him, just grateful that if he had to hear agonizing news, it would be from her.

“They haven’t told anyone much,” she began, her voice soft but steady. Wells held his breath, waiting for her to continue. “But the last we heard, he was still in a coma.” Glass paused, waiting for him to absorb the information.

Wells nodded, his mind swirling with images of his father lying alone in the medical center, his tall, broad frame looking frail under a thin sheet. He focused his efforts on keeping his expression neutral as Glass’s words sank down into his chest, lodging themselves in the deepest part of his heart. “Okay,” he said with a long sigh. “Thanks for telling me.”

Glass stepped toward him. “Wells,” was all she said before wrapping her arms around him again, this time in a comforting embrace. Glass knew him far too well to let him get away with his stoic act. The best part of their friendship was that he didn’t mind.

After a long moment, they pulled away from each other. There was something Wells needed to tell Glass before she got to camp.

“Glass,” he started, “things are a little… different here on Earth than we expected.”

Concern flashed across her face. “What is it?”

He tried to choose his words carefully, but there was no way to sugarcoat the shocking, disorienting information. “We’re not alone. Here. On Earth.” He said it quietly so no one around them could hear. He waited for her to process what he’d said before continuing. At first, she smiled, looking ready to make a joke about all the hundreds of other Colonists around them. Then she grasped the implication of his words, and her expression shifted.

“Wells, are you saying…” Glass trailed off.

“Yes. There are other people here on Earth. People who were born here.”

Glass’s eyes grew large and round. “What?” She swiveled her head from side to side, as if expecting to see people watching her from the trees. “Are you serious? You can’t be serious.”

“I’m one hundred percent serious. But it’s okay. They’re very peaceful and kind. Well, most of them. There’s a small group that broke off about a year ago, and they’re dangerous. But the rest of them are just like us.” Wells thought of Sasha and couldn’t suppress a smile. “They’re actually pretty inspiring. The Earthborns are good people, maybe better people than we are. I think we have a lot to learn from them. I just have to figure out a way to let the others know without scaring anyone.”

Glass was staring at him, but it was no longer with confusion. “Wells,” she said slowly, a small smile forming at the corners of her mouth, “is there something you’re not telling me?”

He gave her a sidelong look. “Yes, there’s obviously a ton I haven’t told you yet. There was this terrible attack, and a fire, and then people started getting sick, and you’ll never guess what happened when—”

“No,” she said, cutting him off. “Something you’re not telling me about these Earthborns. Or maybe one in particular?”

“What? No.” He was usually pretty adept at hiding his thoughts, but something about Glass’s tone made his cheeks redden.

“Oh my god,” she whispered. “There’s a girl. An Earth girl.” Her voice was equal parts shock and delight.

“You’re crazy. There’s no Earth—” He cut himself off with a smile and shook his head. “How could you possibly have known that?”

Glass reached out and squeezed his arm. “You can’t keep secrets from me, Wells Jaha. It was the way you were talking about these inspiring Earthborns. You had the same look on your face that you got when you used to talk about Clarke.” Her expression grew less playful as her brow furrowed. “Does that mean you two broke up? What happened?”

Wells sighed. “It’s a long story, but I’m fine.” He smiled, thinking about the previous evening, lying with his head in Sasha’s lap as they stared up at the stars. “More than fine, actually. I can’t wait for you to meet Sasha.”

“Sasha,” Glass repeated, seeming slightly disappointed that it wasn’t a more exotic name. “Where is she?”