Ben Archer and the Star Rider (The Alien Skill Series, Book 5): Sci-Fi Adventure for Teens by Rae Knightly

Author:Rae Knightly [Knightly, Rae]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: PoCo Publishers
Published: 2020-09-16T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 16 Missed Opportunity

The stairs on the outside of Zayed’s apartments did not have a railing. They followed the wall and were cut out of the beige adobe.

Ben reached the terrace bordering the apartment, and found one of the doors open. Inside, a couple of screens stood on a white shelf against the wall of a small living-room. In front of them, Zayed sat, propped on a white leather sofa, fingers moving rapidly over a gaming control.

The light from inside dimmed suddenly, and Zayed’s bodyguard filled the doorway.

Ben caught his breath, but Zayed barked an order, and the bodyguard left. Ben bit his tongue to pick up courage. He entered the room, which he found strewn with expensive and odd-looking toys such as a drone, a stereo set, a mariachi hat, a finely carved Spanish guitar, and piles of books.

A high volume of cold air from an air conditioning sped through Ben’s hair, then fled through the open door and windows into the night.

Zayed did not look up from his game. He stuck his tongue in his cheek and grunted as his avatar battled evil monsters in a gold mine.

Ben watched him play for a while, acutely aware that Zayed was connected to the internet. And to make matters worse, Zayed’s shiny smartphone lay on the sofa beside him. Ben stared at it, feeling drawn to it like a magnet.

Swallowing through his dry throat, Ben tried to look casual and spotted a second gaming control. Without saying a word, he picked it up and began playing alongside Zayed’s avatar. They battled the monsters for a while, almost getting knocked over several times, but Ben protected Zayed’s avatar until they reached a mighty portal.

LEVEL 10 COMPLETE, the screen flashed at them.

“There’s a treasure behind that portal,” Ben said.

Zayed pressed play. “You’re pretty good,” he said, narrowly avoiding a fiery dragon.

“Thanks,” Ben said. “I play with Mesm… m-my dad.” He barely got through the sentence.

Having lost interest, Ben dropped the gaming console and strolled around the room instead. He was curious to find out more about Zayed, but also found himself constantly glancing back at the phone. Zayed was so focused on the game, would he notice if Ben fished it off the sofa?

Fighting the urge to do so, Ben lingered in front of a well-stocked bookshelf instead. He needed to think, not act rashly.

How can I get Zayed away from the phone?

He must have stood there too long because Zayed said, “You can pick one if you want.”

Ben jumped. It was as if the guy had eyes on the back of his head. Blinking, Ben focused on the books even though reading was the last thing on his mind. “Thanks,” he said, staring at the titles for the first time. He recognized many famous authors: William Shakespeare, Victor Hugo, Ernest Hemingway, Paulo Coelho… Most books were in their original language.

He glanced at Zayed, fascinated by the idea that the teen had mastered all these languages well enough to read these classics.

Ben

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