Flame (Fireborn) (11 page)

"People were
shocked because that was the first footage of the Saguinox we had
ever seen. It was exciting and kind of scary." I decide to be
honest.

Her gaze is empathetic.
"I understand. I hope I didn't scare too many people then."

"No," I
assure her. "Well… kind of."

She scared
me
.
Aliens? I'd only seen clips of E.T. and had only heard the Katy Perry
song of the same name. Some people thought they were our saviors.
Others thought the beginning of the end was near. The controversy
still hasn't gone away despite the numerous Senate bills purposed and
Ambassador Damien's whirlwind world tour prior to Lenora and Rhys's
arrival. I'm still not sure what to think.

Rhys's face appears in
my mind. I can't help the smile that tugs at my lips.

"We're happy
you're in Minnesota," I tell her.

Lenora beams. "Me,
too. I chose this place," she reveals.

I'm surprised. I'd
assumed it'd been some sort of long secret negotiation, and they'd
chosen Minnesota because we could offer privacy that places like
California and New York couldn't.

I'm curious. "Why'd
do you choose Minnesota?"

"I want to see
snow."

It figures. "The
novelty wears off fast."

She shrugs. "They
let me choose because it doesn't really matter where we go. It'll
still end the same way."

I frown, chewing over
her words in my head. "What do you mean?"

She shrugs again,
looking away. "It just doesn't matter."

"Do you mean the
experience won't be any different?" I ask slowly.

"Something like
that."

I wonder how long the
Saguinox have known about Earth. When I ask her she answers, "For
as long as earth has been around. You're just a baby planet."

"Huh. How many
planets do you know about?"

"Many," is
her mysterious answer.

"Are those planets
inhabited by living things too?" I can't help asking.

She hesitates. "Your
government considers that classified information."

"Oh." Right.
"Sorry."

"No, it's ok. I'd
be curious, too," she admits. "They're still working on an
intergalactic agreement between our kind and yours, and then maybe we
can talk about things you've missed out on, sitting all alone in your
milky day," she beams.

"Do you mean milky
way
?" I ask.

"Yes," she
nods. "I'm not sure why you call it that. It looks nothing like
milk." She pauses. "Milk
is
that white liquid stuff
in the lunch room, right?" she asks worriedly.

I laugh. "Yes.
Don't worry. Everything you're drinking and eating in our lunchroom
is edible, even though sometimes it might not taste like it."

"Good." She
sounds relieved. "We can eat anything humans can. Our bodies are
very similar." I want to ask her how that can be, but something
tells me that's classified information as well.

My stomach makes an
embarrassingly loud grumbling sound. Remembering I didn't eat
breakfast yet, I take out a small Ziploc bag from the side of my
backpack. Baby carrots were the only snacks in our refrigerator so
it's what I pull out.

"Would you like
some?" I ask.

"Carrots!"
She brightens. "We have something similar where we come from."
She takes one. "Why are carrots more orange than an orange?"
She stares at it, looking puzzled.

I pause, a carrot half
in my mouth. "Um, I'm not sure," I say.

"Ok." Not
missing a beat, she continues. "If glue can stick to everything,
how come it doesn't stick to the glue bottle?"

I gape at her. "What?"

"Yesterday we were
using glue, and it sticks to everything! Why doesn't it stick to the
bottle? Is the bottle made of some special plastic?" She sounds
serious, and an image of her studying and analyzing a glue bottle
like it's going to save the world, pops into my brain. I bite my lip
to keep from laughing. As best as I can I answer, I say, "We
could Google it."

She looks earnest. "I
know what Google is. It's a lot like Nexus."

"What's Nexus?"
I ask.

"It's a lot like
Google." She laughs.

My giggle joins hers,
and for a moment it feels nice to have someone to talk to.

"Lenora," the
low voice comes out of nowhere. The hair on the back of my neck
stands up, and I know who it is even before I turn.

Rhys.

He's propped casually
next to a tree. Dressed in jeans and a light jacket, he wouldn't look
out of place in an Express catalogue. It's maddening how attractive
he is. He saunters over like he owns the sidewalk. Abruptly self
-conscious of the ragged hat over my head, I'm torn between using it
to hide my face or throwing it to the dogs wagging their tails next
to us.

"How long have you
been waiting for me?" Lenora asks.

"A few minutes."

"Sorry. Turns out
I'm not so good at parallel parking."

He raises a perfectly
black eyebrow. "Really." He doesn't sound surprised.

"Don't you dare
say 'I told you so'," she warns gently. "You know I've
always wanted to drive a car! It's so much more interesting than
pressing a button."

"You're really
loving this, aren't you?" He looks amused.

"Yes." She
turns to me. "Rhys, this is Kenna Parker. Kenna, this is Rhys
Doe." Her words are careful and precise. She's still learning
the language, and her accent is thicker than his. I can't help
noticing the little smile that's appeared on his face.

In my head I say:
I'm
the girl you noticed yesterday. I hope this doesn't sound creepy, but
would you mind noticing me everyday?
Out loud I say, "Of all
the sidewalks in all the cities in all of Minnesota, you walk into
this one…"

"Ready for that
probe when you are."

It's official. We're
flirting. Even in my wildest dreams I couldn't imagine myself doing
this, but I am. I'm giddy inside.

Lenora looks between
us, confused. "Is that a new human greeting?"

We exchange a secret
smile, each daring the other not to laugh. I bite my lips to keep it
in. "No."
Just ours.

"Oh."

Turning to Rhys before
my laughter can burst out, I ask, "How was work yesterday?"

His smile vanishes.
"Fine." His voice is curt.

Did I say something
wrong?
He takes a step back from me. He did this yesterday too,
and I'm trapped between calling him out or watching him slip away
again.

Another step back.

Another inch away.

Suddenly angry, I lift
my chin up.
What's his problem?

"We should get
going Lenora."

"Come on,"
she says, tugging at my elbow. "We're taking the back route.
Reporters are in full swing today."

I try not to notice the
way Rhys's shoulder stiffens at her suggestion, and shake my head.

"No, you guys go
ahead. I've got to make a stop in the office," I lie. His
shoulders seem to relax a little with my refusal. Annoyed, I look
away. If I didn't, he'd see the daggers in my eyes.

Lenora hesitates. "Are
you sure?"

"Very," I
answer truthfully. Rhys doesn't wait for more conversation, and
gestures without turning for Lenora to catch up. She looks at him
then back to me.

"Hmm," she
says.

I don't ask what she
means by that and she doesn't tell me.

"See you at
school," she says. "We're going to be naughty and sneak in.
Shhh." She puts a finger to her lips. "Don't tell the
reporters."

"I won't," I
promise, but her back is to me. I watch them walk away, wondering how
two space aliens could look so beautifully
normal
. I think
they belong here more than I do.

Rhys bends his head to
her, and whispers. Even from half a block away, I notice they're very
close. His lips are next to her ear and if he moved a millimeter
more, he'd touch her. An uncomfortable sensation settles in the pit
of my stomach.

Turning, I stomp off
with my usual clatter, listening to my footsteps and the wind. Out of
the corner of my eye, I see Rhys look up.

His gaze is a pool of
light; sharp and focused. Behind the surface of his eyes something
flashes.

Longing.

I freeze mid stride.

Something hard and fast
comes by. It's tires jump over the curb. The truck's so close, I
smell the diesel before a gust of wind rushes past, blowing my hat
up. It's going to hit me. I open my mouth to scream.

Suddenly a pair of
strong arms circle my waist, pulling me hard. I'm pushed away, and I
fall to the ground on my back. Rhys is hovering over me, his grip
steel tight. Everything happens so fast his nose is touching mine
before either of us is aware of our bodies intertwined on the ground.

How did he--?

I can hear Lenora
shriek but my focus is on Rhys. For a moment everything stops. I'm
tingly all over. His eyes drop to my mouth, and my eyes drop to his.
I'm breathing hard, and he hears it because his breath catches in his
throat, too. My arms move to circle his neck.
Yes,
I think,
and I pull him to me.

We stare into each
other's eyes, and I'm hypnotized, as if an invisible bell is calling
to me. Pictures flash in my mind. Glowing- everything is glowing.
Shining,
beautiful
eyes. Floating in a sea of stars. Warm
embraces. And fire. Hot, raging, red fire.

Our lips move closer--

"Are you okay?"
I can hear Lenora above me.

We still as whatever
transfixed the both of us breaks. He holds me tight for a second more
as if it's painful to release me. I don't want him to let go. He
does.

My body trembles
without his heavy weight pinning me down. Adrenaline pumps through
me. Sights and sounds come rushing back. Rhys is up and standing, but
his intense face fills my vision. He gives a hand to help me up.

I ask the only thing
that comes to mind, "How'd you get here so fast?" It comes
out breathless. His eyes drop to my chest where I'm breathing hard.
His gaze flickers back to mine.

"I beamed over."

"Really?"

Amusement flickers over
his features, making them softer. "No."

"Oh." I wait
for an answer. It doesn't come.

"Hey, you okay?"
Lenora asks again, touching my shoulder. "That truck almost ran
you over!" Her eyes are wide. "Your human body could have
died."

"That thought
crossed my mind," I reply. It's a lie. The only thing I felt or
thought of was standing less than a foot away, staring at me with
bright Angel eyes.

"Maybe you should
walk with us." Rhys voice is deep.

"I've survived
walking for at least seventeen and a half years. I think I'll live
another day."

"Still…"
Rhys is unsure, gazing back where the truck had been. "What if…"

"What if what?"
Puzzled, I peer closer at him.

"What if it wasn't
an accident."

My mouth opens in shock
as a thought suddenly occurs to me. "You're right. Where's your
bodyguard?"

For months there've
been reports of Klan members threatening violence if our national
government allowed the Saguinox to come. Rumors were they'd already
sent death threats to the school and the principal.
That truck
could've been aiming for Rhys and Lenora.
Cold dread settles in
the pit of my stomach.

"What?" Rhys
looks offended. "I don't need a bodyguard. I was talking about
y--" Something comes over his face. His lips tighten as if to
hold himself back. He takes a deep breath. "Yes, that truck
could have been an attempt on our life."

Lenora opens her mouth
to say something. He silences her with a steel look. I frown.

"You need to let
someone know, Rhys."

"We will," he
promises. "As soon as you walk with us."

My first thought is
now
you want me to walk with you? After we've just discussed possible
assassination? I don't feel fear though.

I feel confused.

Rhys is sending so many
mixed signals, I can't tell what's genuine and what isn't. There's so
little known about Saguinox culture. For all I know this could be a
routine Saguinox courtship. He walks ahead, turning expectantly.

"He leads and we
follow," Lenora tells me.

"He leads," I
repeat.

"Always."

A student walks by, and
I can hear faint music blaring from her headphones. She's heading to
our school and we follow quietly behind. Katy Perry's "Hot and
Cold" plays on her ipod over and over again. I can hear it
through her headphones.

I stare at Rhys's broad
shoulders. I think about yesterday and this morning.

It's the perfect theme
song to accompany our walk.

My morning sucked. I'd
burnt the cake I'd baked in Home Economics. The teacher scolded me
for not paying attention because I was supposed to watch the timer.
I'd been thinking about a certain alien instead.

The lunchroom is
crowded by the time I arrive. I didn't pack food, so I wait in line
with a tray. The plan is to get lunch, then head over to my little
dining area a.k.a the corner couch at the hip and happening Morrison
High Library. The process usually happens like this: I get my food,
sit at a corner of some lonely and deserted table, sneak a few
suspicious glances here and there, waiting for the opportune moment
to sneak off, which tends to happen almost immediately upon sitting,
dump edible parts of lunch in the bag and casually leave as if I had
not done what I just did. The plan works every time. There's a plus
side to not getting noticed; no one sees you when you go.

I'm relieved to see
today that our pizza came in a triangular plastic container. I smile.
The universe is rooting for me. Maybe it's trying to make up for
giving me such a rotten morning. Grabbing an apple, and some
silverware I pay the cashier and leave the line, heading straight for
the furthest table.