Over the Moon (22 page)

When he took me home, he asked me if I would go to Zion
National Park with him and his family on Saturday. I was eager to
go. I had only been there once, and I didn't remember much about
it, except that it was full of huge, colorful rock formations arranged in a spectacular maze of sheer walls and deep, winding passages that
followed the paths of water and wind erosion though the sandstone.
He would pick me up at eleven. We would have a picnic inside the
park. Then he told me that Sonya Parker and her family were visiting
from Roswell and they would be coming also. That changed everything. I wondered if he had intentionally withheld that unpleasant
little tidbit of information until I had agreed to go.

"Don't worry, Tiana. We'll take my car. They'll ride in the Suburban with Adam and Evelyn. Matthew and Hannah and Luke and
Jillian will go in Matthew's car. We'll only have to socialize at the
picnic, and then we'll take off by ourselves," he assured me.

"Are you sure it won't be awkward?" I wasn't at all sure I wanted
to risk being compared to the remarkably attractive Sonya Parker.

"Why should it be?" He sounded confident, but I was still nervous about meeting the elegant beauty from the video date I'd been
forced to view.

"Don't worry! You are much prettier than she is. It will be okay.
We'll spend as little time as possible with them. You don't have to
feel threatened by her. She means nothing to me. I love you!" He was
sounding more convincing now. Maybe I was wrong to be anxious.

He kissed me good night on my doorstep. As I watched him drive
away, I became worried again. I was going to meet his ex-girlfriend,
who was also a space alien with superpowers. Curses, what if she could
read minds too? I should have asked. Why didn't I ask? If I lined my
hat with aluminum foil, would that keep her out of my head?

"Don't think about it," I told myself as I got ready for bed that
night. "He said it would be okay. Surely he would have warned me if
my brain was to be an open book. She is just a girl, an amazingly beautiful girl, a girl who might be able to read my insecurity, a girl who still
wanted to get back together with Andrew, and a very good friend of
his twin sister. What could possibly be awkward about that?"

That night, I had nightmares about the appallingly attractive
and appealing Miss Sonya Parker. I dreamed that I was dancing
with Andrew. She came and tried to cut in. When I ignored her, she
punched me in the face and shoved me out of her way. She danced away with Andrew. She was wearing the pink lacy formal gown from
the video while I was dressed in ragged Levis and a torn and dingy,
gray shirt. Andrew was incredibly handsome in a white tuxedo. They
made a lovely couple. They looked like they belonged together. He
waved good-bye as they danced off, floating up to the heavens.

When I woke up, I felt painfully and pathetically inferior. I
was definitely not looking forward to meeting that stunning space
woman. I'd better make a serious effort to look my very best if I were
going to be compared to her. I showered and blew my hair dry. I
decided to leave it down since I knew he liked it that way and it was
behaving itself today. I put on my best khaki shorts and a peach-colored silk blouse that highlighted my red hair. I used a little mascara
and some blush and put in my coral earring drops. I grabbed a hat,
sunglasses, and sunscreen as the doorbell rang. I decided to forget
the tin foil. It probably wouldn't shield my thoughts anyway. It was
best not to look like an idiot, even if I felt like one.

He looked so good it was criminal. He had on a baseball cap
and sunglasses. He could have passed for a celebrity trying to be
incognito. The car had the convertible top down. I'd better pour on
the sunscreen, or I was bound to burn.

"Do you want me to help you with that?" He took the tube
from me and put a little on my face, my arms, and neck, causing me
to shiver involuntarily. "There, now you won't burn," he said as he
helped me into the car.

"I'm already burning," I joked, but I was really telling the truth.

"I know." He laughed.

"Sometimes I hate you. Stop reading my mind. It's embarrassing! It's not at all fair!" I folded my arms across my chest, pretending to be mad. He got in, leaned over, and traced my chin with his
fingers.

"I'm glad you can't read mine." He wiggled his eyebrows and
showed me his dimples, and I had to smile back.

He gave me a quick kiss and started the car, and we flew down
the highway with the wind in our faces. It was exhilarating. Everything was perfect. Why was I nervous? It was a sunny day. I was with the boy I loved. We were going to spend the entire day together in
one of the most extraordinary canyons in the world. There was no
way I was going to let a stupid, old girlfriend ruin this.

And that's when I heard the voice in my head. It's too perfect.
Something is going to happen to ruin this perfect day, and there is nothing you can do to stop it. I felt the anxiety churning in the pit of my
stomach. Buck up and take it like a woman. Brace yourself and be strong.
Be ready for something very disagreeable, the voice said, not in those
exact words, but that was the general idea.

In an effort to reduce traffic and keep their noxious emissions
from the park, it was required that all patrons park outside and walk
in past the toll booth. We would then wait for and ride an open-aired
bus to our various destinations. I saw the Suburban pull up beside us,
and then Matthew parked on the other side. I saw her get out of the
Suburban. She was much prettier in person and very tall. She had
to be nearly six feet and every inch impossibly gorgeous. She had a
figure that would stop most guys in their tracks and drop them to
their knees. She dressed to emphasize every voluptuous curve. I tried,
without success, to push my insecurities out of my mind. I took several
deep breathes to steady myself and tried to think happy thoughts.

Andrew opened my door and whispered in my ear, "You're
wrong. I love you and only you." I was probably visibly shaken. I
tried to look calm, collected, and completely at ease, but I failed
miserably. I managed to smile at her as he introduced us. She smiled
back, but her eyes seemed cold and condescending.

"I'm so glad to meet you, Tiana." Her voice sounded warm and
friendly in a guarded sort of way. Had I detected some malice hidden in her tone? I was possibly imagining that. No, it was hidden
just beneath the surface, but it was definitely there. I was expecting
the worst possible scenario after I'd been warned by my inner voice.
I was on red alert, and no nuance was lost on me.

I met her parents, who appeared too young to have a teenage
daughter, much less a son, James, who was college age. Of course, I
knew they didn't age like normal people. We all filed onto the next
departing bus. Sonya led our group, chatting away about how much she had missed Andrew and his family. She sat and pulled Andrew
down into the seat beside her. I could see a flicker of irritation pause
on his face. Ever the gentleman, he hid it well at first.

"You don't mind, do you, Tiana? We have some catching up to
do. I promise I'll give him back." She grinned triumphantly at me.
She wasn't giving up on her plan to get him back. That was undeniably her desire today. Her determination was self-evident. She narrowed her eyes and flashed me an evil smirk. I didn't have to be a
mind reader to see her plan. It was easily recognizable, and she made
no real effort whatsoever to hide it from me. She wanted me to
know exactly what she was up to and that was absolutely no good.

"As long as you don't keep him too long," I said, trying very
hard to be polite. I would try to remain civil and suppress my desire
to stop the bus and push her out the door into oncoming traffic. I
saw the storm clouds gathering in Andrew's eyes. He was probably
thinking the same thing. He gave me a nod, and I knew he was. I
couldn't keep from smiling at the thought of a bus running her over
and smashing her flat as a pancake on the red-hot asphalt. What a
wicked thought! I willed my brain to behave.

I sat in the seat in front of them and bit my lip. This could get
ugly. Sonya's brother, James, sat down beside me. I saw Andrew's
eyes narrow. He did not like this any better than I did. James was a
few inches taller than his sister. Except for their similarity in height,
there was nothing to suggest they were related. I would never have
guessed they were siblings. He had dark, curly, brown hair that was
almost black, chocolate brown eyes, and a rich olive skin tone suggesting Hispanic ancestry while she looked German or Dutch with
pale blue-gray eyes and straight, fine, reddish-blonde hair. They
were as different from each other as Andrew and Hannah. Yes, they
were both undeniable eye candy, although when I looked at them,
I thought I was seeing deliberate masks that covered up their real
cruel and devious intentions.

"Hey, you really are beautiful." James tried to flatter me. Were all
spacemen nuts? I wasn't sure I should believe anything this boy said.

"Did you think I was lying, James?" Andrew said, frowning at
him.

"No," James replied. "I wasn't sure about your taste in women
though. I mean, you went out with my sister." He acted appalled at
that thought.

"Good one, brother dear." Sonya laughed at his apparent joke.

"So you go to school with Andrew?" He turned his attention
back to me. I suddenly felt like I was being examined under a powerful microscope. I wondered if he could read minds like Andrew.
Was he actually going to come on to me right here in front of my
boyfriend?

"Yes, we have two classes together," I answered, trying to hide
my negative reaction to his attention. There was something about
James that made me nervous. He was certainly handsome and suave.
I'm sure he had broken a lot of young girls' hearts. He reminded me
of a politician or a game show host.

"And he still manages to pull As. I wouldn't be able to pay attention to anything but you." He was definitely flirting with me.

"I'm the one who has trouble paying attention," I admitted
honestly.

"Andrew is one lucky guy!" He shook his head. "He's always been
the golden boy. Good fortune follows him around like a devoted pet.
Wherever he goes, all the best things come to him. He doesn't even
have to look for them. He gets all the breaks, and now he's found
you. How lucky can one guy get? It doesn't seem fair."

"I'm the lucky one," I countered. I didn't know how to take his
comments. He seemed to be jealous of Andrew. I wasn't sure it had
anything to do with me. I hoped it didn't.

Sonya started talking about Roswell and how they grew up
together and how they had reconnected when he moved back from
Australia. She admitted that she had always had a crush on Andrew.
She mentioned some places they had gone together and how much
fun they had. She was getting a little too close and personal, and
I could see Andrew's hands were formed into fists. His eyes were
nearly furious. James seemed to be enjoying Andrew's discomfort. He threw in a few snide and sarcastic remarks and continued to flirt
shamelessly with me.

"You know, when you get tired of him, I'm available. I'm going to
be attending Dixie State College in St. George this next semester, so
I'm not far away." He grinned at me and then glanced back at Andrew,
who shot darts back at him with irritation that flashed from his fiercely
intense turquoise eyes. "I'd love to take you out sometime. You shouldn't
tie yourself down to just one boy, unless that boy is me, of course. I'm a
lot more fun than Andrew." He smiled wolfishly at me.

"I'm happy with Andrew. I'll never get tired of him." I wanted
to make that crystal clear. I thought he was just saying these things
to needle Andrew, but he was making me very uneasy. My face grew
hot with my distress. I found myself embarrassed by his unwanted
attention. He had an exceptionally inflated ego. He seemed to think
I should find him irresistible. Most girls probably did find him hard
to resist. I'm sure he would be shocked to know that I didn't. Again, I
wondered if he could read my mind. I thought he probably couldn't,
or he would already know I wasn't impressed by his looks. I realized he
really appeared to think I was blushing on the outside because I was
lusting on the inside. That thought made me want to kick him in the
asteroids and beam him back to his home planet along with his savage
sister. Let the barbaric cannibals deal with them. They were both getting on my nerves. I so wanted to get off this bus right now.

"Never is a long time. I'll be around when you change your mind."
He laughed. I didn't reply. I was never going to change my mind. I
found this whole conversation unnerving. I would never want to be
alone with James. His manner was predatory, and I felt like his preferred prey. He could probably swallow me alive in one gulp.

Finally, the bus stopped at the picnic area before Andrew or I came
completely unglued. We got off with a sigh of relief that was uttered
at the same time as we shared knowing glances. We helped Evelyn
set the table and put out the sandwiches, chips, and drinks. Andrew
made sure I sat by him this time. Sonya sat across the table and smiled
demurely at him. She threw dirty looks my way when no one else was
looking. When we finished eating, I excused myself to visit the ladies' room. I was washing my hands when she barged in looking like she'd
just escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane.

"You don't know what you're doing!" she screamed at me. She
looked at me with hate in her twitching evil eyes. Uh oh, the needle
on the crazy meter was flipping off the charts.

"I'm washing my hands," I replied calmly. At least I tried to
sound calm, fighting the compelling urge to scream and run away
fast, never looking back.

"Don't act naive! You know what I mean! Andrew is mine. He
is supposed to be with me! He could never be happy with you. You
need to let him go now before you get hurt. He's completely out of
your league!" The girl was going postal. Had she forgotten to take
her meds?