Once An Alien Read online

  I felt Rion stiffen next to me. I must have looked a bit weird because Lou rushed to say, ‘Oh, sorry, Zoe.’

  I felt my heart beat faster. Surely, she couldn’t know about Rion. ‘Why?’ I asked in a strained voice.

  ‘I forgot your mum was a teacher. But she’s different. She’s lovely.’

  I let out a breath. ‘Thanks, Lou.’

  ‘I felt sorry for Kerri though,’ Harry said. ‘She looked in a state of shock.’

  ‘I honestly thought she was going to have a heart attack or something,’ I said.

  ‘Well, maybe not that,’ Rion said with a half-smile, ‘but she certainly looked unhappy. I don’t think she’s used to getting a low grade in any subject.’

  ‘Here’s betting she stays up every night studying English. We probably won’t see her at all until the finals are over,’ I said.

  But I was wrong. Not five minutes later, Kerri came towards us with her lunch box and without a book for once. But her face was glum.

  ‘Hey, Kerri,’ Harry said, making room for her.

  She looked at us with tragic eyes. ‘I was going to study, but then I thought, what’s the use? I’m only going to fail anyway. I’ll probably end up working at McDonalds for life.’

  ‘I think you might be exaggerating,’ Rion said. ‘You’re one of the smartest people I know.’ This was a great concession from him as he thought most humans ranked only slightly higher than dogs when it came to intelligence. ‘Anyway, it’s only one assignment. You’re bound to do much better on the next one.’

  ‘What did you get?’ I asked, fully expecting her to say a B, which was the equivalent of a fail in her eyes.

  She gave a deep, shaky sigh and said in a low voice, ‘C minus.’

  We all looked at her in shock. No one ever thought Kerri could get a C in anything, let alone a C minus.

  Finally, Rion asked, ‘What did Ms D say was wrong?’

  ‘You heard her in class,’ Kerri snapped. ‘Apparently I have no empathy. I looked at Macbeth’s rise to power in objective terms, like any rational person would. I really couldn’t see the point of his internal struggle once he had attained his objective of becoming king. I thought Shakespeare had really overdone the whole thing.’

  ‘So, you criticised Shakespeare?’ I looked at her in disbelief.

  She shrugged.

  ‘The language is hard to understand,’ Lou said.

  The look Kerri gave her was withering. ‘I had no difficulty with the language.’

  ‘Maybe a tutor would help with understanding characters and their motivation and everything.’ I’d never thought I would say those words to Kerri.

  ‘If only English wasn’t so necessary for getting a good grade point average for university.’ Kerri looked totally deflated.

  ‘I’ll help you if you want,’ Harry said.

  ‘You only got a B.’ Kerri was so diplomatic—not.

  ‘What about me?’ Rion asked.

  She looked at him and then shook her head. ‘You said Ms D made some critical remarks about your assignment. Besides, you’re always so busy with Zoe, work, and everything.’

  That much was true. Rion helped out in the school lab, and he had to do everything for himself at home. He was even talking about getting a job so that he would have extra money. The allowance he received only covered the essentials.

  Kerri looked across the grass to where Pandora was sitting with Jas and her friends. ‘I know. I’ll ask Pandora.’

  ‘Pandora? She didn’t even do the assignment,’ Lou said.

  ‘Yes, but she’s really smart. I think she’s even smarter than you, Rion.’

  Wow, Kerri didn’t pull her punches. My sympathy for her was evaporating quickly. Sometimes, she was just too hard to deal with.

  She got up and, without another word to us, walked over to Pandora. Jas looked at her in disbelief, but Kerri just ignored her. I had to give her kudos for that. Kerri, unlike most of the rest of the school population, was neither impressed nor intimidated by Jas. I couldn’t hear what Kerri was saying, but Pandora nodded and smiled.

  When she came back to us, Lou said, ‘Well?’

  ‘She said she’d be happy to help me in English.’ Kerri took out her salad wrap from her lunch box. ‘Perhaps I won’t have to work at McDonalds after all when I leave school.’

  Rion and I shared a smile, and I felt a warm, happy feeling. No matter what happened, it was good to know he was in my life, and after last term, I was never going to take that for granted again.

  Chapter Six

  Damn,’ Dad said as he dropped the sauce spoon on the floor. I bent to pick it up and drop it in the sink. His thin face creased into a smile of thanks as he pushed back a short brown curl that had stuck to his forehead.

  ‘Thanks, hon.’

  ‘Why are you making dinner? I thought it was Mum’s turn?’ I grabbed a paper towel and cleaned up the mess, while he took another wooden spoon from the drawer. Mum and Dad took turns making dinner during the week, and I usually cooked at least one night on the weekend. None of us would ever make it on Master Chef or My Kitchen Rules, but so far we hadn’t starved or been malnourished or anything.

  ‘Mum was feeling tired, so I offered,’ he said as he stirred the sauce.

  ‘Spaghetti bolognese, hey? Again.’

  Dad gave me a look, his dark eyebrows rising. ‘You’re welcome to make something for yourself. Plenty of peanut butter in the cupboard.’

  ‘Did I ever tell you how much I love spaghetti?’

  ‘Good answer.’

  ‘What’s up with Mum? She was in bed the other day when I came home from school. Is everything okay?’

  Dad stopped stirring. I saw a look of concern in his eyes, but after a moment it was gone and he smiled. ‘Of course. You know, teaching and all. It’s a tiring job.’

  I went over to the fridge and opened it, taking out the orange juice. ‘Tiresome, you mean. I can’t imagine anything worse than teaching a bunch of bratty little kids all day.’

  ‘So, you won’t be doing a teaching degree next year when you finish high school?’ He moved the sauce to the back of the stove and got out the big pan for the pasta. I put my juice down and got the spaghetti from the cupboard, putting it on the counter beside him.

  ‘No chance. Don’t forget to put a little salt in the water. And a touch of olive oil too—it helps to keep the spaghetti strands separate.’

  ‘How many years have I been doing this?’ he asked as he filled the pot.

  ‘Just trying to be helpful,’ I said. Dad was enthusiastic, but a bit slap dash.

  ‘So, have you thought any more about what you want to do next year?’

  I shook my head. ‘I’m just going to try to do well in school this year so I’ll have options.’

  ‘Not a bad plan. But there must be some area you’re interested in. Accounting maybe? Or business.’

  ‘Kind of boring sitting in an office all day and adding up numbers. Oops, no offence, Dad.’

  Dad threw the spaghetti into the water and turned to face me, leaning against the cupboard, arms folded and smiling. ‘I’m sure accounting is not the most exciting job in the world, but it pays the bills.’

  ‘I know you’re great at your job, but it’s not for me.’

  ‘You’re good at English. Maybe there’s something you could do in that line. You don’t have to teach little kids, you could teach at high school or even adults.’

  Definitely not the time to tell him about my C in English. I shrugged. ‘I’ll figure something out.’

  He nodded. ‘I know. You still have plenty of time. Oops,’ he said as the water boiled over on the stove.

  As he turned it down, I said, ‘I’ll go and set the table.’ I escaped into the dining room.

  I thought about next year. I had the vague idea I would probably go to university somewhere, hopefully with Rion, but after that I drew a blank. As to what I was going to do, I didn’t have a clue. I was sixteen and a half, and seriously? I ju
st wanted to be with my boyfriend and have fun with my friends. I suppose that made me shallow or something, but there it was.

  Later that night, when I was talking to Rion on the phone, I asked him the same question. If anyone would have things figured out, it would be him. He was the most organised person I knew. So I was kind of surprised when he said, ‘I don’t know.’

  ‘But you’ve lived all those years with hosts. You must have some idea of what you want to do.’ I usually didn’t like to think that Rion had once been a bodiless, conscious entity inside people for thousands of years. It was too weird.

  ‘I have lots of ideas about what I want to do, Zoe, but most of them are things I want to do with you.’

  I felt a warm glow inside.

  ‘I’d like to visit Paris, kiss you on top of the Eiffel Tower, have gelato with you on a warm, crowded street in Rome, go ice skating with you in Central Park and catch you when you fall. One day, I’d even like to…’

  ‘Go on,’ I said, a little breathless. I wished he was here right now, because, Eiffel Tower or not, I really wanted to kiss him.

  ‘One day I’d like to have a family with you. I want to grow old with you and watch our own kids grow up.’

  I couldn’t speak for a moment. My chest was all full of feelings, and my eyes leaked a stupid tear or two.

  ‘Zoe? Are you still there? I haven’t offended you or anything, have I?’

  I took a breath and said, ‘Of course, not. I was just… that’s awesome, Rion. Actually, you’re awesome. I…’ I wanted to say it, but somehow the word just wouldn’t form on my tongue.

  ‘I wish I was with you now,’ he said.

  ‘Me too. Maybe you could come over and say you were helping me with homework.’

  ‘I’m not sure your parents would be convinced,’ he said with a laugh. My parents had this stupid idea that week nights were for studying and not seeing my boyfriend.

  ‘Or we could meet in the boat shed.’

  ‘I’m not going to do anything to deceive them.’

  ‘Rion, sometimes you’re a pain, a goody-two-shoes pain.’

  ‘What? Is that supposed to be an insult or something?’

  ‘Yes, I’m glad you realised it. Sometimes you don’t. And, while all of the things you mentioned are lovely, none of them actually are a career.’

  ‘I know, but I’m sure I’ll work it out. The problem is there are so many interesting jobs I’d like to do that I can’t quite make up my mind. I wouldn’t mind being an astrophysicist or neuropsychologist. But then again, I’m also interested in environmental law, and aeronautical engineering sounds fascinating.’

  ‘Jeez, Rion, right there is the difference between us. I don’t even know what half those jobs are, let alone want to do them.’

  ‘They’re just words, Zoe. No big deal. We’ll both figure it out, together.’

  ‘Yeah, I guess.’ I liked that he used the word together, because that was the way I felt too. Talking to him helped me turn the stress button off. Year twelve seemed to be all about expectations from everyone—teachers, parents, and even other kids—and choices that I wasn’t ready to make. It was good to hear Rion say we’d work it out. When he said it, I realised I believed it.

  ‘Rion, at the risk of inflating your already healthy ego, I think you might be good for me.’

  ‘You only think it? Really, Zoe, considering all the advice I’ve given you this past year on healthy diet, exercise, time-management skills, and not to mention the importance of suitable companions, you should know it by now.’

  ‘Are you kidding me! You sound just like that self-important, smart-ass bubble that landed on me when I was innocently walking on a beach last July. Have you learnt nothing?’ I was just getting started and was about to erupt in another tirade, when I heard his burst of laughter over the phone. I wished he was near me right now, but not to kiss him. No way. I was thinking more of flying pillows and anything else I could get my hands on.

  ‘That wasn’t funny, Rion.’

  ‘I disagree. It was most amusing.’

  I decided a huffy silence was the best way to deal with this.

  ‘Zoe?’

  Silence.

  ‘Zoe. Hey, you know I didn’t mean it. It was just a joke.’

  ‘Some joke.’

  ‘You know I’ve learnt more from you than you ever did from me.’

  ‘Hmmm. Such as what?’

  ‘Well, I learnt a lot about kissing from you.’

  He didn’t seem to need much help there. In fact, he seemed to be pretty good at it right from the start. But I let that slide. ‘Okay,’ I said. ‘Maybe.’

  ‘And you taught me a lot about modern music. As a matter of fact, I got some tickets to that girl band you seem to like, Nebula.’

  I sat up straight on the bed. ‘You’re kidding! They’re coming here, to Brisbane? And you got tickets?’

  ‘Yes and yes.’

  ‘You mean we’ve been talking all night and you just thought to mention it now?’

  ‘Well, you were talking about things that were important to you, so I thought I should listen.’

  ‘Jeez, Rion, thanks but… you got tickets to Nebula!’ I gave a squeal of delight.

  ‘So, you’re pleased?’

  ‘Ya think?’

  ‘Back in your good books?’

  ‘If you were here, I’d show you just how much you’re in my good books.’

  ‘I’m not often tempted to break your parents’ rules about not seeing you on weeknights, but…’

  I laughed. ‘Don’t worry, I’m not going to put you to the test. I can wait until tomorrow, especially now I know we’re going to see Nebula. But how did you get the tickets? They’re so hot right now their concerts sell out in hours, if not minutes.’

  ‘I don’t know. Just lucky, I guess. I’d heard they were coming, and so as soon as their tickets went on sale, I went online and got them. I was going to surprise you, but I think you needed cheering up tonight.’

  ‘You’re right, I did. Thank you.’

  ‘I’m glad. Sometimes, even now, I’m not sure I’ve got this boyfriend thing covered.’

  ‘I think you’re doing just fine.’

  ‘It was Pandora who suggested it.’

  ‘Oh.’ Suddenly something inside me went cold.

  ‘Yes, we were talking after class one day, and she said they were coming to Brisbane in a few months and that you’d probably like it if I got tickets.’

  ‘So, you were talking about me to Pandora. I didn’t know you two were so chummy.’

  ‘We’re not. She just mentioned it, that’s all. Is something wrong?’

  I didn’t want to be one of those controlling kind of girlfriends. Rion could talk to whoever he wanted and, perhaps, because she was an alien and all, they had a lot in common. But there was just something about her I didn’t trust, despite her friendliness.

  ‘No, nothing wrong. It’s just I didn’t think you liked her much.’

  He sighed. ‘Not really. But now that she’s here, I just want to make sure she doesn’t get into trouble. She can be… impulsive.’

  ‘Has she told you why she’s here?’ Rion and I hadn’t really talked much about Pandora. I think both of us were trying to avoid it, but she was kind of like the elephant in the room. Sooner or later, we’d have to face the fact that there was another alien here, and not someone who was easy to overlook.

  ‘She doesn’t have a host anymore. He died recently.’

  ‘She doesn’t exactly look like she’s in mourning.’

  ‘In her own way, I think she cared about him, but now she’s just interested in having a good time here for a while.’

  ‘I didn’t think your people believed in fun much. I thought you were all high-minded and stuff.’

  ‘I told you she went rogue. Every now and then someone is selected for the space mission who isn’t quite suited. It doesn’t happen very often. I think even Pandora herself is starting to realise that she made a mista
ke in joining us.’

  ‘Can she go back to your planet?’

  ‘No, it’s too late now. Our bodies are kept for a hundred years in a cryogenic state, in case someone changes his or her mind or doesn’t work out, but after that it’s allowed to wither naturally. She hasn’t been an organic on our planet for nearly 1000 years.’

  ‘Wow. I can’t even begin to understand what that must be like. But both of you are organics now. How’s that possible?’ I’d never really understood it.

  ‘Yes, here on this planet. There is a gene memory in our bodiless states that we can activate. But if we returned to our planet after a hundred years, because we would be technically dead there in the physical sense, we’d be unable to materialise. At least that’s the theory. No one’s ever tested it.’

  ‘Your people seem to be able to do a lot though.’

  ‘Yes, but only because we’ve evolved over time and have learnt how to use the natural forces around us.’

  I thought for a moment. ‘I noticed Pandora kind of uses her “power” to get what she wants. It’s like she hypnotises everyone to like her or something. I never noticed you doing that.’

  ‘It’s just I choose never to use it. It wouldn’t be fair. And anyway, I never wanted to control anyone—except Archimedes when he was here.’ He and Archimedes had never got on.

  ‘How long is she going to stay?’

  ‘I don’t know. Not long, I hope. She seems to think our people will zap her back whenever she’s ready. I’m worried that won’t be possible.’

  ‘In other words, we might be stuck with her.’

  ‘I hope not.’

  We talked for a few more minutes and then said goodbye. The brief, happy feeling I’d had about going to see Nebula had vanished. In its place I had a nagging feeling that Pandora was about to become a big factor in my life, and not in a good way.

  Chapter Seven

  Hey, Lou, over here,’ I called, waving to her as she threaded her way through the crowded food court. She smiled and waved back, heading towards us. We were finally on our movie date with Rion and Harry, although we were calling it a group thing. As Lou sat down with us, I noticed again how different she seemed from last term. Her black jeans were skinny with rips in them, and her black and white top had slipped fashionably down over one shoulder. She even had short boots with a slight heel. Her hair was held back on one side with a jewelled clip. If I didn’t know her so well, I would hardly have recognised her.