Volunteer (Selected Book 3)

by Robin Roseau

  "Should I let her?"

  "If you don't mind, sure. Why not?"

  We both laughed.

  Then both girls were at the door, standing behind their mother. Bluebell heard them and stepped away. "I'll see you at breakfast, Skye. Good night, girls."

  That was said in Catseye, and I realized I understood it. I stood there, marveling at that. Then Violet and Posey were there, the door closed, and they were pulling me to the bed.

  Backwards.

  With tentacles wrapped around my arms.

  "Oh shit!"

  They both began giggling.

  "You promised," Violet said.

  "The popcorn will get cold!" I complained.

  They paused, and Posey said, "She's right."

  "You may tickle me all you want after you feed me a little."

  They didn't release me, not entirely, but we all climbed onto the bed. There was popcorn and lemonade. We took turns feeding each other, and Posey asked about the date. We took turns telling her about it.

  I turned to Violet. "More dates."

  "Yes."

  "But the three of us can do stuff, too, right? We're friends, after all."

  "Yes," Posey said. "But school first."

  "About that. Are you a doctor, too?"

  She laughed. "Yes. Please don't call me that though."

  "All right. In what?"

  "MBA and a doctorate in astrophysics."

  "Oh shit, really?"

  "Really. Um. Human doctorates aren't very hard for us."

  "Did you get degrees back home?"

  "This is home."

  "Back on your world?"

  "This is our world now."

  "You both know what I mean," I complained.

  "We were children when we left," Posey explained. "Young children. It's a long way. We studied during the trip, but we're only a few years older than you."

  "Oh. Am I an idiot?"

  "Sometimes," Violet said.

  That was when I realize that while I'd been talking to her sister, Violet had been slowly moving behind me. I'd gotten so comfortable with them I hadn't even noticed she'd been wrapping around me.

  "Oh shit!" I said.

  She tightened, and Posey pounced on my legs, and just like that, I was completely helpless.

  "Nice tickles," I said.

  "Nice tickles," they agreed.

  "Wait," said Violet. "I learned a new way to tickle her tonight. Let me show you."

  They had me out of my mind after just a few minutes, and they kept me that way for what seemed forever. They laughed almost as much as I did.

  * * * *

  In the morning, everyone spoke Catseye. We had breakfast and cleaned up, and then they led me to the living room, and the conversation shifted to English.

  "We want to talk about your winter vacation," Azalea said. "We want you to spend it with us."

  I looked away and said in a quiet voice, "I haven't seen my sister or mother all fall."

  "Oh, of course," Azalea said. "How thoughtless of us."

  I turned back. "I don't know what's possible."

  "Quite a bit is possible."

  "I don't have to spend the entire break with my family," I said.

  "That leads us down one possibility," Azalea said. "There's another. They could join us, or if your mother must work, we could go there."

  "Really?"

  "Really. How would your family react to us?"

  "I don't know." I thought carefully, then I relayed the one conversation I'd ever had with my mother that offered real clues. "But you cured my sister. Do you have any idea how grateful we all are? I'm sorry. I just don't know."

  "Your sister has not been Tested," Bluebell said. "I checked."

  "She's only 14," I said. "You don't Test until 16."

  "My point is, we don't know how xenophobic she is."

  "Let me ask something. What if we do a combined vacation, and it turns out they're, oh, average. How hurt are you going to be?"

  "We're not worried about us," Azalea said. "We're worried about you."

  "And..." Bluebell looked between me and Violet.

  "You're worried I'll dump Violet if my mom puts pressure on me." I straightened and glanced at my girlfriend. Then I froze. "You're my girlfriend, aren't you?"

  "I guess I am," she said brightly. "Oh, I like that."

  "Me, too." I turned back to Bluebell. "Everyone in this room should know something about humans by now."

  "What's that?"

  "19-year-old humans don't let their parents pick their friends, and they really don't let them pick their girlfriends."

  There were Catseye snickers. "We've heard this," Azalea said. "But we've also heard that it's not entirely true."

  "In this case, it's true," I said. "I might be a little nervous about introducing all of you to Mom, but if she can't handle it, well, this is my life, not hers. I'll be sad, and I might be reduced to hiding things from her, but I'm making my choices. She's not making them for me."

  "Catseye can be just as proud, or even more so," Azalea said. "Although Catseye teenagers don't rebel for the sake of rebellion."

  "Do Catseye parents have a trouble letting their children grow up?"

  "I don't understand."

  "Human parents tend to treat their kids as if they were a few years less mature than they really are. But then, maybe human teenagers are more capable of being inconsistent in their maturity."

  "Ah. That may be the difference," Bluebell said. "We would like to know what you would like."

  "If we can all do something together, that would be great," I said. "I'd want some time alone with Mom and Audra, but we could carve that out."

  "Then we have more choices. We can all fly to Africa, either together or separately."

  "Together," I said immediately. "If that's what we do." And she nodded.

  "We can bring your mother and sister here." I nodded at that. "Or we could all go somewhere else. We have several facilities throughout the entire planet."

  "You do? Like what?"

  "There's a ski area in Austria. There are resorts in both the Caribbean and the South Pacific. Or we can go to most of the major cities of the world, but we can't be open if we go there."

  "Mom," said Posey. "There's also the moon."

  "What?" I screeched.

  "Yes," said Bluebell. "There's the moon, but I am not inviting your mother and sister there until we've spent time with them and know how they respond to us. It would be more awkward, as the facilities are more intimate, and sending them home early would be complicated."

  "But we could fit an orbital flight in," Violet said.

  I stared at her. "An orbital flight. Like what astronauts do."

  "Yes, of course." She smiled at me. "Mom, I think that's a vote for my idea."

  There were more laughs. I looked around the room. "I should call my mom." I did a little math. "They should be up. It's early evening."

  "Posey, please go get my tablet." Posey got up and ran off. "If you could pick, Skye, what would you like to do the most?"

  "Spend time with everyone I love," I said. I looked around. "That includes the four of you."

  "Oh, Skye," Azalea said. "We love you, too."

  We all sat quietly for a moment, then Posey reappeared. "What did I miss?"

  "Skye told us she loves us," Violet said. "She waited until you were gone, because she doesn't love you."

  Azalea and Bluebell both began yelling in Catseye at their daughter. Posey looked back and forth then moved to me and lifted my chin with a tentacle. "I love you, too, Skye."

  We smiled at each other.

  Then she handed the tablet to Bluebell.

  "What's that for?"

  "A video call with your mother."

  "She doesn't have one."

  "And yet, we're going to have a video call with your mother. I'll start it and give it to you. Do you want us to leave?"

  "No."

  And so she did something with the ta
blet, and then I heard Mom's voice. "Hello. Is this working?"

  "Mom!" I said. Bluebell handed the tablet to me. The screen was black at first, then I saw my mom's image. "Can you see me?"

  "Oh, Darling," she said. "Yes. Did you send this?"

  "No. My friends did. Is the squirt there, too?"

  Mom changed the image, and I saw Audra. "Hey, Skye. Where are you? That's not your dorm."

  I looked over my shoulder then turned back to the screen. "I'm at my friends'." We made small talk for a minute.

  Then Mom asked, "Tell me about your new friends."

  "Mom. They're Catseye."

  She paused, and nodded. "I thought so. Are you going to introduce us?"

  "You're okay with that?"

  "Why wouldn't I be?"

  "Because of what you said about the mating candidates. And stuff."

  "Well, I think that part is wrong, and those girls are so scared. But Darling, they saved your sister. Did you think I hated them or something?"

  "I didn't know." I smiled and looked up. Everyone else was smiling, too. "All right. I have to start with my Catseye professor." I climbed from the chair and moved to kneel beside Bluebell. "Mom, Audra, this is Professor Bluebell Beamer." I turned the screen so it pointed at Bluebell. "She is the administrator of one of the Testing Centers in Boston and teaches Catseye at Mount Holyoke. Bluebell, this is my mom, Carmen Andrews, and if mom changes the view again, you'll see my sister, Audra."

  They all exchanged greetings. Then Mom flat out asked if I were a good student.

  "Your daughter is the only student this year who I have invited into my intensive program. She is an exceedingly good student."

  "Well, that's good then," Mom said.

  Next I introduced Azalea. Pleasantries were exchanged. Then I stood and looked at the sisters. "Mom, Bluebell and Azalea have two daughters, a little older than I am. They've become very good friends. I'm going to introduce you to Posey first." Then I did. More pleasantries. Then I turned the screen back to me.

  "Mom. The other daughter is Violet." I did introductions. I turned the screen back again. "Mom. Audra. Violet is my girlfriend."

  They were quiet for a minute, then Mom said, "I wondered."

  "That's two shocking pieces of news. Please be happy for me."

  "Give your mother a chance to catch up to the conversation, Skye."

  At that, Audra yanked the tablet from mom. "Your girlfriend. Like, kissing type girlfriend."

  "Yes, Audra. And everyone is listening to you, so you better not say anything mean."

  "Girlfriend. You have a girlfriend, not a boyfriend."

  "That's right."

  "You're gay."

  "Yes."

  "Okay," she said. "Cool. Have you slept with her yet?"

  "Well, we have slumber parties when I visit, and we share a bed, but if you mean S-E-X, then no. Not yet." But I looked over at Violet. "But we will, so I hope you're both okay with it." Then I looked up at Violet again. "And I hope you aren't mad I said that in front of your entire family."

  She laughed and said, "I can't wait. And I said that in front of your family."

  "Skye," said mom, although it was still Audra's image on the screen. "Are you as happy as you sound?"

  "Even more," I said. "Even more."

  "All right then. When do we meet in person?"

  "Really?" And tension I didn't even know I had drained from me, and a moment later I was crying. "Really?"

  "Give me that, Audra," Mom said. She yanked the tablet back. "Stop crying."

  "I can't help it. I didn't realize I was so scared you'd be mad."

  "Well, I'm not, as long as they treat you well. Give the tablet to Violet."

  I didn't give it to her. She yanked it from me. "Hello, Mrs. Andrews."

  "It's Ms.," Mom said. "But you better call me Carmen or I'll be upset."

  "Yes, Carmen."

  "Do you love my daughter?"

  "Mom! We had our first official date last night, but we've been friends for months."

  "Yes," Violet said. "I do. But we all do."

  "All right then. When do we meet in person?"

  Violet handed the tablet back to me. "That's kind of why we called. Bluebell and Azalea have an interesting offer. Could you get off work?"

  "Yes. I have like two years of vacation saved. But honey, America is expensive."

  "And now, Skye, you will let Azalea and me make these arrangements with your mother," said Bluebell. "Give me the tablet. You may talk to her again shortly."

  She took the tablet from me, and then she and Azalea headed to the kitchen. Violet moved to me and pulled me into her arms, brushing with her fingers at my tears. That was when I realized they all were hiding their tentacles.

  "I don't want you hiding them," I said.

  "How many shocks do you want them to have at once?"

  "I think full disclosure is best."

  "We'll see what Moms think," Violet said. Then she pulled me to the sofa, and I found myself between both sisters. "It went well."

  "It did," Posey said. "Audra is cute."

  "She's too young for you."

  I heard snuffling, and Posey said, "That's not what I meant, but are you saying you'd be upset if a few years from now, she met a nice Catseye?"

  "Of course not. But humans are weird about age."

  "So it would be weirder if I were thirty and she twenty than if she's human and I'm Catseye?"

  "Yes."

  They both laughed. "There may not be another human alive who would say the same thing."

  "Say what?" Azalea asked. "Never mind. Extended family conference. You three on the floor."

  We slipped off immediately, Bluebell propped the tablet on the coffee table, and then she and Azalea took the seat behind us. Both Mom and Audra were visible on the screen.

  "Can you see all of us?"

  "Perfectly," said Audra.

  "The adults have reached a partial agreement, but it is the Catseye way to consult the adult children," said Bluebell. "Audra, we also want to know what you think." Then she laid out the various choices I had already heard.

  "Skye, you first."

  "I want to ask something else first." I switched to Catseye and just said, very slowly, "I want them to see everything."

  Violet added more, using more words than I could have gotten out.

  Mom made a face. "This is rude," she said.

  "Our apologies," Bluebell said. "Your daughter just asked us if we were willing to divulge, well, not exactly a secret, but something we're not open about around just any human. Carmen, have you seen a Catseye without her shirt on?"

  "No."

  "Do you know what to expect?"

  "Well, I presume there's something shocking to expect, but I didn't realize that until now. I presume this is important."

  "We do not have mammary glands like a human does," Bluebell said. "We also are not wearing the sort of shirts we normally wear in this house."

  "You aren't normally naked though, are you?"

  "No, but we normally wear shirts that leave our sides and backs exposed."

  "The Catseye here don't."

  "They probably do at home," Bluebell said.

  "It's not all, I don't know," said Audra. "Gross wriggling tentacles or something, is it?"

  I looked over my shoulder at Bluebell. She nodded, so I turned back to the screen. "I wouldn't put it that way," I said.

  "How would you put it?"

  "I might leave out the gross part."

  Audra's eyes bugged out. "Tentacles? Holy shit. How many?"

  "Four."

  "Can I see? Oh my god, wait until my friends hear!"

  "Audra Beamer," said Bluebell. "Have you noticed how you are unable to post on Facebook anything about the extraterrestrials or what happens at The Center there?"

  "No," she said. She cocked her head. "Hey! It never even occurred to me. Oh hell, I don't get to tell, do I?"

  "We would rather you didn't."
/>   "Why?"

  "Because we have to operate closely with the humans, and some of them would respond poorly."

  Audra made a locking-her-lips and throwing-away-the-key gesture.

  "Do you know what that means?" I asked over my shoulder. Bluebell nodded.

  "Carmen, what about you?"

  "I think my daughter wants me to see."

  "Your daughter does," I said. "I used the phrase Full Disclosure."

  "As I said," said Bluebell. "We don't have the usual modesty concerns a human may have, although Skye is uncomfortable if she sees us without shirts. We can change into the shirts we normally wear and come back, or we can simply remove our current shirts."

  Mom glanced at Audra. "I would prefer you change first."

  "Very good. The three of you can talk for a few minutes." As a group, the Catseye climbed to their feet and headed for bedrooms. I watched them go then turned back to the screen.

  "Mom, you're taking this very calmly."

  "It's a little surprising, but your mother isn't an idiot, Skye. But are you sure you know what you're doing?"

  "I'm 19, Mom. Of course I don't. But I'm going to continue on this path and see where it leads me."

  "Professor Beamer seems quite taken with you."

  "She's been amazing, Mom. She's not just my Catseye professor. She also became my academic advisor. Who gets to say they have one of the E.T.s as an academic advisor?"

  "I take it not many."

  "I'm her only one, so that must say something. And I love Posey and Violet, too. They're amazing."

  "I'm glad, Darling," she said.

  "How are you doing, Squirt?" I asked Audra.

  "This is all a little surprising, but things are good." Then she lowered her voice. "But I really miss you, Skye."

  "I miss you, too, Squirt," I said.

  We talked for another minute or two, and then as a group, the Catseye returned. They were wearing their normal shirts, although they were hiding their tentacles. They all sat down, and Audra waved at them. "You're back. I don't see any tentacles."

  "I should tell you, the first time I came to visit, when I stepped in, they were all showing their tentacles, and I think they were expecting me to be shocked."

  "You weren't?" Mom asked.

  "Jasmine Brighteyes showed me, Mom. I already knew."

  "Oh."

  Beside me, Posey and Violet were both cheating a little. I felt tentacles climbing up my back, but it wouldn't be on screen. Then, and I swear they were coordinating, a tentacle tip appeared over each shoulder.