Volunteer (Selected Book 3)

by Robin Roseau

"We want to be Audra's friend, too. I know there's a bigger age difference, and I know it's unusual for human sisters to share friends."

  "Got it. Let's see how it goes."

  "I just wanted to plant a seed."

  "Consider it planted."

  * * * *

  No one else was home when we arrived. Posey suggested we go through the chemistry, and when we were done, I felt far more confident.

  "Thank you."

  "You're welcome. Unless you offer to let me tickle you, I'm going to let you study alone for a while. I'll warn you when it's time to change for dinner. Do you need anything?"

  "I feel like I should help cook dinner."

  "Dinners will be catered, but you should make your offer to Moms."

  "Can I at least help set the table? I don't want to be treated like a guest anymore."

  "Sure, later. Study now."

  "Studying, studying..."

  I finished the chemistry first. We'd gone through most of it, but I had to finalize what we've done. Then, because it would be easy, I did the Catseye homework. I was so far beyond my classmates that it was largely busywork, although I learned a couple of words I didn't know. After that, I worked on a paper for English. I had my first draft completed just as Posey stepped back into my bedroom.

  "Wow you were really into it," she said.

  "Hmm?"

  "I scratched three times."

  "Oh. Human ears don't listen for scratching. Try knocking."

  "Knocking?"

  I tapped my knuckles against the desk.

  "Oh. Oh, I understand. Thank you."

  "But Posey, you could just come in. You know that."

  "We don't want to press against your comfort zone more than we have."

  "Humbug," I said. "You won't." I pushed everything aside and stood. "Time to dress?"

  "Yes. Skye, I know Jasmine Brighteyes is your friend, but she's Bluebell's boss, once removed."

  "I should put in extra effort."

  "Yes."

  "I don't know if friend is the right word. Maybe it is."

  "You knew how to hug us, even to the point of kissing a tentacle. We don't hug business acquaintances, Skye. Jasmine Brighteyes isn't going to hug anyone in this house but you. I assume she's going to hug you."

  "She might not, if she's trying to be professional, but I guess I was assuming."

  "So, friend."

  "Was I a friend the day I arrived?" I asked. "I thought I was Professor Beamer's student."

  "I'll point out you initiated those hugs, not us."

  "Oh hell. Did I do something wrong?"

  "Are you kidding? You walked in that door as one of Mom's students, and a minute later you were our dear friend. We couldn't have been happier."

  I smiled. "You were all so disappointed I didn't freak out."

  "Shocked and pleased. Not disappointed."

  "How much time do I have?"

  "A little under an hour."

  "I better get to it."

  I pulled out the stops. I started with a shower, then I buffed, dried, arranged, drew, and painted, working until I thought I was perfect. Then I put on the second dress that Jasmine had bought for me. I added boots because it was winter, but I didn't add jewelry. The Catseye didn't like it, and if I could wear gold or tentacles, I'd pick tentacles.

  I was just finishing when there was a scratch at the door. When I answered, Violet was there. She had also put in an effort, and we stared at each other. But before we could begin mauling each other, Bluebell appeared.

  "You two may hug," she in careful Catseye. "Violet, do not mark her." Then she turned to me. "Did you understand?"

  "Yes, Bluebell," I said. "Do you want me to try to speak Catseye or stick to English?"

  "Please greet Jasmine Brighteyes in Catseye," she said. "Understand?" I nodded. "After that, be comfortable. Understand?"

  "Yes. I understand." I said it in Catseye.

  "Mom, will Jasmine Brighteyes understand her?"

  "Maybe not, but she will understand the effort." Bluebell looked at me. "Understand?"

  "Yes."

  "You two hug," she ordered. "But I am watching."

  Violet and I both chuckled, but then I moved into her arms, and she enveloped me completely, including a tentacle across the lips. But I pulled it away and whispered to her, "I missed you all week." Then I pulled the tentacle up and kissed it.

  She teased me with it, and she tasted my tongue, but she didn't mark me. We held tightly for a while before releasing.

  I took a similar hug from Bluebell, without my tongue actually being tasted. Then Bluebell led us downstairs.

  Posey was waiting, and she looked just as stunning. We exchanged very brief hugs, then the two girls drew me to the kitchen. Together, we collected everything for the table, and soon it was set for six: five Catseye and one human. But then I went around and made subtle adjustments to everything, helping to make it a little more perfect.

  "Why did you do that?" Posey asked.

  "Some things weren't straight," I said. I looked at the table. "We should have gotten flowers."

  "Flowers? Why?"

  "To make the table cheery."

  Posey cocked her head. "They just landed. They'll be six or seven more minutes. I don't understand about the flowers."

  "It's like art."

  "Oh. Catseye don't create art."

  "Oh," I said. "That's not true. As far as I'm concerned your clothes are art."

  "We didn't design them. We buy them. We appreciate art, but we don't create it."

  I thought about it. "Oh. But if I arranged flowers, you would enjoy them?"

  "I can't even envision what you mean," she said. "It would be pretty?"

  "Yes. It would be pretty."

  "We appreciate beauty. Yes, if it would be pretty, then we would like it."

  "Well then," I said. "I have a role in the family, don't I?"

  They both smiled. "More than one," said Violet. "We should move to the entry."

  I let them both wrap around me during the walk. When we arrived, Bluebell looked at us, cocking her head. "Skye, do you think you could actually perform introductions in Catseye?"

  "I suppose, but don't you know each other?"

  "She hasn't met Violet and Posey."

  "Oh. Sure."

  "Then I want you to greet her first, then introduce me, then after, Posey and Violet."

  "All right. I can do that."

  "They're here," she said.

  We all turned to the door. And I realized something. They were all nervous. I was the calm one. Okay, I was excited, but I wasn't nervous.

  The door opened, and Azalea stepped in. She held it, and Jasmine entered.

  Jasmine's eyes moved about the room as Azalea closed the door. I smiled, detached myself from the girls, and stepped forward.

  "Greetings, Jasmine Brighteyes," I said. Then I looked her up and down. "I would greet you in the Catseye manner, if I could."

  She was dressed in a business suit, her tentacles completely hidden. She said not a word, but she watched me as she removed the suit coat and unbuttoned the blouse. Once her tentacles were free, I stepped forward to receive a proper greeting.

  Complete with tentacle in the mouth, which amused me every time it happened. I brushed her face with my fingers, but I didn't brush them across her lips.

  Then we separated, and I told her, "I am pleased to see you."

  "And I to see you," she said. "Your accent is terrible."

  "I am sorry."

  "And I could not be more pleased, Skye Andrews. I could not be more pleased."

  "We will have time to talk," I said, finding the words carefully. I turned sideways. "You remember Bluebell Beamer."

  "I do." Jasmine stepped past me. She and Bluebell clasped hands and tentacles, but they didn't hug. I waited until they separated, and it was Bluebell who looked to me, directing Jasmine's attention in my direction.

  "Jasmine Brighteyes," I said. "I would like to present
..." I had to search for the words. "Daughters of Bluebell and Azalea. Apologies. I lost my words." Jasmine waved a tentacle at me. "This is Posey Beamer."

  Posey stepped forward and exchanged a clasp.

  "And this is Posey's sister, and I must use an English word." I switched languages. "And my girlfriend, Violet."

  Jasmine turned to me. "Girlfriend?" she said in English.

  I grinned and nodded. "Yes. I hope that is okay."

  "Yes, Skye. It certainly is." She turned to Violet and offered a clasp, but it included a tentacle across Violet's cheek.

  "Be welcome in our home," Bluebell said.

  "Thank you for inviting me," Jasmine said. "Where should I put my things?"

  "Skye, are you able to provide a tour?" Bluebell asked.

  "Yes," I said. "Slowly."

  Posey collected Jasmine's things from Azalea, and Jasmine collected me with two tentacles across my back. I gave the full tour, my words slow and careful and stumbling from time to time. But I got through it without a word of English, not one word, and the longer it went on, the tighter Jasmine's tentacles became. I also knew she was marking me, but I was accustomed to that by now.

  When we reached Posey's room, that is where Posey set down Jasmine's things. Jasmine looked at them and said something in Catseye, but it was too fast for me. But Posey looked at me, and no one answered her. Then everyone turned to me, including Jasmine.

  "I didn't understand the question," I said. "I am sorry."

  "I think," said Jasmine in English, "that Professor Beamer has well made her point with you. I think perhaps we all understand English perfectly well. But your Catseye progress is nearly unbelievable."

  "Thank you. I have a long way to go."

  "I would say you are one of perhaps twenty humans who can do what you just did."

  "What?" I looked at Posey. "You said-"

  "I said at most forty. At most."

  "I'm not fluent, though."

  She waved her tentacles.

  "Nevertheless," said Jasmine. "I asked Posey why I was displacing her."

  "You don't like her room? I think it's a lovely room."

  "It is a lovely room. But where will she stay?"

  "With me."

  "And Violet doesn't have something to say about that?"

  "She'll be there, too," I said. "Are you familiar with the human custom of slumber parties?"

  She laughed. "Yes."

  "We've had slumber parties every night I've stayed here since the first night."

  "If you would prefer my room," Violet said. "I won't be using it."

  "This room is lovely, and I feel even more welcome knowing the full arrangement."

  "Well then. Do you require an opportunity to freshen up?"

  "I do not," Jasmine said.

  I switched back to Catseye. "Then perhaps I may finish the tour." And I did just that, ending in the living room.

  Everyone took seats, but then Violet and Posey stood back up, Posey grabbing for me. "We will retrieve refreshments."

  In the kitchen, I took hugs from both of them, deep, long hugs. I let them collect the refreshments, although they only let me carry one tray of appetizers. They had six free limbs, after all, and I only had two.

  We distributed everything, and then Jasmine called me back to sit on the sofa beside her. As soon as I did, she asked, "May I touch you?"

  "Of course."

  She wasn't as complete in her touches as Posey and Violet were, but she did wrap a tentacle around my lower back and leave another across my arm, just touching my shoulder. And we sat like that as the group made small talk. I said little and did my best to understand.

  At one point, perhaps fifteen minutes into the conversation, Jasmine turned to me and asked, "What do you think, Skye?"

  I smiled. "I do not believe I wish to take sides in a difference of opinion between you and Bluebell."

  She smiled. "Diplomatically said. And if I were to pressure an opinion out of you?"

  I cocked my head. I had to run her words through my head twice to understand, then sighed. "I think you are both wrong, but you spoke in Catseye, and perhaps I didn't completely understand."

  "Tell me what you understood."

  "You, Azalea, and Bluebell discussed why humans were so slow to develop electric cars."

  "Yes."

  "Azalea advanced three theories without stating her opinion."

  "Azalea is a diplomat," Jasmine said. "And because I am her wife's boss, she wisely waited to see what I would say."

  "Yes. Bluebell is somewhat more blunt and indicated she believe it was because petroleum was cheap, and so we stuck with what worked."

  "So she did."

  "You suggested it was because we didn't know how to build proper batteries, and the range was low. I was a little lost on some of the science you mentioned."

  "All right. And you think we're both wrong."

  "No one mentioned vested business interests, or if you did, I didn't understand."

  "No one mentioned vested interests. Please explain."

  "That's a simple explanation," I said. "Do you know what humans miss most about our old cars?"

  "Smog?" Posey suggested.

  "Yes, Posey," I said sarcastically. "Smog and carbon monoxide and climate change." I shook a finger at her. "Smart ass." I turned back to Jasmine. "Do you?"

  "No. What is there to miss?"

  "The roar."

  "Excuse me?"

  "The American automobile industry had a hundred years to convince us that the best cars roared when you step on the gas. People miss the roar. The cars now sound like mice, not, well, not like Temier."

  "You continued with gasoline engines because they were loud?"

  "That's part of it. The automobile industry spent a lot of money convincing Americans the best thing we could ever have was a new car."

  "That's ridiculous," Violet said.

  I turned to her. "Are you saying I'm wrong?"

  "No. I'm saying a new car is far from the best thing you could have."

  "Perhaps, but that was the ultimate. A car represents freedom. It represents, for instance, the ability to travel from Mount Holyoke to Boston without needing someone to collect me. For teenagers, a new car, or even a very old car, represents adulthood. More expensive cars represent affluence. And the automobile industry sold this story to us. They sold it for a hundred years, and it was entrenched in our society."

  "That doesn't explain gasoline engines, except for the sound," Jasmine said.

  "No, but the petroleum industry was just as entrenched, and they put great effort into discouraging competing technologies."

  "Why would they do that?" Posey asked.

  "Money," I said. "You are the ones with business degrees. You must understand the profit motive."

  "That's corrupt!"

  "So?"

  "You don't have a problem with that?"

  "Of course I do. And that's the biggest reason I'm not sure I should pursue a business degree."

  "You and I will be discussing that," said Bluebell. "Do not become set in that opinion."

  "I'll give you every opportunity, but in the end, it's my decision. Right?"

  She tried to glare at me, but then she said, "Yes. In the end, it is your decision."

  "So the automobile industry convinced us we all wanted new cars, hopefully cars that roared. The petroleum industry did anything necessary to stifle competing research. And gasoline remained cheaper than alternatives, so we kept buying gasoline cars." I smiled. "Who wants to vote on which theory is most likely true?"

  "So you agree it was economics," Bluebell said.

  "Yes, the profit motive of the companies who would lose such a lucrative market if we stopped burning gasoline. They kept it cheaper, but it was through their meddling. You only got it half right. But Jasmine got it half right. The batteries weren't very good, but if we'd put more money into them, they would have been. If we'd had to pay a proper price for the petroleum, one that
included the full cost, including the cost of the wars we fought over oil, it wouldn't have been cheaper, either."

  Jasmine and Bluebell looked at each other, then Bluebell smiled. Jasmine smiled a moment later, too. "You made your point again, Professor."

  "Oh, that was not a test!" I said.

  "It certainly was," said Jasmine.

  "Thank you for going along with it," said Bluebell.

  "Fine," I said. "But my head hurts, so if you want me to follow any more conversations, they'll be in English."

  * * * *

  A few minutes later we moved to the dining room. Jasmine didn't release me, and thus she ended up taking the seat beside mine. I would have liked Violet's tentacles on me, but I didn't say anything.

  Again, I helped ferry food to the table. This time, it was all human friendly. When I saw that, I asked, "Shouldn't we have offered food more to your taste?"

  "This is what Bluebell arranged," Posey said. "She didn't explain."

  "All right," I said. And so everything moved to the table. There were six different bowls or platters, one placed immediately in front of each of us. Bluebell and Azalea removed their covers. Then the rest of us removed ours. The covers were stowed in the place under the table, and then plates were passed.

  I was accustomed to sharing from my plate, but only after I'd largely eaten as much as I wanted. I felt better being able to act like a full member of the family. And I looked at Bluebell looking at me, and I wondered if that's why she did it this way.

  "Is that rosemary in the potatoes?" Jasmine asked me.

  "Yes," I said. "It's one of my favorites."

  "I adore rosemary," Jasmine said. "Two scoops, please."

  It was a lovely meal. And they spoke English. Halfway through, I apologized.

  "Why are you apologizing?" Bluebell asked.

  "I was childish earlier and then insisted on English. I shouldn't have."

  "You are doing very well," she said. "But we all know it is difficult for you to follow a Catseye conversation. And it is easier for us to speak English than to remember to speak carefully in our native language. I think everyone is more relaxed this way."

  "I'm sorry."

  She waved a tentacle. "Quite all right, Skye. You are a member of this family, and we want you comfortable here."

  "But next weekend, it's back to Catseye," Posey said.

  "Actually," I said, "It's almost the end of the term."