Volunteer (Selected Book 3)

by Robin Roseau

  "What kind of show?"

  "Well, that's a good question. We would have to see what's available. But I bet we can find a show we would all enjoy."

  "I don't really like plays."

  "Do you like music concerts?"

  "I've never been to a concert."

  "Have you ever been to a Broadway musical?"

  "No."

  "Well you let us force a little culture into you?"

  There were a few snorts. Audra considered her carefully then nodded. "But what if it's boring. I might yawn. I don't want to insult anyone."

  "It won't be boring," Bluebell said. "I promise."

  "Okay."

  "Could we go to the museum in the afternoon and see an evening show?" Violet asked.

  "Carmen, Audra, do you think you'd be able to stay awake until late?"

  "I don't know," Audra said.

  "Oh. I'm sorry," said Violet. "I didn't think."

  "I'm willing to try," Audra said. She smiled.

  "Well then," said Bluebell, when Mom nodded. "We have a plan. Appointment in the morning. New York in the afternoon. On Sunday we will visit Mount Holyoke, and then perhaps we can return here. If you wished to cook, Sunday would be a perfect opportunity, Carmen."

  "I'll need to go shopping."

  "I can take you," said Azalea.

  "Thank you."

  * * * *

  Dinner went well, although both Mom and Audra stared when the Catseye ate. They didn't sugarcoat it, but ate the way they always did. Then Audra smiled. "That's cool. Violet, will you let me look at your tentacles later?"

  "All you want," Violet said.

  We didn't play a game that night. Mom and Audra were exhausted. I looked at Audra's body language and said, "You know, it's been a busy day, and tomorrow is going to be busy, too." Audra wasn't looking at me, so I gestured with my nose, and every pair of eyes turned to her.

  "I'm ready for bed," Mom said, "But I didn't want to be the first one to admit it."

  "Well then," said Bluebell. "Azalea and I will ensure you get settled, and we will trust Audra to her big sister."

  Audra and I went ahead. At Violet's room, I told her, "You can sleep alone tonight if you want."

  "Did you just uninvite me?"

  "No, but they're dying to tickle you, and we're not tired. We'll be up for a while."

  "I don't care. Am I invited or not?"

  "You're invited. Go brush your teeth. But I have pajamas for you. Come down to my room to change."

  "Okay."

  I headed there. Posey and Violet were waiting. "Is she all right?"

  "She's fine. She won't want to change in front of you though, so come back about five minutes after she slips in."

  They both scampered out. I took care of my own needs, and just as I was ready, Audra appeared in the doorway. I gestured, and she came in, closing the door. She walked straight to me and hugged me tightly. We held each other for a while, and I realized she was a little taller than I was now.

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

  "Fine. Mom is wigged out, but I think it's so cool."

  "Good." I gave her a pair of shorts and a camisole. She brushed the camisole against her face then smiled before pulling it on.

  "These aren't pajamas," she said.

  "No. I thought you wanted more touching, and this makes it easier."

  "Oh," she said slowly. She smiled.

  "Play your cards right, and you'll get the best backrub you've ever gotten."

  "I'll fall asleep."

  "Which is fine."

  "Skye, they're really, really nice."

  "I know. You wouldn't believe how excited they were to meet you."

  "Really?"

  "Really. Honey, they're going to want to touch you, probably a lot."

  "Posey had her tentacles on my back at dinner."

  "I know. She hid it from Mom though."

  "Yeah, I think so. It was weird."

  "Did you mind? If they do something you don't want, just tell them."

  "No, it was okay. But I want a close look." She made a face. "They taste funny."

  "They do, but you were really, really good about it. The taste grows on you."

  "Posey and Violet both sort of teased my tongue."

  "Yeah. Bluebell and Azalea would have, too, but they were worried you would freak out."

  There was a scratch at the door. Audra heard it and turned.

  "They don't knock. They scratch. Go let them in."

  Audra ran to the door, returning with Violet and Posey. Posey closed the door, and then they stood there awkwardly.

  "That's just stupid," I said. "Audra wants another hug."

  That led to chuckles -- and hugs, good, long hugs. Then I grabbed Audra and pulled her to the bed, leading to four of us sitting in a circle.

  "All right. Sometimes we eat junk food. Sometimes we talk. A lot of nights, they tickle the crap out of me."

  "Oh, can I help tickle Skye?"

  "No," I said at the same time that Posey and Violet said, "Yes."

  "We aren't eating junk food tonight, because we want someone to sleep well. So this is what we're going to do. First, Audra is dying to get a much closer look at the tentacles."

  "Sure," said Violet. She lifted her arms and spread her tentacles. Audra crawled across the bed, tipping her head sideways to see where the tentacles attached to Violet's body. "You can touch if you want."

  Audra spent a long time looking Violet over. We didn't rush her, and she examined one tentacle from base to tip.

  "Is it strong?"

  "Yes," I said. "But the tip is sensitive."

  "You eat with it."

  "Yes," Violet said. "And taste. That's why Skye has marks on her back. To taste, we have to suck hard enough that it leaves those marks."

  "You taste her?"

  Posey explained how some species lick. Catseye suck.

  "Oh," said Audra. "No one tasted me."

  "We don't want to scare you," Violet said.

  "I bet you don't want to scare Mom."

  They laughed. "That, too."

  "Do you only taste Skye?"

  "No. We taste each other. It is part of our greeting."

  "Then you can taste me," Audra said. "If you want."

  "We want to very much," Violet said. "Now?"

  "Sure."

  Violet pulled her into her arms, and it was another good, long hug. When finally she was released, Audra tried to look at her back. "Do I have marks?"

  "Yep. Mom's going to freak. It will be good for her."

  Audra laughed and asked Posey for a hug. Then we all sat back, but we ended with Posey and Violet across from each other, Audra and me across, and there was a great deal of touching.

  "Now what?" Audra asked. "Do we get to tickle Skye?"

  "Squirt, they tickle me all the time. They're dying to tickle you. How do you feel about it?"

  "Mean tickles?"

  "Nice tickles, or so Skye tells us," Posey clarified.

  "No one ever tickles me," Audra said. She offered a short glare. "I remember Mom used to tickle you."

  I switched to Catseye. "Start with tickling me, but partway through, grab her and tickle us both. Can you hold us both down?"

  "Yes," said Posey.

  "What was that?" Audra asked.

  "Catseye," I said.

  "You speak Catseye?"

  "With the most dreadful accent," Posey said. "Do you want to know what she told us?"

  Audra cocked her head. "Yes."

  "She told us not to let you tickle her. Do you know what I say to that?"

  "No," Audra said sullenly.

  "Get her, Violet!" Posey said.

  Violet launched herself at me. I squeaked, but she was a lot faster than I was, and she wrapped six limbs around me, sliding around behind me as she did so. She adjusted her hold, then again, and it took seconds before I was still. And I was already laughing.

  "Here's the rule," Posey said. "When Violet say
s so, we give her a chance to breathe. And nice tickles only. Do you want ribs or feet?"

  "Feet."

  "Then I get the ribs," Posey said.

  They were fairly merciless, and I was screeching loudly, but then suddenly Audra screeched, and pretty soon Posey had Audra in front of her, wrapped in tentacles, and she began tickling.

  Posey and Violet both had enough free limbs they each tickled both of us, and we both shrieked for a long time before they finally relented, all of us falling over in giggling piles.

  "That was just mean," Audra said. "I didn't say you could tickle me."

  "Don't let her fool you," I said. "She loved it."

  "Did not," Audra said, but she was grinning.

  "All right. It's late. So we're going to all snuggle together, and then we're going to ask questions."

  "What kind of questions?"

  "You can ask any question you want," I said. "And everyone has to answer. But don't ask about alien secrets. That wouldn't be fair. We each get two questions."

  "Only two?"

  "Only two," I said.

  We climbed off the bed, pulled back the covers, then all climbed in. It was cozy, but we all fit, snuggled tightly with Audra and me together in the middle, Posey and Violet beside us. I lay in the crook of Violet's arm, her tentacles underneath me to wrap around me. Posey was touching Audra as well, and Audra seemed to take it in stride.

  "Who wants to ask first?"

  "I do," said Violet. "Everyone has to answer honestly. Who hated the tickle fight?"

  There were snickers, and no one said a word.

  "Why, Audra," said Posey. "I think you just gave us permission to tickle you any time we want."

  "Not any time," Audra said.

  There were snickers.

  "I'm next," Audra said. "When do I get my backrub?"

  Posey chuckled, but I answered, "After questions," I said. "Ask a real question."

  "All right," she said. "Are you guys just being nice to me?"

  "No," I said. "We really want you here."

  "I don't even understand the question," Posey said.

  "She thinks someone told us to babysit her or something like that," I said.

  "Oh," said Violet. "Audra, Skye is right. We want you here. Posey and I were so excited to meet you. We don't have very many friends, and we don't have any other humans who let us taste them. And you taste really, really good."

  "I do?"

  "Both you and Skye taste amazing," Posey added. "I hope you don't mind."

  "I don't mind, as long as you don't bite, too."

  "No biting," Posey said. "We don't have teeth." She opened her mouth, and Audra looked carefully.

  "You suck instead."

  "Yes, we suck instead," Posey said.

  She nodded.

  We went around, asking our questions, watching Audra grow visibly sleepier, especially as it was warm under the covers. She yawned a few times and closed her eyes.

  "Roll onto your stomach," Posey said. She did, and Posey began gently massaging. It took only a few minutes for Audra to fall asleep.

  We snuggled in a little more. One of them did something to turn the lights off. Violet urged me onto my stomach, and we all talked quietly while she gave me a light massage.

  * * * *

  "Professor Beamer, do you think I have time to talk to my academic advisor before breakfast?"

  "We could start," Bluebell said. She wrapped an arm around me and led me to the game room. We took seats, and she asked me what was up.

  "I'm very confused."

  "About?"

  "Almost everything. Amaryllis suggested I should double major. Bluebell, I'm not that smart. I don't think I could handle a double major. I don't want to do poorly at two majors, I want to do well at one."

  "Business and political science?" Bluebell asked. I nodded. She studied me. "What do you think?"

  "I don't know," I said. I paused. I was near tears, and I hated that. "When Audra was so young, I vowed I was going to become a doctor and learn to cure her. That was the only thought I ever had. Become a doctor and learn to cure my sister. But then you cured her, and I learned how expensive it is to become a doctor, anyway, and I don't think I'd be a very good doctor, and I don't know what to do!"

  "Shh, Skye," said Bluebell soothingly. She moved from her seat to sit next to me, wrapping me in arms and tentacles, and she held me. It was nice, and I leaned into her.

  "Once I was a little older," I said, "And I understood how the world worked, or how I thought it did, I knew that daughters of cooks don't go to college. They get jobs. They become waitresses. Then Jasmine sent me here, and a new world opened. Then I met you, and that world got even bigger. Part of me thinks I should just do what you tell me to do, but I'm so scared!"

  "Oh, Skye. Why are you scared?"

  "I'm so afraid I'll be bad at it, so amazingly bad, and you'll be disappointed in me."

  She tightened her hold. "First, you won't be bad at anything you choose to do."

  "How do you know that?"

  "Tell me one thing you've really put your heart into that you're bad at."

  "I have a horrible Catseye accent."

  She snorted at that. "Fine, but that is due to the limitations of a human throat and mouth, and if it were truly important, we could fix it."

  "How?"

  "Surgery."

  I pulled away and looked at her.

  "I'm not recommending it. I don't think you should do it. But if it were important, we could discuss it. I'm just saying, that one doesn't count. Name one that counts?"

  "There are a lot of things I'm bad at."

  "Name one that you have put your heart into."

  And I couldn't.

  "Skye, we need to find out what you can put your heart into. We don't know that yet. Maybe it's business. Maybe it's political science. Maybe it's something else. Now, I admit, I hope it's business, but if it's not, as long as you are happy, then I will be happy and proud."

  "How do I find out?"

  "Well, you have four years."

  "That's not true. I have two. I have to declare a major before junior year, and most people pick sooner. I could pick business now, but..."

  "Right. I want you to do something for me."

  "What?"

  "I want you to relax about this until the end of next summer. Don't worry about it. Don't even think about it. You have enough to worry about. You have your classes picked, and then your job this summer and everything else."

  "But-"

  "Trust me."

  And I did. Of course I did. I folded against her, and she wrapped around me again.

  "Thank you," I whispered.

  "You're welcome."

  "All right. Go clean up, and then it's time for breakfast."

  * * * *

  We entered the Testing Center through the main door, the three of us together. Bluebell led us to the receptionist, who seemed exceedingly surprised to see the Catseye.

  "Administrator Beamer," the woman said, climbing to her feet.

  "Relax, Ms. Evert," Bluebell said. "On your schedule should be partial appointments for Carmen, Skye, and Audra Andrews. We need wristbands and three changing rooms."

  Carmen looked at Bluebell but said nothing.

  "Once they have changed, I will escort them into one room, but I will need two assistants to help me escort them for their exams. I believe we have exam room seven reserved."

  "Yes, of course, Administrator," said the woman. She checked her computer, asked a few questions, and then asked us to hold our wrists out. We received wristbands, and then Bluebell gestured us towards the side. Three doors were open.

  Bluebell led us to the first, actually leading the three of us into the room.

  "Bluebell," Mom started to say.

  "I have all three of you here, and I want medical exams for all of you. I have the power to do this. Now, are you really going to turn down this exam?"

  "Just a medical exam," Mom said fir
mly. "No tricks."

  "No tricks," Bluebell said. "Please don't fight me, Carmen."

  The two had a stare down, then Mom backed off. "All right."

  "This room is yours, Carmen," Bluebell said. "You've been through this. Change into the clothes provided, and I'll be back in a while to collect you."

  "All right."

  At that, she led Audra and me to the next room. "Audra, this is your room."

  "What do I do?"

  "You take off all your clothing and jewelry," said Bluebell. "Every bit. Then you change into these clothes." She tapped the pile. "We'll be back shortly, then we'll join your mother."

  "Will it hurt?"

  "No, Audra. Not one little bit."

  "It's really cool," I said. "Bluebell, will she have a visor?"

  "You all will. We'll discuss that shortly."

  "All right," Audra said slowly. "Than you, Bluebell."

  With that, she led me to the third room. As soon as we were alone, I turned to her. "Bluebell, if you Test me, Jasmine is going to be livid."

  "I wouldn't dare," she said. "Skye, I checked the reports. Your mother's job entitles her to an annual exam and any medical care she requires. She hasn't accepted an exam since she was tested. We are not leaving this facility without examining her today, and doing all three of you was going to go over more readily than just doing Audra and her. Now, are you going to fight me?"

  "No," I said quietly. "Thank you."

  "Good, because I didn't want to use force, but I would have if necessary."

  "You wouldn't."

  "I certainly would. Now, change clothes. I have a visor for you."

  She didn't leave. She simply turned her back. I undressed and pulled on the new clothes, stowing my original clothes the way I had during Testing. "Ready."

  "Sit there," she said, pointing. I sat, and she turned to the wall. A new door opened. She stepped out and was back immediately, a visor in her hand. She crossed to me. "Let me do this."

  "Why do I need a visor for a medical exam?"

  "Because the visor controls what you can see and hear. I am about to lead you to a dragon, that is going to eat you, your mother, and your sister, and I don't want you to see it coming."

  I looked up at her. "What's the real reason?"

  "The first half is correct. It gives privacy to the people here. You will neither see nor hear anyone here for Testing or the people attending to them."

  Then, suddenly, without warning, the bench I was on flowed around me, trapping my legs. The wall behind me flowed forward, and faster than I could squeak, I was encased nearly entirely, just my face and ears exposed. Bluebell smiled, knelt down, and said, "This won't hurt a bit." She slipped the visor over my eyes, and I couldn't even turn away. It was dark, then it activated, and I could see and hear again. A moment later, the bench and wall released me.