by Robin Martin
I was surprised I got all those words out. But then I knew my eyes were going to start leaking water like a dripping tap so I spun on my heel and headed away from him, fast. I hadn’t got very far when he caught up with me.
‘Zoe, wait.’
He darted in front of me and I collided with his chest. His arms went around me automatically, and the dam inside me burst. For a few moments I made a complete embarrassing fool of myself. But I couldn’t help it. For once, Rion didn’t say anything but just held me in an awkward hug. Even though I really wanted to hate him—and almost did—it was hard not to feel some comfort against his broad, warm chest and in the strong arms that were holding me.
I started to calm down and finally my sobs became a few hiccups. Then they stopped and I tried to compose myself.
As my breathing calmed I became conscious of the beating of his heart; how strange that something like that could make me feel better. It almost made me forget that Rion wasn’t human. But I didn’t want to forget.
I moved away from him and looked around the empty street, hoping no one had seen me. ‘Sorry, didn’t mean to break down like that,’ I mumbled.
‘No, I’ve been at fault, Zoe.’ He put a finger under my chin and tilted it up so I could see what almost looked like concern in his face. ‘I’m not used to having a human form. It’s … disconcerting. I’ve made mistakes. I didn’t mean to upset you. In fact, I was trying to comfort you. Perhaps I expressed myself badly. It occurs to me that perhaps I don’t understand your species as well as I thought. I’ll need help, and maybe, if you feel you can, you’ll show me what I need to know.’
Our eyes met, and for the first time since I’d known him we made a connection, one that was real and not just an inconvenience.
‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘Please forgive me.’
‘Okay, I guess,’ I said.
He flashed me his million-dollar smile. ‘Good. And,’ he added, ‘you’re far superior to a dog.’
Was that actually an attempt at humour, or did he honestly think he was giving me a compliment? It was hard to know.
I took a deep breath. I was so not ready for this, but it didn’t matter. Somehow we had to find a way to explain Rion to my parents, work out where and how he would live, and, last but not least, stay within a hundred metres of each other for the next ten or fifteen years.
Piece of cake, really.
Chapter Nine
Hey, Mum and Dad, this is Rion, a friend of mine. Can he sleep in the spare room, go to school with me and stay until I graduate? Oh, he’ll probably go to university with me as well. By the way, he hasn’t got any family, at least not in this world, and no money either.’
Rion and I were sitting on the swings in the park near my house. I turned to him and said, ‘Yeah, that’ll go down well.’
‘Don’t forget I’ll have to stay within a hundred metres of you, and that includes going on all your dates with the opposite sex, and of course when you eventually get married I’ll have to live with you and your husband.’
I looked at him, speechless with dismay.
He laughed. It was a deep, husky laugh, and if I hadn’t felt so miserable it might have made me laugh, too. As it was, I really didn’t see that this was a laughing matter.
And then he said, ‘You know, I think I finally understand your sense of humour.’
‘That wasn’t funny.’
‘I beg to differ. I found your reaction most diverting.’
‘Well, it wasn’t helpful and I really need help here. What am I going to say to Mum and Dad?’
He considered for a moment. ‘You could say I’m from out of town and my parents are divorced. After all, that’s the story you told at the party. But, of course, we won’t mention that detail. We’ll say my father’s left the country. He’s gone to England or somewhere, which is conveniently far away. My mother and I had a disagreement so she asked me to leave. I need a place to live, and since you’re my friend you’ve asked me to stay.’
‘Your mum kicked you out? Why?’
‘She’s taken on a new partner who doesn’t like me.’
I bit my tongue on that one. There was no point adding that it wasn’t surprising. ‘Okay, but my mum will insist on contacting her. And how did you become such a good friend? I’ve never even mentioned you before. Lot of loopholes in that story.’
He thought for a moment. ‘Then my mother sent me to live with my uncle, who didn’t realise I was coming and is also out of town, but because I didn’t want to stay by myself you said I could stay with you. You met me when you were on holiday at the beach recently and we later became friends—’
‘On Facebook,’ I said. ‘And because your uncle lives nearby, you decided to drop in on me.’
‘Yes, that’ll do. I’ve heard of Facebook, although my previous host wasn’t very technologically proficient. He was eighty-seven when he died.’
‘Don’t want to know about that,’ I said. It felt creepy to know my alien had inhabited other humans. ‘My mum will still want to contact someone from your family to check if it’s all right that you stay with us.’
‘She’s very conscientious, isn’t she?’
‘That’s one way of putting it,’ I said.
Over-protective, over-anxious and as square as they come, was another. Even Dad said that Mum had never broken a rule in her life. But I had to admit she was also kind, generous and loving. A homeless teenage boy was sure to appeal to her mothering instincts, providing we could come up with a convincing story.
‘My mother lost her phone so she can’t be contacted,’ Rion said.
‘Then how did she get in touch with your uncle?’
‘She wrote him a letter, but he mustn’t have received it before he went away. He likes to travel to distant places so he’s not easy to get in touch with.’ Rion gave me a smug look, obviously feeling pleased with himself.
I looked at him. ‘I don’t know. That story has more holes than Jade Buchanan’s crochet top, under which, by the way, she wears a black bra. And my parents go on about what I wear. Go figure. Anyway, back to the point. A letter is lame. No one writes letters any more.’
He shrugged. ‘She lost her phone, remember.’
‘Don’t you have one?’
‘Theoretically I’m sixteen years old. Why would I have a phone?’
‘Boy, do you have a lot to learn. We’ll just say you broke it or something, and your mum can’t afford to get you another.’
‘I’m poor, then?’
‘Apparently, because you have no place to stay and no money, buddy. We’ll say that when you got to your uncle’s place a neighbour told you he’s gone to the Brazilian rainforest for three months. He could be a photographer or journalist or something.’
‘I thought you said we were poor.’
‘You and your mum are, but not her brother and he’s sooo tired of bailing her out. The last thing he needs is his nephew staying with him. But he would let you stay if he was here. As a matter of fact, you know you could stay there but it would be lonely. Your mum and her partner have already gone to Cairns to live and there’s no way you wanted to go with them.’
‘How can she afford to go to Cairns?’
‘Her partner’s footing the bill, but not for you. And besides, Cairns isn’t that far away. Jeez, cut me some slack here. I’m giving your flimsy story a little credibility.’
‘Thank you, Zoe, I believe we’re ready to approach your parents now.’
‘I guess. You haven’t got any stuff with you, but we’ll say you left it at your uncle’s place. Just one more thing,’ I said. ‘Please try to talk like a normal person and not a walking dictionary.’
He nodded. ‘I will endeavour to do my best.’
I looked at him.
‘Sure,’ he said, ‘will do.’
‘So you’re on your own now, with no one to look after you?’ My mum’s brown eyes filled with sympathy. ‘You poor boy.’
‘Isn’t there any way of conta
cting your mother to let her know about the situation?’ My father’s tone was disapproving.
Rion shook his head. I could see that he was trying to look sad and dejected. ‘No, sir,’ he said. ‘After she lost her phone, her partner Alf said she had to wait until she got a job in Cairns to get another. She said she’d write when she was settled.’
‘Doesn’t Alf have a phone?’ Dad asked.
‘I don’t have his number and my phone’s broken. We didn’t exactly part on good terms.’ More sad looks; I had to admit Rion was playing his part well.
‘So you can’t contact your uncle either.’ My dad was nothing if not persistent.
‘Jeez, Dad, he’s in the Brazilian rainforest,’ I said, hoping the questions were coming to an end.
But my mum came to the rescue. She laid her hand on my dad’s arm. ‘I think that’s enough questions for now. Of course you can stay, Rion. Zoe, show him upstairs to the guest room.’
I closed the door as soon as we got upstairs and sank onto the bed, exhausted.
Rion sat in the corner armchair. He folded his hands in his lap and gave me a calm look. ‘That went smoothly, didn’t it?’
For someone who was supposed to be so smart, he sure didn’t read people very well.
‘No,’ I said, ‘we barely scraped by with that story. My mum overlooked the small details because she’s worried about you, but she’ll get to them eventually. Dad was super-suspicious. Just keep a low profile for today. We’ll go to the mall or something. We need to get out of here before they ask any more questions.’
He nodded. ‘Yes, that’ll give us some thinking time.’
I looked at him through narrowed eyes. ‘For someone who’s always going on about honesty you sure have adapted quickly to a life of deception.’
‘I’m a fast learner. And you’ve been an excellent teacher.’ He gave me a cheeky smile.
At the mall Rion was totally rapt by everything. You’d think he’d never been here a dozen times with me before when he was that annoying little bubble inside me.
‘What a rainbow of colours and a cacophony of sound.’ He looked around the very ordinary foodcourt. ‘And there’s a veritable feast of aromas.’
‘Excuse me, is that English you’re speaking? Remember, you’re sixteen right now, not a 4000-plus-years-old alien.’
‘Cocker spaniel.’
‘What?’
‘I’ll have to remember to have a vocabulary that’s slightly more advanced than an average cocker spaniel would understand.’
‘Gee, thanks for that,’ I said. ‘You do realise dogs don’t talk.’
‘That’s true, but they do understand a limited number of words.’ He looked at me and seemed to realise he’d said something insulting. ‘Oh, sorry, perhaps I should’ve phrased that differently.’
‘Ya think? Anyway, what’s the big deal about the shopping centre? You’ve been here heaps of times.’
He sniffed the air appreciatively. ‘But everything I experienced was only secondhand, through you. I’ve never actually smelled or tasted anything for myself before. It’s overwhelming. What is that divine aroma?’
I looked over in the direction he was staring.’ McDonald’s,’ I said with a touch of smugness, thinking of the trillions of lectures from him on the evils of junk food.
‘Surely not,’ he said, turning a devastated face to me.
‘Are you hungry?’
He stopped to think about it for a moment. ‘You know,’ he said, ‘I believe I am. There is a certain emptiness in my stomach.’
‘You want a Big Mac? I brought money.’
For a moment he wavered, but then he said, ‘No, I think I’d better choose a healthier alternative. Perhaps some carrots, or a salad or green tea.’
I sighed. ‘No one is ever going to believe that you’re a teenager. Come on, there’s a salad bar over there, though it’s a waste of seven dollars fifty, if you ask me.’
A few minutes later we were seated at a table, me with my cheeseburger and fries, and Rion with his salad and tea. He pushed the dark fringe off his forehead and picked up his fork. He put a mouthful of greens in his mouth and chewed carefully.
‘Hmm,’ he said, ‘most refreshing.’
I took a bite of cheeseburger and washed it down with a sip of Coke. ‘If you say so.’
‘And there are so many vitamins and minerals in this, not to mention the antioxidants in the green tea.’
‘You’ll be the healthiest teen in Brisbane,’ I said, popping a fry in my mouth.
We ate in silence for a few minutes. Rion chewed each mouthful slowly, and when he was finished he put down his fork. He wiped his mouth carefully with the napkin and took a sip of tea.
‘Ouch, it’s hot,’ he said, quickly putting the cup down.
‘Of course, it’s tea.’
‘I didn’t think it would be so hot.’
I pushed my Coke over to him. ‘Here, take a sip of that. It’s cold.’
‘Thank you, it might sooth the burning sensation.’ He took the cup and drank from it. ‘Oh, that’s much better.’
‘Tastes better too, doesn’t it?’ I quirked an eyebrow at him.
‘No, of course not, it’s laden with chemicals and sugar,’ he said, but he took another sip.
‘You know, I really can’t finish these fries. Would you like one?’
‘No, thank you, I’m perfectly satisfied with this salad.’
I shrugged. ‘Suit yourself.’
He hesitated. ‘Well, maybe just one, in the interests of curiosity and scientific observation.’ He took a chip and bit it carefully. ‘It actually tastes … not bad.’
‘Here, try it with barbecue sauce.’ I pushed the little sachet towards him.
He took another chip and dipped it in. He closed his eyes and licked his lips. Okay, that kind of distracted me. It was so unfair of the universe to put my alien into a seriously hot body. The personality does not match the bod, I told myself. Remember that, Zoe. Focus. Focus.
He opened his eyes. ‘Quite interesting. I’m beginning to understand the addiction of fast food. But it really isn’t good for you, Zoe. The high fat content of those chips alone would seriously raise your cholesterol levels if you ate them on a regular basis.’
How quickly that hunk factor vanished when he opened his mouth and words came out.
‘Yeah, yeah, whatever,’ I said. ‘You ready to go?’
‘Where?’
‘We have to buy you some stuff. You can’t survive in one pair of jeans and a T-shirt for the next ten years.’
I had some savings that I’d hoped to use on a GHD hair straightener and maybe some new jeans, but at the moment Rion’s needs were greater than mine. For now I’d have to put up with wavy hair and last year’s jeans.
He looked down at his clothes with a frown. ‘I suppose you’re right. I manifested these garments when I materialised, but I can only do it once. I will need more clothing, but first I’ll need some currency. And I’ll have to get employment of some kind. There really are some complications to being in a human body. One has so many needs.’
‘First things first,’ I said. ‘You haven’t even got a toothbrush. And don’t worry about money for now. I’ve got some.’ I stood up and grabbed his hand. ‘Come on. Let’s go shopping.’
Chapter Ten
Shopping. Usually that’s a word that makes me feel happy. And naturally it takes time. I mean, who buys the first thing they try on? Half the fun is trying on loads of things and then deciding what makes you look the best, and also finding something you can actually afford, or nearly afford, as long as you don’t go anywhere, or buy anything for the next month.
I had a small source of income. I babysat occasionally for family friends and friends of friends. It wasn’t going to buy me the latest iPhone or Nikes, although I did have a pretty good fake pair, but it kept me from dire poverty.
Mum and Dad wouldn’t let me work at any of the fast-food outlets where some of my friends had part-time
jobs. They had this old-fashioned idea that school was more important and that I needed good grades so I could get into university. I wasn’t a nerd or anything—God forbid—and I wasn’t totally against getting an education, but jeez, priorities here. I didn’t really mind not having a part-time job, but I sure wasn’t going to stop having a social life, no matter what they said.
Anyway, shopping equalled good vibes. Usually. But shopping with Rion was another scene altogether.
I guided Rion through the doors of Target. I knew it would all have to be budget stuff, but luckily for us the sales were on. If there was one thing I loved, it was a sale.
‘Right,’ I said, ‘you need several tops, a jumper, undies and a toothbrush.’
In the men’s section Rion picked up a check shirt with a button-down collar that was at least three sizes too big for him.
‘This’ll do,’ he said.
‘Yeah, sure, if you were about fifty years old and weighed a hundred kilos. Besides, you have to try stuff on first.’ I took the shirt from him and put it back.
‘Try it on? That seems unnecessary, and very time consuming.’
‘Jeez, Rion, how else are you going to know if it fits or looks good on you?’
‘That shirt would’ve covered me, and since clothes are purely functional what it looks like is irrelevant.’ He picked up another shirt. It was Hawaiian with large pink flowers and palm ferns. ‘How about this?’ he said.
‘Are you serious? Do you actually want to be the laughingstock of everyone, not to mention being a prime target for bullying?’
He put it down, reluctantly. ‘It’s very colourful,’ he said.
‘My point exactly.’
I scanned the racks for something he could actually wear, then grabbed a couple of dark T- shirts and a pair of jeans that were on special. Holding the shirts up to him, I gave a critical assessment as to size. ‘These should do. Now go try them on.’
‘All this?’ he said. ‘I don’t need this much.’
‘Yes, you do.’ I grabbed his hand, dragged him over to the dressing room and gave him a push. ‘Go in there, put them on, and then come out and show me.’
