by Robin Martin
We returned our shoes and headed out the door.
‘You know, I didn’t think this would be that great a night,’ I said, ‘but I was wrong. I really had fun.’
‘Me, too,’ he said. ‘I definitely think we improved.’
‘Absolutely.’
‘High five,’ he said, lifting his hand.
Laughing, I met it.
The trip home was more relaxed than the trip there. We talked about bowling technique, and what we did wrong and how we could improve. Normally this kind of thing would so have bored me, but tonight it didn’t seem so bad.
We got off the bus and walked the short distance home.
‘Thanks for coming out with me tonight,’ Rion said as we stopped at the front door. ‘I enjoyed your company, Zoe.’
‘Yeah, I liked being with you, too. It was kind of … nice.’
‘Maybe we can do it again sometime,’ he said, a little shyly I thought.
‘I’d like that. It was a pretty good date.’ I wasn’t lying either.
‘I’ve been researching a lot about dates lately.’
I smiled. ‘Yeah, I know.’ I looked down at the yellow flower pinned to my muddy-brown cardigan. I was warming to it.
‘There’s just one more custom I’d like to try.’ I was surprised to see him looking a bit embarrassed. ‘It was very inappropriate when Jas did it, but I can see that it might be more appropriate in the context of a date.’
Suddenly butterflies started knocking themselves out in my stomach. Surely he wasn’t thinking what I was. No, of course not. ‘Not quite following you here,’ I said.
‘Well, if you don’t mind, I think we should … kiss. Just to get the whole dating experience. You did say there was a romantic element involved in dates.’
I wasn’t quite sure, but standing under the light at the front door, I think I saw him blush. Me? Those butterflies were now turning somersaults.
‘But … but you said … you know, host and all that … maybe not a good idea.’ I was having trouble making complete sentences.
‘You said one thing tonight that made sense,’ he said.
‘Just one?’
He smiled. ‘But it was a very wise thing. You said that sometimes I think too much.’
‘Oh,’ I said softly. ‘Okay.’
He leaned forward and for a moment everything seemed to stop—my breathing, my heart, and definitely my thinking. Then his lips, warm and beautiful, touched mine. I closed my eyes and felt the gentle pressure of his mouth against mine. I responded, just a little. Even if he wasn’t human, I was.
For what seemed a long time, our lips moved together and we had what was just about a perfect kiss. Then he moved back. Wow. Who would have thought an alien could kiss like that. I took a deep breath. I needed it after that. I noticed he was breathing deeply, too.
‘That was very … satisfactory,’ he said.
‘Yeah,’ was all I could say.
‘And you know another very interesting fact?’
‘No idea.’ I was wishing we could try this little experiment again.
‘Because you were originally my host, I don’t think we need to worry nearly so much about germs. We’ve probably built up an immunity to each other’s systems that keeps us safe. Very reassuring, isn’t it?’
This time I was at a total loss for words.
Chapter Seventeen
I got the typical Mum reaction when I said I was going to a family barbecue with Harry Crosby.
‘Such a lovely boy,’ she said. ‘He’s quite smart, too, isn’t he? Eileen told me he got straight A’s in everything but physical education last year.’
Harry’s mum, Eileen, taught prep at the same school where my mum taught year six, and I’d known him ever since we were four and in the same daycare. Maybe that’s why we were friends and I tried to stand up for him when others made fun of him. Although I had to admit that he was a natural target at high school. Harry was a klutz. He was really shy and a bit plump—not fat, like some kids said unkindly, and I’d noticed he had lost a little weight lately—but once you got past all that, he was okay.
I sort of got why he’d asked me out. He needed a date and I was the only girl he knew that he could ask. And because we’d known each other a long time he wasn’t as awkward with me as he was with everyone else. So, like with Rion, this was just a friendship date. But unlike with Rion, there would be no kissing, ever.
Showered and dressed, I went into the bathroom to finish getting ready. I smoothed the creases out of my denim skirt and brushed my hair up into a ponytail. It made me look younger than usual, but as Harry looked about twelve or thirteen, even though he was eight and a half months older than me, I figured that was okay. I flicked on some lip gloss and I was done.
Rion was in his room doing his favourite thing—studying with his door open. I felt awkward and shy after last night, but not wanting to act weird I decided to go in and talk to him, reminding myself that he was just an annoying little soap bubble of an alien who happened to materialise as a guy. Okay, he could easily have been on the cover of a teen magazine, but that was beside the point. It was all just an illusion. When I thought about it like that, I was okay.
He was sitting at his desk, bent over a book, his dark hair falling over his face. I leaned against the door for a moment, watching him. He didn’t even look up. No doubt he was working out some complicated maths problem or science formula. Such a geek.
‘Concentration, much,’ I said at last, when it appeared he would never notice I was there.
He didn’t even act surprised when he looked up. Had he known I was there and was just pretending to study?
‘Good morning, Zoe,’ he said.
‘So, what theory are you reinventing now?’ I went into his room and perched on the side of his bed.
He gave his crooked smile. ‘I’m just doing the maths homework for Monday. Have you finished it yet?’
‘Yeah, sure, I’ve also done all my English, history and science for the whole week, as well as knocked out a few assignments this morning.’
He looked surprised for a moment, but then he said, ‘Sarcasm, right?’
‘Oh my God, you’re finally getting it.’
‘So, have you done any homework this weekend?’ I could hear the disapproval in his tone.
‘What do you think?’
He looked at me and shook his head. ‘Don’t leave it till the last minute. If you need any help, just ask.’ He turned back to his book.
‘Yeah, I’ve heard you’re really good at that, helping with homework and all.’
I think Rion actually blushed. Sometimes he was just too easy to tease.
I got up to look out the window in case Harry and his mum arrived. ‘Anyway, I haven’t got time to study. I’m going out,’ I said.
He looked up again. ‘Out? Where?’
‘Harry Crosby invited me to a family barbecue. He should be here any minute to pick me up.’
I started to head out the door, feeling my mission had been accomplished. We had talked. Rion had been preachy and judgemental, and I had been sarcastic, so everything was back to normal, thank goodness.
‘Wait,’ Rion said.
I turned around to face him. ‘What?’
‘I’m guessing this gathering is more than a hundred metres away,’ he said, frowning.
And then it hit me and I remembered. ‘Oh my God, of course, it’s that distance thing between us again. We can’t be too far apart. What am I going to do? He’ll be here any minute.’
I collapsed on the bed. How could I have forgotten such an important thing? I had no idea where Harry’s cousin lived, but it would be at least several kilometres away, enough of a distance to make us both seriously sick—or worse, if it was even further away.
‘Logically, you have only two choices. You either don’t go or I’ll have to come too,’ Rion said.
‘I’ll have to cancel. I’ll pretend to be sick or something.’ It wouldn’t be a total lie because I knew I’d d
efinitely be sick if I went to that barbecue.
‘I guess I could come with you. It’s inconvenient because I was hoping to get a start on my history assignment today, but I can catch up tonight.’ Rion closed his book.
‘No, you can’t come because it’s a date,’ I said, then added, ‘sort of.’
‘What, another one? You’ve actually got another date this weekend? I thought it was just a family barbecue.’
Even though it was a family thing, and a date in friendship terms only, I kind of found it insulting that he should act so surprised.
‘Yeah, I date,’ I said. ‘I haven’t got two heads, you know. Some people even find me attractive.’ I wasn’t going to say that the only two people I could put in that category were my parents. No boys. He didn’t have to know that.
‘With Harry Crosby?’
‘Yeah, I already said that.’
‘I know I suggested you consider him as a boyfriend, but I didn’t think you’d take me so literally, or act on my advice so quickly. You don’t usually listen to anything I say.’ He sounded peeved.
‘Sorry, third parent, I didn’t know I needed your permission. But Mum’s all for it, FYI.’
‘FYI?’ he said, looking puzzled.
I kept forgetting he wasn’t normal. ‘For your information.’
‘Oh, an acronym, I see.’
‘Yeah, that, and what I’m saying is that Mum approves of Harry.’
Rion’s forehead crinkled up in a frown. ‘Your mother is an exceedingly kind person, but she’s not always as critical as she might be.’
Now he sounded even crankier, if that was possible. And it was the closest he’d ever come to criticising my parents, who he put right up there with Stephen Hawking and the cast from Happy Days; I still didn’t understand why he totally loved that series.
‘What’s wrong with Harry? I thought you liked him.’
‘He’s a bright, if somewhat socially awkward boy, and although I initially thought he might right for you I’ve revised my opinion. I think you should wait until someone more suitable comes along. Perhaps in a year or two. Besides, there are so many inherent problems with this dating thing. We’ve discussed them before.’
Of course we had, and I knew dating would be tricky with Rion around, but I didn’t want to go through the rest of high school like a nun. Rion’s attitude was getting on my nerves.
‘Don’t be a pompous prat,’ I said. ‘We’re going to have to try and find a solution because I’m not going through high school never dating again.’
I heard a car pull up outside. ‘And we’d better find one quickly because Harry’s just arrived.’
I wondered if I could fake a sudden attack of stomach cramp or a splitting headache. It would totally hurt Harry, who would suspect I was putting it on and didn’t want to go. And there was the Mum factor. I hadn’t shown the slightest sign of sickness when I was talking to her ten minutes ago. She wouldn’t be happy with me. But I knew I had no other choice.
Hearing the knock on the door, I headed downstairs to face Harry. I opened the door to see him looking all eager and happy. He was dressed in long khaki shorts and a new white T-shirt. His hair had gel in it and was kind of spiky. Sigh. This was Harry making a big effort. And now I was about to tell him I couldn’t go.
‘Hi Zoe, you look nice,’ he said, beaming at me.
‘Thanks. You look good, too. Come in,’ I said, opening the door wider.
‘Hello, Harry, how are you?’ Mum drifted through the hall carrying a basket of clean laundry.
‘Good thanks, Mrs Brennan.’
‘Zoe’s been so looking forward to this barbecue,’ she said. ‘Well, I won’t keep you as I know your mum’s waiting in the car. Say hello from me. Have a good time, you two.’ She gave us a wave and headed up the stairs with the laundry.
Gee, thanks Mum, I thought. She’d only made it harder for me to tell Harry I couldn’t go.
‘I’m sorry, but I’ve got some bad news,’ I said, feeling like the biggest jerk in the universe.
Just at that moment Rion came down the stairs, taking them two at a time. He was wearing a clean shirt and had changed from his daggy shorts into jeans.
‘Hi Harry,’ he said. ‘What Zoe’s trying to say is that I’m coming to the barbecue, too. I hope that’s okay.’
Harry looked totally surprised and not altogether pleased. But he was polite, so all he said was, ‘Oh, I hadn’t realised, but of course you’re welcome.’
I waited for Rion to give an explanation of why he was going to crash our date. Surely someone as smart as him could come up with something. But he didn’t seem to feel any explanation was necessary. This alien really didn’t get things sometimes.
So I said, ‘Sorry, Harry, I should’ve let you know earlier. Rion hasn’t had much of a chance to socialise or get out much since he’s been here. Mum and Dad thought it might be a good idea for him to meet a few people. You don’t mind, do you?’
It was the best I could come up with on such short notice. Mum and Dad would never know I’d blamed them for this. I gave Harry my best smile.
Of course he smiled back. ‘Sure, no worries.’ He turned to Rion. ‘All my family will be there, plus my cousin, who’s around our age. So there’ll be lots of people to meet and they’re not totally horrible.’ He gave an awkward little laugh.
‘I look forward to meeting them,’ Rion said.
I followed them both out the door. I just wanted this day to come to an end. I had an uneasy feeling that things were not going to get better. In fact, they could get a whole lot worse. Great.
Chapter Eighteen
Everyone made Rion feel welcome, of course. Harry’s family were like that. I wondered if Mum had told Mrs Crosby about Rion’s ‘unfortunate’ home circumstances, because Harry’s mum was especially kind to him.
‘I’m so glad you could join us, Rion,’ she said. ‘Harry’s cousins will be delighted to meet you.’
And that was very true, especially in the case of Mary-Jo, the girl who was turning eighteen. It didn’t matter that Rion was supposedly two years younger; Mary-Jo made sure she was in charge of entertaining him. She would have rivalled Jas in the attention she gave him. And it didn’t hurt that he only had to smile to make hearts flutter. He was very polite, and almost charming, for him anyway, and everyone loved him.
Harry and I were hardly even noticed, but that was good. It took the pressure off. The last thing I wanted was to be the centre of attention, especially since I knew this was the first time Harry had brought a girl anywhere. He gave me a diet Coke and we sat down near the pool. Being winter, no one was swimming, which was great because we were away from everyone else and any questions that might come my way once the fascination with Rion was over.
The pool gate banged and a couple of the younger cousins raced in, followed by a very large golden Labrador dog.
‘Hey, no running through here,’ Harry reminded them. ‘And you know you’re not supposed to let the dog in, either.’
The two little kids with red hair and freckles stopped to look at us. One of them smirked and said, ‘Hey, Harry, is that your girlfriend?’
‘Yeah, are you gonna kiss her?’ the other one said.
Sometimes I’m really glad I don’t have any little brothers or sisters.
Aside from blushing, Harry ignored them. ‘Will you guys get Rusty out of here?’ he said. ‘You know how he always jumps—’
Too late. Even as he spoke, the hyper dog jumped in the pool and practically caused a tsunami. I was sitting closest to the pool and a wall of water washed over me, soaking my clothes and my hair. The can of Coke slipped from my hands and fell on the tiles, mixing with the water that was now everywhere. The redheaded cousins were totally dry, and Harry had only caught a few sprinkles of water on his T-shirt. Meanwhile, Rusty was having a great time swimming to the other end of the pool.
‘Oh no.’ Harry jumped up and futilely tried to brush the water off my skirt. ‘Are you okay?’<
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I rose from the deck chair and tried to shake off some of the water. ‘I’m fine,’ I said, but I was moving back towards the edge of the pool and my foot slipped. I swayed, lost my balance and fell into the water, making an even bigger splash than Rusty.
I flailed about for a few seconds and then stood up. The water was just above my waist. OMG, that water was cold. Could this day get any worse, I asked myself? I shouldn’t have asked.
Harry looked at me horror-struck for a moment, and then he bent down and held out a hand. ‘Zoe, are you okay?’ he asked for a second time. ‘Here, let me help you.’
‘I’m fine,’ I said again. I clambered out of the pool, ignoring Harry’s hand. Knowing my luck, I’d probably only end up dragging him in, too.
He looked at the two round-eyed cousins. ‘See what you’ve done? Get that dog out of here now.’
One of the kids rushed to pull the ecstatic dog out of the pool.
The other one said, ‘Sorry.’
Of course Rusty shook himself when he was out of the pool, sending another shower of water our way. What did it matter? I was already soaked through.
The boys dragged the dog out of the pool area while Harry glared at them. ‘Just wait till I tell Aunt Meg,’ he said.
‘We said sorry,’ the taller one said, and then they disappeared as fast as they could.
‘Those little monsters,’ Harry said. ‘I’m so sorry, Zoe. They know better than to let the dog in the pool area. Rusty’s still only a pup and hasn’t learned how to be obedient yet. He just loves water.’
‘Yeah, I got that,’ I said. ‘Don’t worry, it’s no big deal, and it wasn’t the kids’ fault I fell into the water. It was an accident. Me and my klutzy actions.’ I tried to smile. Large drops from my wet ponytail trailed down my back. I didn’t even want to think about what I looked like.
‘I’ll get you a towel, and maybe Mary-Jo has some spare things she can lend you.’
‘I’ll be fine with a towel,’ I said.
But of course the Crosby family wouldn’t let me away with that.
‘Oh, you poor dear, what happened?’ Eileen Crosby said as we approached the back deck where most of the guests were sitting. I was dripping water all over the deck, leaving puddles behind me.
