"What's going on?" Dieben asked.
I simply stared.
Two four-wheeled machines—cars—with blue flashing lights on top were parked outside of the tiny restaurant. A man with a mustache and black uniform complete with a shiny badge stood outside the front door making notes on a clipboard. A short man in baggy pants and animated arm movements stood beside him, clearly excited about whatever he was explaining. The uniformed man nodded but never took his eyes off his clipboard as the second man talked. Through the front window of the shop, I spotted another uniform standing in front of a high counter. Across from him, facing the street, stood a girl.
None of the other humans I'd seen over the past week caught my attention like this one. I studied her, searching for the reason for my interest. She wore a white button-down shirt that contrasted with the "V" of brown skin left by her collar. Dark hair hung at an angle against her face, stopping just above her shoulders. Her eyes were dark and slanted—and trained on me.
"Are those police?" Dieben asked.
"Yes."
"Don't they come around when a crime has been committed?"
"Yes."
I continued to study the girl. Her lips moved—speaking to the policeman in front of her, I assumed—but her eyes remained locked on me. Most humans glanced at each other without even seeing, passing over as they travelled to the next destination or task. But this girl stared right into me. As if she knew me. Or wanted to.
I wanted to know her too.
I shook that last thought away. There was no time to know anyone. That's not what Rumschpringe was about. Anonymity. Fun. Temporary. These were the parameters of my Earthly experience.
"Should we go in anyway?" Dieben asked.
"Not yet," I said. "I don't see Bone. Let's walk around back."
We darted across the street between oncoming traffic. Someone honked as they slowed for us. Dieben scowled at them but I kept my attention on the officer with the clipboard. Something about being here with them made me nervous, though I had no idea why it should.
"…don't care if the window's not broken. I'm pressing charges if you find them," the older man said to the officer as we walked by.
Dieben and I passed the vet's office on the corner and found our way to the alley that ran behind the string of buildings. The air was stale here, smelling heavily of sweaty animals and excrement.
"It's gross back here," Dieben said, wrinkling his nose. We both kept to the center of the pavement, careful not to get close to the overturned garbage cans or piles of animal dung. The animal doctor clearly had no qualms about letting his patients relieve themselves wherever they pleased. Humans were filthy.
As we reached the restaurant, the scent of grease and noodles took over, blocking out most of the stench from the vet. Dieben went to the door and began to pull it open.
"Dieben," I hissed.
He stopped. "I was just going to peek in."
"Just wait a minute." I stopped in front of the small window level with my chin and pulled the bolt out of my pocket. It fit perfectly against the hole at the base of the lock. "Shit," I said, appreciating the punch of the word as it came out of my host's mouth. This part of the vocabulary felt colorful, perfect for expressing the way I felt at the moment.
"What is it?" Dieben asked, coming over.
I pulled the wrench out and twisted the bolt back into place, once again sealing and locking the window. When I'd finished, I regarded Dieben with a sinking feeling in my gut. I knew something about this place had felt familiar. Although, what had led me to such a horrible decision was another memory lost in the void of whatever had happened last night. Maybe the girl inside could explain.
"Axel?" Dieben prompted.
I looked from him to the window and back again. "I think we broke in here last night."
Chapter Two
Dieben and I spent the next hour in the coffee shop across the street, watching The Golden Noodle and waiting for the policemen to leave. I consumed three cups of coffee while we stared through the shop's window. Something the cashier called "dark roast." By the time the flashers turned off and the police cars drove away, my knee bounced with poorly contained energy. I now understood the draw to such a bitter drink.
Dieben broke away from the table he'd stopped at on his return from the restroom. He held a small scrap of paper in his hand and a ridiculous smirk on his face. "We're going out tonight," he said, nodding at the blonde across the room. She waved, wiggling her fingers and sipping from a paper mug.
My lips pressed tightly together as I blew air out through my nose. "Bone is missing, we broke into a locked building, the police are looking for us, and you've got a date?"
"What?" he said, his shoulders rising in a shrug. "I'll only go if we find Bone." As if that made his behavior acceptable.
I rose and gathered my empty cups, shaking my head. "Nothing. Come on."
We crossed the street, dodging angry cars once again, and made our way to The Golden Noodle. The door was unlocked, the "open" sign lit through the large front window. A bell jingled as we entered.
"Just a sec," called a female voice from somewhere out of sight.
I walked to the counter, Dieben on my heels. "Give me that number," I said. I looked down at the paper he offered. "Not that one. The one from last night," I snapped.
"Oh, right." He fished the scrap of paper from his pocket and handed it over.
I flipped it over, momentarily ignoring Jane and the seven digits she'd provided Dieben. I turned the scrap of menu and held it over the full-sized one lying on top of the stack on the counter in front of me. It was a perfect match.
The door behind the counter swung open and the girl I'd seen earlier walked through.
"Mmm. We have a winner," Dieben said quietly.
I punched Dieben in the thigh.
He jerked forward, earning a confused stare from the girl. "Can I help you?" she asked.
"We're looking for our friend," I said.
She focused on me. There went those eyes again, that strange feeling of familiarity. "Axel," she said.
"You know me?"
Her eyes narrowed. "We met last night. You don't remember?"
"Um, not really," I admitted. I stole a look at her nametag, momentarily horrified as I remembered the number Dieben had earned from someone last night. The clip-on piece of plastic attached above her left breast said 'Becca.' I breathed out. Not Jane.
"We can't remember anything that happened last night," Dieben explained. "Surprising, though. You'd think I'd remember a pretty face like yours."
Even his host oozed with fake charm. I resisted the urge to punch him again. Usually I ignored him when he did this, but not with this girl. She was different. I wasn't sure how I knew that, but I did. And she knew me.
"Your attention was … elsewhere," she said wryly without more than a glance in Dieben's direction.
"Well, that's a shame," he returned. "Glad I'm here now to fix that."
I couldn't stomach this. "We're wondering if you've seen our friend, Bone. He has freckles and—"
"The redhead?" she interrupted.
"Yes. You've seen him?"
"He slept over at my house."
I tapped into my host's brain, trying to understand what that meant. My eyes widened. "Oh. I see."
"No, not with me," she added. "My roommate, Marnie. He went home with her last night. You really don't remember?"
I shook my head. "Sorry."
"You guys were at that after-hours club down on First. I came by when my shift ended to give Marnie a ride home. Your friend, Bone—is that really his name?"
"Yeah." Or at least the closest English translation. I didn't add that part.
"That's … different. Anyway," she went on, "he was with her and barely still on his feet. You guys didn't look much better off but some girl was already putting you in the back of a cab. She handed the driver money and you drove off before I could get your attention to take your friend with you. So
I took him home with us."
"Is he still there?" I asked.
She shrugged. "He was when I left for work about an hour ago."
"Can you check with your roommate?"
"Yeah, sure—"
"Becca!" called a man's voice from the other side of the wall. "Give me a minute," she said with a grimace. She thrust a menu at us. "Here. Order something," she added before disappearing through the swinging door.
I scanned the menu. The thought of noodles made my stomach roll.
"Becca's pretty hot," Dieben said.
"Don't even think about it," I told him.
"Why not?" I didn't answer and Dieben's eyes widened. "You like this one? Oh man, there's a first for everything, I guess."
"Shut up," I said but Dieben ignored me, slapping a palm against my back.
"Wow, who knew you'd have a thing for humans."
"I don't have a thing for humans."
"Really? Name one girl from back home you've gone for."
The door swung open and Becca reappeared. Saved from answering. "Let's just get Bone," I muttered.
Dieben laughed under his breath.
"What'll it be?" Becca asked, her voice louder than before. Before I could ask about it, she jerked a thumb behind her.
"Oh. Um, soup?" I said.
"What kind?"
I picked the first thing I saw. "Egg drop?"
"What size?"
"Um."
"Two large bowls of egg drop," Becca yelled over her shoulder.
Pans banged together in answer.
Becca lowered her voice and leaned in. "I called Marnie. She's bringing Bone, but you guys can't stay here."
"What? Why not?" I asked.
Her expression was an accusation. "Are you seriously asking me that? Marnie told me what you guys did last night." My blank look only seemed to make her madder. "You broke in here and stole two hundred dollars' worth of noodles! Mr. Wu is furious! What were you thinking? Are you some kind of criminals?"
"I have no idea what we were thinking," I said.
"Probably that we were hungry." Deiben snickered. We both glared at him.
"Tell Marnie and Bone we'll wait at the coffee shop across the street," I said.
"One hour." She nodded.
My feet should've moved me toward the door, but I found myself standing still, caught up in those dark, slanted eyes of hers. She stared back at me, her gaze reaching far enough inside I was afraid she'd recognize I wasn't who—or what—I pretended to be. "You're not from here, are you?" she said finally.
I didn't answer. Dieben cleared his throat. "No. We're from … out of town," I said. "Why?"
"Some stuff Bone was saying. And—" Pink flooded her cheeks, causing a heated reaction in my stomach that confused and excited me all at once.
"And?" I prompted.
"And your eyes. They're violet and … really pretty."
"Thanks."
A bell dinged behind the counter. I looked up and found a pair of beady eyes watching me through the gap in the two-way serving rack. Becca reached back and grabbed the two Styrofoam cups and set them on the counter in front of us. Behind her, the beady eyes blinked once and then disappeared.
Dieben slung an arm around my shoulders in a rough gesture. "We'll see you later then?" he asked, eyeing Becca.
"I have to work, and you guys really shouldn't come back in here." She pressed a flurry of buttons on the cash register, each one beeping in rapid succession. "Ten forty for the soup," she added.
I counted out the necessary bills and handed them over the counter. Money hadn't been a problem, thanks to Dieben's host. His host's parents had apparently given him a bank account large enough to provide for a pretty cushy Rumschpringe. Hence, the hotel suite.
"You should come to us," Dieben said. "Later. When you get off work. We're staying at the Imperial. Room Nine-Twenty."
It was the only thing Dieben had said all day that I agreed with. I wanted to see this girl again. I wanted to figure out this draw I felt—and whether the feeling came from my host or myself. Dieben was right. I'd never been interested in the girls back home. There wasn't a particular reason. I had many friends, including females, but none of them had sparked any sort of attraction before. Becca, however, intrigued me. I found myself admiring the curve of her neck, the smooth skin of her shoulder where it disappeared underneath the fabric of her shirt. Her long, slender fingers and the graceful way she moved as she counted the money and bagged our soup.
"I'll think about it," she said, her voice clipped.
I almost pursued it, but stopped short. Something in my host's mind said she didn't intend to show and pressing the issue wouldn't change her mind. Human girls didn't simply show up to strange hotel rooms. Or at least, the smart ones didn't. And Becca was smart.
Instead, I gave her my best smile. "Thank you for all your help. I hope I see you again," I said before following Dieben out.
Chapter Three
Dieben was relentless. We sat at a small sidewalk table in front of the coffee shop while he baited me about Becca. First, trying to get me to admit I liked her. Then, when that didn't work, he went on about how hot she was, trying to make me jealous. I gulped coffee and tried to think of a way to shut him up.
"I can't believe it took coming to Earth to get you to recognize hotness when you see it. Wait'll I tell the guys back home. They're going to—"
"Do you think it's weird that we don't remember anything at all from last night?" I interrupted.
Dieben shrugged. "Doesn't that happen to humans? They call it a hangover."
"It just seems strange that it happened to both of us. I didn't think we consumed that much alcohol. And we broke into a Chinese restaurant? That's really stupid. We're supposed to be keeping a low profile."
Dieben seemed lost in thought and then said, "My host has been known to do that sort of thing."
Of course he has. "We need to find out if anything else happened," I said.
"You think breaking into The Golden Noodle wasn't our only dumb idea?"
"Bone went home with a human," I said.
"Good point. I can call that Jane chick whose number I got. I have a feeling that's who got us a cab. I can see what she knows."
I'd been thinking the same thing during Becca's story. "Yeah, do that."
Dieben pulled a small, black phone from his pocket and punched in the number. His expression lit as someone picked up. "Hello, Jane? It's Dieben. We met last night …" He rose and wandered down the sidewalk while he talked.
I scanned faces, searching for Bone. The more time passed without him beside me, the more I worried. His hour was almost up. I cast a glance into the front window of The Golden Noodle. Becca stood behind the counter bent over a book of some kind. She seemed deep in concentration, her bottom lip stuck between her teeth. I stared at her mouth, remembering the warm feeling I got in my chest when she'd smiled.
"Axel, bro." I looked up at the sound of my name and found a red-haired teen approaching me from the other direction. I rose to meet Bone and he pulled me into a one-armed hug before swinging around to stand beside me. "Marn, this is Axel, my best friend. Axel, Marnie."
"Nice to meet you." A willowy girl with purple hair and narrow-rimmed glasses wrinkled her brow at me. "So, he's from Panmera too?"
I whipped my head around to gawk at Bone. "You told her?"
Bone grimaced. "Yeah, it was an accident. Sorry."
"An accident? Man, what the hell?"
"I was drunk and—"
"Wait, do you remember last night?" I asked.
"Not much," Bone admitted.
Before Bone could elaborate, Dieben returned, sliding the phone back inside his pocket. Over Marnie's head, our eyes met. Dieben's brows knitted and his mouth opened to say something. I nodded toward Marnie and then shook my head. Thankfully, he understood. "Bone, you made it back alive," he said, clapping Bone on the back as he rejoined the group.
"Yeah, sorry we got separated," Bone
said, looking mostly at me. I knew he felt bad about deserting me. Dieben, not so much. "Marnie took good care of me, though. Oh, and Becca. She was cool. Gave us a ride home and everything."
"Yeah, Becca's real cool," Dieben said with a wink at me. I ignored him.
"Dieben, this is Marnie. She and Becca are roommates," Bone said.
"Marnie, nice to meet you." Dieben stuck his hand out in a human gesture of hello. A ritual I'd skipped due to my shock.
Marnie shook Dieben's hand, her mouth open in awe. "I can't believe you guys are—" she paused, casting a quick look over her shoulder before adding, "aliens" in a loud whisper.
My shoulders went rigid as I searched the faces of those passing by, but none of them reacted to her words. Dieben retracted his hand from Marnie's and then used it to smack Bone in the back of the head. "You told her? Idiot!"
For the second time today, Dieben and I were on the same page.
"Relax," Bone said, stepping to my other side—out of Dieben's reach. "She won't tell anyone. She promised."
"I'm not going to give away your secret," Marnie assured us. "Pinky swear."
"Pinky swear?" Dieben repeated, clearly having already worked out the meaning of her words. "That's how you seal your word here? With your smallest appendage? Great." He threw up his hands. "We're dead."
"We're not dead," Bone insisted.
"What did Jane say?" I asked.
"In front of her?" Deiben jerked a thumb at Marnie.
"Not like it matters now," I said.
"Right."
Across the road, a police cruiser sped by and pulled to the curb in front of the Golden Nugget. The Asian man I'd seen earlier—who I could only assume was Mr. Wu—came out, baggy pants now grease stained, and began talking animatedly to the officer as he got out of his car. I watched the pair of them while I listened to Dieben explain.
"She said she remembers us," Dieben said slowly. There was something off in his tone. Something uncertain and guarded.
"And?" I prompted.
"She said we danced for a while. I bought her drinks. At the end of the night, she found out we didn't have a car or a ride home and she called us a cab."
Take Me To Your Reader: An Otherworld Anthology Page 11