Once An Alien

by Robin Martin

  ‘Hey, Lou, I’m gonna get this one,’ I called out to her. She was in the next dressing room.

  ‘Yeah, same,’ Lou said. ‘Let’s have a look at each other.’

  We tottered out of the change rooms, nearly banging into each other, and giggled. ‘Well, let’s see you,’ I said, stepping back.

  ‘What do you think?’ Lou twirled around in front of me.

  Her dress was a strapless black, low cut in the back. It had a slit up the side that showed a red satin lining. Lou definitely had a better figure than mine for such a revealing dress, and she looked good. But I couldn’t help feel that it was a bit old for her. Jeez, what was I, forty or something? I was turning into my mother. I smiled at her and said, ‘You look awesome, Lou.’

  ‘You think? I hope Mike thinks so too. He didn’t really want to go to the formal because he said it wasn’t his thing. I had to persuade him to go. I want to make sure I look really good for him, so he’ll feel it was worthwhile.’

  ‘As long as you like it, Lou, that’s the main thing. And I’m sure he’ll think you look beautiful.’

  ‘Yeah, maybe,’ Lou said, sounding doubtful. ‘Sometimes, I’m not so sure.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  She shrugged. ‘Oh nothing, just my overactive imagination…. Hey, stand back and let me see your dress. Yeah, it looks great, Zoe. That colour really suits your dark hair.’

  ‘Thanks. We’re done then. Let’s get out of these things and go for a burger. All this shopping has made me work up an appetite.’

  We’d just ordered and were heading towards a booth with our number when I heard a small but familiar voice say, ‘Hey, Zoe.’

  I looked down and there was Emerson with his Dad. Emerson had a huge hamburger in front of him along with a chocolate milkshake. I could just imagine what his mum would say if she could see him now. I stopped and said, ‘Hi, Emerson, Mr Stewart.’

  ‘I’ll just go on and grab us a table,’ Lou said.

  ‘Zoe, this is a happy coincidence,’ Mr Stewart said. ‘I have to go to a work function tonight and my babysitter just called a short while ago and cancelled on me. I’ve been in touch with Emerson’s mother, but she has to go out as well. I don’t suppose you’re free tonight to babysit?’

  It was never a hardship to look after Emerson, and I could do with the extra money as there were still other expenses for the formal, like hair, make-up, and shoes. ‘Sure, I can do that. It’ll be fun, won’t it, Emerson?’

  He beamed up at me. ‘It sure will. We can continue our chess lessons. You’re getting better.’

  I laughed. ‘Must be because I have such a good teacher.’

  ‘You should get Rion to teach you. He’s even better than I am, and not many people are.’

  I said nothing to that.

  ‘And you’re so modest too,’ Mr Emerson said, ruffling his son’s hair. ‘You know where I live, don’t you, Zoe?’

  I nodded. I’d been there once before to babysit Emerson and, of course, Tiberius, who seemed bigger every time I saw him.

  ‘Great. We’ll see you about six thirty? I can pick you up if your dad is busy.’

  ‘No, it’s okay. Dad can do it.’

  ‘How’s your mum, by the way? Your dad mentioned she’d had her operation.’

  Mr Stewart worked with my dad, which was how I got to babysit Emerson in the first place. ‘She’s good, thanks. She’s going to start radiation soon, but the doctor is happy with her progress.’

  Mr Emerson nodded. ‘I’m glad to hear that. Please give her my best.’

  ‘Will do. See you tonight, Emerson.’

  ‘Awesome,’ he said before picking up his hamburger and taking a bite. It was funny, but I’d never seen him so happy since his parents split. Maybe that was because his dad, who was actually a nice man, treated him more like a normal boy than a fragile boy genius. I headed towards Lou, who had found us a table in the corner.

  She put her phone down as I sat across from her and said, ‘So that’s Emerson Einstein, hey?’

  I nodded. ‘I’m going to babysit him tonight, which will be good for my finances. The Stewarts pay well.’

  ‘Mike’s coming to meet us. He’s just finished his shift. That okay with you?’

  ‘No problem, Lou, you know that.’

  Mike, unlike Lou and I, was actually allowed to have a part-time job, and he worked in one of the fast food places in the food court downstairs. He seemed nice enough, though I never really felt I knew him well. He arrived a few minutes later. After giving Lou a quick kiss and saying hi to me, he slid back into his seat and played with the paper serviette on the table. I wondered sometimes what he and Lou had to talk about, since he never seemed to have much to say. But she seemed really into him, and that was good enough for me. I didn’t stay long, as I wanted to grab a shower and a change of clothes before I headed over to Mr Stewart’s place.

  Later that evening, Dad dropped me off. Emerson and I were soon huddled over the chessboard. ‘Zoe, are you and Rion back together yet?’ Emerson looked at me with his clear, blue eyes.

  ‘I don’t really think that’s any of your concern,’ I said in my best grown-up voice. I was not going to discuss my love life with a six-year-old, no matter how smart he was.

  ‘Now you sound just like my mother,’ he said, shaking his head at me.

  I sighed. ‘Seriously, Emerson, I just don’t want to talk about it at the moment. Let’s just get on with our chess game.’

  He raised an eyebrow and then looked down at the board again. Studying it for a moment, he moved a piece on the board and said, ‘Checkmate.’

  ‘How did you do that? I really would like to win at least one game against you, or at least have a game that lasted more than seven moves.’

  ‘You just need a bit more practise,’ he said kindly.

  There was a knock on the apartment door, and a little smile appeared his face.

  ‘Who’s that, I wonder? Maybe your dad forgot his key or something.’

  Another knock, a little louder this time. Tiberius started to bark and wave his tail.

  ‘You’d better answer it,’ Emerson said.

  I scrambled to my feet and went to answer the front door, which opened up onto the small lounge area of the unit. Tiberius beat me to the door, barking joyously. I opened the door and saw… Rion.

  ‘What are you doing here?’ I said, totally surprised.

  ‘I’m here to babysit Emerson. And obviously so are you.’ He looked as surprised as me.

  I opened the door wider to let him in. ‘Did his dad call you too?’

  ‘No, Mrs Stewart did. She said the babysitter cancelled on him.’

  As he closed the door behind him, the familiar aroma of his aftershave hit me, and I tried not to notice how good he looked in his brown leather jacket and well-fitting jeans. His taste had certainly improved from the first day when I’d taken him shopping, and he had tried to buy a Hawaiian shirt three sizes too big for him.

  Tiberius danced around us, tail wagging, and Emerson beamed at us both.

  ‘But Mr Stewart asked me to come over when I saw him and Emerson this afternoon. He never knew you were coming. What happened?’ I said.

  I heard a giggle behind us, and we both looked over at Emerson. I studied him suspiciously.

  ‘Emerson, what’s going on here?’

  ‘Tricked you!’ he said and laughed again. Tiberius started to bark.

  ‘Tiberius, sit,’ Rion commanded, and to my complete surprise, he did, and he also stopped barking. Obviously, Rion could add dog whisperer to his many other talents.

  ‘Now, Emerson, perhaps you can explain what’s going on,’ Rion said in a patient voice.

  Emerson stopped laughing and looked up at us. ‘It was really easy. Mum asked me to tell Dad that Rion was going to babysit tonight. She doesn’t like talking to Dad anymore. That’s why she gave me a mobile phone. I meant to tell Dad, but then we saw Zoe, and Dad asked her. So, I thought it would be great if you wer
e both here.’ He shrugged his little shoulders. ‘I know you love each other and everything. It’s not like it is between Mum and Dad.’ He gave a sigh.

  Rion and I looked at each other, and I wondered if my face was as red as it felt. Talk about awkward. He looked like he wanted to say something, but instead he sat down on the sofa next to Emerson. I sat on the other side of our small, determined Cupid.

  ‘Emerson, I know you think you were doing the right thing, but you have to leave decisions like that to Zoe and me. It’s up to us to work things out.’

  ‘But, Orion, you told me you really loved Zoe and missed her.’

  Our eyes met over his head. He had never actually said those words to me. I wondered why he found it easier to say them to Emerson. As his steady, dark eyes looked into mine, I couldn’t help wishing that all the stupid stuff that had happened to us could be erased, like a pencil erases a mistake.

  ‘Yes, but it’s not just up to me, Emerson. It’s Zoe’s decision too. And, as she once told me, I don’t have the right to make decisions for her.’ Rion kept looking at me, and I knew he was waiting for me to say something.

  I wanted to say it was okay, that I wanted us back together the way we were, but there was something stubborn inside me. I wasn’t sure if it was the Irish or the Italian in me, but I needed him to say that not only did he love me but that, of course, he would try anything to make sure Mum stayed well, even using those magic powers he said he didn’t have. I needed that commitment.

  I lowered my eyes, not sure if I was making the biggest mistake of my life or not. ‘Emerson, sometimes things are not as easy as they look. Sometimes, they are complicated. You can’t always fix things just by wishing for it.’

  Rion said nothing, but I could feel his disappointment.

  Emerson looked up at me, blinking away tears. ‘Let me fix it then. I couldn’t fix Mum and Dad, but maybe I can fix you.’

  ‘Oh, Emerson,’ I said, not knowing what to say. I hated that he felt this rift between us so much. He’d had enough disappointment in his life.

  Rion stood up. ‘I should go. Your dad doesn’t need both of us here.’

  ‘But I do, Orion,’ Emerson said.

  ‘Sorry, mate, another time. You two have a nice evening.’

  ‘You don’t have to go,’ I said, feeling a lump in my throat. I felt so guilty. If I had just said the right thing, he would be staying. But I couldn’t.

  ‘Yes, I do,’ he said quietly. He was at the door in two strides. Then he opened it and closed it behind him with a click.

  Emerson burst into tears, and between his sobs, he said, ‘I hate you, Zoe.’ Then he ran into his room and banged the door shut behind him. I didn’t think I ever felt so miserable. Even Tiberius looked at me reproachfully, and went to lie down outside Emerson’s bedroom door. Rion was gone again, and this time it would be for good.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  She was never going to forgive me. And I didn’t blame her. I acted like a jerk when I broke up with her. I had good reasons, or so I thought. The trouble was I couldn’t stick to them. I was selfish enough to still want to be with her. And then, to make matters worse, I told her I couldn’t cure her mum. If I could, I would have done it in a heartbeat. But I couldn’t lie to Zoe or give her false hope, even though I wanted to. And I should have told her I loved her long ago. I always felt it. I thought she should know. But I realised now it didn’t work like that. You had to tell someone how you felt. My people had never considered feelings all that important. And yet, I realised, they were the most important things of all. I had made a total mess of everything.

  I decided to walk home the longer way to give me time to think, and I found myself walking past the modest house Pandora shared with the woman she’d mind controlled. She was just coming out the door when she saw me.

  ‘Rion,’ she called, ‘come on in.’

  I shook my head. It was only by accident that I walked past and bad luck she was coming out at the exact same time. ‘I’m headed home.’

  ‘Then wait for me. I was about to leave for Chelsea’s, and it’s in the same direction. We can walk together.’

  I was in no mood to be with other people at the moment, especially not Pandora, but I didn’t want to be rude. I stopped by the gate.

  She called over her shoulder, ‘Hey, Maude, I’m off now. Don’t wait up, and make sure you take your medication.’ Then she closed the door and came down the front path to join me.

  ‘Tell me you’re not drugging her or anything?’ Mind control was bad enough, but that would be even worse.

  Pandora gave me a scornful look. ‘You really have a great opinion of me, Orion. Maude has a heart condition and she takes blood thinners, but sometimes forgets. I keep an eye on her and, surprise, surprise, I actually do care about her.’

  I felt instant shame. It seemed I was making one mistake after another these days, especially where girls were concerned. ‘I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that.’

  ‘No, you shouldn’t,’ she said as we swung into step and headed down the street. ‘But what are doing walking here at night?’

  I gave a heavy sigh.

  ‘Let me guess. Oh yeah, one word, Zoe.’

  I nodded. ‘She just hasn’t forgiven me.’

  ‘For breaking up with her? Well, it was for her own good. You did the right thing. Although, you weren’t very convincing when you said we were together. Don’t think she believed that for a New York minute.’

  ‘We were about to get back together, but then I said the wrong thing, again. Her mum has cancer, and Zoe asked me to use my “super alien powers” to cure her. Somehow, she got the idea that because you’ve used your powers, I could use mine. She wasn’t too happy when I told her, not only did I not have any powers, but that I couldn’t heal her mother.’

  We came to a cross road, and Pandora pointed left. ‘This way.’

  ‘Chelsea certainly has a lot of parties.’

  ‘No, it’s just a few of us girls getting together. We might go out later. Jas has a car.’

  ‘And she lets you in it?’

  ‘Yeah well, if she cuts me out of things, she’s worried the others might take my side. And she wants to keep me close so she can keep an eye on me.’ Pandora laughed. ‘She can try.’

  I wasn’t too interested in what was going on between those two, so I said nothing.

  Then Pandora said, ‘How do you know?’

  I was puzzled. ‘How do I know what?’

  ‘That you can’t cure her mum.’

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous, Pandora. You know we can’t do that.’

  ‘Actually, no I don’t and neither do you. We’ve never really tested what we are capable of before. So few of us have ever materialised, and besides, we have this whole “not interfering with the human species” kind of code.’

  ‘And for a good reason. But that’s not it. I told you, when I became human, I lost everything about me that was alien. I will age, get sick, and all of those things that humans experience. If I were able to cure people, then I would be able to cure myself and wouldn’t be mortal.’

  Pandora turned her head and looked at me, her shrewd eyes making me feel vulnerable and exposed. ‘I don’t buy it, and you know it. As I’ve told you, you’re always going to be an alien, Orion. Sure, you may age a bit, but deep inside you know who you are, and that’s why you broke up with Zoe, remember? And now, when she’s asking for your alien help, you say no. I’m not surprised she’s annoyed at you. I bet you didn’t even try.’

  ‘I didn’t try because it’s not possible,’ I snapped at her. ‘And I’m not going to lie about it. That would be worse. Besides, her mum has had an operation and the cancer has been removed. She’ll be okay now.’

  ‘I don’t know how you could have lived so long and have learnt so little, seriously. First of all, cancer can always come back and often does. Secondly, it’s about showing that you’d do anything for the person you love. My recent host, he even went clean for six mon
ths because his partner at the time asked him to. It didn’t last, but at least he tried. It meant something to her.’

  I had no answer to that. As we walked together, our feet hitting the pavement, the only sound in the dark still night of that quiet suburban street, I thought about what she said. The longer we walked, the more the realisation came to me that maybe Pandora had a point. Zoe, who had hardly ever asked me for anything, had asked me to do this, and I had said no. I should have said I would try, even if I didn’t think it would work.

  ‘I’m an idiot, Pandora.’

  She cracked a smile and said, ‘Tell me something I didn’t already know.’

  ‘Do you think it’s too late, to try that is?’ I suppose I sounded desperate because Pandora gave me a sympathetic look for once.

  ‘You’re really totally hooked on this girl, aren’t you?’

  ‘Totally and completely. There was never anyone else, and there never will be.’

  ‘Yeah, well it’s pretty hard to have a love life when you haven’t got a body. But I kind of get it, now.’

  ‘You mean Chad Evertt?’

  ‘Puleeese! He’s just a distraction for when I’m bored, and also to annoy Jas. She’s had things her own way for far too long. No, I mean Kerri. I get that people think she’s a bit different, but I think that’s one of the reasons I like her. She’s blunt, honest, and pretty smart for a human. And I’m going to miss her when I go.’

  ‘You’re going? When?’

  ‘Don’t get excited, buddy. Not yet, not for a while. I’m having too much fun. But eventually I will have to go, and I don’t want Kerri hurt. That’s why I’m not going to let her get too close. There’s no way I want to be a human for life. I’ve got more sense than you in that regard. Hey, we turn here.’

  We turned into a street and were soon in front of Chelsea’s house.

  ‘You want to come in? Chelsea won’t mind.’

  I shook my head. ‘Not in the mood. But thanks, Pandora, for the advice, though I never thought you wanted Zoe and I to be together.’