Once An Alien

by Robin Martin

  It was only the sound of the key turning in the door that caused us to pull apart.

  Rion looked at me and blushed, brushing the hair out of his eyes.

  Mum came in first. ‘Hi, Rion. It’s good to see you.’

  Dad was close behind, carrying bags. ‘Glad to see you two have patched things up. About time.’

  ‘Dad,’ I said, feeling my face go red.

  ‘Come on in through to the kitchen,’ Mum said.

  ‘Actually, I was just about to ask Zoe if she’d like to go for a coffee.’

  ‘I can’t go like this!’ I said. ‘Give me five minutes to change.’

  I helped Mr Brennan carry the bags into the kitchen. He started to unpack the fruit and vegetables and motioned Mrs Brennan to sit down. I sat down across from her.

  ‘I can manage to unpack a few groceries,’ she said to her husband. ‘You said you had a bit of work to catch up on. Why don’t you do it now?’

  ‘You’re still recovering, and I’m nearly finished.’

  ‘I can help,’ I offered.

  He tumbled the apples into the fridge crisper and said, ‘Thanks, but I’m done.’

  ‘Then go do your work.’

  He smiled at me ruefully and said, ‘She’s an awfully bossy woman. I’ll see you later, Rion.’

  As he left the kitchen, Mrs Brennan said, ‘So, what have you been up to, Rion? Is your uncle still travelling a lot?’

  The Brennans still thought Archimedes, my supposed guardian, was looking after me but, because he was a photo journalist, went away a lot. I was glad she brought him up though, because it fit into my plan.

  ‘He’s here in Brisbane at the moment. But how are you, Mrs Brennan? Zoe said your operation went well. I’m sorry I haven’t been to see you, but things have been… busy.’

  She gave me an understanding smile. ‘I’m all right, thank you. I start radiation treatment in a few days. The doctor has removed the lump and, so far, knock on wood and all that, there doesn’t seem to be any signs of it anywhere else.’

  ‘I’m so glad. Archimedes sends his regards too. I think he would like to visit, for coffee that is, not a meal.’ I hastened to add that last bit because the previous time Archimedes had come over, it had been a disaster. I just hoped she would overlook that.

  Mrs Brennan gave a determined smile. ‘Of course, we’d be glad to see him, if he isn’t too busy.’ And that, I think, was the biggest lie she had ever told. But her manners were impeccable.

  ‘Great. He said we might come over tomorrow afternoon after school, if that’s convenient.’ Archimedes had actually suggested today, but I wanted to make sure things were okay with Zoe before that happened.

  ‘That would be lovely. I’m still on sick leave for the next week, so I’ll be home. Unfortunately, I don’t think Greg will be able to make it as he’ll be working.’

  I smiled with relief. Zoe’s dad and Archimedes were not exactly on the best of terms. Things might go a lot more smoothly if he wasn’t there.

  I heard Zoe’s feet on the stairs, and then she burst into the kitchen, like a blast of sunshine and warmth and everything that made me feel happy. How had we stayed apart for so long?

  ‘I’m ready,’ she said. ‘Let’s go.’

  ‘You look beautiful,’ I said as we held hands walking down the street. She was wearing a yellow top and jeans, and her long, dark hair fell over her shoulders in waves.

  ‘You don’t look so bad yourself,’ she said, ‘although there is a spot on that white tee shirt of yours.’

  ‘Where,’ I said, looking down in a panic. I had tried really hard to look my best before I left the house this morning.

  ‘Just kidding. You’re immaculate, as usual.’

  We walked in silence for a while, each of us not quite knowing what to say.

  ‘Rion, I—’

  ‘Zoe—’

  We both spoke at the same time and laughed. ‘You go first,’ I said.

  ‘Okay.’ She took a deep breath. ‘I realised how wrong I was to ask you to do something you were uncomfortable about, like using your alien powers. No,’ she said, as I started to speak, ‘let me finish. You shouldn’t have to change who you are for me. Whether or not you even could have helped Mum is beside the point. It went against everything in you to try. I should have respected that. I only realised that this morning when I was giving advice to Lou, advice I should have followed myself. I don’t care what stupid stuff has been happening in the past, let’s get over it. I want you back again, Rion.’

  What could I do but kiss her right there and then? I touched her soft lips and then, even though I didn’t want to, I pulled back and said, ‘My turn to talk now.’

  ‘Sometimes talking is highly overrated, Rion.’

  ‘And sometimes, it’s necessary. I’ve been so stubborn, convinced I couldn’t do anything that I wouldn’t even try. You’ve hardly asked anything from me, and this was so important. I love you, and not only should I have said that, but I should have showed it by trying to do what you asked. I can’t change who I am. A part of me will always be alien. What that means for the future, I don’t know. But I do know, I don’t want a future without you in it. And whatever you want me to do, I’m going to do it. I’ve talked to Archimedes.’

  ‘Archimedes, is he here?’

  ‘Long story and it has to do with Pandora. But I’ve asked him about your mum. He is older than me, and whatever powers he has are much stronger than mine. He wants to meet your mum to see if he can help in any way. He isn’t guaranteeing anything, but he might be able to tell if the cancer is completely gone. He’s coming over for coffee to your place tomorrow afternoon.’

  ‘He’s willing to do that?’

  I couldn’t blame her for being surprised. He wasn’t known for his helpfulness or consideration for others. ‘I did him a little favour with Pandora, and he wants to pay me back,’ I explained. ‘Besides, you know he’s always been fond of your mum. I think he has a bit of a crush on her.’

  Zoe laughed, and then she said, ‘Yeah, I remember when he tried to kiss her after that dinner he had with us. He would have succeeded too, if you hadn’t pulled him back.’

  I shook my head at the memory of it. ‘He’s impossible at times, but he can do the right thing on occasion.’

  ‘With a little persuasion from you. Thanks, Rion. I really appreciate it.’

  ‘I should have done something before this, even if it came to nothing. I’m s—’

  She put a finger to my mouth. ‘No more sorries. We’re good.’

  I took her hand. ‘So, do you really feel like coffee?’

  ‘Well, I have had a large milkshake with Lou, and it sort of filled me up. Why, what are you suggesting?’ She looked at me, head tilted to the side.

  ‘I was thinking that it isn’t that far a walk to my place, and that it might be fun to curl up on that sofa of mine and watch a movie or something.’

  A smile formed on her face. Then she said, ‘A movie or something? What’s something?’

  ‘Well, we have a lot of catching up to do.’ I put my arms around her. ‘And I don’t think the middle of the street is the best place to do it.’

  ‘I agree,’ she said, resting her head against my chest. ‘How long do you think it will take us to get there?’

  I raised my arm and looked at my watch. ‘Six minutes and thirty-five seconds, if we hurry.’

  She moved away and grabbed my hand. ‘Let’s go.’

  We made it in five.

  ‘How lovely,’ Mum said as she looked at the large bouquet of yellow daisies that Archimedes presented her the next day.

  ‘Beautiful and bright, like you, dear lady.’

  I coughed to cover the laugh that wanted to escape. Archimedes hadn’t changed since I’d seen him last.

  ‘Come in and sit down. The coffee is on and the brownies have just come out of the oven,’ Mum said, playing the gracious host. I’d tried to persuade her from baking anything, but nothing, not even an operatio
n, prevented her from trying her best. I’d rescued them before they were burnt.

  Mum and Archimedes sat in the armchairs while Rion and I sat on the sofa. I was so glad Dad wasn’t here. It was awkward enough as it was, and everyone felt it, except for Archimedes. We sat drinking coffee and eating brownies, trying to make small talk.

  Finally, Archimedes put down his cup and said, ‘So, how are you, my dear?’ he asked. ‘I heard you hadn’t been too well.’

  Mum gave a shrug. ‘That’s true, but things are better now since the operation. I start radiation treatment soon. Thank you for asking, Archimedes.’

  He leant over and took her hand in his, looking into her eyes intently. Mum looked uncomfortable, and I could tell she wanted to pull her hand from his, but she didn’t. I didn’t know how long he held her hand like that, but for a moment it seemed like time stood still and nobody moved, or even breathed. Then he let her hand go, and she sat back in her chair as if dazed.

  ‘You will be all right,’ he said. ‘And you have your family around you, which is, I think, the most important thing for you. But don’t work too hard, dear lady. Humans have too little time on this earth as it is. You should enjoy it, in moderation of course.’

  ‘Thank you,’ Mum said, looking confused and uncertain how to answer him.

  Archimedes rose. ‘And now I must say goodbye. It has been lovely seeing you again. No, don’t get up. Zoe will see us to the door.’

  With a little bow to her, he left the lounge room and went out the door, while Rion and I followed. I closed the door behind us as we stepped out on the path.

  I looked at Archimedes expectantly. ‘Well?’

  He looked down at me, his face expressionless. ‘She has no cancer that I can detect. She will recover her strength and health in time.’

  I breathed a sigh of relief. ‘Thank you, Archimedes. That is so good to know.’

  ‘But, Zoe, you need to understand this. While I might be able to detect an abnormality in the body, I cannot cure it. If she had had cancer, I would have been able to do nothing. Orion was right. Our powers do not extend to that. We have enhanced perception, honed by centuries of training, but we cannot perform miracles or magic or whatever nonsense Pandora may have persuaded you to believe.’

  I looked at Rion, feeling slightly ashamed. I should have believed him. I had been wrong on so many levels to blame him.

  ‘I know,’ I said. ‘I should never have asked.’

  He nodded in agreement. ‘You should go back inside. She won’t remember much of what happened, except that I’m a little strange, which is what I am used to from humans. But she might be feeling confused. I put her in a trance while I scanned her.’

  ‘Thank you again,’ I said before going back inside, leaving Rion to say goodbye to him. It’s funny, but when you got to know some people, they weren’t so bad after all. Although, I thought, as I closed the front door behind me, I don’t know if you could exactly call Archimedes a person.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  I twirled in front of the mirror on my cupboard door, the purple and indigo skirt of my dress swishing slightly.

  ‘Wow, you look great,’ Lou said as she pulled the bodice of her dress up. ‘I wish now I’d got something different. What was I thinking? This just isn’t me.’

  I went over and grabbed her hand. ‘You look really beautiful, Lou. And you know what’s even better? You’re just as nice on the inside as you are on the outside.’

  She gave me a hug, and then we both said at the same time, ‘Make-up! Hair!’ We bounced away from each other. We had both spent a small fortune on getting our hair and make-up professionally done, and we weren’t about to mess it up now. Lou had an updo, which really suited her, and mine had every kink and curl straightened, hanging like I wished it always would.

  ‘You could have gone with Rion to the formal, you know,’ Lou said as she checked her make-up in the mirror.

  I fingered the small silver necklace with the heart that Rion had given me back. We were back together, and that was all that mattered. But we’d both decided that being with friends was important too. ‘I think it will be more fun if we go as a group. That way no one gets left out. I wonder where Kerri is. She was supposed to be here by now.’ But just as I spoke, I heard a knock on the door downstairs.

  And then I heard Mum’s voice. ‘Kerri, darling, you look so lovely!’

  I went out and leaned over the railing. ‘Come on up, Kerri. We’re just about ready.’

  I saw her red head coming up and a sea of green around her. When she got to the landing, I looked at her. ‘Wow, you look amazing!’ And she did. One side of her bobbed hair was held back with a flower clip, and make-up toned down her freckles and made her wide grey eyes seem larger. Her dress, a sea green, had a full skirt that floated around her, and the lacy short sleeves of the top were perfect. Because Kerri had never, ever bothered about her appearance, I hadn’t realised that she actually was so attractive—not that it mattered, I thought. Lou and I still loved her and her quirky personality.

  Lou came out the bedroom door and was just as surprised as me. ‘Gee, Kerri, you look great. Where are your glasses?’

  ‘Mum persuaded me to try contact lens, and I’ve been putting them in for a few hours every day to get used to them. I thought I’d take a chance and try them out tonight. They’re not much good for studying, but I thought I probably wouldn’t need a book tonight. Besides, my handbag is too small for one.’

  She was totally serious.

  ‘Are you belles of the ball ready,’ Dad called up, jingling his car keys. ‘I think it’s time to go.’

  We grabbed our things and headed downstairs.

  Dad looked at us and said, ‘You look dazzling, ladies. Do those poor boys at East Valley High know what they’re in for? You’ll have them lining up for dances.’

  ‘Dad,’ I said, with only a slight eye roll, ‘you’re such a dork. We don’t need to wait for guys to dance with us. We’ll dance with each other, and if they want to join in, fine.’

  Mum looked at us, a suspicious moisture welling in her eyes. ‘Photos before you go, I insist.’

  ‘We’ll have photos taken there, you know.’

  ‘That’s fine, but I would also like photos now,’ she said, holding up the camera.

  So, we spent the next five minutes in various groupings. The last one was just Mum and me. ‘You look so beautiful, darling,’ she whispered in my ear. ‘I’m proud of you, and I love you.’

  I felt a lump in my throat, and I suddenly felt grateful to know Mum was okay and would be with us for many years to come. ‘Love you too, Mum.’

  Then, with a flurry of skirts, hugs, kisses, and goodbyes, we were off.

  The school had hired the function room of the River Bend Inn for a formal, and we were all just a little bit excited to go to such a fancy venue. The place was buzzing when we got there, with parents dropping off their kids and even a few limos that some students had hired. Of course, Jas and her group had hired a white limo. No real surprise there. I wondered if Pandora was with them, though, considering everything that went down between her and Jas, I doubted it. I had heard that Pandora was going with Chad. No accounting for taste. I couldn’t believe that I had a crush on him when he first came to our school last year. So much had happened in those twelve months. Soon I would be seventeen, and I felt so different to that annoying, attiude-y teen I was back then.

  When we got inside and saw the tables with white linen tablecloths and the smooth dance floor, I had to pinch myself to believe I was here. In a few short months, year twelve and high school would be behind me. I only just realised I was one step away from starting the next phase of my life, and I was so glad that Rion would be there to share it with me.

  ‘I wonder if the boys are here yet?’ Lou said, looking around.

  Then I heard his voice saying my name. I turned around and my heart dropped right to my feet. I had heard the word ‘swoon’ before, but I never understood it. Now
, I did. Rion in a tux was drop-dead gorgeous and smokin’. He had tried to slick his dark hair off his forehead, but some of it still managed to escape and drift over his dark, intense eyes that were looking straight at me. His hands found mine, and he pulled me towards him.

  ‘You look so beautiful,’ he whispered in my ear.

  ‘So do you,’ was my dumb answer. But he did.

  After a few moments, I became aware of everyone else. Harry was looking pretty good himself, and I wasn’t the only one who noticed. Lou seemed all breathy and definitely flustered when she said, ‘Hi, Harry.’ And with those two words, I realised she just might be getting over Mike.

  And it was by no means one sided, because he was looking at Lou like he’d never really seen her before. ‘Wow, Lou,’ he said. ‘Wow.’

  And then we started to notice each other, and everyone told Kerri she looked great, and for once she just accepted the compliment gracefully, looking quietly pleased with herself.

  ‘Well, we scrub up well,’ I said, ‘for the nerds of the school, that is.’

  ‘Not bad, guys,’ said a familiar voice. Pandora sashayed up to us in a tight red dress with ruffles and a slit down the side. She would not have looked out of place as a flamenco dancer. Her straight black hair was held back on one side with a red flower, and her mouth creased in a wide scarlet smile. ‘Do you mind if I join you?’

  We were too surprised to object. ‘Where’s Chad?’ I asked, hoping we wouldn’t have to put up with him too.

  She gave a dismissive wave of her hand. ‘Oh him, I dumped him. He was getting too boring for words. I thought I’d rather hang out with my peeps.’

  Kerri looked at her, open mouthed.

  ‘Hey, is this band ever going to start?’ Pandora looked impatiently to where the band was setting up.

  ‘I think we’re going to eat first,’ Harry said, his eyes still on Lou.

  ‘Eating? What a waste of good dancing time.’

  ‘And have photos taken,’ Kerri said.

  Pandora looked at her, and her eyes softened. ‘Hey, you look really pretty tonight.’