by Arden, Mari
"Would you care to sit with us?' she asks.
I hesitate, and she pounces, sensing the refusal before I can.
"Come on, you have to, Kenna! You were such a life saver helping me park this morning," she pleads.
I don't point out who really saved whom earlier. Unbidden, I remember the feel Rhys's arms around me, hard and encompassing, like wings. I want to brush the invisible sensation away, but they linger like frost.
"It'll only be for twenty minutes." Her eyes are luminous, and in spite of me, I find myself wanting to give in. Almost in a trance, I nod. I could give it a try, I think. Maybe it'd be different with someone not from Earth. The cynic inside me thinks: not.
"Where are you planning to sit?" I inquire.
"Oh, our usual," Lenora answers happily.
My eyebrows shoot up.
She's only been here a day and a half and she has a "usual" spot already? I have to give the girl credit. She knows how to work this intricate social hierarchy like nobody's business.
"Over there." She points to a table right in the middle of the lunchroom. It's a prime spot, guaranteed to receive attention. I don't mind though. It doesn't matter where I sit, invisible is still invisible. I should be used to that fact, but I'm not. What teenage girl likes to feel unseen? Hidden? It makes me feel like less of a person. Imaginary.
Except when I'm around Rhys.
Then I feel too much. Soft. Confused. Giddy. Real.
I follow the girls like a pet resigned to her fate with an overanxious owner. Grace and Holly hurry to sit next to Lenora at the table, and if I didn't witness it, I wouldn't have believed it. Oddly, I understand. I usually don't like cheerful, overly excited girls like Lenora, mainly because it's hard for me to relate to them. However, I'm strangely comfortable around her. Her presence feels like warm soup during a cold Minnesota winter, or a cozy bonfire on a cool summer night. It just felt easy to be with her. Simple. Effortless.
We huddle around her like moths to a flame. Before she can say another word, Holly blurts, "Mike has a crush on you."
"Half the school does," Madison adds with a wistful sigh.
Lenora's looks confused.
"What is a crush?" she asks.
"It's when someone has the hots for you," Grace answers.
Lenora's brows pinch together in a frown.
"It's a good thing. Trust me," Grace assures her. "It means he likes you."
"Ah." Lenora smiles in understanding. She flushes a little with embarrassment.
"Mike is our star quarterback," Madison explains with wide eyes. "He's probably going to the NFL in a couple years." The girls giggle. Lenora shoots me a look. I shrug. Football is beyond me.
"What is football?" she asks slowly, pronouncing it like a foreign word, which for her it was. Silence. There's a moment of quiet as every girl at the table reflects on what they know about the sport.
"A bunch of guys running around trying to catch a ball," I finally suggest when no one breaks the quiet. Grace and Holly turn to look at me, a little startled by my presence. The brief introduction from minutes earlier seems to have dissipated in their memory. The Forgetting, as I call it in my head, didn't take long to kick in. I figured out the pattern to the weirdness. If I don't talk, then the group feels like I'm not there. The group misses me- literally. There were even moments before where someone's eyes had flickered past and over me as if I had melted into thin air.
"Yes, that about sums it up," Bree agrees, pulling me back to the present, smiling sweetly.
The corners of my mouth turn politely back, but it's hard to look at her without remembering our friendship in kindergarten. I know it's ridiculous to hold a grudge about something that happened when you were five, but Bree really hurt me. She always stayed sweet, but it was never the same. I recalled her reluctance to play, her bouts of ignoring me without meaning to, and forgetting important play dates. The strange thing was it didn't seem as if she wanted to forget me. It just sort of happened.
The same cycle happened to every friend I attempted to have. They were all nice, but they all shared something in common: they made me feel forgotten. Abandoned.
"You'll have to show him to me," Lenora announces. That's the opening the girls needed. Madison squeals, revealing she knows exactly where he is. Stalker much? She insists they ditch lunch to find him. The rest of the girls readily agree, and within moments a plan is devised to stake out the gorgeous football star destined for NFL glory.
I don't say much because it doesn't matter what I think. It only takes me five minutes to note that Lenora isn't immune to whatever I have. Her eyes go right through me to wave to some friends, and that's all the evidence I need. Standing up, I plan to leave quietly and head to the library, but my loud stomping alerts Lenora.
"Kenna? Hey! Where you going?" she asks.
"I've got some things I have to do at the library," I answer vaguely.
"No, stay," she stresses. "We have a plan! We're going to…" Her voice becomes mute in my head as she explains what they're going to do. I'd been there the whole time and heard every word of it, but I let her continue.
"No, that's ok," I say when she's done. "Important things at the library can't get done by themselves." I don't mention what the "important" things are, and she doesn't ask.
Instead, she gives me a perfect smile. Her eyes widen, and the purple spots in them seem to grow more intense. "Stay."
I stare at her, feeling a rippling sensation that I can't name.
Her pupils become enlarged, drawing me deeper.
My mind is literally swaying toward her, reaching out to take what it can. Strangely, I do feel an overwhelming urge to stay…
Clank! A loud crashing sound abruptly reverberates across the entire lunchroom, and I start, breaking my gaze away from Lenora. There's a second of frozen silence as everyone looks at each other, unsure of what just happened.
"Fight!" Someone suddenly shouts, breaking the tension.
Instantly, my eyes search for the cause of the commotion. Students are standing, staring at a spot across the room. Usually, I don't care about something as stupid as a fight, but something propels my body forward. I take a few steps toward a crowd slowly gathering.
"What the heck," Madison's squeaky voice comments from behind me. More students get up to see the commotion. I tip toe, stretching my five foot four inch frame as high as I can. Someone's in front of me though, and the top of my head barely reaches his neck.
"Is that… is that Rhys?" Bree suddenly asks, bewildered.
Lenora makes a soft sound, and then she's rapidly walking, brushing past me. Feeling a flare of uneasiness, I squeeze myself between bodies, rushing after her. People hear her coming because they make an aisle for her to pass by, still flashing looks of awe and curiosity. They aren't as courteous to me though, and I have to jab and poke my way through a few smelly bodies to catch up with her.
When we're near the cafeteria entrance, Lenora halts. I almost bump into her, but she uses her arm to catch me. There is a tray on the ground in front of me, and food is splattered over the glossy floor, like it'd been thrown down. Some guy is next to the mess, his shirt drenched with liquid. Despite his fake tan, a blush of shame or anger- maybe both- cover his face and neck. His mascara- laden eyes, are blinking rapidly, trying to control tears slowly forming. My eyes search and find Rhys standing less than two feet away. He's between him and another student. Rhys's stance is forceful, yet his hands are deceptively relaxed by his sides.
"This isn't your business, alien freak."
I recognize Carver's hard voice, and I can't help the rush of anger shooting through me as I stare at his hawkish face. He and I have been in the same class almost every year since kindergarten, and with each passing year his bullying worsened. Carver's wide shoulders, efficiently used for football the last four years, betray him, trembling slightly under Rhys's steady gaze. I can't help the smirk of satisfaction curling my lips. My eyes go back to Rhys, marveling at how secure he looks
in the face of Carver's anger.
"He isn't your business, either," Rhys replies calmly back, referring to the guy still on the ground. I finally remember his name is Seth.
"That twink is spreading rumors and shit about me so it is my business." Carver moves closer to Rhys. "Get out of the way." Rhys looks at him for a moment longer, contemplating. I don't know what he's thinking, but I hold my breath, watching what he's going to do. To my utter disappointment, Rhys steps to the side. Carver rushes past him.
Hands curling, he mutters to Seth, trembling on the floor, "You trying to say I kissed you, you shit face? Kiss this." He raises his fist like he's going to hit him. Years of watching Carver bully other people flash before my eyes. Unable to control myself, I break away from Lenora's grasp and shoot forward. I never get to figure out what I might've done because Carver is suddenly pulled back. Quick as lightning, Rhys twists one of his arms behind him, arching his body forward.
"Only a coward hits someone when they're down," Rhys hisses. Roughly jerking him up, Rhys turns away from us, his broad back hiding Carver's struggling body. Using his foot, he kicks him, and Carver falls like a domino to the ground.
Dr. Bingham's loud footsteps alert me to his presence. He takes note of Carver and Seth on the ground, and Rhys standing less than a foot away from them. His lips thin in anger.
"What happened?"
No one answers. Finally, Carvers speaks. Spitting as he stands, he says, "A misunderstanding." It's clear Dr. Bingham doesn't believe him, and his eyes rest on Rhys with suspicion.
"I think it's sorted out now," Rhys answers in a low voice.
The two security men from yesterday arrive next.
Dr. Bingham looks between them. "I'll take these two down to the nurse. You can take him," he instructs, his fingers gesturing lightly toward Rhys. The pair nod, but don't motion Rhys over. It's clear they can't make him do something he doesn't want to do. Maybe they signed an agreement, or were told to handle the new aliens with care, but either way no one makes a move.
Rhys watches someone help Seth up.
Seth doesn't utter a single word, but I see him glance at Rhys's from the corner of his eye as he's standing. His eyes shine with curiosity, but they also shine with something else. Confusion. Gratitude. Admiration.
I wonder if my eyes shine that way right now, too.
Seth limps away.
When my gaze returns to Rhys, I feel a mixture of many things I can't deny. The vivid feelings swirl inside me like a typhoon, threatening to fill me with something I'm too afraid to name.
"Rhys." Lenora's voice is so soft I'm not sure if he hears it.
He walks over, looking at her with an unreadable expression on his face. The group of onlookers move, shifting to accommodate him. When he reaches us his gaze travels to me.
Sucking in a breath, I tense, feeling the vibrations of his gaze. I hear the pounding of my heart, and I want to say his name. Rhys the one person who can see me. The thought fills me with a strange yearning. For a moment we're trapped in each other's eyes. I can't think except to wonder what he's thinking.
Swallowing, I say, "Saving two people in one day. You're an alien hero. They should make a comic book about you." I'm babbling. I never babble. The feelings inside me are making me anxious.
A smile touches his lips. "What would they call me?"
I answer immediately. "Golden Eyes. You can beam to the rescue of any damsel in distress by blinking your eyes."
He laughs. People are staring. Rhys notices because he gestures to the two security men. They come closer, locking us in.
"I can be your sidekick. Invisible woman. The bad guys won't notice me until I've already captured them. We can have a dog, too." I can't stop the words pouring from my mouth. I hear them in my head. I sound ridiculous. Where's the cool, confident girl from before? The one who'd actually flirted?
She's gone.
She's seen something wonderful, and she's gone into hiding. She's also talking in third person. Jeez, even my mind is babbling.
"The dog should be a golden retriever. It'll match the theme." Word vomit. I want to kick myself.
Rhys is staring at me. He comes closer so only I can hear him. "I can look at you all day, Kenna."
His whispered confession gives me goosebumps. Did he mean listen? I hope not. I'd take look over listen any day.
He sighs. "I should go."
Lenora nods. I don't trust myself to say another word. The two bodyguards follow him out.
In the silence, their footsteps echo like rain on pavement. My eyes remain on Rhys's back until he disappears through the doors.
I feel an unyielding urge to follow.
Chapter 7
My morning sucked. I'd burnt the cake I'd baked in Home Economics. The teacher scolded me for not paying attention because I was supposed to watch the timer. I'd been thinking about a certain alien instead.
The lunchroom is crowded by the time I arrive. I didn't pack food, so I wait in line with a tray. The plan is to get lunch, then head over to my little dining area a.k.a the corner couch at the hip and happening Morrison High Library. The process usually happens like this: I get my food, sit at a corner of some lonely and deserted table, sneak a few suspicious glances here and there, waiting for the opportune moment to sneak off, which tends to happen almost immediately upon sitting, dump edible parts of lunch in the bag and casually leave as if I had not done what I just did. The plan works every time. There's a plus side to not getting noticed; no one sees you when you go.
I'm relieved to see today that our pizza came in a triangular plastic container. I smile. The universe is rooting for me. Maybe it's trying to make up for giving me such a rotten morning. Grabbing an apple, and some silverware I pay the cashier and leave the line, heading straight for the furthest table.
I'm so intent on my destination that I don't see the body until it's already bumped into me, knocking the slice of pizza backwards.
"Oh, I'm so sorry! I guess I wasn't watching where I was going. I- hi, Kenna!" I look up after assuring that my pizza is okay.
Seeing who it is, I smile. "Hi Lenora."
"I'm glad I bumped into you," she beams. "Girls," Lenora waves to the group of admirers behind her "this is Kenna Parker. Kenna, this is Holly Jenns, Grace Spots, Madison Shine, Arianna Lee, and Bree Rose Whitmore!" She grins excitedly. "Bree has three names!"
I'm not sure how to respond to that last bit of fun fact. "Cool." I try to sound enthusiastic. She notices the tray in my hands.
"Would you care to sit with us?' she asks.
I hesitate, and she pounces, sensing the refusal before I can.
"Come on, you have to, Kenna! You were such a life saver helping me park this morning," she pleads.
I don't point out who really saved whom earlier. Unbidden, I remember the feel Rhys's arms around me, hard and encompassing, like wings. I want to brush the invisible sensation away, but they linger like frost.
"It'll only be for twenty minutes." Her eyes are luminous, and in spite of me, I find myself wanting to give in. Almost in a trance, I nod. I could give it a try, I think. Maybe it'd be different with someone not from Earth. The cynic inside me thinks: not.
"Where are you planning to sit?" I inquire.
"Oh, our usual," Lenora answers happily.
My eyebrows shoot up.
She's only been here a day and a half and she has a "usual" spot already? I have to give the girl credit. She knows how to work this intricate social hierarchy like nobody's business.
"Over there." She points to a table right in the middle of the lunchroom. It's a prime spot, guaranteed to receive attention. I don't mind though. It doesn't matter where I sit, invisible is still invisible. I should be used to that fact, but I'm not. What teenage girl likes to feel unseen? Hidden? It makes me feel like less of a person. Imaginary.
Except when I'm around Rhys.
Then I feel too much. Soft. Confused. Giddy. Real.
I follow the girls like a pet res
igned to her fate with an overanxious owner. Grace and Holly hurry to sit next to Lenora at the table, and if I didn't witness it, I wouldn't have believed it. Oddly, I understand. I usually don't like cheerful, overly excited girls like Lenora, mainly because it's hard for me to relate to them. However, I'm strangely comfortable around her. Her presence feels like warm soup during a cold Minnesota winter, or a cozy bonfire on a cool summer night. It just felt easy to be with her. Simple. Effortless.
We huddle around her like moths to a flame. Before she can say another word, Holly blurts, "Mike has a crush on you."
"Half the school does," Madison adds with a wistful sigh.
Lenora's looks confused.
"What is a crush?" she asks.
"It's when someone has the hots for you," Grace answers.
Lenora's brows pinch together in a frown.
"It's a good thing. Trust me," Grace assures her. "It means he likes you."
"Ah." Lenora smiles in understanding. She flushes a little with embarrassment.
"Mike is our star quarterback," Madison explains with wide eyes. "He's probably going to the NFL in a couple years." The girls giggle. Lenora shoots me a look. I shrug. Football is beyond me.
"What is football?" she asks slowly, pronouncing it like a foreign word, which for her it was. Silence. There's a moment of quiet as every girl at the table reflects on what they know about the sport.
"A bunch of guys running around trying to catch a ball," I finally suggest when no one breaks the quiet. Grace and Holly turn to look at me, a little startled by my presence. The brief introduction from minutes earlier seems to have dissipated in their memory. The Forgetting, as I call it in my head, didn't take long to kick in. I figured out the pattern to the weirdness. If I don't talk, then the group feels like I'm not there. The group misses me- literally. There were even moments before where someone's eyes had flickered past and over me as if I had melted into thin air.
"Yes, that about sums it up," Bree agrees, pulling me back to the present, smiling sweetly.