When I first saw her I couldn't stop staring. She was gorgeous! Her hair was so soft, like angels wings and it was my favorite color. Her eyes, though often closed in concentration, when open were a golden color, the color of chocolate and caramel. Her very aura made me shiver and I longed to see her on a constant basis. Sometimes I would just shut myself in my room and whisper her name to myself, 'Gaz…' Then I would say it again, louder, 'Gaz.'. I longed to hold her, to breathe in her scent, bask in her radiance, in her presence but I only saw her when HE came around. He bothered me, he made me mad for some reason…I think it was he was happy and I was not. But I had to deal with it if I wanted to see her. One day I confronted her face-to-face, catching her in a good mood. 'Gaz?'

'What?!'

'Um…well…' I fumbled for the words, 'I…'

'Look, I don't have time for this, either tell me what you want or get out of my face.'

'I like you!' I blurted out, all tact forgotten.

She stared, those lovely caramel irises glinting in Sol's light, 'You WHAT?'

'I…I like you…' I repeated again.

'That's what I thought you said…' she paused for a moment, deep in thought then looked back at me, her caramel eyes squinting again. 'No.'

My world came crashing down, 'Wh-what?!'

'No.' she repeated, 'Just because my brother is some kind of xenophile doesn't mean that by default I'm going to be one too. Stupid may run in your family but crazy doesn't run in mine.' And with that she walked off, leaving me speechless.

For a moment I thought it was just a cruel joke, that I was dreaming or HE set this up to make me angry, to get a good laugh out of it. But then reality slapped me in the face - she WASN'T kidding. She had told me 'No'. I was devastated, no one had ever told me 'No' before! I began to cry as I ran back to my room when my brother caught me and hugged me tight.

'It's gonna' be okay…It'll all be okay soon.'

'No it won't!' I sobbed, 'It'll never be the same again!'

'Don't say that…' he whispered, rocking me back and forth in a soothing fashion, 'Someday you'll find a girl like her, maybe even a better girl. And when you do, it'll ALL be better.' He smiled and hugged me again, 'So don't be sad, 'kay?'

I sniffled and hiccupped slightly, 'Okay…' and decided I was going to the main deck. When I got there, there stood a small Irken girl with purple eyes and a slightly foreign accent.

'Um…my Tallest?...' she said shyly.

'What?!'

'Um…well…' she seemed to be fumbling for the words, 'I…'

'Look, I don't have time for this, either tell me what you want or get out of my face.' I didn't feel all that nice at the moment.

'I like you.' She blurted out suddenly.

Wait, she liked me? The thought seemed almost laughable! She didn't know anything about me! All she had ever seen was what was displayed on the Comm-screen and the few times she was graced by my presence! She had no basis for the love she was professing, she had no REASON to love me, nor I any reason to return the emotion. I sat grimly in my high-backed chair and stared at her for a moment, seeing nothing but a short female Invader. Then I opened my mouth and gave her my answer, 'No' why would I love her? Therefore she should not love me. That's how it is.