Chapter 4
I nodded and turned to leave, then stopped, "oh yeah," I said, "I forgot something...what does all this have to do with those so-called 'escaped zoo animal' attacks?"
"There's another race of aliens, the Andalites, they have the ability to change their bodies into the body of another animal, any animal they touch. They are the Yeerks' bitter enemies. Those 'escaped zoo animals' are actually a band of renegade andalites, fighting back with everything they have. They're friends," I began to leave again, then he stopped me, "oh yeah, one more thing, you caught me at just the right time, by this time tomorrow I'm going to be in the Rupert J. Kirk State Mental Health Facility."
"The mental institution?"
"That would be synonymous with 'Mental Health Facility.'"
"Maybe I should be stuck in there with you," I said, he laughed.
"If you want to find me there, ask for Harrison Fey."
"Harrison Fey," I said, "got it. I'm Joseph Heller. You won't be..."
"Infested? No, once I'm in the institution I'm of no use to them as a host, they'll take the yeerk out and leave me there," I nodded, and he added, "good luck...you're going to need it." I left, trying to blend in as well as possible, and headed back up to the surface. But when I got to the top of the steps, where the mirror entrance was, I looked through and saw a girl I recognized from school. Her name was Jessica. She had long, dark, wavy hair, large, dark brown eyes, a small nose, and a mouth that made her look like she was pouting. And I now discovered that she had a killer body. I never noticed before but when someone is undressing right in front of you, it tends to command your attention. I turned away suddenly, ashamed, but I couldn't help but turn back to admire her stomach, legs, and...everything else. It wasn't entirely a sexual thing either. She was beautiful. She tried on her clothes, a red miniskirt and matching blouse, admired herself in the mirror. I could see her mouth the words "not my color." Personally, I thought she looked good in them. But she then took them off and put her regular clothes back on, jeans and a tie-dyed shirt. I must admit, she did look better in those. She left, and I waited a moment before opening the mirror and walking out. I went to the food center to get something to eat. I got a hot sandwich and a milkshake and sat down to eat and think. After a few minutes I heard a voice behind me,
"Joseph?" A female voice said, I turned around and standing there was Jessica.
"Oh, hi," I said, suddenly nervous, "umm...Jessica, right? From third period?"
"Yeah, how are you?"
"oh, not bad, just getting something to eat," my heart was pounding so hard I could hear it, "what about you?"
"I'm doing alright, I just went to The Gap."
"You don't seem like a 'Gap' person to me. No offense."
"Not at all. I'm really not, but I was talking to this girl in one of my classes, Rachel, and she said I should give it a try, 'attract more guys,' she said."
"If you're not already attracting guys..." I laughed, "...nothing short of smacking some sense into a thousand guys is going to help."
"Well, thanks," she said, "I think..."
"I don't know how far my opinion goes, but I think you look unspeakably attractive in jeans and tie-dye," I said, "there, now you won't need to add 'I think' to the end."
"Thanks," she laughed, "hey, are you doing anything this afternoon? You wanna catch a movie?"
"Nothing would make me happier, just hold on a sex..." I flinched, "...sec, I meant sec...I need to call my panties, uh, parents, and tell them where I'll be," I called my parents and told them I'd be in the movie and then left with Jessica, completely forgetting the yeerks.
I nodded and turned to leave, then stopped, "oh yeah," I said, "I forgot something...what does all this have to do with those so-called 'escaped zoo animal' attacks?"
"There's another race of aliens, the Andalites, they have the ability to change their bodies into the body of another animal, any animal they touch. They are the Yeerks' bitter enemies. Those 'escaped zoo animals' are actually a band of renegade andalites, fighting back with everything they have. They're friends," I began to leave again, then he stopped me, "oh yeah, one more thing, you caught me at just the right time, by this time tomorrow I'm going to be in the Rupert J. Kirk State Mental Health Facility."
"The mental institution?"
"That would be synonymous with 'Mental Health Facility.'"
"Maybe I should be stuck in there with you," I said, he laughed.
"If you want to find me there, ask for Harrison Fey."
"Harrison Fey," I said, "got it. I'm Joseph Heller. You won't be..."
"Infested? No, once I'm in the institution I'm of no use to them as a host, they'll take the yeerk out and leave me there," I nodded, and he added, "good luck...you're going to need it." I left, trying to blend in as well as possible, and headed back up to the surface. But when I got to the top of the steps, where the mirror entrance was, I looked through and saw a girl I recognized from school. Her name was Jessica. She had long, dark, wavy hair, large, dark brown eyes, a small nose, and a mouth that made her look like she was pouting. And I now discovered that she had a killer body. I never noticed before but when someone is undressing right in front of you, it tends to command your attention. I turned away suddenly, ashamed, but I couldn't help but turn back to admire her stomach, legs, and...everything else. It wasn't entirely a sexual thing either. She was beautiful. She tried on her clothes, a red miniskirt and matching blouse, admired herself in the mirror. I could see her mouth the words "not my color." Personally, I thought she looked good in them. But she then took them off and put her regular clothes back on, jeans and a tie-dyed shirt. I must admit, she did look better in those. She left, and I waited a moment before opening the mirror and walking out. I went to the food center to get something to eat. I got a hot sandwich and a milkshake and sat down to eat and think. After a few minutes I heard a voice behind me,
"Joseph?" A female voice said, I turned around and standing there was Jessica.
"Oh, hi," I said, suddenly nervous, "umm...Jessica, right? From third period?"
"Yeah, how are you?"
"oh, not bad, just getting something to eat," my heart was pounding so hard I could hear it, "what about you?"
"I'm doing alright, I just went to The Gap."
"You don't seem like a 'Gap' person to me. No offense."
"Not at all. I'm really not, but I was talking to this girl in one of my classes, Rachel, and she said I should give it a try, 'attract more guys,' she said."
"If you're not already attracting guys..." I laughed, "...nothing short of smacking some sense into a thousand guys is going to help."
"Well, thanks," she said, "I think..."
"I don't know how far my opinion goes, but I think you look unspeakably attractive in jeans and tie-dye," I said, "there, now you won't need to add 'I think' to the end."
"Thanks," she laughed, "hey, are you doing anything this afternoon? You wanna catch a movie?"
"Nothing would make me happier, just hold on a sex..." I flinched, "...sec, I meant sec...I need to call my panties, uh, parents, and tell them where I'll be," I called my parents and told them I'd be in the movie and then left with Jessica, completely forgetting the yeerks.
