Questions By: Boo

(Please, be nice and don't flame me! This is my first story so be gentle. oh yes, raymai? no cassie cousins!)

I breathed in deep the spring air around me. The sun broke through rain clouds. Far in the distance I could see Tobias soaring on a great thermal I assumed. Coming down the streets was walking a boy from school. Scott.

He liked me, but like most boys I blew him off.

He walked down the street, a normal human boy. Blonde hair, sparkling blue eyes. Tall like me. He was stylish, quite cute actually. Scott was walking his dog, a Labrador Retriever, Chip.

Scott was cute. Actually very cute. But so not Tobias. I looked away from Scott. He was handsome. And a normal human boy. I doubted he was a controller.

Tobias had disappeared from the sky. It was tempting. To resist the temptation I walked back into my house.

And from there I watched Scott walk right by my house without a second glance.

Later that night there was a meeting. I walked in late. "Sorry I had to . . ." I trailed off the moment I saw Tobias. I felt guilty. The thought had even dared to pass through the front of my head.

"So, oh great leader, what tragic calamity have you found to bestow upon us this time that would essentially destroy my soul for the rest of my life?"

Jake laughed at his friends weak attempt at a joke. "Erek says that the Yeerks are recruting new hosts by the gallons. Today they got 26.5 hosts."

Cassie moved to him and looked him in the eye. "Excuse me? How can you have a half of a person?"

"The person was about to be a controller. The human tried to escape and got shot down. The boy is dead."

Tobias finally spoke up. He had been silent since the moment I had arrived. Jake sighed. "That's what we need to decide."

"New Animorphs!" Cassie exclaimed.

Marco shook his head, "Didn't we try that before? Remember David? So totally crash and burn."

Jake moved to Cassie's side. "Actually, that's what I had in mind all along. We could pick people we really know. Tail them for three days to assure their cleanliness. You know. Yeerk free. One member at a time. Gradually grow."

"A vote." Jake voted a new member, so did Cassie, Tobias and I. Leaving Marco. "Ax'll say it's a human descision. He'll follow Jake."

"Yeah. So a new animorph. The question is who."

I looked around at the group and stepped into the center of the room. I couldn't believe what I was about to say.

"I know someone."

I couldn't believe myself. How dare I? "This kid at school. Scott."

Cassie nodded, "Scott. He's a good choice. He's nice, smart, strong, and is amazingly intelligent."

Jake grinned, "Scott and I play basketball at the recreation center."

Marco punched his shoulder lightly, "I'm assuming he wins all the time. You know. 'Cause it takes skill to win at basketball, and as much as I hate to admit it, you're just a dumb jock man."

Jake ignored the tease, "Who's got tailing duty?"

I immidiatly spoke up, "I will." Cassie looked at me curious as to why I had such enthusiasm to watch, "You know, 'cause it was my idea."

Jake nodded, " I think we only need one more person."

Tobias said to us.

We tailed Scott for three long days. It was tough keeping my cool. At the end of school, Cassie and I were assigned the job of asking him to come to Cassie's barn after school.

"Scott." I called him from down the hallway.

He smiled his perfect smile at me, "Hi Cassie, Hey Rachel."

Cassie spoke, "Scott, do you know where I live?"

"Yeah. Down on Grove right?"

"Yes. Can you come to my house in about an hour? To the barn, Rachel and I and some friends want to talk to you."

"About what?"

I grinned, "You'll see."

Scott sat on a bale of hay, breathing deep breaths, "Is this some kind of a sick twisted joke?"

"Not a joke. Not really funny." I told him.

Jake spoke up, "So are you with us big guy?"

Scott stood up. His bright blue eyes sparkled even in the dim barn light. "I don't think I have a choice. I couldn't just sit back and let the world be taken over by evil space aliens can I?"

Cassie walked to a row of cage, in mixed order, first a bird, we decided would be a good first morph for Scott. Next a fox, then a wolf, and after a mouse.

"Scott, the first thing you've got to do is aquire some animals. We picked some we think would be good. For first morphs. We've tried them out and they are fairly docile, not too wild. The brain is easy to control."

Scott politly responded, "Thank you for going through all the trouble. But there's a morph I think I'd like to try out first. If that's okay."

"What is it?" I asked him, moving close.

"Out side, tied up is my dog. Chip. I brought him because he needed a walk anyway and I didn't think that whatever would happen here would take long."

Jake laughed, "That was my first morph. Just watch out. The dog is happy. I mean overly excessive happy. It can almost grab the upper hand."

I walked down the street with Scott. He still was beaming from his first morph, Chip. Tobias and Ax had gone back to the woods. Cassie had homework to finish and she and Jake went to the library to study together. Marco went home. Leaving me and Scott.

"So how did you like it?"

"The dog?" Scott asked. He looked away at the sunset, "It was like every problem I ever had melted away. The dog didn't care. He was happy being him."

We approached the corner of the block. He went left and I went right, we would part.

"So I'll see you tomarrow in school."

He laughed, "You'll be the only one at school. Tomarrow is Saturday."

"Oh yeah."

"But, if you aren't busy maybe you'd like to go to lunch with me?" I did have a previous engagement with Tobias, but this was the chance of a lifetime. A small lie wouldn't hurt Tobias.

"Sure. I'll see you then."

"Bye."

"Bye Scott."

What had I just done?