Chapter 4

Jake and I spent much of the next day practicing for my date with Chelsea, since Marco refused to help me ("if you think you're so cool you should be able to handle Chelsea by yourself!"). Jake suggested that I make some sort of gift for Chelsea to give her that evening. Marco couldn't help not edging in his comment "PLEASE do not give her flowers," and Jake agreed. He wasn't sure what I should give her, but he did say that it should "come from the heart", which is a human cliché I already knew about. So I made up my mind to give her something that really was a part of me, and something she would remember me by. Although I knew she probably wouldn't know what it meant, I made a little sculpture of an Andalite with clay they had in the Teen room. I spent a lot of time making it very detailed and beautiful so Chelsea would know I cared about her.

By the time I gathered up enough courage to walk all by myself up to the dining room, I was four minutes late. Chelsea arrived at the same time I did. A waiter (which are like flight attendants) greeted us. He led us to a table in the Venetian dining room closest to the windows. Then the waiter gave us a menu with a list of all the delicious foods at the restaurant and asked what we wanted to drink. Chelsea ordered a Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin, which she told me was a fancy champagne. Jake had warned me about this drink, so I just ordered water. I let Chelsea order my food for me since I had no idea what most of the foods were and she had been to this restaurant before.

After the waiter left I glanced over through the window and saw the heavily rocking ocean waves below us, and felt rather sick.
"Are you okay, Aximili?" I looked back up at her and smiled.
"I am fine, Chelsea." I decided it was time to give Chelsea my present. I took my Andalite sculpture and placed it on the table, saying, "Here a gift I made for you."

She picked it up and looked at it. I could not tell what the expression on her face meant, but I hoped she wasn't disappointed. "Hey, it's a blue horse with a... scythe blade on the tail. And antennae. Wow Ax, this is so creative, did you just make it up yourself?"

Obviously Chelsea wasn't a controller, then. Excellent. "Um yeah, it just reminds me of something," I said.

"Well I'm going to keep it forever. It's really pretty."

The waiter arrived with our drinks. Chelsea sipped her champagne and stared at me over the top of her glass. I asked what it tasted like and she offered to let me try it, but I couldn't let myself go crazy with the champagne like I had with the coffee. "Is this your first time on a cruise?" I asked Chelsea.

"Yeah, but I got on the ship in Savannah, so I've been on this cruise a few days longer than you."

She looked out the window for a few seconds. "So am I your favorite cruise date so far Ax? I'm sure that someone as cute as you doesn't have any trouble getting dates with all the hottest chicks," she said, eyeing my shirt that Marco had given me. I was finally beginning to understand what it meant. Chelsea batted her eyelashes at me.

"Chelsea, you are the first, uh-" I refrained from saying 'human'- "chick I have ever dated. So forgive me if I do not follow your customs exactly as you would expect me to."

"Oh are you a foreigner?" Chelsea asked.

"Um, uh..." I did not think this was a good thing, but I didn't know what to say. I looked around uneasily.

"Oh that's okay Ax. I think I noticed that you did a slight accent, maybe European..." she gazed at me thoughtfully. "Where are you from?"

I did not know the names of any human countries besides the one I had been living in for the past few years, the United States, so this was a tough question. "Oh, I'm from, um... uh... Duuuh..." I muttered something incomprehensible.

"Duh?"

"Uuuh..."

"De?"

"Deeeuuuh..."

"Deh... Deeeeh... Denmark?"

"Um, yes, that is where I am from."

"Oh that's so cool Ax. Do you speak any Danish?"

"Um, well... my family moved to America when I was very young so I forgot most of it."

"We studied Denmark in school. We learned about the German invasion and all that stuff."

Invasion? I thought. Was she referring to the Yeerk invasion?

"So were your grandparents there during World War II?"

I had no idea what she was talking about. "Yes, but they moved during the war. They didn't like all the uh... violence..." I said, hoping she would change the subject.

"Oh were they Jewish?"

"Um, yes. Yes they were."

"Oh, wow. I'm glad they were able to escape."

She patted my hand. "I know you probably don't like talking about this. I hope you're not sad now..."

I tried to look as sad as I could.

"Well I know something that'll cheer you up. How about we go out to the movies after dinner? I think they're showing the Xmen tonight in "Movies Under the Stars."

I said I'd never seen it before and I'd love to.

Our food arrived a few minutes later. I had never had any of it before, and most of it was delicious. Chelsea told me French food was her favorite, but she didn't get to go to French restaurants very much because they are very expensive.

We finished the meal quickly, then Chelsea led me to an elevator and we went up to the top deck. We walked past the pool where me and Chelsea had met the night before. Behind it was a giant movie screen and many rows of cushioned deck chairs. Chelsea and I made our way to the front row and sat down in the middle. "Ladies and gentlemen, the movie is about to start," someone said on the loudspeaker. The seats quickly began to fill up with humans and a few minutes later, the movie started. It looked much more exciting than the other movie I'd seen in a human theater, Star Trek. "This is my favorite movie," Chelsea whispered to me.

I noticed she was shivering so I put my arm around her shoulders. She smiled at me and we watched the Xmen.

About halfway through the movie, Chelsea fell asleep and rested her head on my shoulder. Then later, at around a quarter to midnight, when Magnito broke off a section of the Golden Gate Bridge and began the usual evil villain victory rant, (Chelsea must have woken up) she leaned her head towards me and opened her mouth slightly. "Ax, somehow you remind me of them. The Xmen. I don't know why, you just do. Something about you..."

"Chelsea, you are my best girlfriend ever." (Jake had advised me to say that, I thought this was the right time.)

"Really? Cause I think you're my best boyfriend ever." Chelsea grinned. Then she puckered her mouth and leaned towards my face. I got very scared; Prince Jake had told me not to attempt a kiss with a real human. I started panicking, so I pulled away from her. "Um, Chelsea..."

"What, Ax!" She seemed taken aback. I feared I had hurt her feelings.

"I- I'm not sure what... how..." I was at a loss for words.

"It's okay Ax. Just... relax. Do what I do," and with that she put her lips against mine and kissed me.

Kissing a real human was incredible. Kissing Estrid before had been an unforgettable experience, but this was beyond anything I had ever experienced before. I didn't want it to end, so I kept the kiss until we both came up for air.

"Wow, Ax. You really are the best kisser I've met."

"Thank you Chelsea. We should do that again sometime."

"How about now?"

She pressed her lips to mine once again. My single human heart began to race, and small bumps broke out up and down my arms. I pressed back, tightening my arms around her. It was very nerve-racking, the sudden feeling of not being able to breath, although I enjoyed it the same. Chelsea pulled back shortly after, leaving me to feel relieved of being able to breath again. Suddenly, another cliché popped into my mind. I kissed Chelsea once more. "I love, love-uh you, Chelsea." She smiled and we did it again. And again, and again.

When the movie was over we walked back to Chelsea's room and stopped in front of the door. "Ax, that was one of the best dates I've ever been on. I really wasn't kidding when I said you were my best boyfriend ever."

"Neither was I."

"Well then, I guess it's goodbye for now."

"Yes. Goodbye, Chelsea."

And we both stood there sort of smiling at each other at each other. I took a step back from her, but before I could go she stepped towards me, put her arms on my shoulders, and kissed me deeply. I closed my eyes, suddenly "stepping" into an almost dreamy haze of pleasure. When I opened my eyes again, I was sitting next to Chelsea on her bed. Suddenly, our kiss was interrupted by the sound of the human "Souljaboy's" "Crank Dat" song, coming from the cell phone I had borrowed from Cassie. (Marco had insisted that Chelsea at least know that I knew how to choose a cool ringtone, which he had put on the cellphone for me.)

" Please excuse me, Chelsea." I broke away from her, and answered the primitive communication device. "Hello?… Yes, this is Aximili speaking. Oh, hello, Marco. Sup?"
"Um… Don't say that again, Ax. Where the hell are you? We've been waiting for you for two hours." Marco said through the phone.
"I am with Chelsea. We viewed a motion picture, and now we are in front of her cabin."
"What are you doing?"
I did not want to say what I was about to say in front of Chelsea, so I directed my thought-speak into the phone, so only Marco could hear it.
((We are kissing, Marco. You interrupted.))
"Damn!"
((Marco, why are you yelling?))
"I'm guess I'm just jealous, that's all."
((All right. Marco, I wish to continue, now. Goodbye.))
"Wait! Ax. Just promise me one thing, okay?"
((Yes?))
"Just don't bang Chelsea… Please… Jake will kill you…"
((Please translate the word "bang".))
"Don't… mate with her, Ax. Please. Just, don't."
((Shut up, Marco.)) "Goodbye," I used my human mouth again.

"Wait!" Marco said just before I terminated the call. "Jake wants you back here, now. I think it's important."

"Okay Marco. I'm coming."

"You have to go?" Chelsea asked.
"Yes, Prince Jake has to tell me something."

"Right now?"

"Um, yes..."

"Well I guess it's bye for now. Hey, do you wanna go rock climbing with me on Sunday night? I've never been rock climbing on a cruise ship before, but I hear it's really fun."

"Sure, Chelsea." I had gone rock climbing with the Animorphs before, and I had enjoyed it. I had had no idea that they had it on a cruise ship, though. "I will see you on Sunday." I started walking away.

"Bye Ax," Chelsea waved to me, and I waved back.

When I got back to our room, I discovered the Animorphs were having a meeting there. They were all sitting on the edge of the beds with grim faces, like they had just learned something dreadful.

"Finally, Ax is here," Rachel said.

"Alright Ax, we've just discovered some bad news," Jake said.

"What?" I asked worriedly.

"Visser Three is on this ship."