Chapter 4: This is Insane
Amy shifted a bit in her seat as the activity of the beach buzzed around her. Kids were burying each other in sand, experiments were doing their jobs, Gantu was bantering with the girl from earlier, and tourists were photographing everything that they found even remotely interesting.
And yet, none had noticed the girl with red eyes and white hair.
Why do I feel so uncomfortable? Amy looked around. I'm on Earth! This is where I came from – sure it's not even the right state, but Earth is Earth. So why do I want to dash back to the ship?
"I gotta tell ya, whoever invented the ice cream cookie sandwich is a genius." Amy looked up at Reuben, who handed her an ice cream cone before taking a bite into his own snack.
"Thanks, Reuben."
"What's the problem, Amy?"
"I don't know," Amy said, looking around. "One would really think that I'd be jumping up and down and talking to everybody-" She looked at his arched eyebrow, "Okay, just the jumping up and down. I mean, this is my home planet, isn't it?"
"Yeah, but we've been all over the place for the past three years, and you're not from Hawai'i." Reuben finished his ice cream. "Besides, it's always a bit weird to be somewhere different. " He smiled at her. "You got used to the ship quickly enough, didn't you?"
"I had you and Sonja to help me with that," Amy said after swallowing a bite of chocolate ice cream. "To be honest, I'm just grateful I'm not being antagonized. Otherwise it'd be high school all over again." She finished the last bite, and threw the cup into the nearby trash can.
"Well, you'll have a whole bunch of people to help you get used to being here, 'til the mission's done,' Reuben said. "There's Lilo and Stitch, Lilo's sister Nani, Chevelle…"
"What about you?" Amy frowned.
"I figured you already knew that." Amy rolled her eyes at Reuben's grin. "Ah, I'm just messing. But seriously, I'll be right by ya. That's a promise."
Amy blushed. "Thanks, Reuben. Hey, you've been here before, right?"
"Spent three years living with ol' Shamu, why?"
"So you know your way around, right? Because I don't." Reuben smiled.
"Sure do. Actually," he stood up again, "considering Gantu's still scanning the island for those viruses, whaddaya say we do some exploring?" He held a hand out to Amy, who took it with a smile.
"Sounds good to me."
