VEXIC'S POV- American Eagle and Tabasco sauce

Luckily the Visser himself had been late for the meeting so I got to keep my head right where I liked it. It was about a week from said meeting when I saw him again. Torias and I had just finished shopping at American Eagle. This served the dual purpose of helping us pass as normal teenage girls and helped us scope out the location for the new Yeerk pool entrance. We couldn't put it in the dressing rooms again. We were fairly sure that the Andalites had already discovered the entrance concealed in The GAP dressing rooms. So we were discussing the problem as we walked toward the food court.

"How about in Silar's office?" Torias suggested. I shook my head.

"No too many people demanding to see the manager would look bad. Normal Humans would stop coming and then the Andalites would know something was up. They'd be able to identify a lot of controllers that way." I winced at that thought. Torias sighed.

"Right. So that is the opposite of helpful. What else? The back rooms? We'd have to take all the employees then…"

"Maybe. The idea has merit, we'll keep it on our list of possibilies." That's when I heard them.

"No A-Phillip! Man that's not right…" I turned in the direction of the disturbance and saw him. I could see what Rachel, for it was Rachel who had been protesting loudly, was on about. Phillip had an empty bottle of Tabasco sauce in front of him. The short sandy haired boy next to her was doubled over in laughter. Rachel was shaking her head disbelievingly. Phillip didn't even seem to be phased by the sauce's spiciness. He was grinning broadly and had a look of sheer amazement on his face. I almost grinned myself. The look reminded me a little of a Yeerk with its first host. Though none of us would ever have admitted it that was very close to the look on our faces. I heard Torias giggle, following my gaze.

"He looks like a kid locked inside Disneyland." I laughed.

"Yeah he does." He looked around then and our eyes met. His grin transformed into the same face-lighting smile I had seen outside the community center. Some emotion I couldn't decipher flickered in his eyes. I waved. He waved back and beckoned for us to come over. I shrugged and looked at Torias. For some odd reason she was smirking at me.

Torias sat down opposite Rachel and I sat opposite Phillip. He was still looking at me with that odd expression on his face. His brown eyes bored into mine as if trying to see me behind Laura's eyes. I did not avert my gaze as was my instinct but stared back with equal intensity.

"Um Laura… I'm gonna go browse the shelves at Borders okay?" I looked at her startled. What? She was leaving? Why? She shot a conspiratorial glance at Rachel who grinned back.

"Yeah I need to get the new issue of Teen Vogue. I'll come with you." She turned to the short sandy haired boy and winked. "You coming Tobias?"

"Sure." And then they left leaving me alone with Phillip. Not that I particularly objected to that . . . but I was so gonna get Torias for this later. When I turned my gaze back to him he was staring at me again.

"Okay. What the heck are you staring at?" Blunt I'll admit but it was beginning to unnerve me.

"You."

/And you thought you were blunt.\\ Laura said with a laugh.

"Why?"

"You are extraordinarily beautiful. Is it not appropriate to appreciate beautiful things?" I flushed scarlet.

"Um. . . yeah. You're not so bad yourself." I mumbled.

/Not bad! He's gorgeous!\\ Laura. I felt the urge to roll my eyes.

"Thank you." He said blushing a little himself. Then he met my eyes.

"I would like to spend more time with you. Would that be at all possible?" He did not say it jokingly. There was absolute sincerity in his tone. This Human . . . could this human have a crush on me? I pretended to think about it.

"Sure. Where do you want to go?"

"I am not sure. Do you have a location in mind?" I smiled.

"Well I do go to the sharing. We could go there." Something flickered in his eyes again this time I was able to decipher it. Suspicion. Then he was smiling what was quickly becoming my favorite smile and I decided I must have imagined it.

"Very well. When is the next event?"

"Two days from today. Starts at 7:30 and ends and 11:00. The gym is being remodeled so we're hosting the dance at the community center." He nodded.

"Do you have a partner?" He asked.

"No. My boyfriend broke up with me." Phillip's expression darkened.

"Then he was a fool." I blushed again. Phillip's expression cleared.

"Then may I have the very great pleasure of taking you to the dance?" I smiled genuinely for the first time in four months.

"Yes you may. I'll meet you there?"

"Yes."

Torias slid into the chair next to me with an exaggerated sigh. "What a crappy selection!" She said trying to sound put upon. Then she laughed.

"C'mon Laura we've got to go dress shopping." She winked at me. When we were safely away I punched her.

"Ow! What was that for?" she asked feigning ignorance.

"For running off and leaving me like that!" She smirked.

"But he asked you didn't he?"

"Yes. But if you ever do that to me again . . ." She laughed at my expression.

"You'll kill me." She said happily. "Sure.