Alex stared at Jackie and Serenity with disbelief. He was sure they were teasing him, they had to be. He was a student of science, but he'd never believed in aliens or any of that science fiction stuff. Practical science is what held his attention.
He had remained silently perched on his bed while his two closest friends had stood before him telling him that not only did aliens exist, but that his birth parents, Isabel, and Michael were all aliens; or rather, alien-human hybrids.
They had to be making it up, he thought with complete certainty as he stared at them, almost smiling at the story they'd told. But they stared back at him with an intensity that was serious; too serious. Alex felt the incredulous expression on his face falter as the two girls didn't crack, suddenly laughing hysterically and telling Alex he was too gullible. They simply watched him in silent concern; absolutely serious.
Alex fought the urge to scream. His brain was on maximum overload and suddenly he wished himself back in time, still ignorant of everything he'd learned in the last twelve hours.
"You're serious," he finally said, crossing his arms over his chest as if to protect himself.
Jackie slowly nodded, her expression regretful and a bit worried.
"So, are you two, uh, alien hybrids too?" Alex asked, the question sounding utterly and completely ridiculous to his own ears, as he still held out some small hope that this was all some cruel joke that he would eventually forgive his two closest friends for playing on him.
Jackie broke a smile and Alex felt relief as he started to suspect that they had been teasing him all along.
"Well technically, yes; but in reality no. I'm 'normal', or completely human. So are my sisters and brother," her fingers went into the air and formed quotes as she spoke, "my mom is only half alien after all, and my dad is completely human, so genetically the odds were in our favor."
Alex nodded, his jaw slack, his eyes feeling like they were bulging out of his head. He looked to Serenity and felt his stomach drop.
"I, uh, well, I do have some alien tendencies," she muttered, her face flushing a deep red as she avoided Alex's stare and seemed to examine the room's dingy carpet with new intensity.
"My blood doesn't look like yours, or any other human," Serenity added, her eyes glancing up at Alex then back to the carpet.
"Oh," Alex said dumbly, still absolutely certain that he was being tricked but realizing that there was no way Jackie and Serenity would take the joke this far. He felt a sinking sensation in his stomach. Aliens weren't real; he was of the absolute belief of that; or was he?
"Alex," Jackie moved and sat next to him. He leaned away from her instinctively, then regretted it as he tried to ignore the hurt look on her face.
"This is very serious," she continued. Alex briefly glanced up at Serenity. She was still staring at the floor, twirling the silver bangle she wore on her wrist.
"I never ever should have said anything. In fact I can't believe I slipped up like I did. I've never made this kind of mistake before and as clichéd as it sounds my life and Serenity's life and our family's lives are dependent on you keeping this to yourself. There hasn't been any trouble in the last fifteen or so years, but my mom has told me horror stories from when she was in high school; when a special unit of the FBI spent nearly three years hunting her, Max, and Michael."
Alex nodded, certain he would never tell a soul about this, who would even believe me, he thought sourly. Disbelief and doubt still hovered around him, but the feelings were beginning to fade as he slowly began to accept that what they were telling him was real.
"I must really trust you to have blurted it out like that," Jackie added and Alex stared at her, noticing her eyes, wide and silently pleading for his understanding. Alex glanced away and looked around his dorm room. It appeared so normal…football posters, a calendar with women in bikinis over Jerry's bed, a few family photos that he and Jerry had set up on the window sill…it all seemed so generic now.
"Am I…?" he asked, leaving the last part of the question hanging in the air as the realization and fear seized him suddenly. He turned back to Jackie with frightful eyes. She shrugged.
"If you haven't noticed anything odd about yourself, or that you can do things that should be impossible, then probably not," she added.
"You're really not kidding?" he asked again, breathless as his mind tried without doubt to accept what it had never before believed possible.
"No! We are not kidding!" Serenity suddenly screamed.
Alex and Jackie looked at her in surprise. She had tears streaming down her face and was breathing fast. Alex wanted to stand up, to comfort her, but something in her expression told him it wasn't what she needed or wanted from him.
"I'm sorry," he finally said, and he knew he meant it. He felt an ache in his chest seeing her so upset.
Serenity nodded, more calm, and excusing herself she disappeared out the door.
Alex watched her go, his heart in turmoil.
"She's very sensitive about this," Jackie said apologetically and Alex nodded. "She's the only one out of all of us who inherited some of the alien genes. She really wishes she were, you know, 'normal' too."
"I guess I would too, I mean, if it were me," Alex almost started laughing, his body battling hysteria as the ludicrous story became more a part of his reality with each passing moment.
"I think you should talk to Max," Jackie said, "He can answer the more difficult questions. I don't know too many details about all this. And now that I've blown the secret, you deserve to know how it all affects you."
Alex nodded. The prospect of seeing Max again was thrilling, but frightening. Knowing now that his birth father was half alien made the reunion all the more difficult to absorb and understand. But he did have so many new questions to ask…
Serenity came back into the room, her face pale and her expression neutral.
"Can I talk to Alex alone?" she said softly and Jackie nodded and jumped quickly to her feet.
"Yeah, I should get back home and let everyone know that I spilled the beans," Jackie pulled on her coat and hat, laughing nervously.
"I just hope I don't get into too much trouble."
Alex heard the dread in her voice, but couldn't find the energy to try and comfort or reassure her.
"Uh, I guess I'll see you later?" she said, pausing with her eyes on Alex. He nodded and after a quick glance at Serenity she was gone.
Alex and Serenity were once again alone in the dorm room. The excitement and passion that had consumed them prior to Jackie's arrival was only a memory now; the silence deafening as they looked at each other. Alex tried to keep his expression blank; he didn't want Serenity to think he was judging her.
"Are you repulsed by me?" she finally asked, her voice slightly unsteady.
"No," Alex replied, shaking his head, trying to convey the absolute truth of his answer.
"I'm just in shock. It's not everyday you find out not only who your birth parents are but that they were, or are, part of an alien invasion," Alex forced a smile, but it felt fake on his face.
"It wasn't an invasion," Serenity said softly and Alex regretted using the term.
"Don't you want to know about me? I mean aren't you curious?" She asked, her tone begging him for acceptance. Alex felt another stabbing pain in his chest. She looked so injured and alone.
"I don't know," he answered honestly, "This is all a little much."
Serenity sighed and nodded.
"I don't want to leave-," she said, pausing. Alex watched her fighting for words.
"I don't to leave with you thinking bad of me!"
Alex laughed and shook his head. Serenity stared at him with a hurt expression and Alex stood, approaching her slowly.
"I wouldn't think bad of you," he smiled, and the pained expression on Serenity's face softened a bit. "It's not like any of this is your fault."
"In fact," Alex gulped a mouthful of air and took the plunge, "I think I might be in love with you."
As soon as he said it he knew it was true. He felt his stomach twist in knots as his heart hammered in his chest. Her bright green eyes were wide with surprise, and Alex realized that he really didn't care at all that she was part alien. A part of him didn't even care that his birth parents were from another planet. He simply cared about her, and that she didn't doubt him or hurt because of him. It was an odd sensation; to know such a secret about someone but to not care in the end, to know that it didn't matter. Alex craved the feelings and silently prayed she would declare the same thing back to him.
"I, uh…wow," she stared and Alex felt a new, more primal fear seize his heart; fear that maybe she didn't feel as strongly about him.
He tried to control his emotions as her eyes searched his face. He tried to hide his new, sudden fear; the fear that had nothing to do with anything alien.
"I think I might love you too," she finally said, breaking into a wide grin, her eyes dancing.
Alex broke into a mirroring grin as they reached for each other, holding one another in a gentle embrace. His heart was swelling as he inhaled her scent. He didn't want to let her go ever again.
"I'm glad we settled that, at least," Alex whispered, smiling as Serenity softly sighed with laughter and tightened her embrace.
The entire world looked new the next morning when Alex woke up. The sky outside was a bright, deep blue, and the ground was covered with another four inches of fresh, sparkling snow. Alex stared out the windows of his dorm and admired the unblemished courtyard. The new snow had buried the giant red blood stain and Alex was relieved he would no longer have to be reminded of the embarrassment of that snowy morning snowball fight.
It was nearly nine o'clock in the morning and Alex, high off the declarations he and Serenity had made, found himself whistling as he poured a bowl of cereal, using the last of the milk he had in his mini-fridge. The other events of the previous evening, Max and the alien stuff, seemed very far away, and very much like a silly dream. For a moment Alex wondered if any of it had really happened. Suddenly his phone rang, startling him out of his reverie.
It was Jackie. It seemed the alien-trio wanted to talk with him about what he'd learned the previous evening. Alex sighed with a heavy heart. It hadn't all been a dream, it had really happened. He arranged with Jackie to be outside waiting in thirty minutes. He dreaded being alone in a vehicle with Isabel and Michael…now that he knew what he did about them.
He found he was afraid.
Thirty minutes later he was outside, waiting in the near-empty parking lot. He wasn't there long before a large, black Cadillac SUV pulled up, tires squeaking as they travelled over the fresh snow. The front passenger window came down halfway and Alex saw Michael eying him distrustfully. For a moment Alex panicked that one of their alien powers might be mind reading and that he'd seen what had almost happened between him and Serenity and he regretted not asking more about it the night before.
"Get in! It's cold out," Isabel leaned around Michael and motioned Alex towards the vehicle, a kind smile on her face.
Alex breathed out slowly and opened the back door. He offered a nervous smile to Isabel as he climbed into the warm vehicle and buckled his seat belt. He was relieved to be sitting behind Michael so he could avoid eye contact. Alex started to doubt that they could read minds, but he was still afraid. He found there was a lot he didn't know and he wished Jackie or Serenity were with him.
"We're going over to Max and Liz's, Alex, if that's all right with you?" Isabel questioned, turning in her seat to look at him for approval even as she steered the large SUV out of the dorm parking lot.
Alex nodded with trepidation. He wasn't sure how he felt knowing he would get to see where his birth-father lived, and how. Fearful, nervous, excited, there were too many emotions involved for Alex to think clearly.
The drive was slow, the roads a mess. Alex tried to ignore the other traffic and stared out the window as they drove through parts of the city he hadn't seen before. Soon they were in a more residential neighborhood, where large houses that Alex might have even called small mansions, were peeking majestically over and out from behind tall wrought iron fences and bushy snow-covered hedges.
The Cadillac slowly steered through the quiet neighborhood, leaving fresh tracks in the still untouched snow. The homes got bigger the further into the neighborhood they drove and Alex was a little shocked that his birth father lived in such opulence. He wouldn't have guessed, though he should have known based on what Jackie had told him about their grand vacations every year.
About twenty minutes after he'd been picked up, the SUV slowed and Alex turned towards the direction Isabel was heading. Before him, rising out of the fresh snow was a large white, three-story, colonial style home with six large pillars across the front. Bright red shutters seemed to scream out at him, a very stark contrast to the whiteness all around. The house was flanked on either side by two large conifer trees, spruces, if Alex had to guess. The trees were taller than the roof and weighted down by the snow. The roof itself was also covered in snow, but the two large brick chimneys that jutted out were belching whitish smoke into the cold morning.
"Here we are," Isabel looked back at Alex and offered what she probably thought was a supportive smile, but Alex found it to be frightening. The vehicle came to a slow stop as near the front door as was possible, and Isabel and Michael got out. Alex gripped the door handle, his hands clammy and sweating inside his gloves.
"Here goes nothing," he muttered, taking a deep breath and following Isabel and Michael to the front door where Max was already standing, waiting for them to come inside.