The house they pulled up in front of looked nice enough. Grey with blue trim, a drive way with a station wagon in it, rose bushes in front of the windows and two trees also surrounded by flowers. In the front yard, in the middle of the grass sat a little blonde girl reading a book.
Mrs. Davirro and Michael got out of the car and she led him quickly over to the little girl, "Hello Shysie, what is it your reading?" Mrs. Davirro asked, to Michael's surprise she actually sounded kind in that moment. The little girl, probably 10 like him, flipped over the cover to show the title. "The Complete Works of Edgar Alan Poe"
"Don't you think that's a bit heavy reading for a ten year old?" she asked good heartedly. Michael looked at the Social Worker in amazement, she had been stoic the last three hours in the car, but for some reason this girl brought out kindness in her. Michael stared at the girl, there was something familiar about her. Her eye's seemed to see right through him, it made him shudder. Like she could read everything he was thinking.
"Where is your mother, and Liz?" Asked the adult, Michael noticed that Shysie flinched at the word mother. Shysie looked and pointed towards the house before returning her gaze back to Michael. "Oh this is your new brother! His name is Michael." She told the little girl.
"Hi" Michael spit out gruffly squirming under Shysie's stare. Shysie smiled slightly and waved quickly before returning to her book.
Mrs. Davirro put her hand on Michael's shoulder and led him to the front door. Michael glanced back at the girl in the grass, she was looking at him again. A sad smile crossed her face and for a moment Michael swore he remembered her from somewhere, but couldn't place her. She looked away quickly, and he did the same.
Mrs. Davirro knocked on the door, a few moments latter another little girl answered the door. 'Great,' Michael thought, 'sure there are other kids here my age. THEY are GIRLS!' As they walked inside, he took a good look at her, he realized she too was familiar to him. The wheels in his mind were beginning to spin. What did this mean? Was this his family? Were they all aliens too?
"Michael this is Liz, Liz this is Michael." Snaggle tooth said to both children. "Ah, Mrs. Guerin! How are you?" she said as a slender Native American women walked into the living room. "This," she said shoving Michael forward, "is Michael."
"Well hello Michael," Mrs. Guerin said, a 400 watt smile on her face. "We have all been so excited waiting for your arrival!" She finished pulling him into a hug. Michael didn't like hugs, wasn't used to them except for when Izzy went all sappy, so he just stood there.
Mrs. Guerin took Michael on the "grand tour" of the house. He'd be sharing a room with the two girls until the other room could be cleared out. Would the joy ever end? Then the two kids were "shooed" out of the house. No literally, she actually used the word "Shoo", if that really is a word.
Michael and Liz walked into the front yard. Liz sat down on the blocks that surrounded one of the two trees in front the house, so Michael sat on the adjacent tree. The two stared at each other, Michael was trying to figure out where he had seen her, had seen them.
"Ho-how long have you been here?" Michael stuttered out.
"On earth or in this house?" Liz asked
'Both" Michael answered quickly.
"I have been living here, only about a week. Cherokee, that's Mrs. Guerin, she's cool. Don't cross Hank though." She said, then looking more solemn, she added, "as for the otherworldly question. I think only four years, but I can't be too sure."
"In the dessert?" Michael asked her, hoping she understood his question.
"Yeah, when I was six. Or so they say." She looked down. "and you?"
"Same." He muttered. Looking at Shysie, who didn't look like she was listening, but he was sure she was. He asked, "and you?"
"She doesn't talk." Liz said resolutely, "Never says a word. Cherokee is always trying to get her to say something, but she never does. Just sits there silently. Doesn't cry either. She is like us though, I know for sure about that." They both stared at Shysie, she still seemed to not here a word they were saying.
"Is.. Um.. is she retarded?" Michael asked. Just then Shysie stood up and threw the book she had been reading at Michael barely missing his head. "Jeeze!"
Laughing Liz said, "No, and she's not deaf either."