Part 5: An Alien Discovery
Later on that evening, the whole group was gathered around Alex's monitor. They watched as Ariel emerged from her closet, now dressed in a pastel floral sundress with a matching summer sweater for the cool evening. Her hair was curled at the sides, and her makeup and nail polish were perfect. Jewelry in the form of a necklace, earring, bracelet, and anklet set complemented the outfit. She was ready to go out. Isabel elbowed Alex and rolled her eyes at him when he seemed to be staring just a little too long at Ariel.
Ariel was looking forward to a fun evening with Brian, Kara, and her brother. The four of them had plans to go to dinner at Senor Chow's, a Mexican food restaurant, and then take their telescopes out to the desert for a night of stargazing. As Ariel walked by her computer, she noticed that her friends from back home in Pennsylvania were online. She could see their names on her MSN buddy list. An incoming instant message chat window opened up, and Ariel smiled as she sat down at the computer and "chatted" with her friends. Just as Ariel was telling them about her new friends in Roswell, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Ariel called. David opened the door and walked in. "Hey, David. Our friends from back home are online," She told him with a smile.
"Great! I want to say hi before we go," David replied, taking a seat on the bed next to Ariel. She typed in the message that David wanted to talk to them and turned over the keyboard to him. After chatting for a few minutes, David and Ariel said their goodbyes, and Ariel shut down her computer. Sighing, she turned to David.
"I miss them."
David put his arm around her. "Yeah, so do I. But we have Brian and Kara now. I think they're going to be more than just superficial friends to us." David had kept all their friends at somewhat of a distance, never really letting them get to know him. It was his way of dealing with their secret; up until now, Ariel had been the only person that David really connected to.
"David, you do the superficial thing," Ariel answered softly. "But you're right...there is this special connection we seem to have with them."
"You feel like we can tell them, don't you?" David asked, more of a statement really than a question. David already knew the answer, because he, too, felt as though they could tell Brian and Kara about their psychic abilities. This was something they'd never told anyone about before. When they were children, they had made a vow to keep it a secret. They knew that they were different and feared that if the government learned what they could do, they could be taken away from their parents and be experimented on. Or worse, the government could try to force them to use their powers against other people. Yet there was something about Brian and Kara that made it seem safe for them to know this secret. David suspected that Brian and Kara might even have the same secret.
Ariel turned her head to look at her brother. "I can't explain it, but somehow I do feel like it's safe to tell them. And I want to know if they can do the same kinds of things that we can. They're so much like us....but David, it's too soon. We're just getting to know them. And, God, we've never even told Mom and Dad. How can we keep this from them, and yet tell people we just met, no matter how connected we feel to Brian and Kara?"
David hated to admit it, but Ariel had a point. But what if their parents didn't understand, or worse, didn't want them anymore after they knew? It was entirely possible that this could change the way Mom and Dad felt about him and Ariel. It was too much of a risk. "We're not telling Mom and Dad."
Ariel blew out an exasperated sigh and checked her watch. "We're not getting into this right now. Brian and Kara will be here any minute." This was the one thing that she and David ever argued about, and Ariel didn't see any way to make David understand. It was so important to her that Mom and Dad know about their abilities. But she knew that David was just too scared that nobody, not even their parents, could accept that part of them. Except possibly Brian and Kara. Shaking her head to put aside these thoughts and focus on the lovely evening ahead, Ariel stood and went to close and lock the balcony door. Suddenly, a gust of wind knocked over a porcelain figurine and sent it crashing from her knicknack shelf to the hardwood floor, where it shattered into fragments. "No!" Ariel cried out. The figurine was one of her favorites. It had been a Christmas present from Mom. "Oh, man..." After quickly taking care of the balcony door, she ran over to what was left of the figurine and knelt down beside it sadly. She picked up the shards, holding them cupped in her hands, then closed her eyes and concentrated. She could feel the pieces swirl together until the figurine was whole again, as though it had never been broken. "Thank God," she said softly, gratefully as she gently placed the figurine back onto the shelf. Ariel and David heard a car pull into the driveway, and they went downstairs to meet Brian and Kara.
Eight pairs of eyes stared at Alex's monitor, as if mesmerized after what they just witnessed. "Oh, my God," Isabel breathed.
"That settles it. She's an alien, and it sounds like her brother is, too. Can we take care of the situation, now, Maxwell?" Michael asked somberly, not at all happy with this latest threat to the group. He just hoped that Ariel and David were on their side, like Courtney had been, but how likely was that?
Max still kept his eyes on the monitor as he considered options. He was stunned that Ariel and David had turned out to be aliens. He had really thought that they were normal people. But they weren't, and Michael was right. This situation had to be taken care of. Coming to a decision, he answered Michael, "Ok, we still don't know if they're enemies or what they want. We're going to interrogate Ariel and find out." Max figured it would be safer and easier to isolate and capture her. And he had an idea for the perfect pretense to get Ariel alone. "Liz, Isabel, Maria and Tess...I want you to ask Ariel to go with you for a girls' night out. Tell her you're going dancing. Then bring her here..."
Later on that evening, the whole group was gathered around Alex's monitor. They watched as Ariel emerged from her closet, now dressed in a pastel floral sundress with a matching summer sweater for the cool evening. Her hair was curled at the sides, and her makeup and nail polish were perfect. Jewelry in the form of a necklace, earring, bracelet, and anklet set complemented the outfit. She was ready to go out. Isabel elbowed Alex and rolled her eyes at him when he seemed to be staring just a little too long at Ariel.
Ariel was looking forward to a fun evening with Brian, Kara, and her brother. The four of them had plans to go to dinner at Senor Chow's, a Mexican food restaurant, and then take their telescopes out to the desert for a night of stargazing. As Ariel walked by her computer, she noticed that her friends from back home in Pennsylvania were online. She could see their names on her MSN buddy list. An incoming instant message chat window opened up, and Ariel smiled as she sat down at the computer and "chatted" with her friends. Just as Ariel was telling them about her new friends in Roswell, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Ariel called. David opened the door and walked in. "Hey, David. Our friends from back home are online," She told him with a smile.
"Great! I want to say hi before we go," David replied, taking a seat on the bed next to Ariel. She typed in the message that David wanted to talk to them and turned over the keyboard to him. After chatting for a few minutes, David and Ariel said their goodbyes, and Ariel shut down her computer. Sighing, she turned to David.
"I miss them."
David put his arm around her. "Yeah, so do I. But we have Brian and Kara now. I think they're going to be more than just superficial friends to us." David had kept all their friends at somewhat of a distance, never really letting them get to know him. It was his way of dealing with their secret; up until now, Ariel had been the only person that David really connected to.
"David, you do the superficial thing," Ariel answered softly. "But you're right...there is this special connection we seem to have with them."
"You feel like we can tell them, don't you?" David asked, more of a statement really than a question. David already knew the answer, because he, too, felt as though they could tell Brian and Kara about their psychic abilities. This was something they'd never told anyone about before. When they were children, they had made a vow to keep it a secret. They knew that they were different and feared that if the government learned what they could do, they could be taken away from their parents and be experimented on. Or worse, the government could try to force them to use their powers against other people. Yet there was something about Brian and Kara that made it seem safe for them to know this secret. David suspected that Brian and Kara might even have the same secret.
Ariel turned her head to look at her brother. "I can't explain it, but somehow I do feel like it's safe to tell them. And I want to know if they can do the same kinds of things that we can. They're so much like us....but David, it's too soon. We're just getting to know them. And, God, we've never even told Mom and Dad. How can we keep this from them, and yet tell people we just met, no matter how connected we feel to Brian and Kara?"
David hated to admit it, but Ariel had a point. But what if their parents didn't understand, or worse, didn't want them anymore after they knew? It was entirely possible that this could change the way Mom and Dad felt about him and Ariel. It was too much of a risk. "We're not telling Mom and Dad."
Ariel blew out an exasperated sigh and checked her watch. "We're not getting into this right now. Brian and Kara will be here any minute." This was the one thing that she and David ever argued about, and Ariel didn't see any way to make David understand. It was so important to her that Mom and Dad know about their abilities. But she knew that David was just too scared that nobody, not even their parents, could accept that part of them. Except possibly Brian and Kara. Shaking her head to put aside these thoughts and focus on the lovely evening ahead, Ariel stood and went to close and lock the balcony door. Suddenly, a gust of wind knocked over a porcelain figurine and sent it crashing from her knicknack shelf to the hardwood floor, where it shattered into fragments. "No!" Ariel cried out. The figurine was one of her favorites. It had been a Christmas present from Mom. "Oh, man..." After quickly taking care of the balcony door, she ran over to what was left of the figurine and knelt down beside it sadly. She picked up the shards, holding them cupped in her hands, then closed her eyes and concentrated. She could feel the pieces swirl together until the figurine was whole again, as though it had never been broken. "Thank God," she said softly, gratefully as she gently placed the figurine back onto the shelf. Ariel and David heard a car pull into the driveway, and they went downstairs to meet Brian and Kara.
Eight pairs of eyes stared at Alex's monitor, as if mesmerized after what they just witnessed. "Oh, my God," Isabel breathed.
"That settles it. She's an alien, and it sounds like her brother is, too. Can we take care of the situation, now, Maxwell?" Michael asked somberly, not at all happy with this latest threat to the group. He just hoped that Ariel and David were on their side, like Courtney had been, but how likely was that?
Max still kept his eyes on the monitor as he considered options. He was stunned that Ariel and David had turned out to be aliens. He had really thought that they were normal people. But they weren't, and Michael was right. This situation had to be taken care of. Coming to a decision, he answered Michael, "Ok, we still don't know if they're enemies or what they want. We're going to interrogate Ariel and find out." Max figured it would be safer and easier to isolate and capture her. And he had an idea for the perfect pretense to get Ariel alone. "Liz, Isabel, Maria and Tess...I want you to ask Ariel to go with you for a girls' night out. Tell her you're going dancing. Then bring her here..."