Chapter Two: Shaking Hands Is A Ridiculous Human Custom

September, of the Earth months, 1st, of the Earth days

8:02 am, of Earth hours and minutes

It has been four days since my ship crashed. The Yeerks are still searching for me, I know. I must carry out my mission and then find a way to get home. At first I was confused. My mission seemed so simple back on the home planet, but here, on this planet, I realized how difficult it would be. My mission was to find Prince Elfangor's family and deliver his last transmission to them. Before I left the home planet I gave a copy of the transmission to Prince Elfangor's parents. His last three family members are here on Earth. There are billions of people on Earth! How am I supposed to find two humans and an Andalite aristh that probably has a human morph, in all those people? It was a good thing that I found humans fascinating and had studied them my whole life. I knew the culture and habits of the human race. So I would probably fit in quite well. I acquired a human morph and enrolled in human school, hoping to find out something about them.

I got lucky.

I met Marco.

The human morph I had was attractive. I had gotten it by aqquiring some sleeping homeless people and the outcome was surprising. I was a female standing at about 5 ' 4". I had long red hair down to my waist and freckles across my nose. My skin was tan. My eyes I did not change. They were still a bright green and slanted. I thought that I didn't look too bad. Considering that the people I had aqquired were homeless and shabby.

Human money was easy to come by. I made conterfeite bills. Of course, no one from this planet would be able to tell they were fake. I went to the mall and bought some clothes. I was ready for my first day of school.

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I stood in front of my locker. I looked at the primitive lock. Then I looked down at the paper in my hand. 4-2-7-8. That was my combination. I entered it and pulled on the locker door. It didn't open. I frowned at the locker and tried again. 4-2-7-8, pull. Nothing. I tried again. Nothing. And again. Still nothing. I growled at the locker. It was something I enjoyed doing with my mouth, it tickled the back of my throat.

"Hey, calm down," said a voice.

I turned. A human boy a couple on inches taller than my human morph stood grinning down at me. His eyes were a dark, dark brown, almost black. His hair was black. And shiny. It hung down just past his shoulders. His skin was darker than mine and darker than a lot of peoples in the hall. In my human morph I found him very attractive. The only thing I didn't like was the way he was laughing at me. The arrogant human! The locks were too primitive! If they would just get some recent technology in here I would be able to use it! I scowled at him.

"I suppose you can open it?"

His grin grew. He lifted one hand and banged hard on the locker. Making a loud noise and causing me to jump about a foot in the air. The locker popped open. I stared from the locker to him.

"How did you-"

"I had that locker a couple of years ago," he said turning to the locker in front of him and opening it. Without banging. "It's temperamental." He took a few books out of his locker, closed it and than turned back to me. Cradling the books in his left arm he stuck out his right hand.

"Hi, I'm Marco," he said.

I took his hand and gave him the name I had chosen to use while on Earth.

"Katie Corass."

We shook. Shaking hands is a ridiculous human custom.

"So, you just moved here?" he asked.

"Uh, yes, that's right," I said.

"From where?"

Uh-oh.

"Um…"

"Hey, Marco!"

We both turned towards the sound of the voice. A tall boy with brown hair and brown eyes, lighter than Marco's, was jogging down the hall toward us.

"Hey, Jake," Marco said.

The boy stopped in front of us.

"Who's this?" he asked, looking at me.

"Jake, this is Katie Corass, Katie this is my best friend, Jake," Marco said.

"Nice to meet you," Jake said, sticking out his hand.

"And you," I said, giving him my hand. More ridiculous shaking. Jake turned to Marco.

"Hey, Marco, I was wondering if you wanted to come over and listen to that new CD I got after school."

This seemed to trigger something in Marco. He gave Jake a brief secret look, then said casually,

"Sure. But I'll have to run home and check in with my dad first, you know."

I giggled a little and said in a teasing voice,

"Gotta go get daddy's permission, Marco?"

He turned to me and I knew I had crossed a line. His eyes were black now, and so sad. But they were also angry.

"No," he said sharply. "My dad would worry though. My mother died a few years ago and we never found her body. I'm all my dad has left."

I felt awful. I knew what it was like to lose your mother. My mother had died giving birth to me and my brother. Not many Andalites survive giving birth to twins. And my father… I didn't want to think about my father. I looked at Marco.

"I'm so sorry, Marco," I said in an almost whisper. "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions. I-"

"It's all right," he said. Then looking off into nothing he said, "But someday… maybe someday…"

"Uh, look Marco there's Rachel. Rachel! Over here!" Jake yelled.

What was wrong with him? What was he nervous about? A girl almost as tall as Jake with long blonde hair and blue eyes came walking over, looking at Jake apprehensively.

"Hi, Jake. Hey, Marco. Who's this?" the girl asked looking at me.

"This is Katie Corass. Katie this is my cousin Rachel," Jake said.

"Hi," I said.

"Hi," she said back. And she stuck out her hand.

Shaking hands is a ridiculous human custom.

"Well," I said, "I'd better be getting to my first class. Don't want to be late on the first day. Thanks for helping me with my locker, Marco."

"Uh, yeah," he said, looking down at me. "Anytime."

"Good bye." I walked away. As I did I heard Rachel say very quietly.

"What's up, Jake? Why'd you call me over? We're not a group, remember?"

"Yeah, but Marco started talking about his mom and lost it," Jake said.

"I'm sorry," Marco said.

"Besides, he never had it to begin with," I heard Rachel say just before I got out of hearing range.

I learned two things today. One: There is something going on with Marco and his friends. And they are definitely a group. Two: shaking hands is a ridiculous human custom.