Chapter 13

"Joan, honey."

"Dad, what are you doing here? I normally walk home. Gaia, uh, hi."

Gaia nodded. "Well, let's go before they start shooting at us." Gaia looked at Joan's uneasy face. "I'm kidding, but we do need to get moving."

"So, Joan," Will said. "Gaia's going to be staying with us for a little while until we get some things straightened out."

"Oh," Joan said. "Well, that's great."

"Helen?" Will called. "You home?"

"In here," she called from the kitchen. "Oh, who's this?"

"Gaia Moore, she'll be staying with us if that's ok."

"Oh, no, that's fine. Gaia, I should warn you ahead of time, don't eat anything I cook."

"Thanks for the warning."

"Gaia," Joan said, wanting to give her parents some time to talk things over. "Why don't I show you my room?"

"Sure."

"So," Joan said when they were in her room. "Why weren't you at school?"

Gaia shut Joan's window and closed the blinds. "I was meeting your father."

"Well, I brought you your homework."

"Thanks."

"So, how long are you-"

"Why don't we do the homework?"

"Sure."

Joan watched as Gaia raced through her math homework in a mere 15 minutes. She put the math aside and picked up her English homework. "Ah, Promiscuities, I read the Russian version."

"You've already read this?" Joan asked incredulously.This girl actually is a freak of nature."When?"

"A long time ago."

"So, do you still remember it? Maybe you could brief me on it or something."

"Look, I am starting to get sick of all these questions." She proceeded to answer the questions without picking up the book. "Don't you have homework of your own?"

"What? Oh, sorry." Joan picked up her homework and started to work.

Will knocked at the door. "Gaia? I have your bag here. And the rest of the family is here, why don't you come down and meet them?"

Gaia looked over at Joan and asked, "Do I have a choice?"

"I don't think so," Joan answered.

"Be right out," Gaia said.

Gaia sighed and slammed her textbook shut. "Done."

"Already?"

"Yeah, come on lets go meet your family." Joan looked down at her homework and smirked. A smart freak of nature.