Ch 2
Julie arrived at the school and opened her locker just like every day before, intent on retrieving her books when a cloud of confetti exploded in her face and a claw held out an envelope and package. She, after getting over the shock of having confetti explode in her face, opened the letter;
"You're one tough cookie. So after you open your gift, you'll have to take a lookie where the school's cookies are made to get your next gift."
Grimacing at his terrible rhyming she picked up the package and carefully undid it. It was a long thin box, she opened it and grasped, the necklace was breathtaking; a thick gold chain, like a manacle chain thick, it supported a heavy ruby which was flanked, on each side by a rainbow of stones that got progressively smaller before finally culminating in a tiny colorless gem. It came with a note;
"Okay, this isn't the next note; it's an explanation. You gotta thank Kevin for this one and the matching earrings and the matching bracelet you'll get later today. Yes it is GOLD; it may be an expensive metal on earth but not anywhere else. The gems on the other hand are mega rare. They come from an extinct alien race of humanoid creatures made of living crystals. Kevin, through his (illegal) contacts, managed to hunt these rocks down for me and you."
She smiled as she carefully placed the necklace in its' intended place. It drew whispers as she walked down the hallway, carrying her successfully-retrieved-from-under-a-small-Everest-of-confetti books under her arm.
Her peers stared and gossiped about the necklace and who may've given it to her. It was well known that Ben didn't have the type of money that the necklace would cost in the Earth's market. She only smiled to the questions and was on her way. She went to the cafeteria and the head lunch lady, a Russian woman named only Greta, immediately handed her a thick envelope. She thanked her before she scurried to her first class, sat down and opened the envelope. A coupon book fell out with a letter.
"Let's admit it, I owe you a lot. You save my butt in school, you play medic while I'm in town, you lie to everyone you know to keep MY secret and you stay with me even though I'm gone half the time. So I printed this coupon book for when I get back, it's for you to use on me. Free lunch, cuddle-time, you know stuff like that. So start planning…
I'm so screwed aren't I?
Ben."
"Yes you are." She giggled as she flipped through the coupon book. Coupons included "1 night of chick flicks, no griping" "1 alien free day {not guaranteed}" "I give Ship a bath" and other such things. She grinned happily as she cracked open her history book.