Sorry it's been so long since I posted! I kinda lost interest in it for a while and I've been busy with other projects, but now I'm back and determined to at least finish Part One. I may continue the story line if I get enough positive feedback (although some constructive criticism would be helpful too).

In addition to the new posts, I have edited the previous chapters to include the new and improved chapters. Some chapters have been changed more than others.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy the fic!

CHAPTER 9: Girl Trouble

(MIKE'S POV)

After Tobias' inspirational speech, it wasn't too long before Marco pointed out that both Tom and the Cop had invited us to the Sharing. As we suspected (and I knew) them both to be Controllers, we decided to go along to the meeting that night down at the beach to see if the Sharing really was just one big happy family. We got in touch with Rachel and Cassie who also agreed to come along.

Jake, Marco, Cassie, Rachel, and I walked there, but Tobias flew most of the way. I almost wish I'd been up there with him; flying is just so incredibly cool! I used to think it hard to believe that Tobias would purposely trap himself as a hawk, but after experiencing it for myself; I found it hard to argue with considering Tobias' human life.

After spending over an hour at the meeting, I started thinking that if I didn't know it was run by brain-stealing slugs, I'd probably be having a really fun time. I talked with some of the newer members, played volleyball with Jake and Tom, and ate some delicious barbeque chicken.

No wonder the Sharing is so popular, I thought worriedly. I looked around at all the people hanging out on the beach. There must have been at three or four dozen people, and over half of them must have been Controllers. The worst part was that I knew that this was only a tiny fraction of the Yeerk forces on this planet. Even this early in the series, there were already hundreds of human Controllers.

After a while I kind of wandered off a bit from everyone else and just stared out across the ocean, the cool sea breeze wafting the scent of burned wood along the shore. Watching the gentle waves wash up the beach made me think of Ax. I wondered how he was doing right now. He must have been really lonely. Trapped beneath the surface of an alien ocean with nothing but the sharks for company? It must be horrible for him.

Hang in there Ax, I thought. We'll be coming for you soon…

"You're new here right?" the voice snapped me out of my thoughts. I turned to see who was talking and found myself face to face with a tall girl who looked to be about my age, maybe a year older. She had long blonde hair and emerald green eyes. I have to admit she was very pretty, and she had a figure that most guys my age would kill for. Under normal circumstances I would be thrilled to have a girl with those looks talking to me; but I had quickly learned that in a world inhabited by Controllers, you can never judge people by face value.

"Yeah this is my first meeting," I replied with a forced smile. Was she actually interested in me? Or was she just simply another tool for the Yeerks trying to entice teenage boys into joining the Sharing?

"Good for you…"

"Mike," I replied casually. "And you are?"

"I'm Erika," the girl told me as she reached out her hand towards me. I shook it. "I've been coming to the Sharing for quite a while now; some of my friends recommended it. How about you?"

"A friend of mine invited me, his brother, Tom, is a full member here," I informed her calmly, looking for some kind of reaction which would prove she was a free girl. Unfortunately, it's not so easy to spot a controller that way.

"Oh, so you know Tom as well!" she cried delightedly.

My blood turned cold; if she knew Tom then that increased the chance that she was a Yeerk after all.

"You know him?" I asked, faking 'mild' interest. I hoped she didn't notice my panic.

"Sure! He followed me and my friends to a meeting last month. To tell you the truth," she said, lowering her voice. "I think he has a crush on me!"

Okay, so she didn't really sound like a controller. As I looked at her dazzling smile and mysterious emerald eyes, I couldn't help but pray that she was just a normal human.

"So you like him?" I questioned. My heart skipped a beat as she flashed me a mischievous grin.

"No way! He's not my type, I prefer to date people my own age." She looked me in the eye and raised an eyebrow suggestively. My heart then skipped about a dozen beats!

"Same here," I finally managed to speak after about half a minute of trying to get my lungs to start working again. Maybe she wasn't a Yeerk after all. I mean, what kind of controller would waste time flirting with another human?

My thoughts were interrupted again, this time by a meaningful glance from Jake. He and the others were standing over by a quiet corner of the beach waiting for me to join the conversation.

"Anyway, it was great to meet you Erika! Maybe I'll see you at the next meeting?" I suggested.

Erika smiled again, turning my legs to jelly. "Sure!" she agreed happily. She went off to join some friends on the other side of the beach. Shockingly, I found myself hoping she was going to talk to them about me. I walked over to the others. They seemed to have overheard some of my conversation with Erika, as they each had an amused expression on their face.

"Maybe I was wrong about the Sharing after all," Marco conceded. "No way can a girl that hot be an alien!" He obviously meant Erika. "Although if she isn't being brainwashed by an alien slug, how come she's turning her charm on you Mike?" I knew he was just teasing me, but his comment did sting a little. Fortunately, I am not easily offended.

"Give it up Marco, you're just jealous that you could never get a girl like that," Rachel told him. "Most girls actually like guys who use there brains for things other than making up bad jokes."

"Yeah well luckily for me, you aren't like most girls Rachel." Marco replied grinning.

"Be quiet you two, I think it's sweet," Cassie said, playing the peacemaker. "She seemed to really like you Mike." A comment like that from Cassie was usually a good sign, as she was supposed to be the master at reading people.

"Thanks Cassie," I replied gratefully.

"Moving on," said Jake. He was trying to sound serious, but I could see the amused grin on his face when he looked at me. Was it really that obvious that I liked her? It must be if even Jake could tell. "I don't think all of these people are here for a friendly get together. Something's definitely wrong about this place, and I need to find out what that is."

"And how do you propose we do that? Walk up and ask them if they're part of an alien conspiracy?" Marco asked sarcastically, although he was sure to keep his voice down.

"Do you really think they're going to notice a stray dog wandering along the beach?" Jake replied.

"A stray dog? Oh." Marco realised what he was getting at.

"Good thinking," Cassie agreed. "I'd go too, but they would definitely suspect a horse." As she said that, I remembered that she was going to try going after Jake anyway, but would be stopped and marked for infestation by the cop. That was something I would have to intervene in; it would solve a few problems later on.

I waited while Jake morphed Homer and Tobias demorphed back to human. I could almost see the sense of loss as Tobias became human again. It made me wonder if I should try to prevent him becoming trapped as a hawk later on. After all, he seemed much happier as a hawk, and his bird eyes and wings were vital at several points in the series. But he wouldn't have Rachel… I thought. And Rachel is what, or who he wants. I can't take that from him, not for anything. With that decided, I turned my thoughts towards Erika.

Was she a controller? Or was she genuinely interested in me? Considering my previous track record with the opposite sex, the latter didn't seem likely. Then again, this isn't exactly the same universe I had grown up in; maybe girl-issues were a lighter matter here. Yeah, like that was believable.

Time to review the facts, I thought to myself. First of all, she wasn't exactly positive towards Tom. If she were a Yeerk, she'd have a high opinion of him wouldn't she? Especially considering his rank. I almost sighed with relief. So maybe she isn't a controller after all- I froze in mid-thought. With a growing sense of dread, I suddenly recalled a particular part of my conversation with Erika…

"Sure! He followed me and my friends to a meeting last month. To tell you the truth," she said, lowering her voice. "I think he has a crush on me!"

That simple statement set alarm bells ringing in my head. A distant memory from when I had read book six. Of course! Why didn't I realise it sooner? I could have yelled with frustration. Tom had joined the Sharing after discovering a girl he had a crush on was a member there! Erika was that girl; there was no doubt in my mind about that. She was a controller…

I sat down hard on the soft sand, gazing out across the sea which started about five metres ahead of me. I was devastated. I couldn't believe that the first girl to truly acknowledge me since I had arrived here was infested with a brain-stealing slug. I smiled weakly at the thought. It's not exactly the kind of thing most teenagers have to worry about.

"What are you thinking about?" A girl's voice once again interrupted my thoughts. I turned to face whoever it was to tell them to get lost; I wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone right now.

I turned around but the words got caught in my throat. It was Erika.

"You as a matter of fact," I told her calmly, trying to conceal my surprise. What was she doing here? If she was a controller she would be in the meeting with the other full members. Or had the meeting ended already? How long had I been sitting here? "What are you doing here anyway?" I asked, hoping I sounded casual and not like I was trying to pry. "I thought you went off to see your friends."

"Oh right, that," she blushed, her face turning a bright crimson colour. "I wanted to give you my number before I left if that's okay?"

That really hit me off guard. What was I supposed to say?

"Um… sure! I'd love to have your number!" Controller or not, I was actually hoping that all the other guys on the beach had heard me.

"Great!" she replied cheerfully, handing me a small square of paper with a six digit number on it. Then she walked off, leaving me even more confused than I had been before she returned.

I sighed deeply, shoved the paper in my right pocket, and went to re-join my fellow Animorphs.

Is it just me, or are girls way too complicated?