CHAPTER TWO

"Hey, four eyes! Goin' for a walk?"

It was morning. I had just stepped out from my scoop when I saw two guys circling Aliana. They were taunting her... And I didn't like it. Not one bit.

"Haha! That's a good one, Marty," the other guy said.

((Please refrain from bothering me.))

"What're you gonna do? Cut us up with your tail?" Marty asked. "That's against the treaty, ain't it, Sam?

"Sure is. She can't touch us. Not unless we touch her first."

Marty was getting ready to push her over when I tapped him on the shoulder.

"I think you should leave her alone. Now." I was surprised by my tone of voice. It wasn't like me. I don't usually step into confrontations. But this was different. No one was going to hurt Aliana and get away with it.

Marty turned around. He smirked. "Tom? What's up, man? You gonna get your old man to pound on us or something?"

"Yeah. You sure ain't gonna do it," laughed Sam.

I scowled. "Look, guys. Just leave her alone. She didn't do anything to you."

Aliana was glaring. I'd never seen her like that. But I understood. These guys had no right to be acting this way. If anything, they should be grateful to her and the entire Andalite race for letting us stay here. Without them, we'd be in a space station somewhere... or worse, locked in a cage, back on Earth...

But jerks will be jerks. And when they get bored of picking on guys like me, they'll mess with anything they see. Including Andalites.

Marty shrugged. "Fine. Have it your way, Tom. But you should watch your back..."

"Yeah, watch your back!" echoed Sam. Together, they walked away, over the hill.

I looked at Aliana. "I'm sorry about those guys. They were jerks. If they try that again, I'll..."

((Don't worry about it, Tom,)) she said quickly. ((I can handle them myself.))

Aliana is a sensitive girl, but she's strong at the same time. She doesn't like feeling protected.

"I didn't.. I mean... I know you can. I just.. I hate those guys."

She smiled. ((Do not worry about it. I am fine.))

"Where were you headed?"

((To see you, actually. I have a new routine. I would like to show it to you, if you have the time. The competition is coming up soon.))

"I don't have anything else to do. I'd love to see it."

Aliana is what Andalites call a morph dancer. At least, she'd like to be. She's only an amateur now. But I think she's got what it takes. She's got real talent.

Together, we walked up the hill and headed towards the park. Several Andalites and humans walked about or sat together in groups. Mostly, the groups were segregated. Even though we're on friendly terms, Andalites and humans still don't hang out much together.

We walked past the crowded area, over to our favorite Derrishoul tree. I sat beneath it as Aliana trotted in front of me.

"Think this one's gonna win it for you?"

She smiled. ((I hope so.))

Suddenly, Aliana began to change. First, her stalk eyes retracted. Her main eyes began to grow smaller and separate, migrating to either side of her head. Her front legs started to shrivel up into her stomach. Any other Andalite would have fallen over just then. But not Aliana. She's an estreen.

She kept her balance as her arms slowly grew feathers, eventually becoming broad, beautiful wings. She wasn't even halfway done with the morph, and already I knew she was becoming a Kafit bird.

Once the morph was complete, she hovered in the air, slowly beginning the change back to Andalite. But before she had fully demorphed, changes were already taking shape in her Andalite features. She was going from morph to morph seamlessly. She looked like a constantly changing form, with limbs rotating, shifting, and changing in a seemingly endless pattern.

One second she was half-Andalite, half-Doobin. Then, she was a majestic Gobbul. Arms retracted and strange, glowing tentacles poured from her chest as she morphed a Jabanowa.

It was odd. It was slightly disturbing. And yet, it was beautiful. It was mesmerizing. I couldn't take my eyes away.

Andalites know how to entertain.

When she was done, Aliana stood before me, once again fully Andalite.

((Well, what did you think?))

"What did I think? I loved it! You went through at least twenty different morphs in, what, ten minutes, maybe? You're amazing. You've gotta win that competition. If you don't, it's rigged."

She blushed. Hard to imagine an Andalite blushing. You can't really see much underneath their blue fur. But she was. I knew it.

((Thank you, Tom. You are the first one to see it.))

Suddenly, my ear started buzzing. My receiver. I pressed the button.

"Hello?"

"Hey, pookie," my mom said with a laugh.

"Mom. I told you not to call me that anymore."

"Oooh. I forgot. Mr. Berenson's a big 13 year old now."

Aliana giggled to herself. She knew how Mom liked to tease me.

"What is it, Mom?"

"You need to come home. Your father's on the link."

"Let me guess. He's gonna be gone for another month."

"No. Actually, he wants to talk about your grades."

I gulped hard. He knew about my academy scores? How? I didn't send them to him. I knew Mom hadn't, either. In fact, I didn't even show her my last report.

"Uhmm.. Really? I'm kinda hanging out with Aliana at the moment. Maybe I'll..."

"No, Tom. Now."