I didn't see anything inherently wrong with opening the side of a tree. I didn't know what lay inside there, and was a little curious. Although the door looked really scary, the only thing that told me it was a bad idea was the vague feeling in I and my sister's gut, my `boss's' suspicious behavior...and the idea of using a power that withers things. "I...I think I need to...go home and ask Vorxora about this first."

I don't see why that is necessary. We own this property. We only wish to expand our operation by opening this sealed storage area. He must have noticed my skeptical glance, for then he added, Fine. I will let you in on a secret, just between you and a few of us at the company. We have recently uncovered maps indicating a hidden treasure locked away inside this tree. A sonar survey of the area confirms these suspicions. I'd be willing to cut you in for a percentage if you would only wither away this section of the tree.

The idea did appeal to me, but..."I've never known Vorxora or his friends to wither anything. The only time I've seen a plant die around him was when he himself was dying. It...doesn't feel right."

Everyone has their own specialty. Yatgibi gave a dismissive wave. Without the mastery over nature, our people would have never developed space flight technology. You do not strike me as the primitive sort that would worship nature gods.

"No...But—"

The tree will not be harmed, no more than, say, a ceqgezi burrowing into its bark for a nest would harm it. All buildings will remain safely intact. I only ask you to wither this small section.

"Don't do it," Gertie warned. "I don't trust them."

You worry about nothing. Yatgibi poked me with his long slimy frog fingers. I bet you can't even do it. In fact, here's a wager: if you can wither even the smallest portion of this door, I will decrease your mate's Quarjabbe by one day.

Gertie shook her head.

I gave the others a questioning look.

Charlie just smiled stupidly at me. Norenio furrowed her brow like she knew something, but it seemed she didn't know enough, for she said nothing. Likewise, Pabyeba, who had come out to check on me, appeared to be no wiser. Either that, or they didn't believe I could wither things.

Why fret about something you are incapable of? My employer challenged. I don't even know if you can do it. I am only asking you to try. Prove to me that your worries are justified. I will allow your mate to leave early today, if you even make the attempt. Try.

Gertie looked pale. "Elliott..."

"He's right. I don't even know if I can do it. We might be worrying about nothing."

My sister didn't seem so sure. "I don't like this." She trembled. "If it works, don't do it anymore."

Yatgibi chuckled a little, but made no comment.

I placed my hands on the tree. "So... what do I do?"

Obviously, what you did to grow the plants, but the exact opposite.

I swallowed. "So...think about the exact opposite of love?"

Now Gertie's facial expression really said 'Don't do it'

If love is what grew those other plants, said Yatgibi. Then yes...I believe that would be appropriate.

Again, I didn't believe I could actually do it, so I tried.

Charlie perched on my shoulder, watching me make the attempt.

It's a lot easier to find something to hate than it is to love. The resentments bubbled to the surface of my mind to simmer. Annoying unlikable Yatgibi, who stood right next to me, for example. I resented being forced into his service, and familiarity breeds contempt. Then there were ET's courts, and Oxnizjel, whom I hadn't seen, making moves on my girlfriend. And Roger. As I thought about these things, my hands, to my surprise, did begin to glow red a little, but it was like a light bulb at the end of a hand cranked electrical generator. Weak, fading out the moment I noticed it. My emotions were tangled. I didn't completely hate anyone.

Plus Charlie kept nuzzling me and making cute noises, distracting me from the task at hand.

Perhaps I can help. Yatgibi put an arm around me, brushing Charlie aside. I shuddered a little. What were you thinking about just now?

I probably shouldn't have told him anything, but it felt good to get it off my chest.

You are right to be concerned about your mate. I would be worried too...are you positively certain that she loves you?

"I..."

Gertie crossed her arms, scowling at the alien. "Elliott, Don't listen. He's just trying to—"

How old do creatures of your species need to be to understand these matters?

"She is young," I admitted.

Just a small woxewani (zoo animal).

"Elliott!"

And the...boy that attacked you at the...school...

"It's not his fault. He cried right in front of me. His dad-"

Don't make excuses for your rival. If you were on your own world, he would be...Jamie's mate.

He had a point.

A sick feeling grew in my stomach. My hands, once spread and relaxed on the bark, now clenched, nails digging into the wood.

Roger, I thought, the hate building. My mind kept replaying that time Jamie kissed him, Jamie giving him that face. She would abandon me if she found another human boy. I'm just 'sloppy seconds', something for her to use until she found someone better.

And then there was Charlie, being annoying with his noise and rubbing up against me, distracting me from my work.

My hands glowed a fiery crimson as a dark energy grew inside me, the same one that inspired dad to swear at bolts while working on his truck. I never understood how telling God to damn something could make it work better, but it seemed to help dad loosen a sixteen inch drain pipe under the sink, and that energy was now working in me.

Charlie let out a frightened dog whimper, flying into the trees.

"Charlie!" My sister cried, running after.

Crack!

A single thin vine blackened and fell off the door.

I did it. I actually succeeded in withering something. It hadn't even caused a headache or a nosebleed. In fact, it felt...natural.

That being said, my accomplishment did cause a...cold numbing sensation to grow in the pit of my stomach.

Yatgibi grinned at me. Congratulations. You and your mate may go home and rest. You've earned it.

I did not rejoice, the terribleness of my act cheapened this minor victory.

Gertie nervously crept up to me and whispered, "Never do that again."

Instead of agreeing, I found myself replying, "I know," making me feel even worse.

Charlie rejoined us, which cheered my sister a little, but, notably, he seemed to avoid me, and would continue to avoid me for a long time afterwards.

We followed Yatgibi back into the factory, our silence glum, almost funerary. I myself felt like something inside me had died, perhaps the others had sensed it too.

We found Jamie shoveling up giant insect manure inside the barn. Colzest had gone back to ET's place already, I guess because Jamie had been doing an okay job. Yatgibi muttered something to his co-workers, then told her, Your work today has been adequate. You are free to go home and rest until tomorrow.

Jamie balled her hands into fists, glaring at him. "Adequate! I do all this work and all you can say is `It's adequate?' I have half a mind to dump that bucket of green crap I milked all over your ugly little alien head!"

I stepped between her and the merchant. "Jamie, cool it. He's got an idea that might allow us to get out of this early."

Charlie growled in response.

Gertie slowly shook her head. "I don't like it. I think you're better off working normally."

Jamie's face, already flushed with anger, got redder. "You wouldn't be saying that if you had to shovel poop and milk these things!"

"Yes I would. At least then I wouldn't have to hate people."

Jamie frowned at me. "What's she talking about?"

Yeah. Like I'd tell her. My stomach lurched. "Nothing. She doesn't know what she's saying."

My sister turned red. "Yes I do! I heard them talking! He learned how to wither a tree by hating Roger!"

My girlfriend paled. "What?"

"It's nothing," I stammered. "It's just a mental thing, to control the power."

"It's a mental thing that makes you a jerk."

I felt like I'd been slapped. "Jamie!"

Roy had been sitting on a stool, idly playing with his handheld computer all this time. "Isn't it weird that they don't even use tape to record their programs and data?" Noticing us, he got up. "Well, it sounds like you guys are dismissed for the day. Let's go."

My girlfriend expressed reluctance, glaring at me. "If I stay longer, can I end this...thing earlier?"

Yatgibi replied that it didn't work that way. In response, she wiped manure on his robe.

The alien growled in annoyance, but seemed to have cultivated a tolerance for personal insult. Roy, however, was outraged. "Jamie!"

My girlfriend only sobbed and stomped out of the room.

"Gee, thanks, Gertie," I muttered. "She wouldn't have raised such a stink if you hadn't said anything."

"What? All I did was tell her the truth!"

Jamie hadn't run away. We found her sitting on the ground next to our flying vehicle. I could have sworn I saw her putting out and hiding a cigarette, though I had no idea how she could have been in the possession of any. I never tasted it when we kissed. Roy looked suspicious, but made no comments.

We climbed aboard our 'aircar', facing each other in stony silence as it took off.

I thought the whole ride would be like that, but then my sister said, "He actually did it. Whatever he did, he made Charlie run away. I nearly died trying to-"

I shivered. "What?"

Norenio explained that, in her attempts to bring Charlie back, Gertie had come within inches of falling off the tree. She'd saved her at the last minute. I ended up feeling really bad when I discovered that.

I felt like throwing up.

I mean, I knew, rationally, that my newfound power didn't cause this brush with death, but the accusation still stung. Plus I was guilty of negligence, if nothing more.

Yet, another part of me resented her, because I suspected she had done this on purpose, to make me stop my experiment. She was going to ruin everything. "Gertie! That wasn't my fault! You should have been more careful!...Norenio..."

"She's your sister," Jamie coldly remarked.

"I thought you'd appreciate not having to scoop manure and milk those things," I grumbled, half under my breath. "Guess I thought wrong!"

She looked indignant. "What did you say!"

"Nothing. Forget it." I had a couple more things I wanted to say, but she seemed pissed off enough as it was. We resumed our fuming standoff.

Charlie snuggled close to my sister and fell asleep.

Norenio gave Roy a playful jab. "Roy Neary, why do we not marry? You have told me yourself that some married people are infertility."

The man crossed his arms. "Because I'm technically still married, that's why. She ran off with the kids. I never got served the divorce papers."

The female stuck out her tongue, which divided into three wiggling segments. "That does not sound very deliciousness...Does you mean that recipe is on the divorce papers, or do you eat the divorce papers?"

"It's more like tennis. I told you about serving in tennis, didn't I?"

Norenio nodded. "They must have many good things to eat at tennis games!"

Roy smacked himself in the face. "It's not edible. They just give you a document explaining why you're not married anymore, and the rules about the breakup and the money and the children."

"Why did you not just say that?"

He sighed, giving a diplomatic answer. "I don't know. I just didn't."

"You say `I don't know' a lot when I think you know. Do you not understand your own feelings, or do you really know and not want to tell me?"

Roy slouched in his chair. "It's personal."

She scooted up to him. "We are personal. Very much personal, especially in bed. Why do you keep secret feelings from me?"

Roy gave me a look that said 'Help me' but then it changed to 'Why am I trying to get help from you?'

Norenio frowned. "We should get a nennop. We could make you...less shy."

The man reacted like she'd just suggested a visit to the dentist. "That touchy feely crap?"

"I thought you like touchy and feely. I know I like touchy feely with you..."

"I'll think about it." Roy's facial expression, though, could be confused with someone thinking about getting one of those long dentist needles stuck in their gums.

"What's a nennop?" Gertie looked like she wanted one already.

Embarrassed, Roy answered, "It's a...person...you add to your family. It's like having a shrink living with you, but they're eunuchs."

Gertie had to have that term explained to her too.

Roy's face turned red. "No-ey babe, do you really want to go through all the trouble and expense of going to the Pemgurm for a nennop when we can't even have children?"

"Guep! Yes!"

The man said nothing, but Norenio understood the defeated look. "We do not have to visit Pemgurm. We have new friends. Vorxora, Pabyeba, Tolmina, Colzest...surely one will be happy to be our nennop!"

"Qulpari? You want a Qulpari nennop?"

Norenio shrugged. "I do not lust want Qulpari, we cannot reproduce...Do you lust want Qulpari?"

Roy visibly shuddered. "Hell no."

"Then Qulpari is perfect. We only have to give ritual of Kedoonk."

"Wait. They have families. They're in groups of three. We can't just ask one to come live with us!"

"Why not?"

The two stared at Pabyeba.

The Qulpari's neck shortened. We are brooding. Perhaps after.

Norenio was undeterred. "Colzest and Tolmina came alone."

"Sure. Why not." Roy sounded less than thrilled.

As an attempt to alleviate the gnawing in my gut, I asked, "Roy, isn't there something in the Christian bible about someone withering a tree?"

"Wow, that's obscure! Why are you asking me?" He paused and thought a moment. "That...does kind of sound familiar. I...think...Jesus got pissed off at a fig tree? Something about mountain moving faith?" He shrugged. "I don't know. Why, got a beef with something you grew?"

I shook my head. "Mountain moving faith..."

My sister scowled. "Just because you can move a mountain doesn't mean you should."

At dusk, our vehicle docked once more in ET's aboveground `neighborhood.' Lights glowed from in the various homes, when the Qulpari weren't outside enjoying the night sky, or lounging around in couches that looked like lotus pods.

One building clearly appeared to be empty. I asked Pabyeba about it.

That belongs to Admasca the Historian. He should be back in a few days. Why?

"I don't know. It just looked weird with all those other well lit homes."

The moment Pabyeba turned her back, Jamie tugged on Admasca's front door. It swung right open.

She gasped, covered her mouth to suppress a giggle, closed the door quickly when she noticed Roy looking her way. "Ahem."

Charlie, seeming to suspect she was up to no good, gave a warning "Churrrr!"

I poked Pabyeba on the shoulder. "Are there any burglars on this planet? Have you heard of any at all?"

"It is not unheard of..."

"They have something like a neighborhood watch." Roy gave Jamie a knowing look. "And devices, like in the market."

"Qulpari share more than they possess." Norenio put an arm around him. "Roy Neary says thievery is not as common here. They are not as motivation with greed. Live by vuxbapi."

"Not everyone," I muttered, remembering Yatgibi's behavior.

"Still...neighborhood watches."

Jamie gave me a mischievous look. It seemed her bad mood had evened somewhat.

She drew close to me, whispering in my ear. "We deserve to do something fun tonight. Let's sneak out later."

I swallowed, giving her a slight nod.

Roy grinned. "You two are so adorable."

Jamie quickly stepped back.

We returned to ET's house and ate dinner. Basically the same thing we had for lunch, but again, we had learned not to turn our nose up at food. At least we dined in the company of friends. In addition to seeing Meazquad again, Rilquza and Tolmina had returned, and of course ET was always a welcome sight.

Meazquad made Jamie a special set of insect free Abgigta, but she broke down and ate one of the regular ones anyway. "I've handled disgusting things all day. I don't think anything can get much worse."

"One of the main reasons I insisted you wash your hands before supper," Roy joked.

"Can I please wear my other outfit now?" Jamie said.

He frowned. "No."

"Did you even check if it was stolen?"

"It doesn't matter. You're still grounded."

"You didn't check."

The man didn't deny it. "I was too busy watching you."

Norenio put her hands on her hips, tail wagging. "It is not stolen. I had Meazquad speak to Oxnizjel."

Roy glared at her. "Well thank you for checking that behind my back!"

A silence fell.

Gertie played `Invisible Touch' on her little boom box for a few moments, but Roy eventually tired of it. "Okay..." he punched the stop button. "Let me know when you find The Monster Mash."

It got quiet again. You would have thought that having ET and other Qulpari around the table would have livened things up, but they just stared at us like bugs in a jar. Once us kids explained a few things about how we spent our day, they had few further questions. Well, other than Meazquad's suggestion of having us visit their learning center and play a sort of Pictionary with their scholars, and me briefly outlining how we could potentially shorten Jamie's `public service'.

Even Charlie had nothing. He flew out the window and played out there for awhile. Pabyeba took Wotrevi for a walk.

Jamie set her food aside to play with a colander-like helmet glowing on a nearby table.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you," Roy warned. "You know how movies tend to have flashbacks?...Qulpari films don't. You get `debriefed' with actual memories that fill you in on the details. I tried Oprerto Mivyoce and haven't been the same since. Earth filmmakers only think they're screwing with your head. These guys actually do it."

She quickly dropped the headset.

Colzest picked it up, examined some readout on the side, then made a face like `Oh, that one again.' I guess they had methods of sending stuff like that to the moon.

Gertie put her Abgigta down. "Norenio, how did you meet Roy?"

Roy's face flushed red. "I thought No-ey gave you all the sordid details already. There's not much more to tell."

My sister grinned. "I think there is! Tell me, I want to know!"

This made him look even more embarrassed. "Look. We were...just friends...We met in the Mavduja market and she was super nice to me, giving me food and clothes and stuff, showing me around the place. We really weren't romantic at first...at all. She was just being friendly, you know, curious about my species and planet and stuff. I..." He sighed, shook his head.

Gertie leaned closer. "How'd you...get romantic with her?"

"I...no, I can't. I won't."

My sister pouted like she intended to cry. "Tell me!"

"I don't have to tell you anything, kid."

Now Gertie really pouted.

Norenio gave her a kindly smile. "He was drunk. He said he loved me, he was much lonely and he had no one, and he me-desired. I did not understand until he kissed me. Even then I much-confusion. But when we went to my dwelling and saw anatomies-of-each-other, I became `unconfused...'"

My sister stared open mouthed, as if Roy's girlfriend just granted her the secrets of womanhood. I cringed at the thought of how she intended to make use of this knowledge.

"Norenio, stop. This is not appropriate."

"Why is it not appropriate, Roy Neary? She is genuinely curious. I did not say anything offensive. I only tell her about our ...unique-relationship. Just because you are...embarrassment, and...need a nennop to help you express-feelings-much, does not mean it is bad." Roy opened his mouth to reply, but she cut him off. "It is not `fox paw'! She ask, I communicate! And even if it is `fox paw', it is only `fox paw' for Roy Neary!"

"No-ey, she's way too young to hear all that. What is she, like eight? On our planet we don't talk about..." He wanted to use a colloquialism, but had to drop it so she could understand. "...baby making until they're older...like Elliott's age, actually older, and you start noticing their bodies, their behavior change. Kids grow up too damn fast as it is!"

Norenio looked puzzled. "I...thought...parent was supposed to teach...child...to become good-adult, teach girl-child to be teen-woman."

"No-ey, baby, that's great, but let her have her childhood first. Unlike your people, she's not going to stay looking that age for ten years!"

"All the more reason to teach, Roy Neary! How will she know about healthy-future-love?"

"Healthy!" Roy laughed. "Is that what—"

The alien looked hurt.

He rubbed his eyes like he'd been processing data for an hour. "Sweetie, can we please change the subject? I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"You are much shyness, Roy Neary. You need a nennop." Norenio turned to face her dining companion. "Colzest, will you be our nennop?"

The Qulpari shuddered like Lurch on The Addams Family, shaking his head.

Roy changed the subject. "So...Elliott. You seem to have made an impression on Yatgibi..."

Just when I thought I'd stopped feeling ill. "Yeah. I guess."

"How many more of those plants did you grow for them?"

"Just two. I got nosebleeds after that." Since it didn't feel good, I hesitated talking about the withering.

My sister didn't hold back. "There's a door on their tree. They wanted Elliott to tear it down with his power."

"Hence the weird bible question." Roy furrowed his brow. "Hey...Vorxora. You remember that old story about that guy of yours that got imprisoned inside a tree? Bad guy? Strange name, something...starting with an S, like...Sinestro?"

ET's eyes narrowed. "His name was Sovirox. The most evil Qulpari ever to be born. Indeed, he and his mates were imprisoned in a tree, but that was hundreds of years ago. Even if someone could remember the location of his imprisonment, it's likely all three of them have become skeletons by now."

The initial chill I'd been feeling fade somewhat, the temperature returning to the room. "Okay...sounds like it doesn't matter if we open this thing, then. We're just doing a little archaeological expedition. This Quarjabbe will be over in no time!"

Roy smirked. "As long as there isn't a mummy's curse!"

ET's expression grew grave. "I would not go near it."

I stared at him. "Why? I don't see what harm-"

He stood up, and for the first time ever, I saw him display actual anger. "Stay away from it!"

He returned, trembling, to his floor pillow like a grandmother who had just found out someone made fraudulent purchases on her checking account. "Stay away from it." After a moment's pause, he spoke in a low tone. "Fast solutions are not always the best."

Roy got up from the table, possibly to escape the tension. "I need to go back to my place to get a few things real quick. I'll be back in a few minutes. No-ey, sugar, can you watch the kids so they don't get arrested again?"

The alien nodded. "Gip'm, cuculia."

Roy visibly cringed. "It's najufe, baby. Najufe."

Norenio blushed green. "No! I am cuculor! Fiancee! I spend many time with you, Roy Neary!...Much time! My family say we have Inseparable Bond!"

"Norenio! You know how I feel about this!"

"If you do not call me cuculor, I will go!"

"Go then!" Roy cried. "You're koo-koo!"

"What about the children? What about them, Roy Neary?"

"This isn't the first time I've dealt with someone using kids as a weapon."

"You're not being fair."

Roy sighed in frustration. "Just go. I thought I had left this kind of shit back on earth, but I guess I thought wrong!"

Norenio whimpered. "I can't. The children need us."

His tone softened. "Then stay. Be the babysitter. I'll pay you. I don't care. I'm not ready." He marched to the door.

"I will make you ready. We will have our nennop."

The man rubbed his face and stepped outside, slamming the door behind him.

After supper, ET led us outside, introducing us to his neighbors. His astronomer friend owned a small telescope with more viewing power than the Palomar Observatory, with infrared, a friend that weaved tapestries in the ultraviolet spectrum, a chef, and an architect.

I imagined his archaeologist friend would have been fascinated by my little tree project, if he were present.

Someone brought out musical instruments, and they had a little dance party.

We had fun and danced with the aliens awhile, but as Norenio and ET got distracted talking to the others, Jamie dragged me behind one of the huts. Gertie panicked and rushed to join us.

"What?" I whispered.

"Let's not talk here. That one guy left his front door open. We can go in there. Quick, before they notice we're gone."

I hesitated. "I..."

"It's now or never, Elliott. If we hang around here, someone will find us, and they'll watch us even more closely than they do now."

I broke into a sweat thinking about the trouble we could get into. "...You're right. We should get moving."

We hadn't gone a step before Meazquad called after us. Where are you hatchlings going?

"We're just going to...stargaze at the other end," Jamie said. "It's a very pretty night."

"We're just looking around," I agreed, flushing with shame at the dishonesty. "We're... not going far."

Meazquad accepted this.

Jamie took my hand, dragging me into the archaeologist's place.

The building, unwisely, featured both a front and rear entrance, neither one locked. Once all three of us...and Charlie were in, Jamie rushed to shut the door, pushing a crate across it to keep the aliens out. She did the same for the front door, using a dresser-like furniture item.

The layout mirrored that of ET's place, but with some notable differences: Shelves filled with books, odd sculptures, bones, expensive looking bejeweled gold and silver artifacts. All the rooms lay to one side, the other half of the building being windows overlooking the forest.

Jamie gazed admiringly at the trophies, pocketed a small idol.

"Haven't you learned your lesson?" I asked.

She sighed, put the item back. "Guys, I want to talk to you about something...We need to run away from ET and Roy. If we go somewhere else, we won't have to do that stupid punishment."

I frowned. "Are you serious? Run away? From ET? He's the reason why we came here in the first place!"

"No. You came here because a bunch of government guys wanted to put you in a lab."

I couldn't exactly deny that. It was the main reason I had to abandon my family. Still... "You're wrong, Jamie. I love ET. We can't just go and leave him!"

My sister nodded. "She just wants to leave because she stole something and has to do Quarjabbe."

Charlie made a funny noise in seeming agreement, but you could also interpret it as, 'Mmm, this is good mouthwash,' so you couldn't, as a rational person, read that as an intelligent response.

Jamie wasn't being rational. "You stay out of it, Charlie! I've had just enough out of you!"

Charlie flew behind my sister's back.

"Look, Jamie," I said. "I'm going to help you. Yatgibi already told me he'd let us go early if I can open that door...or crypt for him."

"And you believe him?"

I shrugged.

"If he's so impressed with your power, I doubt he's going to just let us walk like that. Just a hunch."

I thought maybe that might be okay, since I'd be his business partner, earning money, but, to be honest, I didn't like the guy any more than she did. "Can't we just try it and see before we think about running away? Maybe get ET and possibly his...courts...to retry the case if it doesn't work out?"

Jamie sighed. "Okay, fine. But you'd better be right."

"Jamie," I said. "Where'd you get the cigarettes?"

She stared at me in horror. "What?"

"I saw you sneaking a cigarette. Where'd you get it from?"

Jamie looked visibly nervous. "I...don't know what you're talking about."

"C'mon, you don't need to lie to me! I won't tell anyone. I just don't understand how you got them...or a cigarette lighter. I thought the aliens took everything from us. Did you steal them from Roy? Or did Roger give them to you, and you found a way to smuggle them in?"

She indignantly put her hands on her hips. "So we're making up stories now?"

"No..." I faltered, doubting my own eyes. "I don't know, I mean, I thought I saw you smoking. I saw you sitting next to the flying machine, putting something in your mouth, and then you put it away real fast."

Jamie rolled her eyes. "There were twigs around the thing. The tree was shedding. For the record, I didn't put them in my mouth. I got bored and threw them over the side."

I sniffed her, which annoyed her further. "Okay okay! I bought a pack from an imaginary cigarette machine! Elliott, don't be an idiot! I have no cigarettes! Did using those special magic powers damage your brain or something?"

I sighed, giving up. "I...I don't know, maybe. I guess I was seeing things."

"You guess right."

I locked eyes with her. "Look, I...need to talk to you about something privately. Just you and me. Alone."

Jamie rolled her eyes. "What's there to talk about? You're jealous, you hate it when I have other male friends, and now that hate somehow gives you magic powers."

"Jamie," I stammered. "I..."

"Would you like it if someone told you you couldn't have any other friends?"

"I never said that!"

"You implied it." I sighed in frustration. "You're right. I'm sorry." I was just saying that to be nice. "I... get it." I glanced at my sister. "Gertie, could you go back to ET? I don't want them suspecting anything."

Gertie shook her head. "No. I don't want you to leave without me."

"Gertie, we're not going to leave."

"Promise?" I thought the answer was yes, but Jamie's face was saying something else. Of course, she probably wanted to just grab my sister and go, maybe leave me behind with my alien friend while she was at it. "I...promise. We're just going to talk about some adult things, okay?"

"I don't believe you. I can talk about adult things too!"

"Gertie," Jamie soothed. "We're not going to abandon you."

That comment relieved me some. At least she wouldn't go without me. "Yeah, Gertie. Stop being such a baby."

"I'm not a baby!" My sister removed the block from the door, stormed off crying.

Jamie scowled at me. "You could have been nicer to her."

I reddened. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to talk to you about some...private stuff and didn't want her listening in. Plus, I kinda do think she needs to grow up a little..."

She sighed like she didn't agree. "You endangered your sister."

"Don't you think I feel bad enough about that? I was busy trying to end your...thing, and I couldn't watch her at the same time, okay? Besides, Norenio was there. She took care of it."

Jamie reluctantly accepted the explanation. "Okay, fine. So what private adult stuff do you want to talk about?"

I suddenly felt hot. "Look. I love you, and I've been acting...like a jerk because I get jealous when you're around other guys. I'm afraid you'd leave me for someone else if you had the chance, and I'd be left alone."

It was her turn to blush. "Elliott, I'd never 'leave you' leave you...I'd still be there..."

I scrunched up my face. "You know what I meant."

"Well," she stammered. "I mean, look. I wouldn't have even run away from home and come with you on this crazy trip if I didn't have feelings for you. But it's hard, you know? With all this alien business, and me pretending to be your sister, it's like we're just 'good friends' and not-"

I pulled her into my arms and kissed her full on the mouth. This will show her, I thought.

Jamie seemed shocked, but not in a bad way. She closed her eyes, kissed me back.

I paused for a moment. "You taste like cigarettes."

"Again with the cigarettes," she groaned. "I told you I have—"

"Had. Past tense. You must have gotten rid of them."

"As if you know what a cigarette tastes like. You want to continue making stupid accus—"

I quieted her with my lips.

At first she was okay with it, but as I led her toward the aliens jellyfish bed, and started undoing her jumpsuit, she pushed me away, red faced. "Elliott, stop! What are you doing!"

"I love you!"

I'd never seen her so red. "I...I do too, but I'm not ready for this. Not now!"

"When are you going to be ready?"

Jamie marched to the door. "Take a cold shower and think about it! What's gotten into you?"

And then I was alone.