(So, why'd you ask me out, anyway? I mean, it's not like we even know each other that well.)

We were drifting in lazy circles over a parking lot by a sports stadium, enjoying the feel of warm air under our wings as it lifted us higher and higher.

(That's part of the reason right there,) Rachel answered. (If we're going to be fighting Yeerks together, then we probably should get to know each other better, right?)

(That can't be all there is to it, or you would've asked Marco and Lee to hang out with us, too.)

(All right,) she said, (Even if we didn't have an alien invasion to worry about, I thought it might still be worth getting to know more about the boy who decided to stage a rescue mission for a caged hawk. I don't know many people who'd do something like that.)

(It's not like it was a solo mission. You and Lee were with me - and did most of the work, too.)

(But YOU were the mastermind. The whole thing was your idea.)

I trimmed my wings back slightly and dropped down to Rachel's altitude.

(You never actually said why you were willing to help us.)

(It sounded like crazy, wild fun and I wanted a front-row seat to the chaos.)

(So you're a daredevil, then?)

(Maybe a little. I just don't feel right when life gets boring. What about you? Why did YOU decide to rescue that hawk?)

(Because they were keeping her trapped in a little box, and they only cared about her when they needed her to put on a show for them and the thought of her living the rest of her life stuck in a cage made me mad.)

Up to that point, I'd never really stopped to consider why I'd done it. But the words came all on their own.

(So it was about standing up for something that couldn't defend itself?)

(Yeah, I guess it was. And, well...)

This time, I did take a moment to think about what to say.

(And I've spent my whole life being pushed around by one bully or another, and Jake was the only person who ever tried to help me when he saw it happen, so... I guess this was my chance to repay what Jake did for me.)

(I think you had a better reason for doing it than I did,) Rachel commented.

(I'm still glad you were there,) I said, (I, um... I like doing things with you.)

And suddenly, that felt like a really dumb thing to say. I really wanted Rachel to like me, and saying something dorky like that probably wasn't going to help.

(I like doing things with you, too,) she said.

Well, on the other hand, at least Rachel didn't seem to care if I did sound like a complete dork.

We kept flying for another thirty minutes, soaring on the thermals, watching cars drive through the city below, and casually talking about normal, mundane things like what books we liked to read, what kind of music we listened to, that sort of thing. It was all the time Rachel could spare before she needed to start going home. So, we drifted back towards our hiding spot at the construction site, landed, and started demorphing. There was the familiar snapping and popping of bones twisting and reshaping themselves. Morphing never hurts, but it really sounds like it should.

The last couple of feathers disappeared. I was fully human once again. And suddenly, I felt very heavy.

"Are you all right?" Rachel said, "You look kind of pale and shaky."

"I'm fine. Just need a moment to get used to the gravity."

"Seriously, you looked like you were going to puke just now."

Well, maybe I did feel a little nauseous.

"I think it might be those chicken nuggets they served for lunch today," I said, "Half the time the cafeteria food isn't cooked all the way through."

I pulled my jeans and shirt back on, silently lamenting the inability to morph anything other than skin-tight fabric. It would be nice to be able to take my shoes with me, at least. With everything else sorted out, I opened my backpack, took out my tape player, and plugged in the headphones.

"That was fun," Rachel said, as she picked up her backpack, "Everything looks so different from up there."

"And then it feels weird being back on the ground, doesn't it?"

"A little weird. But it feels good to be back on solid ground, too."

I wasn't so sure I agreed with that thought.

"Yeah... I guess so."

"Well, I'll see you at The Gardens on Saturday, then."