No Aliens Allowed

- Seven -

As days went past, Allen got more comfortable with humanity. We had passed into October now, so after I babysat a couple more times for Zee, we headed back to the mall for tacos and winter stuff, like hats and gloves, which Allen found frustrating because he couldn't unlock his PTD with them on.

"First world problems," I informed him, to which he responded with his classic line of I don't understand that reference.

We'd fallen into a pattern, too, which made life a lot easier. I stopped worrying about him sleeping over or saying something that he should know. But, it turned out that people were happy to explain it to him or just thought he was being funny and that it was part of his charm. He'd go to his ship after school and put in the data he'd collected, and then he'd come to my house where I'd give him leftovers and he'd help me with my homework and we'd go through more pop culture. Then in the morning, he'd get ready and leave, and I'd pick him up on the way to school. Catelin started walking with us, too, and seemed to be getting over her original suspicion of Allen.

"Kali," Catelin asked me now. "Do you want to go out for ice cream?" She asked me.

I subconsciously cast a glance at Allen, to check up on him and make sure he wasn't informing anyone on the miracle of hyperspace travel. (He'd tried to, once, and I'd shown him the pain of having your shin kicked from under the table).

"He's fine," Catelin told me, reading my expression. "Look at him." Allen was surrounded by people, mostly girls, who still didn't get the fact that he was totally uninterested.

"Yeah, I know, but..." But he's an alien who still knows near-nothing about being a teenager and who knows what he's up to.

"But what?" Catelin asked, oblivious to my conflict. "Don't tell me you have a crush on him."

I gave her a flat look. Catelin held her hands up. "Sorry, sorry. Just saying, though. You have been spending a lot of time with him."

Only I could hear the tiniest fraction of hurt in her voice.

"Cate," I said, grabbing her arm. "Oh my god, I'm so so so sorry. Please forgive me if you can. I've just been busy. Really, really busy."

Catelin rolled her eyes. "I know, Kali. And I get it, too. Penn's a jerk and we know it and Allen's strange and there's school. But I really want moose tracks and a cherry Coke so please can we go?"

"Of course," I said. "And no Allen."

"No Allen?"

"Yeah," I said. "Just a sec," I said, as he came over to me, looking thoroughly exhausted.

"Can I speak with you?" He asked. "In a more private environment?"

"Yep," I said, and led him over to the edge of the green. "What's up?"

Allen looked up. "Some clouds. The sky. And of course, space. There's so much up, Kali. Why?"

I sighed. "Never mind. What do you need?"

"I need your help at the ship. I have much research information on the ship currently; but there's some vocabulary that must be defined, and since I somehow cannot remember every single thing you said, I was curious to see as to whether you might be able to aid me."

"Later, I promise," I said. "I'm going out with Catelin."

Allen looked slightly defeated, but since his moral code called for it, he remained polite, although slightly more withdrawn, his voice colder by a fraction. "Of course. I will wait in the ship."

"Right," I said. "See you later."

"Later is vague, Kalea," he called at my back as I walked towards Catelin. The perk of him not knowing what to do with emotion meant he wasn't very good at holding onto it. He never stayed angry.