No Aliens Allowed

- Nine -

There's something terrible about losing ignorance. It hurts and burns and is only accompanied by that unquenchable curiosity.

And, since I'm was a coward, I couldn't ask Allen about it. He looked so happy now, talking easily with most people and learning.

So it was even worse when he did that stupid charm thing of his and we got closer.

But I wanted so desperately to ask him what the hell the number four meant and why it was sent to him in an email telling him to hurry up.

So when Friday came (as in the day of the party Friday) I was confused still and had no idea as to what I'd do.

Catelin came up to me. "What's on your mind, Kali?"

I slammed my locker closed, meeting Catelin's eyes.

I'm just trying to decide what to do with this alien that crash landed a couple weeks ago that I still haven't told you about. He's hiding something. I don't know what to do. What should I do?

"Nothing, why?" I said.

"I just wanted to know if you're going tonight."

"Of course," I said. "And I got Allen to come too."

"Did you think about this?" Catelin asked wryly. "Because if I know you, and I do, you tend to make...reckless decisions."

"Yeah, I have," I said, the lie slipping from my mouth with ease. I hadn't. At all. Not one bit. 

Catelin surprised me by crushing me in a hug. "Thank you for thinking about it, for once," she mumbled as I brought my arms around her shoulders. "You know how I worry, Kali," she said, her voice muffled by my shirt. She pulled away. 

"Don't worry," I said. "I'm good." 

Catelin nodded, smiling at me. "Okay, then. Will you be over to get ready at my house?" 

I automatically scanned the hall for Allen. "Yeah, sure," I said, relaxing when he came out of the bathroom, safe and sound with no government officials trailing him, ready to take him away. 

Catelin grinned happily, then focused on something over my shoulder. "Here comes Penn, grumpy as usual," she said. "I'll see you later, okay?" 

"Of course," I said, looking over my shoulder at Penn's approaching form. 

"I'm glad you're finally thinking things through," Catelin said, giving me a knowing look. I knew she hoped I'd think about her opinion of Allen and his oddness. She'd known he was hiding something, and had turned out to be right. 

Huh. 

"Yeah yeah. Not get out of here," I said. "Before Penn pisses you off too." 

Catelin laughed, and blew me a kiss as she skipped off down the hallway. 

Penn was on me a second later, a dark scowl on your face. 

"Jesus, who killed your puppy?" I asked in way of greeting. 

"Shut up," Penn grumbled, leaning against the locker next to mine as I zipped up my backpack. 

"You seem to be in an extra pissy mood today," I noted. 

"No I'm not." 

I opened my mouth to respond, but Penn sent me such a dark, loathing look that I redecided. I did not want to get on his bad side. Well, Penn didn't really have a good side. So did that make it his more bad side? His worse side? 

My inner monologue went crazy at this. 

One time, I got so nervous when I had to present my power point on the themes in the Great Gatsby. My palms were leaving sweat marks on my note cards and I was red and flustered and when I went up to that stupid podium, I blabbed on and on so quickly nobody could understand me, and Penn, who was being twice as mean as he normally was, threw a --