Extraterrestrial

Chapter 6: sus

*chirp* *chirp*

Yeah, right.

It's more like...*honk* *honk*.

We live in the city. The view reminds me of that every day. It is probably one the best anyone could ask for. Especially for someone who was broke as fuck before this. Or from an "unofficial" fugitive like me. Speaking of which, there hasn't been anything on the news about me. I thought I was definitely on the cops' wanted list but it has been quiet since then. I did see them on my doorstep WITH my belongings. Hauling them out like I hired movers, which I most definitely did not. So something is definitely up here. The thing I'm not sure about is who I'm dealing with. The people in suits at that scene don't look like normal police officers. They were wearing suits. Expensive ones. Definitely not the average government-issued quality.

I should know since I've been to juvie before but that's another story for another time. That's another clue that tells me that I'm dealing with a much different entity. They're on a whole other ballpark altogether.

I have no way of knowing when I'll be able to walk out of here without being overly anxious. I'm not about to take the risk. I'm temporarily a housemate with a really rich person. "Not rich, it's just inheritance." As James had gruffly put it when I'd jovially brought it up. Either way, it's great 'cause not only does he have an awesome place, he was actually looking into renting out one of the two levels of the penthouse. That worked out for me since I am coincidentally homeless.

How will I pay said rent, you ask? I'm working on it. It's not actually that expensive. Thank god, so all I had to do was work like how I usually do except since I'm supposed to be dead. I emailed my old boss at work that I was a new recruit that "knew Angelina", under a false email and credentials, of course. They're treating me as any other intern now, even offering me to work from home. Plus, some other freelance editor slash translator work. The pay has been coming along just fine. The lengthier the content, the higher the earnings. So all I had to do to earn more money was take on projects with lengthier content.

How I got my credentials to apply for jobs, you ask? Simple... but best that I don't tell you. There's a lot that can be done with just the internet and a laptop. I guess, you can say that I had a rather rebellious phase in my teenage years to know these type of things.

James is a really cool person although we don't really talk much. He mostly keeps to himself and he doesn't ask too many questions. He isn't even home half the time. Even when he is, he disappears hours on end in his office.

After everything that happened that day, I've resolved to make myself useful. It was a means to take my mind off the grief. I had to do something to occupy myself. I've since then thrown myself into work. Anything to keep myself busy.

Plus, I didn't want to be a freeloader. I'm not the kind of person to rely on another. I like handling things on my own, I've had plenty of help from James. Now it's my turn to return the favour.

Hence, I've temporarily kidnapped James' laptop to make some money online. Only online since I can't actually risk going out. I'll have to lay low for now. Even if it means giving up freedom to the outside air. Whatever, the gym downstairs will have to do.

I have some things to figure out at the moment. A few little details were missing. Why would he save me from the police? If he was walking out on the streets then he'd have to have seen and heard the police cars and sirens. Why didn't he hand me over to the authorities? Medical assistance would definitely be provided.

Why'd he go through the trouble of bringing me there himself? Why was he there in the first place? It was an abandoned part of town, no one would approach a place like that even if there had been explosions. It was closed off for years, almost three decades, before I was even born. Definitely no one goes there because of the state of the building. It was too out of the way for anyone to...

Something doesn't add up here.

Not that I was not grateful for his help. But alarm bells are going off in my head. I think he's hiding something. I don't think I should trust him.

"I was just around the neighbourhood." I remember him saying that. Then I'd have to be really lucky for him to find me. What a lucky day for such a horrific event. Sounds too good to be true.

Before I let my thoughts stray any further, I go back to James. He's been chill, never really minded me most of the time I've been here and yet surprisingly, I feel like he's always been... aware. I don't know how but it's just a feeling. Maybe I'm being paranoi-

*clack click*

That's the sound of the front door. Ah, speak of the devil. He's home.

Hmmm, I could smell the food already. I approached the hallway connecting to the kitchen. "Hey James! Oooo the fooddd smells good. You got us takeout?"

"Heyyy, Angi-," he started but got cut off when I snatched the boxes from his hands to help him lay the table. "Yesssss! Pizza!"

"-right as you can see..." he stares at me for awhile before taking off his jacket to discard it elsewhere. 

I look up sheepishly, forgetting that he's not Aaron or any of my friends. "Sorry, thanks for the food! Let me help, here." I say as way of making up to him, setting his plate in front of him. "Oh and I'll take that, you relax!" Quickly, I got up to take his jacket from his hands. "Um.. you don't-"

"Oh but I insist, just eat your pizza." I quickly draped his jacket over one of the chairs next to him like how I'd seen him do a couple times before. I patted his head on the way to my seat excitedly, "what'd you get?"

"Hawaiian p- ahcaoc-" he flinches from my sudden contact on his head.

"Oh that hmm," I don't like pineapples on my pizza. Not even caring that I accidentally overstepped our boundaries again, I sat down slowly and settled down with scooping up a slice in my hands gingerly.

He stares at me, still, as he watches me eat.

"What?"

He raises his eyebrows a tiny fraction up in question. "Oh I'm just not a fan of pineapples, especially on pizzas."

Now he turns his head and gives me a side eye. As if he was regarding me seriously but then I noticed as he tries to suppress a smile from forming on his lips. "You-"

He interjects quietly before I could not so politely appraise him with my usual crassness. "I happen to really like pineapples though."

Then he waited a beat, watching me take another miserable bite with mirth in his eyes before he says, "especially on pizzas."

"Hmm... I see." Is what I said out loud but in my head I was softly cursing him. He definitely likes watching me suffer.

***
I also like pineapples on pizza.