Boshville

B. 14

Natalie sighed as she saw the dark sky. She thought days when she had tests were long but this was the longest day ever. She was glad it was going to be over. "You're quiet again'. Zee startled her out of her mind. "Are you sure you should be driving?" She was still feeling guilty about the Stix.

"It was a scratch", Zee repeated, "and you can't change the subject". "I don't talk too much", she pouted, "I think I am allowed to be enjoy silence". "Is that really what you're going with?"

"Whatever. I'm just glad the day is over".

"Me too. Believe me, I didn't want things to turn out like this".

"How did you want it to turn out?" Natalie faced him, "from where I'm sitting, you probably never thought this conversation would be happening. You wanted me to keep living a lie". "I did you a favor, Natalie", Zee frowned, "this life is not what I would wish for anyone. Having to live under the radar and alert at all times...it's not a fun thing". "Life isn't supposed to be fun, Zee", she retorted, "there is no place in the world where it is okay to lie about someone's identity. Did you ever consider for a moment that maybe I felt weird and was confused because I believed I was human and humans are not supposed to feel the weirdness I felt?"

Zee raised an eyebrow. "Did you?" Natalie asked. "I watched you, Natalie", he answered, "you looked happy. I didn't want to take that from you. I saw a chance to give you a better life and I took it. I'm not sorry for that". "Unbelievable!" She huffed. Natalie crossed her arms and sulked till the end of the ride.

Zee parked and repeated the process from before. The room was empty as before. Natalie rolled her eyes and marched upstairs. She made sure to slam the room door behind her. "What did you do again?" Bartin appeared. "She's just being emotional". Zee shrugged.

"What happened to your arm dude?" Bartin touched the spot causing Zee to wince. "She has the Stix". Was his answer. Bartin widened his eyes. "Did you tell her? How was it?" The red skinned had the face of a girl looking for gossip. "She doesn't need to know the terrible history of the weapon and about the other...she took to it well. She can handle it".

"You can never be too sure. Relixa seemed to be good too until..."

"Natalie is not Relixa, okay? This would be different". "I hope so. The kid is growing on me and to think I wanted to snack on her". Bartin laughed at his own joke. Zee smiled and walked to a chair.

Natalie dropped into the bed. She whipped out her phone and dialed Casper. 'The number you've dialed is switched off' Natalie groaned and tossed the device to the other side of the bed. She hoped he was fine and he had a much better day than she did.

Natalie checked the wardrobe in the room. There were several men's clothing inside. She shrugged and picked a top and shorts. Natalie hummed and shook her body. She launched into lines of 'Singin' in the Rain' by Gene Kelly. She loved the classics too.

She turned on the hot water and sang throughout her bath. As she gave the bathroom a concert, she felt normal. Like her life did not turn upside down a few hours earlier.

She was drying her hair and mumbling the improvised lyrics of 'Man down' by Rihana. "You really love to sing", a voice said out of the blue, "it's great that you have a good voice". Natalie held her hands in fists. She was searching around trying to listen for the invisible person.

"Slow your roll". The voice laughed. Suddenly the second pillow on the bed changed form.  "Bartin?!" She screamed. The red skinned alien laughed, "I thought I'd come find out what happened between you and captain 'no fun'", Bartin crossed his legs, "I didn't know I was going to find a Beyoncé of the bathroom".