Starcrossed

Chapter 13a: fine (part 1)

Chapter 13 (Part 1)

fine (feen): genetically related subsets of Martian population, each with certain attributes

I wanted to talk to Molly privately to find out what Sean's problem was, but I didn't get a chance that day or the next. She had cheerleading, and I was trying to spend every moment I could with Rigel. Besides the usual reasons, I wanted to keep tabs on his emotions . . . and keep him away from Sean.

Then, on the the bus ride home Friday afternoon, Molly sat with Trina (no cheerleading practice on Fridays) while I sat with Bri and Deb. I started to wonder if Molly was avoiding a one-on-one chat, but the moment we both got off the bus, she turned to me.

"M, I think we need to talk. Would it be okay if I came over to your house for a little while? Your aunt won't be home, right?"

I was surprised she suggested my house instead of hers, then realized it made sense. If we were going to talk about Sean, we wouldn't want her parents overhearing us, or Sean himself coming home from practice right in the middle of things.

"She won't be home for at least an hour. And . . . I think you're right." A minute later, I unlocked the front door. "Let's talk in the kitchen," I suggested. "I'll get us some milk and cookies."

My aunt might be a pain in a lot of ways, but she did like to bake and kept the cookie jar filled most of the time. Today it was chocolate chip-walnut cookies that she'd made just last night.

"So," I said, settling myself across the table from Molly, "what's going on with Sean? Why is he so . . . hostile to Rigel? I really thought they were going to get into a fight the other day."

To my surprise, she blushed. "I was afraid they would, too," she admitted. "I'm so glad you managed to talk sense into them before they did anything really stupid. You were amazing, by the way, how you handled them both."

Now it was my turn to blush at the frank admiration in her eyes. "I mostly just distracted them long enough for their brains to start functioning again," I said. "They're both smart guys. Way too smart to let their emotions get them in trouble. I know why Rigel was upset. He's basically jealous, no matter how much he denies it. But Sean seems to be deliberately saying stuff to make him jealous. That's what I don't get."

Molly's gaze slid away from mine. "It's . . . complicated. And hard to explain to someone who didn't grow up on Mars. Like, what a huge deal it was to find out you were alive after all, when everybody had thought there was no legitimate heir to the last Sovereign. So Sean feels—all of us feel—kind of . . . protective of you. Especially after the story came out about how close we came to losing you again last month."

"But Rigel has done a super job of protecting me! Seriously. He literally saved my life twice last month. You'd think Sean would be grateful to him. Instead, he acts like Rigel's the enemy or something."

Molly bit her lip. "Not the enemy, no. But it does seem disrespectful, the way Rigel acts around you. To someone from Mars, I mean, especially someone Royal. Sean's a really, really great guy, I swear, so please don't think he's—"

"Is it because he doesn't believe in the graell?" I interrupted her. "He thinks it's what you told me Tuesday night, just a . . . a line Martian boys use on girls?"

"Pretty much."

I waited for her to continue, but she didn't. "And you don't believe me either. You acted like you did, but . . ."

She shrugged, not quite meeting my eye. "I didn't want to get into an argument, especially where Sean might overhear us. But that's the main reason I wanted to come over. I need to explain to you why this thing you think you and Rigel have can't be the graell."

"Why it—" I stared at her, confused. "But it is! It's not just that we felt drawn to each other—I know that can happen between Martians apart from the graell. But honestly, Molly, you should have seen what I was like before I met Rigel. I was such a loser. A total klutz, with acne and glasses and a permanent bad hair day. I'm practically a different person now—because of my bond with Rigel."

Molly smiled, though she didn't look any less skeptical. "Yeah, Trina mentioned that. She thinks your aunt and uncle paid for contacts and a dermatologist. She also, um, thinks you and Rigel are sleeping together."

I sucked in my breath. "That little—! Well, we're not. Shoot, we hardly ever even get to be alone together, my aunt is so strict. Not that we would if we could, of course," I quickly added. Though I couldn't pretend I'd never fantasized about what it might be like to—

"Oh, I didn't believe her, and I told her so," Molly assured me. "I just thought you should know what she's telling people. But, M, if you were never around any other Echtrans before Rigel, it wouldn't take the graell to make you change. We all tend to resonate with each other to some extent. It's why most Echtrans live in villages and neighborhoods together, and why we can feel it when others are nearby."

"The brath. I know. But it's different with Rigel. It's hard to describe since you haven't felt it, but I . . . I just know what we have is special." My words sounded lame even to me.

"No, I can't know exactly what you feel, but there's still a lot you don't know about our people—how we've evolved, how our society works, all kinds of stuff. Once I explain some of it, maybe you'll get why Sean is so upset." 

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