Interior Design

Chapter Five

It had never dawned on Thomas that one day he was to be obliged to take part in an alien experiment. In fact, I don't think anyone one would really think that. Unless you were some sort of superhero who can look in to the future which is highly unlikely.

"YOU WHAT?" Thomas yelled, looking generally quite mortified.

Pedro eyed him carefully. "Now," he began. "Don't...overreact..."

"Overreact?! You just confirmed you were going to kill me..." Thomas said, still shaken from the mission description.

"How do you know you have to die? I didn't say...until now, damn it!"

"OH MY GOD!" Thomas squealed.

"Hey! If it's any consolation, I don't want to kill you. You're hot." Pedro sounded sincere, but it really wasn't that much comfort.

"Just do it now, before I do it myself..." Thomas said, picking up a sharp knife from the cutlery cup beside the sofa. The blade caught the sun and it gleamed brighter than the golden grains of sand on your favourite beach.

Pedro's eyes widened and he grabbed the knife. "You are NOT allowed to get hurt! Okay, I realise how utterly ridiculous that sounds...just...not yet, okay? You need to be in perfect condition! Your blood is incredibly precious."

"Give me it back, Pedro!" Thomas screamed.

"NO! You are going to stay completely injury free for the next two months! When the time comes, I don't want a single little hair on that pretty little head of yours to be harmed!" he said fiercely. "I mean, apart from the fact that we will of course be killing you. You're allowed to be a bit emotionally shaken about that."

"Gee, thanks! You're so kind. Letting me be emotional! Oh my gosh- I bow down to your kindness," Thomas said sarcastically.

Pedro tilted his head to the side.  "I will have to remind you, hottie, that I don't fully understand sarcasm yet. Anyway, I'm sorry. I realise you quite enjoy being alive but we have all had to make sacrifices for the invention! I had to come here instead of going to that lovely little planet in the vicinity of Betelgeuse for my holidays, and you'll give up all your blood. Fair play?"

"Oh YEAH. Who cares about life? I mean, a holiday is MUCH more important.So now? May I ask you- Would you rather die on the spot or go on a holiday to say, that lovely little planet in the vicinity of Betelgeuse?" Thomas said, mocking Pedro.

The alien frowned. "I assume that was sarcasm. Anyway, I would like to inform you that your mockery was poorly thought through and nonsensical. Of course I would take the holiday, silly. Anyway, as attached as I am to you, Big Brother needs your blood for the invention. My hands are tied."

"How do you think I feel then?" Thomas began, "And also, if you think I'm keeping this secret, you're nuts."

Pedro's eyes darkened and he pulled out the little watter pistol contraption again, pointing it at the human. "You will keep it secret, otherwise I'm sure we can arrange for your death to come a bit quicker."

"People will notice me gone and like I said, kill me now!" Thomas shouted. He ran towards the window and opened it wide, " WORLD! AN ALIEN WANTS TO KILL ME!"

The extraterrestrial agent that was Pedro ran up behind Thomas, clamping a hand over his mouth and shutting the window. He dragged him up to Thomas' bedroom. "No, I won't kill you now, actually," Pedro said. "Well, more specifically, I can't. You're not dying for two months unless there is an emergency."

"LMMETT GWOM OWM MEE!" Thomas said with his mouth still muzzled by Pedro.

"PROMISE TO KEEP ABSOLUTELY SILENT ABOUT THIS!"

"No! Never! What you gonna do, Alien?!" Thomas asked.

"Listen," Pedro hissed. "I actually have a plan. It may or may not work, but if you die NOW then it certainly won't. Got that?"

"But... Why? After everything I did..." Thomas asked, "I practically betrayed you."

"Look, even if you did, that doesn't mean I want you to die." Pedro's voice softened. "I would never want you to die. You're...well, sort of my friend. And besides," he said, his mischievous grin returning, "You're really hot."

"You really mean it?" Thomas said, his voice starting to soften. "Enough with the hottie, but..." Thomas looked at his feet, "If you are my friend. That's...cool. We're at that point."

Pedro smiled. "So you'll stop abandoning me in supermarkets now?"

"Y...Yeah but how about you use your crazy super powers and make me in to an alien. Then I can come live with you," Thomas said hopefully.

"I'm afraid that isn't possible," Pedro said somewhat sympathetically. "Sorry. Basic biology, you'll always be a human."

"Shape shift me?" Thomas answered confidently.

"That only works on me," Pedro chuckled, but his eyes were sad.

"What am I supposed to do with two months? Live my life in utter fear and terror of your people?"

Pedro nodded reluctantly. "Yeah. And don't get your hopes up, but I'll be trying to change your fate, okay?"

Thomas nodded. That one nod meant he was putting the fate of himself in somebody he had only known for less than a week. Who knows what could happen.