he’s out there somewhere looking back at me.”
I was silent for a moment, recognizing that Logan was sharing something incredibly personal. “He didn’t come here with you and your mom?”
Logan shook his head. “No. I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors about him being in the Army?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, he is. Just not this Army. He’s a soldier in the rebellion, or he was, or…honestly I don’t even know if he’s alive anymore. We don’t exactly have any communication with them, but I like to think he’s still out there, fighting, killing Greys.” Logan cleared his throat and looked at me. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all sentimental on you. I just haven’t ever had anyone I could tell any of this to before.”
I smiled. “It’s fine. And I’m sorry about your dad, that he’s not here. My parents aren’t around much either, but at least I know they’re okay.”
We were both silent for a long moment. Then I asked, “How come you don’t have anyone else to talk to; where did the rest of the people from your ship go?”
“A lot of us died when we landed here. The atmosphere here is really similar to our own, and even though our genes have been mutated, we’re still human enough to adapt, but we weren’t used to the bacteria here. Most of us who weren’t born here died. My mom told me I was sick for months when we landed. She wasn’t sure I’d make it either.
“Those who were from earth originally were allowed to return to their families. We can’t ever say where we’re from. Instead stories were made up about people running away or being kidnapped. My mom didn’t have any family left though. I think she wanted to stay close to the crash site in case my father ever came. There were a few more of us living around here when I was little, but they’ve all moved away now.”
“That sounds…lonely,” I said, and then I was thinking about Jo again.
I thought about all the things I shared with her and how it would feel if I couldn’t tell her any of them. Logan never had a Jo. He wasn’t allowed to have anyone he could talk to like that, but I realized that now he did. Now he had me.
“It’s better now,” Logan admitted.
I smiled.
“So,” I said, intent on lightening the mood. “What else is there to this whole alien thing? Can you fly like Superman? Have x-ray vision? Oh, what’s your Kryptonite?”
Logan laughed. “Can’t fly, and no x-ray vision. Like I said, I’m limited in the superpower department. But I do have a Kryptonite.”
My eyebrows rose and I tilted my head in surprise. “Really?”
Logan nodded.
A long moment of silence passed. “Well, aren’t you going to tell me?”
“Can’t. How do I know you won’t use it against me?” Logan smirked.
I was itching to know but played it cool. “Fine, be that way.”
Logan laughed again. He looked amused that he was getting under my skin. “It’s not exactly like Kryptonite. It’s kind of dumb really.”
“What?”
“I’m allergic to milk.”
“What? Like, you’re lactose intolerant?”
“No, I’m allergic. I break out in hives if I drink it, and I get crazy sick.”
“Gross.” I laughed.
“Yeah, like I said. It’s dumb.”
I shook my head. “It’s not dumb. Not exactly what I was expecting though.” I laughed.
We talked for a while after that. Logan pointed out the constellations. I squinted, trying to understand how some random cluster of stars looked like the animals and symbols he described. After a while I gathered up my things and walked home. As I fell asleep that night I felt good thinking of Logan as my friend.
CHAPTER
13
I n English the next day, Jo was smiling brighter than a kid with a brand new bike. She looped the stethoscope that hung around her neck around her fingers. Tuesday was “Career Day,” and Jo was decked out in her father’s surgeon scrubs. I wore a rhinestone tiara and purple dress, as I still hadn’t changed my career choice of
I was silent for a moment, recognizing that Logan was sharing something incredibly personal. “He didn’t come here with you and your mom?”
Logan shook his head. “No. I’m sure you’ve heard the rumors about him being in the Army?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, he is. Just not this Army. He’s a soldier in the rebellion, or he was, or…honestly I don’t even know if he’s alive anymore. We don’t exactly have any communication with them, but I like to think he’s still out there, fighting, killing Greys.” Logan cleared his throat and looked at me. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to get all sentimental on you. I just haven’t ever had anyone I could tell any of this to before.”
I smiled. “It’s fine. And I’m sorry about your dad, that he’s not here. My parents aren’t around much either, but at least I know they’re okay.”
We were both silent for a long moment. Then I asked, “How come you don’t have anyone else to talk to; where did the rest of the people from your ship go?”
“A lot of us died when we landed here. The atmosphere here is really similar to our own, and even though our genes have been mutated, we’re still human enough to adapt, but we weren’t used to the bacteria here. Most of us who weren’t born here died. My mom told me I was sick for months when we landed. She wasn’t sure I’d make it either.
“Those who were from earth originally were allowed to return to their families. We can’t ever say where we’re from. Instead stories were made up about people running away or being kidnapped. My mom didn’t have any family left though. I think she wanted to stay close to the crash site in case my father ever came. There were a few more of us living around here when I was little, but they’ve all moved away now.”
“That sounds…lonely,” I said, and then I was thinking about Jo again.
I thought about all the things I shared with her and how it would feel if I couldn’t tell her any of them. Logan never had a Jo. He wasn’t allowed to have anyone he could talk to like that, but I realized that now he did. Now he had me.
“It’s better now,” Logan admitted.
I smiled.
“So,” I said, intent on lightening the mood. “What else is there to this whole alien thing? Can you fly like Superman? Have x-ray vision? Oh, what’s your Kryptonite?”
Logan laughed. “Can’t fly, and no x-ray vision. Like I said, I’m limited in the superpower department. But I do have a Kryptonite.”
My eyebrows rose and I tilted my head in surprise. “Really?”
Logan nodded.
A long moment of silence passed. “Well, aren’t you going to tell me?”
“Can’t. How do I know you won’t use it against me?” Logan smirked.
I was itching to know but played it cool. “Fine, be that way.”
Logan laughed again. He looked amused that he was getting under my skin. “It’s not exactly like Kryptonite. It’s kind of dumb really.”
“What?”
“I’m allergic to milk.”
“What? Like, you’re lactose intolerant?”
“No, I’m allergic. I break out in hives if I drink it, and I get crazy sick.”
“Gross.” I laughed.
“Yeah, like I said. It’s dumb.”
I shook my head. “It’s not dumb. Not exactly what I was expecting though.” I laughed.
We talked for a while after that. Logan pointed out the constellations. I squinted, trying to understand how some random cluster of stars looked like the animals and symbols he described. After a while I gathered up my things and walked home. As I fell asleep that night I felt good thinking of Logan as my friend.
CHAPTER
13
I n English the next day, Jo was smiling brighter than a kid with a brand new bike. She looped the stethoscope that hung around her neck around her fingers. Tuesday was “Career Day,” and Jo was decked out in her father’s surgeon scrubs. I wore a rhinestone tiara and purple dress, as I still hadn’t changed my career choice of
Similar Books
