thing is”—he banged against the force field—“it doesn’t stand a chance against those new Phantoms we just got in. We’ll have you out in no time!”
This was so like my dad. Someone was messing with his kids? He’d call the Air Force base where he worked and get them to drop a missile on them. Never mind that he might be starting an intergalactic war.
Meanwhile, next to him, Mom was calling to us reassuringly, “It’s all right, kids. It’s going to be fine. You’re destined for greatness!”
That almost made me laugh. Because Mom didn’t remember where she’d heard that the first time.
We’d
told her that. The guy who’d crash-landed his spaceship on Taylor’s dad’s car had said it.
But I didn’t feel like laughing a few seconds later when the door to the ship started to open.
Because even though Duncan was right—it’s always best to tell the truth—I’d never intended for
this
to happen. It wasn’t the same thing at
all
as outing your brother’s girlfriend for unsportsmanlike behavior.
Now because of me, the poor spaceman who’d only wanted help saving his planet was probably going to get nuked.
Kyle must have realized how terrible I felt, since—just like that night on our birthday a decade earlier—he reached out to grasp my hand.
“Mom’s right, you know,” he said, when I glanced over athim. He was smiling. “He selected us for a reason. It’s going to be all right.”
But I had trouble smiling back. Sure, we’d been selected … probably because I’d been the only person on earth—or at least in Peachtree County—who hadn’t had the sense to run away.
So why, because of my stupid mistake, did poor Duncan and Radha have to be dragged into it? They were innocent bystanders.
Not that they were looking that upset about the situation—in Duncan’s case, anyway. Radha had reached out to grasp Kyle’s other hand a bit worriedly, to be totally truthful.
But Amber had apparently gotten over her near-death experience, and was now jealous that she wasn’t the focus of the Channel 4 news crew that had pulled up and was filming us through the force field. Taking a cue from my dad, Amber started banging on the side of the force field, only she was demanding to be let inside, not that we be let out.
The spaceman completely ignored her—and everyone outside the impenetrable barrier he’d erected around us—as he leaned out of the door of his ship and smiled at us.
“Children,” he said, “I’m so sorry about the mess.”
Just like ten years ago, I found myself hypnotized by the blue of his eyes …
… until I saw him glance—for the briefest moment—in the direction of my dad.
“Hurry up!” Dad was yelling into his cell phone, his expression stricken. “He’s got my
children
!”
“Don’t worry,” the spaceman said in a soothing voice, glancing back at us. “You’ll be completely safe with me. Come in.”
But if we’d be completely safe with him, this tiny part of my brain asked, what did he need the protective force field for?
That’s the only reason I brought the baseball bat into the ship with us. So I guess you can call it premeditated if you want to. Something told me I’d need it.
And it turned out I was right.
Interview of Duncan Mulroney
RESTRICTED ACCESS: EYES ONLY
I’m only going to say this once, because I don’t like how you guys have been running this little show. So listen close.
That space dude may have been all smiles and blue eyes for the cameras outside that ship. But inside, where no one was taping, it was another story.
All Kaleigh was trying to do was ask him why, if he wasn’t planning on doing anything wrong, he needed the force field. Fair enough, right? She’d known this guy since she was a kid. She was concerned. She was trying to protect him. And us, too. She was trying to explain how that kind of thing might not look good, especially to a guy like her dad, who’s in charge of a squadron of fighter
This was so like my dad. Someone was messing with his kids? He’d call the Air Force base where he worked and get them to drop a missile on them. Never mind that he might be starting an intergalactic war.
Meanwhile, next to him, Mom was calling to us reassuringly, “It’s all right, kids. It’s going to be fine. You’re destined for greatness!”
That almost made me laugh. Because Mom didn’t remember where she’d heard that the first time.
We’d
told her that. The guy who’d crash-landed his spaceship on Taylor’s dad’s car had said it.
But I didn’t feel like laughing a few seconds later when the door to the ship started to open.
Because even though Duncan was right—it’s always best to tell the truth—I’d never intended for
this
to happen. It wasn’t the same thing at
all
as outing your brother’s girlfriend for unsportsmanlike behavior.
Now because of me, the poor spaceman who’d only wanted help saving his planet was probably going to get nuked.
Kyle must have realized how terrible I felt, since—just like that night on our birthday a decade earlier—he reached out to grasp my hand.
“Mom’s right, you know,” he said, when I glanced over athim. He was smiling. “He selected us for a reason. It’s going to be all right.”
But I had trouble smiling back. Sure, we’d been selected … probably because I’d been the only person on earth—or at least in Peachtree County—who hadn’t had the sense to run away.
So why, because of my stupid mistake, did poor Duncan and Radha have to be dragged into it? They were innocent bystanders.
Not that they were looking that upset about the situation—in Duncan’s case, anyway. Radha had reached out to grasp Kyle’s other hand a bit worriedly, to be totally truthful.
But Amber had apparently gotten over her near-death experience, and was now jealous that she wasn’t the focus of the Channel 4 news crew that had pulled up and was filming us through the force field. Taking a cue from my dad, Amber started banging on the side of the force field, only she was demanding to be let inside, not that we be let out.
The spaceman completely ignored her—and everyone outside the impenetrable barrier he’d erected around us—as he leaned out of the door of his ship and smiled at us.
“Children,” he said, “I’m so sorry about the mess.”
Just like ten years ago, I found myself hypnotized by the blue of his eyes …
… until I saw him glance—for the briefest moment—in the direction of my dad.
“Hurry up!” Dad was yelling into his cell phone, his expression stricken. “He’s got my
children
!”
“Don’t worry,” the spaceman said in a soothing voice, glancing back at us. “You’ll be completely safe with me. Come in.”
But if we’d be completely safe with him, this tiny part of my brain asked, what did he need the protective force field for?
That’s the only reason I brought the baseball bat into the ship with us. So I guess you can call it premeditated if you want to. Something told me I’d need it.
And it turned out I was right.
Interview of Duncan Mulroney
RESTRICTED ACCESS: EYES ONLY
I’m only going to say this once, because I don’t like how you guys have been running this little show. So listen close.
That space dude may have been all smiles and blue eyes for the cameras outside that ship. But inside, where no one was taping, it was another story.
All Kaleigh was trying to do was ask him why, if he wasn’t planning on doing anything wrong, he needed the force field. Fair enough, right? She’d known this guy since she was a kid. She was concerned. She was trying to protect him. And us, too. She was trying to explain how that kind of thing might not look good, especially to a guy like her dad, who’s in charge of a squadron of fighter
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