yelled
back, wiping away my water-soaked tears as if she could actually
see them through the curtain.
“Do you want to talk about it?" Jen said
softly as she leaned in closer to the curtain.
I swallowed hard. I didn’t want to lie to
Jen, but I also wondered what her reaction would be if she knew the
truth. “It’s fine. I just fell asleep in the office, no big
deal.”
I was hoping that would be enough and she
would go back into the room, but she just stood there against the
curtain.
“Did you see Ace while you were there?" Her
question wasn't pointed, and I didn't think anyone had seen me
leave his room, but for some reason Jen's words made me defensive.
I turned off the water and ripped my towel off the rack. I threw
open the shower curtain and wrapped the towel hastily around
me.
“Why do you assume just because I didn’t come
to the room last night that I was with Ace?”
Jen's eyes widened. “Whoa, Alex, I was just
asking a question.”
“Well, don’t. I’m fine." I stormed past Jen
and threw myself in bed, covering myself from head to toe in my
comforter.
I heard Jen walk out of the bathroom and her
and Riley whispering, but they didn’t bother me. In fact they
didn’t bother me for the rest of the day.
The cluster of emotions running through me
was exhausting. On one hand, my heart was still pounding in my
chest from being so close to Ace. But on the other hand, I knew how
the other interns felt about aliens and humans dating. Who knew
what the other aliens would think?
My mom called sometime that afternoon. Even
though I could hear the phone vibrating on my dresser it felt like
it was a million miles away. I was lost in my own thoughts. Was
this what Juliet felt like as she pined for Romeo? Deny thy father
and refuse thy name. Could it really be that easy? The way my whole
body trembled at the very thought of Ace's lips on mine made me
think that I could defy the stars for him, but the lingering
feeling of Gavin's glare made me wonder if it was even
possible.
By Monday morning I realized it was time that
I call my mom back. If I didn't, I knew she would just call my dad
panicking and I didn't want him coming to my room and asking where
I had been.
"Alexandra! I feel like it's been forever
since I've heard your voice," mom proclaimed. I could hear the
sounds of opera music in the background and knew she was probably
sitting in her office working on a new manuscript. Sometimes it was
hard to tell if her overdramatic outbursts were directed at me or
her characters.
"It really hasn't been that long." Greetings
weren't a huge thing between mom and me. She said it was just a
waste of breath to say hello when the other person knew who was
calling anyway, so formalities didn't matter.
"It seems like forever." She let out a deep
breath. "How is everything there in the desert? I assume the
internship is going well?"
"Yep, everything is going great."
"Have you met any boys? Is that why you
haven't been returning my calls and e-mails?" I could practically
see her eyebrows wiggling on the other end of the phone.
"That's really not something a daughter
discusses with her mom."
"I knew it!" I heard her clap her hands
together "So tell me what is he like? Does your father know?"
I wasn't expecting mom's sudden mound of
questions. I thought about what would happen if my father really
did know, or what mom would say if I told her the boy was actually
an alien and I spent the night with him.
"Well Mom, it looks like it's almost time for
work to start. I'd better get going so I'm not late," I stammered,
trying to get off the phone as quickly as possible to avoid the
questions.
She sighed. "Oh fine. I guess I should be
getting Elijah ready for his music class anyway. But don't think
I've forgotten about this conversation."
"I won't, Mom. Talk to you soon."
"Ciao."
I hung up the phone and realized that I was
still in my towel with my hair unbrushed, so I got up and quickly
got ready to face the world. I
back, wiping away my water-soaked tears as if she could actually
see them through the curtain.
“Do you want to talk about it?" Jen said
softly as she leaned in closer to the curtain.
I swallowed hard. I didn’t want to lie to
Jen, but I also wondered what her reaction would be if she knew the
truth. “It’s fine. I just fell asleep in the office, no big
deal.”
I was hoping that would be enough and she
would go back into the room, but she just stood there against the
curtain.
“Did you see Ace while you were there?" Her
question wasn't pointed, and I didn't think anyone had seen me
leave his room, but for some reason Jen's words made me defensive.
I turned off the water and ripped my towel off the rack. I threw
open the shower curtain and wrapped the towel hastily around
me.
“Why do you assume just because I didn’t come
to the room last night that I was with Ace?”
Jen's eyes widened. “Whoa, Alex, I was just
asking a question.”
“Well, don’t. I’m fine." I stormed past Jen
and threw myself in bed, covering myself from head to toe in my
comforter.
I heard Jen walk out of the bathroom and her
and Riley whispering, but they didn’t bother me. In fact they
didn’t bother me for the rest of the day.
The cluster of emotions running through me
was exhausting. On one hand, my heart was still pounding in my
chest from being so close to Ace. But on the other hand, I knew how
the other interns felt about aliens and humans dating. Who knew
what the other aliens would think?
My mom called sometime that afternoon. Even
though I could hear the phone vibrating on my dresser it felt like
it was a million miles away. I was lost in my own thoughts. Was
this what Juliet felt like as she pined for Romeo? Deny thy father
and refuse thy name. Could it really be that easy? The way my whole
body trembled at the very thought of Ace's lips on mine made me
think that I could defy the stars for him, but the lingering
feeling of Gavin's glare made me wonder if it was even
possible.
By Monday morning I realized it was time that
I call my mom back. If I didn't, I knew she would just call my dad
panicking and I didn't want him coming to my room and asking where
I had been.
"Alexandra! I feel like it's been forever
since I've heard your voice," mom proclaimed. I could hear the
sounds of opera music in the background and knew she was probably
sitting in her office working on a new manuscript. Sometimes it was
hard to tell if her overdramatic outbursts were directed at me or
her characters.
"It really hasn't been that long." Greetings
weren't a huge thing between mom and me. She said it was just a
waste of breath to say hello when the other person knew who was
calling anyway, so formalities didn't matter.
"It seems like forever." She let out a deep
breath. "How is everything there in the desert? I assume the
internship is going well?"
"Yep, everything is going great."
"Have you met any boys? Is that why you
haven't been returning my calls and e-mails?" I could practically
see her eyebrows wiggling on the other end of the phone.
"That's really not something a daughter
discusses with her mom."
"I knew it!" I heard her clap her hands
together "So tell me what is he like? Does your father know?"
I wasn't expecting mom's sudden mound of
questions. I thought about what would happen if my father really
did know, or what mom would say if I told her the boy was actually
an alien and I spent the night with him.
"Well Mom, it looks like it's almost time for
work to start. I'd better get going so I'm not late," I stammered,
trying to get off the phone as quickly as possible to avoid the
questions.
She sighed. "Oh fine. I guess I should be
getting Elijah ready for his music class anyway. But don't think
I've forgotten about this conversation."
"I won't, Mom. Talk to you soon."
"Ciao."
I hung up the phone and realized that I was
still in my towel with my hair unbrushed, so I got up and quickly
got ready to face the world. I
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