How to Date an Alien by Magan Vernon Page A

sucked in my breath and made the
walk down the hall to the cafeteria. I felt like all eyes were on
me, but I knew of only one pair that was staring at me so intently
that it took everything I had to look away.
    Ace didn’t approach me like he usually did in
the lunch line before we retreated to our separate spaces. He just
sat there, staring from his table. When other people would catch
his gaze he would look away, but part of me knew that he was still
watching in his own way.
    “So, Riley said that you had a late night in
the office on Saturday?" Justin asked as I sat down at the
table.
    I glared in Riley’s direction, but she didn’t
look up from her bowl. Everyone was watching for my reaction. I sat
there in silence.
    “Look who finally decided to come out of her
room,” Gavin yelled and plopped down next to me. “I was afraid that
Ace creep took advantage of you and you’d be missing your organs or
something.”
    Jen shot Gavin a warning glare, but he
ignored her and inched closer to me. His breath was hot on my
ear.
    “Tell me, Alex, what is sex like with an
alien? Does he even have a dick? Or does he just probe you with
those nasty gloved fingers?”
    “Gavin!" Jen screeched and stood up from the
table.
    I looked around to see if everyone in the
room was staring at us. I saw the only person that I cared about
was looking right at us. As soon as Ace saw me look in his
direction he stood up and walked out of the cafeteria. He didn't
even bother to say anything as he pushed his way past people until
he made his way out of the cafeteria.
    “Look, she’s even still watching him. I knew
I was right about her." Riley shook her head. “That’s just
disgusting, fawning over him like that.”
    I didn’t look at anyone at the table as I
stood up. “I’m not hungry anymore."
    I tossed my tray into the trash and started
running down the hall as fast as I could. I stopped when I saw Ace
sitting in the office, staring blankly at the computer screen.
    “Hey." I took my seat next to him. He didn’t
move. He didn’t even look in my direction. “About what happened in
the cafeteria…”
    “I heard what they said Alex. I’m not deaf. I
actually have a really sharp sense of hearing." He turned toward
me; his eyes were so black that they looked darker than any
storming sky. I gasped, hoping that he really wasn’t as dangerous
as everyone said he was.
    “What bothers me is that you didn’t say
anything back. You just let them say all of those things about me
and you. Like you actually believed them. And by the way you ran
out of my room yesterday, I’m pretty sure that you do." He turned
back toward the computer.
    “Oh and by the way, yeah, I do have a dick,
but I’m not just going to go parading it around and start acting
like one. Like your little Boston friend.”
    I couldn't put into words how I felt and I
didn't know how to apologize. So I did the only other thing I knew
would do what words couldn't. I pushed my chair back and grabbed
his face with a strength I didn’t even know existed, turning him
toward me to crush his lips against mine. It took him a little
while before he even moved, but when he did the kiss was even
fierier than our first. Every part of me ached to be near him and a
cold flame surged through me. His lips molded to mine and he curved
his arms around my body, his heart beating wildly against my
own.
    I pulled away, panting, as I pressed my
forehead to his. Staring into his eyes, I could see they were no
longer the color of my nightmares, but more like the color of my
dreams. "I'm sorry," I murmured.
    He grinned, wrapping his arms tighter around
my body. Even though the temperature control suit, I could feel the
warmth spread across my back. "Maybe we should fight more often if
you're going to have this kind of reaction."
    He kissed me again, not holding back as his
fingers slid down my body, letting every part of me that wasn’t
covered by the suit feel his warmth. I didn’t know where