Understanding the Stars Read online

  He leaned forward and said quietly, “You too, Alex,” and then he stepped back into the house and closed the door.

  The music was suddenly gone, replaced with the raw chirping of crickets. Suddenly the sprinklers kicked on. It felt like a spell had been broken. I climbed back into my car and the radio started playing some obnoxious song. I turned it off and listened to the sound of my tires as I drove.

  To be honest, as good-looking and mysterious as he was, I was a little worried that he might be some kind of stalker or something. What did he mean when he said he was going to miss me? We’d met all of twice for a grand total of maybe ten minutes. Not to mention that the only thing he knew about me was that I worked for a pizza joint.

  Or at least, that’s all he should know about me. But the way he looked at me—so affectionately—and talked—made me wonder if he’d been following me around without my knowing it. You heard about those kinds of stories all the time on the news—people installing hidden cameras in strangers’ houses and stuff. The types of stories that make people double check their locks every night.

  “Alex?” Cora asked, and I jumped.

  We were in the middle of math class, and I had been frowning at the window.

  “You okay?” she asked. “You’ve been so tense lately.”

  “Have I?” I responded. But of course I had been. I knew it was stupid, and probably egotistic, but I couldn’t stop worrying that the mystery man was watching me somehow. It was beginning to haunt all my thoughts.

  “Yeah. You shouldn’t be so stressed,” Cora said. “School’s almost over!”

  “You’re right,” I said. “I need to chill.”

  She smiled and handed me the pencil that had fallen from my desk.

  That afternoon right after school I decided to take Cora’s advice and let go of my stress. I got in my car as usual, but instead of turning left toward home, I took a right. I wasn’t exactly sure what it was I was looking for. Some sort of sign that he really had left, so I could stop imagining him peering at me through binoculars.

  The house looked regal as ever, but quiet. There was no sign of life, but then again, there hadn’t really been any the other two nights I’d been here. I deliberated about buzzing the intercom—what would I say if someone answered? —but decided I had to. I’d come all this way.

  Nervously, I pushed the little black button next to the speaker. There was no buzz, no answer, no sign of any response at all. Then I noticed that the gate now had a shiny chain with a padlock around it.

  Well then. I thought I’d feel more relief that my imaginary stalker was gone, but really, my heart sank.

  Stop being so stupid, I told myself. You didn’t even know him—not even his name. Get a grip. I repeated this to myself during the long drive home, but for some reason it didn’t sink in.

  The next several days were a blur of school, work, and family, up to the weekend my parents invited Aunt Claire and Uncle Jed over for a night out. Dad said he was sick of being in the house, and so, with the doctor’s blessing, they headed out to their favorite restaurant. Guess who ended up babysitting her little cousins.

  Really, though, I didn’t mind. Lily, the seven-year-old, just loved to talk and as long as you listened (or pretended), she was easy to watch. Her younger brother, Ash, mostly liked to run around outside, kicking soccer balls and digging up bugs.

  So while the adults were “out and should be back by nine”, I decided to take the kids to the park. They dashed off to the playground, leaving me alone at the picnic table. The spring temperatures seemed perfect to me—the sort of weather you could wear shorts or jackets in and still be comfortable. I pulled out a copy of the last book we were reading in English—The Martian Chronicles—and started reading.

  It was then, just as I was just losing touch with the world around me, that I felt someone’s weight settle down on the bench next to me.

  I looked up, a little annoyed that someone would choose to sit right by my side when practically the whole park was empty.

  It was him. Right there, right next to me. Just as I was starting to be able to make it through a day without thinking about him, he turns up.

  “Hi Alex,” he smiled at me.

  I stared at him in disbelief. “What are you doing here?” I demanded.

  “I need to talk to you,” he answered solemnly.

  “You left—I went by your house and you were gone. I thought you were gone.”

  “We did leave,” he said. “But, circumstances changed. And I’m going to need to talk to you about that.”

  I was really suspicious now. Didn’t matter what he looked like, we didn’t know each other and he couldn’t pretend we did.

  “Look,” I said sternly, “I don’t know what your deal is, but you’re starting to creep me out. You need to leave me alone.”

  I thought he’d be offended, but he just ran his hand through his dark hair and sighed. “I’m really, really sorry about this whole situation, Alex—very much so. But I can’t leave you alone now. There are things you need to know and I’m going to need you to listen with an open mind.”

  I thought about that for a minute. The part of me that was wary of him ended up losing out to the part of me that was curious about what he might have to say.

  “Okay,” I finally said. “Let’s have it.”

  “Not now,” he said. “Will you meet me tonight?”

  The wary part suddenly seized control again. He must’ve seen it on my face.

  “Somewhere public,” he said quickly. “The bowling alley?”

  “All right. I’ll meet you there at 9:30.” I said. “But you should know that I have questions and I’ll be expecting answers.”

  “9:30,” he confirmed and then abruptly walked away.

  I was a little bit in shock about seeing him again—especially so unexpectedly—and I knew it would be pointless to try to get back into my book now. I called to Lily and Ash that it was time to go and we headed home.

  Chapter 3

  You’ll tell her tonight, then?

  “Yes.”

  And extend an invitation?

  “Yes.”

  Once you’ve spoken the truth to her, there’s no turning back.

  “I know.”

  You seem reticent.

  “I’m worried.”

  When my parents, aunt, and uncle returned, I told my mom I was going out to meet a friend at the bowling alley. She didn’t like me going out so late, but she didn’t hassle me too much. It was Friday after all.

  The bowling alley wasn’t far so I didn’t have a lot of time to ponder about what might be in store for me tonight. I was nervous about meeting a stranger at night. For the first time I appreciated how well lit the parking lot was.

  Entering the noisy building, I saw him immediately sitting in the far back booth of the food court area. He didn’t wave when he saw me, just nodded slightly. As I approached him, I noticed that he must’ve been sitting there for a while: an order of nachos was practically gone, and an empty coke sat beside it.

  Glancing around to double check that we could easily be seen by others, I sat down in the booth across from him.

  “Thank you for coming,” he said cordially.

  I took a breath. He really was too attractive. But I couldn’t let that distract me.

  “What’s your name?” I asked with arms folded.

  His eyebrows rose in surprise at my abruptness.

  “Ronan,” he said.

  I waited.

  “Omari. Ronan Omari.”

  “What do you want with me, Ronan?”

  He looked at me and paused. I waited while he thought for a moment. “I think I need to go back to the beginning. Can I order you something to eat? This may take some time.”

  “I’m not hungry,“ I said. “The beginning of what?”

  “At least let me just get you something to drink,” he said, then went to the counter. He brought back a fountain drink in a red-striped cup. “Sprite with e
xtra ice,” he said, holding it out for me.

  I didn’t take it. “Now you’re really starting to freak me out. How do you know I always get extra ice?” I said, staring at the drink like it was filled with poison. It was easier to think when I didn’t look at him. “Or was that just a lucky guess,” I said sarcastically.

  “Not a lucky guess.” He set the cup down on the table.

  “Well, then?”

  He sat down and fiddled with the booth’s salt shaker for a second.

  “Do you believe in aliens?” he asked.

  My eyebrows jumped in surprise at his question, but I considered it before answering. “I never really decided. I suppose I haven’t ruled out the possibility.”

  “Well, it’s a definite possibility,” he said. “In fact, it’s a fact.”

  “Are you telling me you’re an alien?” I laughed abruptly.

  He continued patiently. “No—not in the way you’re thinking—no. I’m definitely human. But…”

  “Go on.”

  “I’ve never had this conversation before,” he said, almost to himself. “It’s not easy.”

  That made me feel a little guilty about being so callous. A little more politely, I said, “Okay. If you say there’s aliens, there’s aliens. What does that have to do with me? Or you?”

  He took a deep breath. “Okay, Alex, here it is. Remember the part about an open mind.

  “A long time ago—about four thousand years ago, right around the time the Egyptian Pyramids were built, an advanced race of aliens visited earth. Mainly they were anthropologists—seeking to study other planets, species, cultures, and such, but do them no harm. They got along so well with the ‘earthlings’, that some of the people decided to go with the aliens when it came time for them to leave.”

  He paused to sip the last of his soda. “You with me so far?”

  “So aliens really did help build the pyramids?”

  “Right.”

  “Huh,” was the only response I could come up with.

  “Well, that group of people continued to travel with this population of aliens—they’re called the Solamure—and continued to have children. And some of those human children have continued to tour the stars alongside them. We call ourselves Starsailors.”

  “We?”

  “Right,” he smiled at me tentatively. “So no, I’m not actually an alien the way people usually think, but I wasn’t born on earth. I was born on a ship during a voyage.”

  “Okaaay,” I responded slowly, then took a long drink from the soda. Then I looked up at him. “So then what?”

  “Well, the Solamure decided to revisit earth—mostly because the civilization and culture has changed so dramatically since the last time, but to do so more secretly. Like, undercover.”

  “So…. How long have you been here?” I asked. I didn’t want my skepticism to stop his storytelling. If nothing else, it was entertaining.

  “A little over 3 earth years. Sorry—over 3 years.”

  “Well, that explains the accent. So what have you been doing? You know, when you’re not ordering cheap pizza?”

  He smiled a little. “It’s like I said, we observe and study. To get a more accurate sample of the human population, the Solamure have spread out globally. I was assigned here.” He paused. “We try to observe on both a wide scale and personal scale,” he said carefully.

  He was suddenly avoiding eye contact.

  “What does that mean?” I inquired.

  He hesitated, stalling for time by fiddling with his empty cup.

  “Here, have a drink if you want,” I offered, pushing my cup over to him. The sound of someone hitting a strike and a loud cheer rose up from a nearby alley. He ignored my offer and continued.

  “Okay, well, here comes the first part you’re not going to like.”

  “The first part?”

  “I’m the bearer of bad news tonight,” he said seriously. “The Solamure have incredible technology—far, far more advanced than earth right now. They use it to help them gather information… Sometimes some of that technology is implanted into a random sample of the population. It allows the Solamure to see, hear, and well, basically experience what that person experiences. It’s very valuable, from a research point of view.”

  It was clear where this was going. “So you’re saying that I have some sort of—what, alien microchip? —implanted in me?” I tried not to laugh, but couldn’t keep a smile from escaping.

  “Yes,” he said looking solemnly at me. “And I was assigned to record and analyze all the data.”

  “You were—what? So you have been stalking me!” I exclaimed, a little too loudly. Several people looked over in our direction, and I blushed. A little more composedly I said, “Um… How could all of this happen without me knowing about any of it?”

  “Alex, it’s okay to freak out. Anyone would freak out. In fact, you’re handling all this remarkably well. I’m sorry to have to tell you so many things tonight that are going to upset you. In all the time I’ve been watching you, I’ve come to … admire the person you are.”

  I ignored his creepy compliment. “How could any of this happen without me knowing about it?”

  “It’s a very complex procedure, but basically, you’re given a heavy sleeping drug—you were only 14—and once you’re asleep for the night, they implant the device into you. You slept long and hard, and woke up complaining of a headache, but other than that, there wasn’t anything to be aware of.”

  My hand automatically went to the small bump of scar tissue I had near the base of my skull. I raised my eyebrows at him, and he nodded.

  “So… everything? Everything I’ve done since I was 14 you’ve watched? And recorded? And analyzed?” I started to freak out—remembering every awkward and embarrassing thing I’ve ever done. My face flooded with heat.

  “Alex, it’s okay,” he said again, trying to be soothing. “The Solamure understand how human beings are. They understand that—on some level, subconsciously, people know when they are being watched. They put in—censors—of a kind. It’s not like you haven’t had any privacy.”

  Still blushing, I thought about that, then decided I didn’t want to know any of the details. It would probably just make it worse. Not that I believed him.

  “Okay, so, why are you telling me this now? I’m no science genius, but I do know that your data will be ruined from now on, if I’m aware of the experiment.”

  “Ah, well. That’s the second piece of bad news.”

  It gets worse?

  “There’s another race of aliens—not so peaceful as the Solamure—whose main objective is to acquire advanced technology—Solamure technology.”

  He leaned forward and said, more quietly, “We just received word—only yesterday—that they have developed the ability to track this technology—like a radar of sorts. Which basically means that not only do the Solamure need to leave, but they need to take every piece of technology with them so that there isn’t any trace left on earth.”

  It didn’t take long to register what his meaning. “You mean me. You need to take back whatever infernal device you stuck inside me before you go. Geez! Why couldn’t you just take it in my sleep and leave me out of all this?”

  This was getting out of hand—his story was starting to get to me.

  “It’s not as simple as that,” Ronan said heavily. “Once it’s been implanted, it can’t be removed. At least, not without killing you.”

  “… This can’t be real,” I said.

  “I wish—for your sake—it wasn’t.”

  “Prove it,” I said suddenly. “You need to prove it to me.”

  He was slightly taken aback by my sudden demand, but he recovered quickly and started thinking. “Well, you like to eat breakfast cereal—usually Chex—without milk. You keep an old porcelain unicorn that you got from Santa when you were young in the top of your closet. The second button on your car stereo is broken. Your favorite—”

  I interrupted his me
ntal checklist. It was alarming, to have him listing things off like that, but I wasn’t satisfied with it. “Any regular stalker could tell you any of that.”

  He sat in silence for a moment, then said, “When you’re alone you hum quietly to yourself. Sometimes you’ll spend hours working on one homework problem, and you never give up until you get the answer. When you’re sad, you draw in the sketchbook you keep under your bed. And when you’re happy, you drive with your hand out the window of the car and fly your hand up and down. Also, you discreetly slipped your last bit of cash onto Tara’s lunch tray yesterday when you saw she didn’t have anything to eat.”

  I stared at him for a moment, completely bewildered that this stranger could know me so intimately. Then the reality of the situation sunk in. My thoughts twisted, scrambling at any explanation that would reject the horrible reality he was presenting, but somehow couldn’t. Maybe I’d subconsciously known all along.

  “Oh crap. I really do have something in my head, don’t I?” I buried my head in my arms. “And if you can’t get it out, then…”

  “Then I have to ask you to come with us. There really is no choice. If the Kema’dor—those are the dangerous aliens—find you, they’ll do what’s necessary to take the device from you. And they won’t do it nicely.”

  “So I’m supposed to just….leave. Leave everything—my whole life, my family, my friends—all of it and just—“

  “Yes.”

  This couldn’t be happening,

  “Please,” he pleaded, and his voice was suddenly heartbreakingly vulnerable.

  An employee from the bowling alley suddenly appeared by our table. “We’re closing up,” she said. “I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

  “Of course,” Ronan said and stood.

  I glanced at my phone—how could it already be so late? Then he offered his hand to me and I took it, a little surprised how shaky I felt. He helped me stand and I walked in a stupor out to my car. When I got there I took my keys out and looked at him.

  “So will you do it?” he asked softly.