Out of this World Read online

  Zeekee nodded. “Yes, yes they do.”

  Mom looked at Zeekee. She looked back at me. I could tell she fought back a sigh. She knew she wasn’t getting the entire story, but decided to let it go for now. She looked at Zeekee again, then glanced at me. “Well, I trust my daughter. She is a great person, so I’m sure she will do the right thing.”

  “I think so too!” Zeekee said.

  Mom looked at her watch. “I have a date tonight, but I can cancel it if you kids want, and I'll show you around. Or, you can come out with Oscar and me.”

  I answered before Zeekee. “That’s fine Mom. I want to take Zeekee to Mr. T’s to meet the gang and all.”

  Mom stood up. “Okay, I’d better go get ready. You two have fun. And Zeekee, welcome to Earth.”

  “Zow! Your mom is so zoopoo!” Zeekee said as Mom walked out of the room.

  “I assume that’s good,” I said.

  Zeekee grinned. “Oh, it’s the best!”

  Dear Diary: Okay, this Zeekee is the most unique and interesting guy I’ve ever met. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised since he is from another world and all. I find him pretty cool. I certainly want to get to know him better. Should I be worried that he didn’t tell my mom the entire truth?????

  NAH! I’m sure he was just being considerate and didn’t want to worry her. He knows I’m Super Teen and can handle pretty much whatever the universe throws at me. So why bother Mom with silly little details like…an alien army might be coming after him?

  Pizza Hangout

  I took out my phone and texted Jason.

  LIA> Pizza at Mr. T’s with the gang?

  JASON>Is the alien dude still here?

  LIA>Yes, of course.

  There was a pause.

  JASON>Sure…..

  LIA>Good! I want him 2 meet the gang.

  JASON>Probably a smart idea…if there are aliens after him it will be good to have backup.

  LIA> I can handle myself.

  JASON>Agreed, but it’s nice to have powerful friends 2.

  Now I paused.

  LIA>Ur right. ☺

  JASON>Meet u outside in 5.

  Before I knew it, Jason, Zeekee and I were walking to Mr. Ts. I was glad that Jason had agreed to come. I wanted him to like Zeekee.

  “You’ll love the pizza, wings, and milkshakes at Mr. Ts,” I told my alien friend.

  “Yeah, they’re the best,” Jason agreed.

  “So you humans eat wings? How do the birds fly without them? Don’t you get feathers in your mouth?” Zeekee asked.

  “Okay, first of all, you have to stop referring to us as…you humans,” Jason said. “And the wings have had the feathers removed.”

  “Watching milk shake will be fun!” Zeekee said.

  Jason looked at me. “How are you going to explain Zeekee to regular people?”

  “Regular people?” Zeekee asked.

  “People who aren’t super and don’t know I am Super Teen,” I said to Zeekee.

  I turned to Jason. “I’m going to say he’s my cousin, visiting from another country. I figure I’ll say Ireland. I don’t think many people here in Starlight City know much about Ireland.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” Jason nodded.

  “So, there are other super people, besides you and those three that helped us earlier?” Zeekee asked. “I was unaware.”

  “Remember, that’s because I’m the only one who is out in the open,” I explained. “Two girls have been given super powers by having bio-implants. Two others gained powers after a nuclear accident. So they are more behind the scenes.”

  “Oh, I understand,” Zeekee said. “They want to keep their secrets.”

  “Yes,” I said.

  “And we really should keep their secrets, too!” Jason lectured, looking at me.

  “Just like we have to keep your secret that you are an alien,” I told Zeekee.

  “Why is that?”

  “It’s the same reason I wear a disguise when I use my superpowers in public. When people find out you can do special things, some might want you to do favors for them, some might be scared of you, some might want to study you, and some may want to hurt your friends to get to you.”

  “Zow, I never thought of that,” Zeekee said, hand on his chest. “I will keep your secrets from other humans. I promise.”

  “Thank you, Zeekee,” I said, patting him on the shoulder.

  We walked into Mr. T’s. Zeekee’s eyes popped open and so did his mouth. I found it cute. Mr. T’s was packed with people. It looked like one of those nights when everybody in town had decided to eat there. The aroma of pizza and fries seemed to dance through the dining room, and music from the jukebox could be heard above all the loud chatter.

  We spotted Krista and Tim at a table with three spare seats and headed towards them. Of course, to get there, we had to pass by the cool kids’ table where Wendi Long and her sidekicks, Patti Queen and Maggie Carr sat. And of course, Wendi’s boyfriend, Brandon Gold sat alongside her. Despite being Wendi’s boyfriend, Brandon happened to be a decent caring guy. Regardless of that, it definitely helped that he was so good looking and had a smile brighter than the sun.

  Wendi stood up and looked at me like she was a queen lording over her servant. “So, Lia, who’s your friend?”

  Patti and Maggie stood up as well.

  “He’s my cousin, Zeekee,” I said.

  Wendi tilted her head back, getting a good view of Zeekee. “You share DNA with HIM? Or is he adopted?”

  “Haha!” I said.

  Wendi held out her hand to Zeekee. “I’m Wendi, I’m captain of the LAX team that Lia plays on.”

  “Oh, how nice,” Zeekee told her.

  Wendi shot me a glance. “Lori and Marie are putting in extra practice tonight. If you were dedicated, you would be too.”

  I knew Lori and Marie weren’t really practicing. They were at my dad’s lab, working on their powers. I could tell Wendi was trying to stir me into a fight, as well as making me look bad. But it wasn’t going to happen. “Sorry, Wendi, I didn’t have time after winning that election and all. I had to really get familiar with all the school laws and regulations. Plus, I wanted to show my cousin around.” It felt so good letting Wendi know that I had won the election and beaten her in the process.

  “Wait, say what?” Wendi gulped, her mouth dropping open.

  “Steve told me. They will announce the winner tomorrow morning. But I won!” I said.

  “That’s impossible!” Wendi said, aghast.

  “You’ll see in the morning,” I replied, unable to help the smug grin that had appeared on my face.

  “I know one thing for sure, your cousin is dreamy,” Maggie smiled.

  “I assure you, ladies I am wide awake,” Zeekee said.

  The three girls giggled. I caught Jason and Brandon exchanging glances. They didn’t see the humor in Zeekee’s words at all.

  Patti touched Zeekee gently on the shoulder. “Plus, you have a sense of humor,” she told him.

  Zeekee puffed out his chest. “Plus, I have a sense of smell, sight, and touch!” he said proudly.

  Wendi, Maggie, and Patti giggled even more. “You are so CUTE!” Wendi said.

  I ignored her comment and led Zeekee past the table towards my real friends.

  Krista’s eyes perked up the moment she saw Zeekee. “Who’s this new cutie?” she asked, being much more forward than usual.

  “He’s my cousin, Zeekee,” I said.

  “Yes, I am her cousin from the land of Ireland,” Zeekee said, playing along.

  “Let’s all just sit,” Jason sighed.

  Christy smiled. I could tell she was pleased to hear that Zeekee was my cousin, rather than my “friend” and she could not take her eyes from him.

  Christy slid over to make room for Zeekee. “So, if you like milkshakes, let me tell you…the milkshakes here are to die for!”

  Zeekee turned whiter than usual. “Well, I am interested in seeing milk shake, but I do wish to
live.” His voice trembled slightly.

  Christy laughed. “Oh Zeekee, you have the most wonderful sense of humor.”

  “To die for, is an expression we use, meaning really, really good,” Tim said.

  “Oh, I will have one of those then! What else is good?” he asked.

  “Dude, you can’t go wrong with the hamburger and onion rings,” Tim grinned.

  “Agreed,” Jason said.

  Zeekee looked at me.

  “These guys know their foods!” I assured him.

  I don’t need to go into much detail here, let’s just say, Zeekee really loved Earth food. He gobbled it down faster than I’d ever seen anybody eat. His manners were “less than stellar” but somehow he made it work. In fact, the eyes of every girl in the place appeared to be locked on him. After we ate and took in the sights and scents of Mr. T’s, I suggested I show Zeekee our lake. Zeekee leaped at the idea.

  A bunch of the other girls wanted to come as well, but I actually used my command voice to make them stay. Yeah, I felt kind of bad using my powers like that. But I needed to protect Zeekee’s privacy. That’s what I told myself, anyway.

  I loved walking along Starlight City lake shore. The sparkling blue water and fresh air always seemed to revive my senses. And today, the walk along the lake felt extra special. I was able to show off our amazing lake to my amazing new friend, Zeekee. Jason walked with us too. He was such a good buddy, he always had my back.

  As we walked along the pathway by the water’s edge, Zeekee’s eyes were wide with surprise. “I’ve never seen such blue water!” he said. “This is such a wonderful place. Why aren’t there more people here?”

  “Yeah, that’s a really good question,” Jason replied, looking curiously at me.

  I shrugged. “I may be sending out thoughts keeping people away,” I admitted. “But my thought control is a very new power, so sometimes it activates without me wanting it to.”

  “Yeah, well that would explain it….” Jason said.

  “I like being alone with you, Lia!” Zeekee beamed.

  “Why thank you!” I smiled.

  “Ahem, not quite alone, standing right here,” Jason said.

  Zeekee smiled. He nudged me. “Maybe we should send Jason home?”

  I had to confess, I had thought about it. But no, Jason was my closest buddy. And I had only known Zeekee for a few hours. “Nah, let’s keep him around.”

  “Gee thanks,” Jason replied.

  Suddenly, Jason turned white. He pointed behind us and said, “This doesn’t look good…”

  Zeekee and I turned to see about a hundred winged monkeys flying over the lake. Each of the monkeys carried a long metal rod.

  “OMS, I think my mom sent them,” Zeekee said.

  “How bad is this?” I asked Zeekee.

  The monkey’s aimed their rods, blasting us with energy beams. I moved at super speed using my body to shield both Zeekee and Jason. Still, the force of the beams sent Zeekee and Jason flying backward. I held my ground.

  “I think that answers your question,” Jason called to me from the ground.

  “Look, flying monkey things, I’m not going to monkey around with you!” I shouted.

  The monkeys opened fire on me again. Hundreds of beams of energy streamed at me. I braced for impact. The beams froze.

  “Man, you get yourself into all sorts of trouble,” I heard the familiar voice of Tanya from behind me.

  “How’d you know I was in trouble?” I asked, now having all the time in the world.

  “Jason texted me,” she smiled.

  “How’d you get here so fast?”

  Tanya pointed to the frozen monkeys and frozen beams of energy. “Ah, time control. Remember?”

  “Oh right…”

  “I hate to do such a big freeze, but this called for it,” Tanya said. She pointed to the frozen Zeekee and Jason. “So, what’s the story with the red-haired kid?”

  “He’s Zeekee and he’s from another planet, and I find him kind of cute,” I said.

  Tanya shrugged. “If you say so.” Tanya turned her attention back to the frozen monkeys. “Now, what do we do about these rejects from Oz?”

  “Not really sure,” I said. “I could blast them with heat vision but that seems mean…”

  “Mind if I try something?” Tanya asked me.

  “No, of course not. What do you have in mind?”

  “Well,” she smiled. “I just ate garlic pizza with extra garlic.”

  “You’re kidding,” I said.

  She exhaled lightly on me. I staggered backward. My head spun for a moment. If I wasn’t super, I might have been knocked out cold. “Whoa, you’re not kidding!”

  “Yeah, what can I say…I love garlic! But here’s the plan, I breathe out. You use your arms to push the breath at the flying monkeys. I’ll keep them frozen but make it like they’ve been breathing in my garlic breath all day. Kind of like I did to you with my shoe odor that time!”

  “You do have a bit of an evil side,” I grinned.

  She smiled at me then turned towards the monkeys and exhaled. I used my arms to push the garlic breath towards the suspended monkeys. Tanya locked her light blue eyes on the monkeys. She raised her arm. She snapped her fingers. The monkeys started to move. They all grabbed their throats and dropped out of the sky. They hit the water and then disappeared in a sudden burst of electric energy.

  “Now that was different,” Tanya said.

  Jason and Zeekee also unfroze and moved toward us. “Who is this tall Earth girl?” Zeekee asked.

  “I’m Tanya,” Tanya said, seeming far less impressed than most of the other girls.

  “A pleasure to meet you, Miss Tanya,” Zeekee said with a bow.

  “Sure,” Tanya said.

  “What happened to all the flying monkeys?” Jason asked.

  “We blew them out of the sky and they hit the water and vanished,” Tanya replied.

  Zeekee nodded. “That’s my mother’s work. She recalled them after they failed. But she will try again.”

  “In that case, I suggest we get back home, pronto,” I said. “Tanya, you want to come?”

  “Nah, I told my mom I’d watch my little sister, Kayla tonight. But if you need me….call. I can be there in under a second.”

  “So she has powers too?” Zeekee asked as we headed back to my house.

  “She does…” I replied.

  “Yeah, but Lia’s are more well-rounded,” Jason said, cutting me off from saying more.

  Dear Diary: It’s amazing how the other girls react to Zeekee. They all agree with me that he’s really cute. Well, all of them except Tanya and Jess. I guess nobody appeals to everybody. I can’t help thinking that Jason might be a little jealous. I suppose I should be slightly concerned that Zeekee’s mom sent a small army of flying monkeys after us. But I’m not. I can handle whatever she throws at me!

  Home Front

  We arrived home to be greeted by Mom, Grandma, Dad and Hana, all sitting at the dining room table. I knew this wasn’t a simple meet and greet.

  “Ah what’s going on?” I asked though I didn’t really want to know.

  Dad stood up. “Is this the alien boy?” he said, pointing to Zeekee.

  Zeekee nodded. “Yes sir, I am.” He turned to me. “Who are these people?”

  “My dad, my grandma, and Hana, my dad’s assistant,” I said.

  “Why are they here?” Zeekee asked.

  “Jason told us about the attack at the lake,” Dad replied.

  “We’re concerned….” Mom said.

  “We think Zeekee should stay at BMS Labs with us,” Hana added, matter of factly.

  “Wait, why?” I frowned.

  “I feel we can protect him there,” Dad said.

  I walked to the table. I slammed my hand down smashing the table in half. “I can protect him!”

  “Lia, calm down,” Mom said.

  “Oops, sorry,” I said, looking at the cracked oak table. “But I’m a superhe
ro. I can protect him.”

  “Honey, we’re not saying you can’t protect him, but he would be safer at your dad’s lab, and so would everybody around you. After all, most of your friends are just normal kids. By having Zeekee around, you are putting them in danger,” Grandma explained.

  I heard Grandma’s words. I knew they made sense, yet they still made me angry.

  “But…”

  “You can still visit with him after school and on weekends,” Mom said.

  “Lia, it’s only logical he stay at a guarded facility where everybody around is a professional,” Hana said. “Plus, we have the best defensive system on the planet.”

  “Honey, I told you a while ago that aliens were coming. We’ve been preparing for this. Your friend will be treated like a respected guest. I promise!” Dad said.

  “What if he doesn’t want to go,” I glanced at Zeekee, who was standing quietly beside me.

  “As an advanced being, I am sure he will see the logic in our thought process,” Hana said. “We are better equipped to suit your needs, Zeekee.” She stared towards him.

  “What does that mean?” I asked.

  “For instance, we have a full wardrobe of clothes for him. Can you provide that?”

  I took a step back. “I guess not…”

  All eyes turned to Zeekee. He lowered his head. “I do not wish to cause Lia Strong any trouble. After all, I consider her very special.” He looked up. “I will go with you!”

  “Good,” Dad said, getting to his feet. “I’ve ordered a stealth hover vehicle. It will land in the backyard in three minutes.”

  Zeekee bent over and gave me a hug. “You will visit me?” he asked.

  “Every day after school. And I will come on the weekends…I go there for training, anyhow.”

  Zeekee smiled and my heart fluttered. “Excellent!” he said.

  He turned away and headed out the back door with Hana and Dad. I knew this was probably for the best, but that didn’t mean I had to be happy about it. Sometimes doing the right thing is the hardest thing.

  “Well, it’s getting late,” Jason said. He had been standing quietly aside, taking in the conversation around him. “I’d better be getting home. Lia, I’ll see you tomorrow when we walk to school.”