Star Chaser

Chapter Eighteen

I was grounded, which worked just fine for me considering I couldn't really get far from the house without crutches, which I now needed. Orion took over what little work I had left to do around the Ranch. Well played Orion, well played. 

My dad was so thankful to Orion 'saving me' that Orion could have set the house on fire and my dad would have continued to thank him every time he saw him. It would have been annoying if the attention didn't make Orion so uncomfortable, which was a comedic bonus.

On the third night of my house arrest, I sat on the living room couch, watching the 1993 movie, Much A Do About Nothing, enjoying Beatrice and Benedict's bickering. Their witty banter made me want to take notes, figure out how to channel their skill and use it on others.

I was in the middle of eating a large bowl of popcorn, mouth full of buttery goodness, when the door opened and Orion walked in like he lived there. "Sorry, I would have knocked, but I figured making you get up would be cruel." 

I laughed and nearly choked on the popcorn. He has a point.

Orion sat down on the other end of the couch, stretching out, clearly planning on making himself comfortable. 

"Um... can I help you?" I asked once I had regained my ability to breathe past the popcorn.

He ignored me as he snatched up a piece of my popcorn, and popped it into his mouth. "Good movie choice," he said as he looked at the television. "Shakespeare really took liberty with our stories, but he adds a nice human flair to them." I reached for the remote and pressed pause, turning to look at him with a raised brow.

"What? You don't think Shakespeare came up with all those plays by himself do you?"

My eyes went wide in disbelief. "Are you saying Shakespeare was an alien?"

Orion scoffed. "What? Don't be ridiculous. No. A looooong time ago a few of my kind came here to look for minerals. While looking, they struck up a friendship with him. He was fascinated with our stories and asked if he could write them down."

He plucked the remote from my hand and hit play again. He quoted the movie along with the characters. "I can see he's not in your good books," said the messenger. "No, and if he were I would burn my library." Orion burst out laughing. "This is my favorite Shakespeare play."

I smiled, shocked. "Mine too!"

Surprise filled his eyes. "I guess we have a few things in common. This, and avocado. Not a bad start."

"What else do you like?" I asked, turning to give him my full attention, suddenly curious. What made this Glow Boy tick. 

He faced me, leaning back on the couch. "Chocolate. But not strawberries. Apples but only sliced, s'mores, but not the process of making them. Dogs but not cats. Cats know what I am and it freaks them out, I always get scratched." 

I giggled. Smart cats. I should get one. Good alien radar. 

He scooted closer and searched my face with a mischievous grin. "Let me guess. You prefer vanilla and yes to strawberries. No to apples, but yes to eating and making s'mores. And if you had to pick an animal to have as a pet it would be a horse."

I laughed. "Wrong." I threw a piece of popcorn at him. He caught it in his mouth and flashed me a wide smirk. "I love apples. I love chocolate. Don't like vanilla-flavored anything and cats are now officially my favorite animals. I should get one to keep you in line. It would be the perfect alien detector."

He grabbed the bowl of popcorn and threw a few pieces in the air, quickly catching each one in his mouth. "Impressed?" he asked, raising a brow with a cocky look on his face.