Banished To Earth Book One (19)

Chapter 12

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    They were still calling each other butter beanies when they entered Chase’s bright sunlit living room. Pry was sitting cross-legged on the couch flipping through channels. Nikki jerked away from Beth the moment she saw Pry. She was no less happy to see Nikki.

    The moment she looked up and saw the moppet bouncing towards her, she popped her legs out, back flipped over the back of the couch with preternatural ease, and ran to greet her. The child flung herself at Pry, who caught her in midair and spun her around. Nikki squealed with delight.

   A few quick spins later, she gently plopped the little girl onto the couch. Beth looked on. Her face an odd mix of joy and fear.

   Chase was in the kitchen preparing breakfast. Nikki had commandeered Pry’s full attention and affection.” That was plain to see. But no one saw it but Beth.

  “You like T.V. too?” Nikki asked.

“Yes, I guess. It is confusing, so much I don’t know.”

   “Yeah,” said Beth. “Guess I should have spent more time answering questions than asking them. Still, talking to a real-live alien girl and her superhuman husband is something I never thought about until yesterday. It’s, it's so much. I guess I talked you out.”

   “Out, out of what? Pry asked, not meaning to sound cute.

  “Oh, you’re as bad as Nikki.” Said Beth.

   Pry glanced over at Nikki; her features drained of joy. “Nikki’s not bad.”

   “No Pry, not bad, bad, funny bad, cute bad, oooh, never mind. I’m trying to say you're just like Nikki, which is a very good thing.”

   Pry gave Beth a weak smile, “You are like T.V.” Pry hesitated. “Confusing.”

  Beth blushed and gave Pry her own weak smile. “Yeah, that’s fair.”

 “Hum, I smell bacon.” Nikki piped up.

“You like bacon?” Nikki asked.

“Yes, if it tastes as sweet as it smells.”

 

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   “Oh, it does.” Beth replied. “Let’s go see what Mr. Chase has cooked for us.” Beth reached out to take Nikki’s hand. The child rolled toward Pry. “No, I want Pry to take me.”

  “Fine.” Beth said, struggling to produce another smile.

  Pry’s attention was so focused on Nikki, Beth’s displeasure was completely lost on her.

  She scooped the child up and left Beth trailing behind. Her eyes narrowed as she watched Nikki fiddling with Pry’s playful hair, which of course fiddled right back.

  “I made everything I liked, hope you all like my cooking,” Chase said as they entered the kitchen and took their places at the table.

  “I am sure I will,” Pry replied, her hair gently wrestling with Nikki’s pudgy little fingers.

“You sure you can eat earth food?” Beth asked, looking past Nikki to see Pry?

“If Chase can eat it. I am sure I can eat it too. We have both changed since our joining.”

“Joining?”

“Yes, we touched each other’s deepest parts and…”

   Beth raised her eyebrows and her hands, “Kinda think we’re about to pull onto the ‘too much information highway.”

   Nikki and Pry exchanged confused looks as Chase set the plates of scrambled eggs, toast and bacon before them.

   A moment later, Nikki found herself hiding behind a big glass of milk. She propped her little chin on the table. Chase chuckled, “Open your mouth, and I’ll shovel it right in.” He joked.

“No, you won’t, that’d make too big a mess.” Nikki giggled.

“Cooked meat smells sweet,” Pry commented as she sniffed the air like a wolf.

“That’s right,” Nikki replied, “but where you come from, you don’t eat meat. You drink blood.”

“Nikki!” Beth chided. “Let’s not talk about that, I mean. Pry, I’m sorry. You are what you are, but…”

“But we both care about you.”   Chase insisted.

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   “We don’t know what you are. Do you, really?” Beth said, “You are all about the impossible. How can the impossible be possible.”

   “Because it’s not impossible, Beth. It’s not a fantasy. I’ll tell you what’s impossible. We can’t go back. Everything has changed.”

   Beth looked over at Pry and Nikki, both so wrapped up in each other, they were oblivious to the adult conversation brewing around them…

   Pry had never had a friend, or in this case a playmate. This was also a part of her new reality-a delightful part. Another gift Chase had unintentionally given her.

   Both were so drunk on silliness, neither noticed when Beth excused herself, got up and headed toward the bathroom.

   Chase watched her leave knowing exactly how she felt. Lost. Helpless.

    Pry had pushed her bacon to the side of her plate, too greasy. She did, however, devour her toast and eggs. Nikki not so much. Her milk glass was empty, and her two strips of bacon- gone. Her eggs sat piled in the middle of her plate, untouched, that is, until she decided they would look so much better plastered to Pry’s face. But then she noticed Pry’s bacon. However, she didn’t see bacon, she saw batons.

   “Wan’ cha’ bacon?”

   Pry shrugged. “No, you can have it.”

   “I just want one.” She grabbed a particularly long strip and started swinging it around in the air, humming some silly kid show song, as she swayed about to the time of her own little music.

   A moment later, Pry snatched a strip of bacon and was soon swinging and swaying right along with Nikki.

   It wasn’t long before batons became swords and scrambled eggs became hand grenades.

   Chase sat sipping his coffee, lost in thought, that is, until a piece of egg bounced off his forehead and landed in his coffee mug.

   “Pry dag gonnit, what are you doing? You’re supposed to keep her out of trouble, not drag her into it!”