The Day They Came (WATTY AWARDS 2016)

Chapter 9

"No pun intended?" It came out before he could stop it.

"A pun is a play on words. We were just talking about your cold skin, and you used the word 'cooled' when you compared your skin to silver." She smiled a little wider. "I can get a little...punny if I feel up to it." He laughed.

"I'm guessing that's a pun on the word funny." He smiled a little when she nodded.

"You'll fit into human culture yet, Xyzle." She smiled and then stood up. She tested her balance out, but she was steady.

"We have a few hours before our date at Suzy's. If you want, I could take some things up to the ship to make your stay more comfortable." She turned to look at him as he spoke.

"Y-You...You would do that for me?" She sounded...touched. At least, he thought that was the right word.

"Yeah. You've cooperated. You have tried your best to help us." He smiled a little. "You're the reason my father is going to try and make this takeover peaceful."

She smiled a little. He could see that she was struggling through all of this, but she had managed to somehow find the good in him, in his father, in everyone she met up there. He could see how much his little gestures meant to her.

"I'll gather some things. You can just leave them on the bed; I'll arrange them when we get back or tomorrow." Her smile widened before she left the living room.

He let her go. She had things to gather up, and he needed to be ready to go back up to the ship. He radioed up to his father that he would be bringing some things up to the ship for Claire. His father didn't protest; he agreed that Claire had earned it.

"Xyzle, did you see a red, black, and white rectangle? Is it out there?" She called from a distant room in the apartment.

He looked around a moment. Then he saw something that looked like it. He picked it up, and managed to turn it on.

"With a screen and a picture of a beach?" He yelled back softly.

"Yes! That's it." She came out and gently took it from him. "Thanks." She smiled a little before disappearing into the back of the apartment again.

He got off the couch. The ceilings were almost too low for him to fully stand up. He remembered from getting her clothes that she had requested that he had hit his head multiple times as he walked from room to room.

She returned to the living room a few minutes later. In her arms, she held a large shoulder bag. He could see that it was full to the brim – probably with a couple of blankets and other little things to help her feel at home.

"I have a couple more things I want you to take up to the ship. If you could take it all up at once, I'd really appreciate it." She laid the bag on the couch.

"I can do that." He didn't want to break her trust. The fact that he seemed to be earning her trust was quite an exciting one to him. There was nothing he'd like better than to be trusted by a human being.

"Thanks." She smiled. Then, she left the room and returned to the back of the apartment.

When she returned, she had a small purse and a backpack. She handed him the backpack and the purse.

"That's everything. The backpack is probably a little heavy; it's full of books." Then, she pulled something out of the purse. "This is my phone. You do not touch it, alright?"

"Understood. And the...beach thing?" He wanted to know if that was okay to hold.

"It's locked, so yeah. You can touch that, but do not use your powers on it, please." She was very specific about what to do and what not to do. He nodded a little and then went back up to the ship.

He put the three bags on the bed. She seemed to be a lover of books. However, he didn't have time to put a favorite book in her room for her to read.

After he set the bags down, he left the ship and returned to the apartment. She was talking to something, and seemed to be listening to someone on the other end. He allowed her some silence to finish the conversation.

"Yes, I understand...no, I can't work to-...Tony, I can't." She sighed and waited another moment. "I have a date! At the restaurant...To-Tony, no." She made a face and turned to face him. "Not for a couple of months, Tony." She didn't seem too disappointed.

Then she pushed a button and set the thing down on the counter.

"What is the name of that activity you just finished?" He wasn't quite sure how to ask the question.

"I was talking on the phone. By the way, I appreciate the quiet. I have a job at Suzy's, which is why I've eaten there." She sighed. "I'm a singer there. My boss, Tony, wants me to work tonight."

"Do you sing well?" He couldn't help but ask.

"I don't think I do, but Tony thinks I do." As she spoke, he took her hand softly.

"I think it'd be a wonderful addition to hear you sing tonight." He smiled at her. "And if you are paid for it...all the better, correct?"

"I-I do need the money..." She sounded as if she were trying to justify it to himself.

"If you need to work tonight, go for it." His smile widened. "I'd love to hear you sing. Honest. Consider the issue settled." She laughed a little.

"Alright, alright. I'll call Tony back and tell him about the change. I may have to change before we go then...dress code for work's a little more formal." She laughed a little more before picking up what he assumed was a phone. She pressed a few buttons, and then held it up to her. There was silence for a moment.

"Tony, hey, it's Claire, again. I talked to my date, and I can work for a few hours tonight. However, I will need to leave when the date is over." She kept the conversation short. "Uhh...I guess you can meet him...it's up to him." There was another pause in the conversation. "No, he's not abusive, Tony. The situation is complex." She almost sounded offended by what was being said. "Tony, I'm fine. A little shaken up, but I'm alright. I'm just in a very complex situation."

She hung up, and set the phone on the counter. She took a deep breath. He assumed she was trying to calm down.

"You repeated a word, I'm assuming, that he said. What does 'abusive' mean?" He wasn't quite sure what it meant. However, he could guess that it meant something along the lines of one partner in a relationship hurting the other in a physical or emotional matter.

"I'm not sure what the technical definition is, but essentially, it means that one partner is physically, emotionally, or psychologically manipulating to the other partner." She managed to tell him what she knew. "Tony's a little overprotective of me. I was abused as a child." He figured she meant physically or emotionally abused, but he wasn't going to ask her.

"I'm sorry if it brings up...bad memories." He then offered her his hand. "Do you want to take a walk before we go to dinner?"

"I'd love to. What time is our date?" She took his hand, being as warm as ever.

"Seven. You may have to keep an eye on time for me." Then he opened the door, and held it for her. Her cheeks turned a red color, presumably because she was embarrassed.

"I-I'll do that." She smiled a little, and motioned to something on her wrist. "My watch will tell me when it's time to return; I'll have to change before we go. I can't wear jeans to work."

"That makes sense, actually." He managed a smile.

They left the apartment building. Eyes immediately began to stare at him, but he didn't care.