After running from the football field and into the school, Ezekiel and Celia were now drenched. He had never experienced rain before, let alone running from it with such a beautiful creature. He had only ever read about humans but had never actually seen one. It was true that they looked alike, but Celia was something different. Her long blonde hair that went to her waist was now wet and tangled. Her jeans were ripped and exposed a lot of her thigh making Ezekiel's cheeks warm up. He had now been invited to be with her twice in a day, desperately hoping that there would be more options in the future. Ever since they landed on earth just a week ago he had never been at such peace. But every time he was near Celia it was a completely different experience. It was like feeling her emotions were intoxicating. He could feel it every time her mood shifted, when it went from sad to happy this morning or when it went from nervous to something completely different when he had her pinned down after tackling her. He still felt guilty for being so harsh on her, but she hadn't seemed to mind. He wondered for a second why others' emotions seemed dim to him compared to hers. And he wondered why she had been sad in the first place when he sat down next to her that morning. Was it because of the boy they sat with at lunch? Ezekiel could feel the huge crush that Ashton had on Celia, but it didn't make him feel it as well. No, it was the opposite. Like actual pain in his chest. He could see the way Ashton looked at her, the shift from excitement to anger when he noticed Ezekiel standing next to Celia. But somehow, that made Ezekiel want to stand even closer to her.
Ezekiel had never been in a relationship before. Because of this constant pain and the lack of attendance in school he never got to meet any girls. Of course, he had interacted with girls before, but not in a way that was anything more than friendly. And maybe this should be his tactic on earth as well. He needed friends more than a partner at the moment, as he had absolutely none. The first few days on Earth were spent with figuring out housing and how to explain why none of them were licensed, where they were born and how to fabricate passports. It took a while but they finally convinced the authorities. The rest of the days were spent with learning about Earth in history books where they noticed the many different languages of Earth. Way too many to learn fluently in a lifetime. On Lerendra there was only one language after Alanzo, the leader, had forbidden most. Some people still spoke their native languages in secret, but there would be a punishment if any of his guards found out. Spanish class for beginners had been so exciting to Ezekiel. It was a place where he could actually learn new things. It was his new home, he had to learn it.
As Ezekiel was walking home, he savored every little raindrop that fell upon his skin. It was a first, and knowing that there would be many more excited him. He hadn't thought that things like thunder would follow, but he wasn't really concerned. It didn't seem to hurt people, and not that many people seemed scared of thunder. It excited him to know that the first time he had experienced the weather was with Celia. He blushed furiously just thinking about her. How she had approached him each time they had been in the same class or at lunch. It filled his entire being with a new form of feeling. Nervousness, Excitement. What would the future hold?
As Ezekiel walked into his new home he put his bag in his room. This house was a lot bigger than his small apartment in Lerendra, better standards as well. Because Lerendra had been in war so many years, there had been a huge lack of development. Maybe not in the tech department but definitely in the housing department. There weren't enough resources to build good sustainable houses, and this house was everything that Ezekiel had ever dreamt of. It didn't look like some of the mansions in the area, but it had a porch with beautiful pillars, the entrance was almost the size of Ezekiel's old room alone. His new room was at least twice as big. A double bed. The whole vibe he had gone for was pretty modern but also industrial. That style had interested him as soon as they had been out looking for furniture in a store that went by the name "IKEA". When he had gone home that day he had looked it up and found out how it originated from a country called "Sweden" in another part of Earth they called "Europe". He had still many things to learn, but this was a start. No pictures were placed in his room, as they could be suspicious with the red sky and different setting, so Ezekiel was desperately hoping for new memories to be made.
Ezekiel was greeted by his mother when he entered the kitchen. "How are you feeling today?", She asked with her hands placed in something that looked like dough. "I feel good". Ezekiels' mother's jaw dropped at the sound her of her son finally not being in pain. She was so ecstatic that tears started forming in her eyes. "Oh, mother". He approached her and hugged her small figure, though avoided to get dough anywhere near him. Ezekiel feeling well was a rare occasion and usually, his family would go out to do something on those days. But now, he had a feeling that days like these would be his new norm. And that made him want to jump out of excitement. "What are you making?", Ezekiel asked after he pulled away from his mother. She lit up and looked down at the concoction. "I'm trying to make something called garlic bread". She dried off her hands and made Ezekiel sniff the garlic powder standing at the edge of the table. It was strong but had a very pleasant smell. Because Lerendra's ground was mostly sand made of obsidian, the growth of plants was very limited to the different sorts. They had enough to be able to survive, but eating meat was a lot more common. "So did you meet any new humans?". Leian seemed excited to hear about the new friends Ezekiel had made and he blushed. "You did!". "There is this girl...", Ezekiel started, not really knowing where to start and where to finish. His mother nearly dropped the garlic powder on the floor at the mentioning of a girl. "A GIRL?!". "She's in my history and P.E class. She also invited me to sit with her for lunch". He tried to hide his happiness but his mother saw right through him and it gave Ezekiel a rush because of his mother's excitement. "I knew you'd find someone at some point but so soon! This is amazing!". Leian started to jump up and down in excitement further embarrassing Ezekiel. "Mother, I just met her today. Relax". Her mother sulked but the excitement was still coursing through her. "Also these stupid contact lenses hurt". Ezekiel rubbed his eyes, as they begged to be let free of the torture. "I know honey, but it's necessary. You know that". He nodded, though still frustrated. Why did contacts have to be uncomfortable?
After the short conversation with his mother, Ezekiel slumped down on his bed after a long day. Even if he was not in pain this was a new type of discomfort. Exhaustion of his brain after a long day of learning. Not to talk about new faces, social interaction, and an entirely new planet. No wonder he felt drained. After buying furniture they had also gone to an electronics shop. The phones they used on Earth were set years back, something they had had for centuries in Lerendra. Though the design was lacking new technology designs, Ezekiel picked the newest one, as well as something they called "Airpods". Music was rare in Lerendra as Alanzo had banned it years ago.
Ezekiel found his heart to be beating slightly faster because he was about to do something that was illegal on his own planet, but one of the most normal outlets on Earth. Trying out multiple different genres, he settled for the genre called "rock" though he couldn't figure out differences between alternative and "punk rock". The band "Black Veil Brides" stood out to him because of the unusual usage of black in anything wedding related. Ezekiel had read that getting married on Earth required white dresses and buildings like churches because of the different religions. They had religions on Lerendra but it was not taught in school and he had never been especially interested in religion himself, though the constant fights and stigma around religion on earth intrigued him. The song "We don't belong here", started playing and Ezekiel settled back on his bed and closed his eyes.
Can you hear the march of the rejects
Line up the parade of the defects?
Can I hear we don't belong here?
The words stuck out to him like a sore thumb. Even though he had just been placed on Earth he felt like an outcast and that was unsettling. But judging by the lyrics of this song, he wasn't the only feeling like that. Maybe not in an "I'm actually from another type of planet", type of way but an "I don't fit into the standards", kind of way. It saddened him how so many people could feel "alien" in their own home, much like he did on his own planet.
Approaching school the next day, Ezekiel felt weak in the knees just thinking about meeting Celia once again. He was hoping it wasn't just a one-time thing, and that he was going to get ignored.
As he entered school he felt eyes on him as he walked the halls. It was most probably because of P.E yesterday. He had overestimated how much power humans had and had taken on most of the guys in the class. He knew he should have let himself lose a couple of times or at least not use advanced combat techniques but he couldn't help but feel in his element. He had been training for war since he was a child, learning both combat but also self-defense. Clearly, this was the opposite for humans. It was just a bonus subject for them, where at the school in Lerendra it was required for both men and women. Though because of the absence, Ezekiel had been learning under his father. Ezekiel knew he had more strength in his body than humans, so he had to learn how to control it, or use minimum power, and certainly not get into fights. He didn't want murder on his hands. "Ezekiel!". He heard running footsteps and chills were sent down his spine when a small hand was placed on his shoulder. Turning around he a blush crept up on his cheeks. Celia was looking unusually good today, her long blonde locks swept into a braid. She was wearing a light grey sweater and a skirt that was short and flowy. He knew he was checking her out from top to toe but he couldn't help herself. She was beautiful. "Hi, Celia". She hadn't noticed his intense stare and she smiled before motioning him to follow her. "How are you feeling today?". Her voice was melodic and a lot higher than his own. He answered though he didn't pay attention. He wanted to know how she was feeling. Like he was craving it. She touched her shoulder and started rubbing it, a small crease between her eyes appearing. "I'm a bit sore from that tackle yesterday". He knew she was just joking around and not taking it too seriously but she noticed the worry in his eyes. "It's okay! Now I know who to call when I'm in trouble". She opened her locker and the nervousness flooded his mind, both his own and hers. She mentioned calling. Is this the moment he was going to ask for her number? He had never tried this before, and the blood pumped through his veins as he desperately tried forming proper sentences in his head. None came out. And soon enough the moment was gone. She closed her locker with a thump and he lamely followed her to their first class. He knew he should have just manned up and done it but he had no experience in this field. And sadly, this wasn't something you could just read about and then master. But he was determined. Operation "Getting a girl's number" was in play, and Ezekiel was planning on winning.
